And here I had a dream ... "
Dreams are one of the most mysterious and intriguing psychological phenomena: during sleep our brain at some point moves to a state very similar to the state of consciousness during notes, producing a plethora of impressions, stories and occurrences that we tend to remember as dreams. Researchers from different fields have suggested that dreaming has different cognitive and emotional roles: for example, dreams allow us to process information and stimuli that have been absorbed into our minds during the day and sometimes even allow us to practice skills or actions we try to learn on a daily basis. Some studies suggest that dreams allow us to process traumatic events and deal with them in new and different ways.
One of the key approaches to understanding dreams focuses on the emotional aspects of the dream. This approach has already been proposed by Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, and was significantly developed by his successors. Beyond the different approaches of dream interpretation that offer different approaches, this perception assumes that during sleep our control over ourselves and our consciousness loosens, so that less conscious areas of our psyche are manifested. Thus, dreams reveal conflicts, impulses, feelings and wishes that we are not always aware of.
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Dreams come back
Many people report recurring dreams that accompany them over extended periods, sometimes even over many years. In some cases recurring dreams will repeat themselves accurately and in other cases the same recurring dreams will appear similar but different variations. For example, many people describe recurring and similar dreams about natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis) which in some cases end in devastating consequences, while in other cases the dreamer and his loved ones are saved.
How to understand these recurring dreams?
If we assume that the dream expresses unconscious psychic contents, then the appearance of recurring dreams means that our psyche is preoccupied with a particular psychic content which awaits processing and reference. When a dream appears on a one-time basis and we try to find out its meaning, we often recognize how it is affected by contemporary emotional experiences and impressions. Recurring dreams, on the other hand, usually indicate that our psyche is trying to draw our attention to unprocessed content, emotion, or experience that is present in our lives but not being adequately processed.
A common example is the example of "naked dreams": dreams in which we find ourselves naked, frightened and ashamed in the middle of a street or social event. These dreams are often related to experiences or fears of exposing aspects that we feel less comfortable with. Accordingly, recurring dreams of nudity may indicate high vulnerability or sensitivity around issues of failure and damage to self-image. Another common example is, as mentioned, the example of recurring dreams of natural disasters, often associated with a general feeling of vulnerability and distrust in interpersonal relationships. Recurring dreams of this kind may indicate that even if we maintain positive and meaningful interpersonal relationships, beneath the surface there are fears and mistrust of other human beings.
Deciphering recurring dreams
Understanding that recurring dreams express engagement with unconscious content is a first, but not last, step in deciphering those recurring dreams. As we all know, dreams often involve blurry situations and characters: "He had my dad's mustache but he did not look like him ...", "I was in a kind of strange building, it looked like a hotel but the feeling was that we were in some military base", " I do not know what we did there, maybe we were looking for something? Or were we actually on our way to some picnic? ".
Freud was the first to suggest that our mental defense system prevents the unconscious contents from being expressed in a dream directly, since their direct expression would cause too much panic and impair sleep, which is essential to our functioning. Accordingly, Freud suggested that the unconscious contents that occupy us are disguised by symbols (e.g., a cave whose disguised meaning is a vagina), condensation (mixing between different figures), inter-figure placement (e.g., a dream about a quarrel with the boss representing a quarrel with the father) and camouflage mechanisms More. To discover the hidden behind these camouflages, Freud argued that one should look at the spontaneous associations that arise in response to the various components of the dream.
According to this view, deciphering recurring dreams involves looking at the dream from several perspectives:
Exposing Symbols: Identifying the symbolic meaning that different elements have in a dream. At this point disagreements are made so that some approaches believe in the existence of universal meanings for symbols (e.g., a snake will always symbolize the loss of the male sex), while other approaches argue that the personal meaning of the symbol for the specific dreamer is most relevant.
Personal associations: Observing the personal associations - the memories, feelings, impressions and feelings - that arise in response to the various aspects of the dream, and understanding the meaning of the dream for the specific dreamer.
Timing of the dream appearance: Anchoring the dream appearance in the current circumstances of the dreamer's life, and trying to understand why the dream appeared just now. For example, dreaming of infidelity with a spouse can have a very different meaning when he or she appears a moment before the wedding or a moment after a serious quarrel.
The pattern of the appearance of the dream over time: In the case of recurring dreams, it is worth trying and identifying whether there is a regular pattern that characterizes the appearance of recurring dreams. For example, do recurring dreams of falling off a cliff always appear before new beginnings accompanied by new challenges, or rather just when couple relationships become more intimate and serious?
That is, solving recurring dreams is a process which is aimed at “dubbing” the unconscious area in our psyche, which calls us to processing and relating.
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In a dream, women represent the world, its glitters and pleasures. If one sees women coming toward him in a dream, it means his success in the world. If they walk away from him in the dream, it means his poverty in the world. Sitting content in the company of women in a dream means lack of work. (Also see Woman). The sight of a woman, in general, is a good augury, especially if she is sprightly, adorned, and complacent, with a smiling face. And the best woman to be seen in a dream is the unknown, young, virtuous, and very dark-skinned Arab woman, according to Ibn Siren. An unknown old and ugly or imperfect woman symbolizes life on earth, which is the essence of temptation and intrigue. Such a life appeared to the Holy Prophet in the shape of a woman when he ascended beyong heaven, one night, to meet Allah. Hence the belief that women are temptation and intrigue. Similarly, worldly life was seen by many people in their dreams as an old, imperfect woman. It follows that a poor man dreaming that such a woman is considering his situation should expect luck to smile on him again. Flowers in his garden will blossom, his dead fields will start greening again, and he will become self-sufficient. If ill, he shall recover. If forgetful of life after death, he shall come back to his senses. The same dream applied to the public means that the people will reap harvest during the year in which they had lost hope or in the year that immediately follows it. It could also mean that a spreading and vicious war will come to an end and that normalcy will be restored.
• An unveiled and adorned old woman: A sign that success will be quick.
• A grim-faced old woman: Prestige will go.
• An ugly old woman: Things will turn upside-down to the dreamer’s detriment.
• A naked old woman: Scandal.
• A veiled old woman: Regret.
• An old woman entering the dreamer’s house: Luck and success in life.
• An old woman leaving the dreamer’s house: Will lose everything on earth.
• An old Muslim woman: An honest life.
• An old non-Muslim woman: A life full of sins.
• An old woman complying with the dreamer’s desires: Objectives will be fulfilled insomuch as she was complacent.
• An old woman disobeying the dreamer’s orders despite his pleas and insistence: Hurdles. The dream is more likely to come true if the old woman was an unidentified one. However, Sheikh Abdul Ghani Al-Nabulsi has a completely different concept of dreams involving old women, a concept the author of this book finds more rational, since the Arabic word for old woman is ajouz from ajz, which means “incapacity” or “inability.” It follows that an old woman represents: (1) Incapacity, especially if she appears sick. (2) Declining fortune. (3) Sorrow. (4) The Hereafter, since senility is the reverse of liveliness. (5) Wine, since in Arabic the word khamr, or wine, could refer to an old woman.60 (6) A cow, since again in Arabic, an old woman is sometimes referred to as a cow. (7) Wickedness and deceit. (8) Gossip. (9) Fertility after despair. (10) Sterile land.
• A thirsty old woman: Drought.
• A weak old woman: A year of drought. The reverse is also true.
• A rejuvenated old woman: The end of drought.
• An old woman entering a patient’s room: Possible death.
• An old woman coming to a pregnant lady: Good augury, because old women traditionally look after children and mothers after delivery.
• A man handling some important matter dreaming that he was in the company of or having sex with an old woman: Will fail and objectives will not be fulfilled.
• A veiled old woman with only the eyes visible: Hardships and regret.
• An ugly old woman: Intrigue and war.
• An old atheist woman: Illicit gains.
• An armed old woman: Lawful gains and joy.
• A woman dreaming that she had become old: Prestige, respect, and virtue.
• An unknown old woman: A dry year.
• People marvelling at an old woman descending from heaven: The year of the dreamer’s gains.
• An old woman having ceased to have sex dreaming that her vigour and sexual passion are back and that she is having legitimate intercourse: Will be more successful in both religious and worldly matters. In the event of forbidden sex she will be more successful only in earthly matters.
• A smiling and enthusiastic young woman flirting with the dreamer or allowing him to dominate or command her: Marriage or recovery from a stomach or any other disease.
• An unknown young, beautiful, neat, pious, and almost ascetic woman: The Hereafter and whatever is done to merit Paradise, such as honest living, good deeds, et cetera. But she could also symbolize: (1) Ephemeral life. (2) Money or assets that do not stay, as beauty withers away. (3) Dead earth. (4) A devastated house.
• A known woman with the above description: A reference to the person herself, a lady sharing the same name or who resembles her, or her opposite number.
• Seeing a woman so beautiful that the dreamer imagines her to be a creature from Paradise as described in the Holy Quran (houreyyah, or nymph with enormous black and pristine eyeballs contrasting with her skin, like a deer): Will die as a martyr for the sake of God.
• Seeing an earthly creature with that description: Being saved from any kind of trouble, money, a ship, a camel, or a caravan, et cetera, the dreamer will come back from a journey bringing welfare; any wish or request will be granted by the ruler or chief; crops will grow; and so on and so forth.
• A perfect woman: An allusion to what her name refers to on earth or in the other world, for a woman is a world in herself or to whoever enters her life; she is delight and passion and ecstasy. In terms of the Hereafter, she reforms her man on the religious plane. She could also symbolize power or the ruler or chief himself, because she governs her man by enticing him and arousing his passion, making him strive and toil like a slave to try to make her happy. Analogies are also drawn between women and earth and the grave, as man comes from earth and returns to it; gardens, the fruit-bearing tree; the year (in view of what it conceives and delivers); cows (because of the milk) and ewes; the rain; and, revolting as it may seem to contemporary women’s liberation activists, anything that a man rides or steps on or that is hollow like a box, or used for storage, be it a ship, an animal, a sole or a complete shoe, a carpet or rug, or a sink. She is also represented by a glass bottle and by the toilet. Likewise, the woman symbolizes the prison; the partner, as she shares man’s wealth and pleasure; any secret, the underwear; the ink pot; and the seat.
• Talking to or mixing, joking, or playing with a pretty woman who has entered one’s house: (1) A fruitful year. (2) Welfare and joy. (3) An end to poverty and to poor luck. (4) Liberation from prison.
• A woman commanding people and inviting them to obey God: Piety.
• An authoritarian woman addressing the public and telling them what they should and what they should not do: Religious benefit.
• A woman as described above opposing the public or touching or kissing the audience or showing her private parts: Intrigue or a proving matter in which those seen getting anything from her will perish in view of verse 35 of the Quranic chapter “Al-Anbiyae” (The Prophets), which says: “Every soul must taste of death, and We try you with evil and with good, for ordeal. And unto Us ye will be returned.”
• A large number of women being moved to a certain place on horse or camelback and carrying weapons or tools: Workers will flock to the area.
• Having a dispute with a woman, especially if she holds a public post or enjoys a high social position, then resenting her: (1) Will lose one’s bread. (2) Will fade out. (3) Well-being and power will wane, but after a while everything will be back to normal.
• Seeing a dishevelled woman—an absolute stranger: Will imminently lose something. But if she is pretty, will find it again.
• Kissing a lady: Will lose something.
• Having sex with a woman: Bad omen.
• Carrying a beautiful woman: (1) Recovery from a disease. (2) Release from prison. (3) Relief.
• A religious-minded man seeing an adulteress or an atheistic woman: Good augury and blessings.
• A profligate seeing an adulteress or a dissolute woman: His faith will weaken further; he will indulge in sins, vice, and evil.
• A sterile woman becoming pregnant: Welfare and reform in one’s life and in the Hereafter.
• A group of women looking at the dreamer and one of them inviting him to join in: (1) Bad reputation, though innocent. (2) Will obtain what he is aiming for, but later on. (3) His enemies will not have the upper hand.
• A dispute among numerous women: Strange events will disturb some people. The reverse is also true.
• A young man smiling at the dreamer: The revival of dead matters.
• A fat woman: A fertile or fruitful year.
• A slim woman: A poor year.
• An old woman: Nothing good should be expected from such a dream, unless she is unveiled and adorned.
• Negresses61 coming to the dreamer: Lots of legitimate benefits.
• A black woman: A dark night. A bad omen, unless she belongs to someone.
• A white woman: A night softened by moonlight.
• A woman being sold: Power will wane and stability will be shaken, but not forever.
• Seeing a woman other than those the dreamer sees when he is awake: The dreamer will lose some of his assets, then find them again. Killing such a woman would mean that a large chunk of the dreamer’s wealth will go. Having sex with her means all his wealth will be lost.
• A lady seeing an old woman: (1) A reference to her own efforts. (2) Her endeavours will fail.
• A lady seeing a young woman: An enemy, whatever she looks like.
• A young woman dreaming that she has become old: She is a virtuous one.
• A woman dreaming that all her hair has turned white: (1) Her husband is a debauchee. If not, he will swap her for another woman or slave. (2) Somehow she will bring grief and sorrow to her husband.
• A woman with black hair: (1) Her husband loves her. (2) Her husband is a righteous man.
• A married woman dreaming that she has uncovered her hair: Her husband will be absent. If her hair remained uncovered, the husband would never come back.
• An unmarried woman dreaming that she has uncovered her hair: Will never get married.
• A woman seeing her thick hair admired by people: Will have a scandal.
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