The ancients relied on dreams to predict the future or to advise them as to which course to take in a specific situation. There were temples throughout the ancient world that were devoted to the practice of incubation. This involved spending the night in a chamber inside the temple or at least within the temple precincts in order to receive a visitation either from the gods or some one or something delegated to act as the representative of the gods.
I dreamt last night of some one who died a few years ago. He was my best friend and, in my dream, he had not died, but had almost died. He had disappeared, his house had been sold and his possessions dispersed (as in reality) but he had survived.
In the dream, I was in Manhattan, the city where we originally met in reality, but in the dream he was standing at a counter in a shop, his back to me. I recognised him by his clothing and stance, something impossible or unlikely in reality. In fact, in the dream, he was dressed in a fashion he never would have chosen in reality.
Furthermore, in my dream, he had become addicted to heroin and was attempting to purchase drugs from a chemist. Obviously this twist was inspired by 'Trainspotting' and another film I had seen recently quite late at night. (Does any one wonder about the proliferation of drug addiction films on television lately? I have been awakened from a fitful sleep to 'Candy', 'Trainspotting' and a few other films whose names escape me but all were centred on intravenous and illegal drug use. Not the most pleasant awakening in the middle of the night, especially if the film is showing some one undergoing withdrawals.) In any case, let me make it quite clear that my friend was as far from a drug user in reality as any one could be. In fact, I think it was his refusal to take prescribed necessary medications that contributed to his death.
In my dream, I was astounded by the fortuitous nature of our reunion in Manhattan. I do not live in Manhattan now (either in the dream or in reality) nor do I visit New York often. What were the odds??? In the dream, I was poised to ask him why he had not telephoned me after his survival from his impending death but then realised I no longer had the telephone, having cancelled the service after his death (both in reality and in the dream).
I persuaded him to move into a rather bleak little cottage on my parent's property (in the dream). I waited to hear from him but when he did not contact me, rather to my surprise, given our extraordinary good fortune in having met again, went to visit him. I saw him through a screen window in the throes of terrible withdrawals...
I tried to imagine what could help in these circumstances and decided to bring him one of my cats. He was as much a feline lover as I, both in reality and in the dream. In interacting with the cat, his suffering vanished and he was in both good humour and good health.
He asked if I wished to listen to some music and referred to a very extensive CD collection in the dream. At that point, I marvelled that, despite the loss of everything else, he had managed to retain his music collection. (We both loved classical music in the dream as in reality.)
I have made this rather tedious recital of details from a dream only because it fascinates me how the two worlds cross and intersect. My consciousness and memory in the dream were equal if not greater than that in reality. I remembered every cassette and CD he owned as well as all the valuables he had lost in his 'near-death' experience... in reality, his surviving brother either sold or took all his possessions to the local dump. The dream, however, contained a wealth of detail that was sheer fantasy. It is amazing how our minds create and engineer such impressively detailed 'sets' for our dreams.
Furthermore, once again, I experienced a world that has existed since my early childhood, a world containing detailed cities, roads and buildings that do not exist anywhere except in my dreams. The cities in my dreams run parallel to those in reality. 'London', 'Paris' and 'Rome' exist in my dreams, but their landscapes and planning is quite distinct from the cities I know in reality. The property my parents inherited and one that I revisit again and again in my dreams is very different in dream from reality, but the dream place has a substantial 'reality' of its own that has grown and evolved in dreams over the year. There is no bleak little cottage on that land in reality.
If I had been a 'patient' undergoing incubation in the ancient world, I would have scrutinised my dream and viewed it as a message from the gods or at least a message from the dead. As it is, I view it as a strange combination of films that intruded upon my consciousness while sleeping and wishful thinking. How wonderful it would be if my friend had not died, even if he had become addicted to drugs by some bizarre twist of fate! How wonderful if I could have moved him to the relative safety of a little cottage on some property owned by my family... (Or it is myself here, wishing for some safe haven that does not exist?)
To raise some one from the dead ... That is a concept that has haunted epic poetry, myth, literature and film from time immemorial. In most tales, meddling with the afterlife and attempting to bring a soul BACK leads to danger, misery and tragedy. Even in my dream, I could not bring my friend BACK properly. He was afflicted with an addiction to an illegal substance and moreover one that he evidently was unable to obtain!
The price I paid for my dream is false memories. At the end of the dream, we spent some time with all my pets. Here as well the dead were raised to life again and cats and birds who died in this reality lived again in the dream. Furthermore, the birds not only sang but left their cages to fly to my hand. It ultimately became a dream of paradise in a way, albeit of a rather modest sort.
The false memories engendered by this dream are far more profound and potent than any that could be aroused by simple waking memory at this point. After all, there is an immediacy and 'reality' to dreams. My friend walked and talked with me last night and we spent time with some of my most beloved pets from the past.
Now, forever mixed with the real memories I have of my friend will be memories of this dream. A person created partly of memory and partly from imagination now shadows the real friend I had in this life.
If I had been a patient undergoing incubation in a temple, I would view this dream as some sort of message from the gods or a portent for the future... In fact, I recognise that much of it probably was directly inspired by a film playing on the television as I slept, assimilated into my dream. Bringing my friend back to life, however, was my own contribution to the mix. The strange dream meeting in Manhattan was prompted by a recent unsuccessful attempt to trace one of my best friends from University who moved to Spain. One no doubt can trace every component to a recent thought or influence. Even so, thoughts flit through the mind momentarily, leaving little trace... A dream, on the other hand, can leave emotions in its wake that do not disperse for days. I expect I will be 'haunted' by this dream for some time. To that extent, it now is as much a part of my reality as any 'real' experience.
One day later: My cat died in the night, quite without any warning. I am still stunned. No matter how we try to come to terms with death or believe in an afterlife, it remains extremely difficult to cope with the loss of a loved one, whether animal or human. Lionheart appeared to be in excellent health. There was no indication whatsoever.
Showing posts with label Dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dreams. Show all posts
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 7, 2007
The Reality of Dreams
One cannot discuss reality or realities without discussing dreams. In Islam, dreams are divided into three different categories. There are 'Ru'yaa', good or 'true' visions that bring glad tidings from Allah, 'Hulum', bad dreams bringing discouragement or sorrow, believed to be from Shaitan and finally dreams that are from the 'ramblings of the self' and include those dreams that are a curious mixture of recent occurrences, aspirations and fears. The third category is the most common, and is the work of our unconscious/subconscious, churning out films on a daily basis in the factory of our psyche and offering them to our conscious mind during slumber.
Of dreams from the first category, it is said that: 'Those of you with the truest dreams will be those who are most truthful in speech.' This was related in a hadith by Salih Muslim.
It is not surprising that it is considered to be a grave sin if one fabricates a dream and relates it to others in order to attempt to influence them. After all, if 'ru'yaa' are from Allah, then a false claim as to a dream of this kind would amount to an attempt to put false words into the mouth of God.
Most religions and traditions recognise these different categories even if they are not clearly delineated. After all, there are 'seers' or psychics in every culture who are able to dream/see the future, uncover secrets and see that which is hidden. One need not sleep in order to dream.
As for the dreams from 'Shaitan', these would be the dreams that falsely predict death or misfortune. Whether or not one wishes to believe that an actual entity is responsible for these, almost every one probably has experienced at least one dream of this sort in his/her lifetime.
In many cultures, dreaming was a religious exercise and often performed in a temple or other location dedicated to a deity or otherwise considered sacred. Dream 'incubation' was an effort to open the soul to divine messages or inspiration while sleeping in a sacred precinct. No doubt, rituals of preparation, including cleansing and purification, facilitated the process. By removing oneself from the distractions of ordinary life, one would be prepared to enter another realm or at least touch that other reality in a dream state.
In ancient Egypt, there was a 'Master of Secrets' who interpreted dreams that occurred during incubation. The ancient Greeks had similar rites, and pilgrimages were undertaken to temples where incubation was likely to achieve success. The Aesculapius at Epidaurus was a popular destination.
In many cultures throughout the world, a priest/priestess or shaman performed this duty as well as translating or otherwise communicating messages from other realms.
Oracles in ancient times were trained to 'dream' and to have waking visions in order to discover the answers to questions or otherwise communicate with the gods. The oracle at Delphi is one of the most famous of these ancient ambassadors from one realm to another. Shamans in Siberia actually climbed a 'ladder to heaven' in the form of a special birch tree and built a platform at its top in order to 'dream' and travel to other realms from a place situated between heaven and earth. It is dreams experienced during sleep rather than waking visions, however, that are the subject of this post.
In the 2nd century, Artemidorus wrote five books in which he collected dream interpretations from various sources and creates a system of classification. Rather than recognising three divisions, he divided dreams into two categories: Enhypria and Oneiroi. Enhypria is the category for dreams that are based on anxiety or represent a 'petition' or supplication with respect to a situation in real life. Oneiroi are the dreams that predict the future and Artemidorus recognised two different types of prophetic dream. 'Theorematic dreams' are prophecies that are straightforward depictions of the future. Allegorical dreams are those that 'hint in the manner of a riddle'.
Incubation is a practice embraced by devotees of many different religions, including Christianity. Even in the early 20th century, this tradition still was practiced in the Mediterranean. It has a valid foundation, actually, for any one who believes that the creation of a sacred space facilitates any spiritual connection or experience. Whether or not an actual visitation by another entity will occur is irrelevant. If a dream results in a cure or inspired response to any question, then the incubation has been successful. Perhaps some of these cures are nothing more than the power of 'mind over matter' but the power of dreams and prophecy goes far beyond that in some cases.
A philosopher named Heraclitus in the 5th century declared that dreams were the creation of a person's own mind or psyche and Aristotle supported this theory in his work, 'Parva Naturalia'. Although Aristotle, in his zeal to propound natural principles argued that prophetic dreams were seldom more than mere coincidence and that successful dream interpretation was nothing more than a skill based on psychology and the ability to make inferences drawn from facts, he admitted that all dreams could not be explained in this fashion. His observation that many dreams appeared to be based on recollection of the day's events and that dreams often reflected an individual's state of health were astute, however, setting the stage for modern psychology.
It would be a mistake, however, to dismiss dreams as nothing more than creations of the mind. I believe that one should be open to the belief that dreams can be a conduit through which communication from other realms can occur and even a means by which participation in existence in other realms can take place.
This brings one to the question: Does one simply remember the past in dreams or can one actually revisit the past? Can one live an alternate reality in a dream or is it simply a form of entertainment?
In my own experience of dreams, I have been able to visit the same places again and again and establish long-term relationships with individuals never met in this reality. Often cities that I know in reality will be mirrored in my dreams, but there are differences that are found, not in a single dream, but in dream after dream, year after year. From early childhood, my dream 'London' and my dream 'Paris' have differed from the Paris and London of reality and yet the same streets, buildings, houses and inhabitants have endured through decades of dreaming. Nepal in my dreams is not the same Nepal in which I lived as a young girl, but it is a detailed land that I revisit again and again. People in these places experience dramas through the years that are recalled and have effects in dreams that occur afterwards. In other words, these dream places appear to have their own histories and timelines.
I would not argue that they are 'real' in any objective sense, but I would not dismiss that possibility either.
Moreover, this sort of dream defies 'interpretation' in any symbolic sense, as it is another life that has too many details and too huge a landscape to be reduced to any symbol or even emotional connection. I experience victories as well as defeats, pleasure as well as pain, loss as well as new friendships in these dreams.
That is not to say that I do not experience the classical 'symbolic' dreams for which books like the 'Oneirocriticon' and 'Royal Book of Dreams' were written. Every one experiences dreams of this sort, but I do tend to agree with those who would argue for personal symbolism in lieu of universal meanings. If there is any common symbolic meaning to objects appearing in dreams, it would be derived from a common cultural heritage or religion.
Alfred Maury's assertion that all dreams have their catalyst in external stimuli would support the theory that symbolism found in dreams would have to be interpreted according to a subjective individual lexicon. This would not negate the interpretations made by skilled 'dream interpreters'. For example, when individuals made a pilgrimage to a specific location in order to undergo incubation, the symbols in their dreams would be interpreted according to the religion or tradition of that temple or sacred precinct. I would disagree with Maury in his inability to accept the idea that some dreams may be the work of 'divine' or otherwise 'beyond this reality' forces but most dreams we experience do support his thesis.
Freud's fixation on the sexual component as a basis for everything has been discredited, but Jung's work on dreams and mythology embraces a number of different disciplines, allowing us the possibility of using dreams as a means by which we can understand ourselves better as well as influencing our own potential and actions.
Whether or not dreams represent 'facts', they are a 'fact of life' and one that has enriched my life immensely. There is a danger in dreaming as well, especially if our dreams are far more seductive and entertaining than our 'real' life. I know that there was a time in my own life, during adolescence, when I could not wait to fall asleep at night, because every dream was a fantastic adventure. At that period, writing was another means by which I could create a reality that was far less painful and far more fulfilling than the one in which I was forced to 'live'. I would not like to fall into that error again, but I would like to be inspired again to create a vision and reality through words that outlasts the night!
N.B. As I am an academic at heart who trusts only primary sources, I have added a new section on Dreams to this journal that gives links to many ancient works that deal with dreams and dream interpretations.
Of dreams from the first category, it is said that: 'Those of you with the truest dreams will be those who are most truthful in speech.' This was related in a hadith by Salih Muslim.
It is not surprising that it is considered to be a grave sin if one fabricates a dream and relates it to others in order to attempt to influence them. After all, if 'ru'yaa' are from Allah, then a false claim as to a dream of this kind would amount to an attempt to put false words into the mouth of God.
Most religions and traditions recognise these different categories even if they are not clearly delineated. After all, there are 'seers' or psychics in every culture who are able to dream/see the future, uncover secrets and see that which is hidden. One need not sleep in order to dream.
As for the dreams from 'Shaitan', these would be the dreams that falsely predict death or misfortune. Whether or not one wishes to believe that an actual entity is responsible for these, almost every one probably has experienced at least one dream of this sort in his/her lifetime.
In many cultures, dreaming was a religious exercise and often performed in a temple or other location dedicated to a deity or otherwise considered sacred. Dream 'incubation' was an effort to open the soul to divine messages or inspiration while sleeping in a sacred precinct. No doubt, rituals of preparation, including cleansing and purification, facilitated the process. By removing oneself from the distractions of ordinary life, one would be prepared to enter another realm or at least touch that other reality in a dream state.
In ancient Egypt, there was a 'Master of Secrets' who interpreted dreams that occurred during incubation. The ancient Greeks had similar rites, and pilgrimages were undertaken to temples where incubation was likely to achieve success. The Aesculapius at Epidaurus was a popular destination.
In many cultures throughout the world, a priest/priestess or shaman performed this duty as well as translating or otherwise communicating messages from other realms.
Oracles in ancient times were trained to 'dream' and to have waking visions in order to discover the answers to questions or otherwise communicate with the gods. The oracle at Delphi is one of the most famous of these ancient ambassadors from one realm to another. Shamans in Siberia actually climbed a 'ladder to heaven' in the form of a special birch tree and built a platform at its top in order to 'dream' and travel to other realms from a place situated between heaven and earth. It is dreams experienced during sleep rather than waking visions, however, that are the subject of this post.
In the 2nd century, Artemidorus wrote five books in which he collected dream interpretations from various sources and creates a system of classification. Rather than recognising three divisions, he divided dreams into two categories: Enhypria and Oneiroi. Enhypria is the category for dreams that are based on anxiety or represent a 'petition' or supplication with respect to a situation in real life. Oneiroi are the dreams that predict the future and Artemidorus recognised two different types of prophetic dream. 'Theorematic dreams' are prophecies that are straightforward depictions of the future. Allegorical dreams are those that 'hint in the manner of a riddle'.
Incubation is a practice embraced by devotees of many different religions, including Christianity. Even in the early 20th century, this tradition still was practiced in the Mediterranean. It has a valid foundation, actually, for any one who believes that the creation of a sacred space facilitates any spiritual connection or experience. Whether or not an actual visitation by another entity will occur is irrelevant. If a dream results in a cure or inspired response to any question, then the incubation has been successful. Perhaps some of these cures are nothing more than the power of 'mind over matter' but the power of dreams and prophecy goes far beyond that in some cases.
A philosopher named Heraclitus in the 5th century declared that dreams were the creation of a person's own mind or psyche and Aristotle supported this theory in his work, 'Parva Naturalia'. Although Aristotle, in his zeal to propound natural principles argued that prophetic dreams were seldom more than mere coincidence and that successful dream interpretation was nothing more than a skill based on psychology and the ability to make inferences drawn from facts, he admitted that all dreams could not be explained in this fashion. His observation that many dreams appeared to be based on recollection of the day's events and that dreams often reflected an individual's state of health were astute, however, setting the stage for modern psychology.
It would be a mistake, however, to dismiss dreams as nothing more than creations of the mind. I believe that one should be open to the belief that dreams can be a conduit through which communication from other realms can occur and even a means by which participation in existence in other realms can take place.
This brings one to the question: Does one simply remember the past in dreams or can one actually revisit the past? Can one live an alternate reality in a dream or is it simply a form of entertainment?
In my own experience of dreams, I have been able to visit the same places again and again and establish long-term relationships with individuals never met in this reality. Often cities that I know in reality will be mirrored in my dreams, but there are differences that are found, not in a single dream, but in dream after dream, year after year. From early childhood, my dream 'London' and my dream 'Paris' have differed from the Paris and London of reality and yet the same streets, buildings, houses and inhabitants have endured through decades of dreaming. Nepal in my dreams is not the same Nepal in which I lived as a young girl, but it is a detailed land that I revisit again and again. People in these places experience dramas through the years that are recalled and have effects in dreams that occur afterwards. In other words, these dream places appear to have their own histories and timelines.
I would not argue that they are 'real' in any objective sense, but I would not dismiss that possibility either.
Moreover, this sort of dream defies 'interpretation' in any symbolic sense, as it is another life that has too many details and too huge a landscape to be reduced to any symbol or even emotional connection. I experience victories as well as defeats, pleasure as well as pain, loss as well as new friendships in these dreams.
That is not to say that I do not experience the classical 'symbolic' dreams for which books like the 'Oneirocriticon' and 'Royal Book of Dreams' were written. Every one experiences dreams of this sort, but I do tend to agree with those who would argue for personal symbolism in lieu of universal meanings. If there is any common symbolic meaning to objects appearing in dreams, it would be derived from a common cultural heritage or religion.
Alfred Maury's assertion that all dreams have their catalyst in external stimuli would support the theory that symbolism found in dreams would have to be interpreted according to a subjective individual lexicon. This would not negate the interpretations made by skilled 'dream interpreters'. For example, when individuals made a pilgrimage to a specific location in order to undergo incubation, the symbols in their dreams would be interpreted according to the religion or tradition of that temple or sacred precinct. I would disagree with Maury in his inability to accept the idea that some dreams may be the work of 'divine' or otherwise 'beyond this reality' forces but most dreams we experience do support his thesis.
Freud's fixation on the sexual component as a basis for everything has been discredited, but Jung's work on dreams and mythology embraces a number of different disciplines, allowing us the possibility of using dreams as a means by which we can understand ourselves better as well as influencing our own potential and actions.
Whether or not dreams represent 'facts', they are a 'fact of life' and one that has enriched my life immensely. There is a danger in dreaming as well, especially if our dreams are far more seductive and entertaining than our 'real' life. I know that there was a time in my own life, during adolescence, when I could not wait to fall asleep at night, because every dream was a fantastic adventure. At that period, writing was another means by which I could create a reality that was far less painful and far more fulfilling than the one in which I was forced to 'live'. I would not like to fall into that error again, but I would like to be inspired again to create a vision and reality through words that outlasts the night!
N.B. As I am an academic at heart who trusts only primary sources, I have added a new section on Dreams to this journal that gives links to many ancient works that deal with dreams and dream interpretations.
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