Guest Blogger: What’s in a Dream?
Leave a comment12/12/2011 by Josephine Rose
Introducing our first guest blogger, Jill Tan from the Philippines, my five-steps away neighbor and I’m proud to say, one of my best(est) childhood friends, despite the long distance. Like Marnelli and I, she also majors in Psychology and continues to be fascinated by it after graduating from college. She loves reading novels, organizing and decorating yearly planners, the weekends, and the beach.
Even as children, we were always amazed by our dreams and we made it a point to remember them so that we can tell each other about it later in the day. So here’s Jill’s take on dreams, and what they could possibly mean (if ever they hold any meaning, that is). Thanks Jill!
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I had a dream last night that I was diving into deep waters. It was so beautiful and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. I had no diving apparatus; no goggles or oxygen, but I could still see underwater, as clear as I could on land, and I could stay underwater for however long I wanted without having to swim up to the surface for air. It was all so serene until some weird, creepy looking fish started chasing me. I don’t know exactly where the dream ends.
So let’s just stop at that. I googled what dreaming of a fish means and this is what I found:
To see fish swimming in your dream, signifies insights from your unconscious mind. Thus to catch a fish, represents insights which have been brought to the surface. Alternatively, a fish swimming in your dream may symbolize conception. Some women dream of swimming fish when they get pregnant. The fish is also an ancient symbol of Christianity and Christian beliefs. Consider the common phrases “like a cold fish”, “fish out of water” or something that is “fishy” about a situation. It may also imply a slippery or elusive situation. Perhaps your dream could be telling you that “there are plenty of other fish in the sea”, with regards to some relationship issue.(via http://www.dreammoods.com)
I have always been into dreams. I am so fascinated by them- mine and those experienced and shared by others. I always try to google what my dreams mean. Of course, I am aware that dream interpretation is subjective and the interpretations found on the internet are not accurate and may be completely off the marker but I just really enjoy it. If i could record my dreams, I would do so and watch my favorite dreams over and over again!
One thing I love about dreams is how it links all of humanity. Dreaming is a part of our race, sure we find our pets dreaming sometimes, but they are incapable of reacting to their dreams. Humans, on the other hand, have the mental capacity to dissect their dream and analyze its meaning. Some of us take it for granted, which is sad because studying one’s dreams can really help a person learn more about himself or herself. Dream interpretation, as per Carl Jung’s method of amplification, connects the images and scenarios of our dreams to worldly representations. Some parts of our dreams that are extremely random can be interpreted as symbols that are associated with various forms of literature, religion, culture, and etc; just like how seeing a fish in a dream could be traced back to Christianity as interpreted above.
Another thing I find amazing about dreams is how they may sometimes be a message/s of the unconscious to the conscious mind. I usually have very abstract dreams. I have dreamt of whales, sharks, dolphins, snakes, frogs, jellyfish, hamster and more. Sometimes these animals would simply make an appearance in my dreams, other times they would play more crucial roles. I remember sharing this information to my Counseling Psychology professor. She told me that sometimes we get abstract dreams because it is a way for our unconscious to reach us. Sometimes we repress emotions to the deepest parts of our minds that forming a clear picture of it in our dreams might be too much for us to handle. So what happens is these emotions or problems come out in dreams in a less threatening manner with symbolic images. So next time you dream of something completely random, take a minute to reflect on it, maybe there’s something in your life you have to face, or maybe it really is just a random image you passed by during the day.
Either way, take a moment to remember what you dreamt of, because you can!
