The 25 Most Commonly Asked Questions About Dreams

Did you know that by age 60 you will sleep 175,200 hours, dream 87,000 hours with 197,100 dreams?

Although a significant majority of us remember our dreams, less than ten percent of us understand their meaning. Research shows that by the year 2000, this percentage will more than double with profound effects on the way we see ourselves and our world.

Each day we have hundreds of opportunities to respond to our outer environment by making decisions that determine the quality of our lives. The removal of consciousness from the physical body, commonly known as sleep, provides a rest both mentally and physically from the constant input of information through the body's physical senses. During the sleeping hours, rejuvenation of the mind and body occurs in preparation for the next day's experience. More importantly, assessments of how previous experiences have affected the inner environment of Self transpire. This process of reflection is conducted by your inner mind while the conscious, waking mind sleeps. The inner mind reviews and correlates similar thoughts generated throughout your previous day, offering reports on the attitudes you hold that comprise your state of being. A nightly commentary concerning your state of awareness is offered to your conscious mind in what we know as dreams.

For decades, faculty and students of the School of Metaphysics have been studying and researching man's potential including the universal phenomenon of dreaming. We have found that dreams are communications from the inner levels of man's consciousness. When understood, dream images provide significant feedback concerning the dreamer's spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical state of being. Being attentive and informed about your dream states can resolve problems, enhance creativity, and accelerate learning. Our research indicates all dreams, including flying dreams, nightmares, and recurring dreams, are relevant messages to and about the dreamer.

Dreams offer insights into the state of your awareness. They are communicated in the Universal Language of Mind and are personally relevant to you, the dreamer. When interpreting your own dreams there are two universally true principles to keep in mind:

1.  Every dream is about the dreamer.

2.  Every person, place and thing in the dream represents the dreamer.

Dreams are a communication from your inner, subconscious mind to your outer, conscious mind. The characters and action in your dream present a symbolic story about you and for you. When interpreted, dreams teach us in much the same way a fable or parable presents a message or lesson to be learned.

Fables, myths, and the world's Holy Scriptures offer insightful stories of the lives of others. The written word describes concepts which reveal Universal Truths that every person on the planet can live by to enrich their lives. When read, the words conjure images in the mind defining a productive action or way of thinking such as courage, trustworthiness, or Self respect. There is an inherent detachment from stories of mythology as they are about someone else's life. We can learn to separate and identify our own dream images in a similar fashion. A detached outlook enables us to rise above emotional reaction to the information received and frees us to objectively perceive the Truth being communicated from another, deeper part of Self.

Applying the Truth revealed in dreams causes new ways of thinking and acting, promoting a change and growth in your awareness. For instance, you dream that you are running down a long dark street. Something is chasing after you but you don't look back to see what it is. When you get to the end of the street there is nowhere to go. This dream indicates you are avoiding the acknowledgment of an aspect or part of your Self. In the dream, you do not even look to see what is motivating you to run, informing you that you are unaware of your own intentions in life. Through the dream images, your subconscious mind is telling you that the result in your waking life is similar to the dead end reached in the dream; your choices are significantly limited. If you've had this kind of dream, you will benefit from admitting the many opportunities open to you and setting goals for a lifestyle you find worthy of pursuing. In this way you respond to the Truth revealed in your dream.

The messages from your subconscious mind contain no judgments regarding right or wrong, good or bad; the way of thinking or the attitude comprising your state of awareness simply exists. When dreams are interpreted you become aware of how you think which gives you freedom to imagine something better than before. You have access to information beyond and in addition to your outer physical experiences. Perhaps you have thought, "If I just had that one specific piece of information, all the pieces would fit and my life would be as I desire." Your dreams provide opportunities to find that missing piece on a daily basis.

Dreaming remains an enigma to most people and the questions arising from dream experiences cover a broad spectrum. Many of these questions are related since dreaming is a universal experience for all of mankind. From our exploration in the meaning of dreams, we have gathered twenty-five of the most common questions about our night time dreams and what they reveal about the dreamer. We trust they will offer insight and clarity to your own dream experiences, dispelling fears or anxieties arising from "old wives' tales and bringing to light the vast wisdom available to you each time you sleep.