Although sometimes overlooked, our dreams actually hold many important messages for us. Our dreams are canvases for our minds - trying to communicate with us as clearly as they can.
Why then, do we feel so frustrated by our dreams not being more straightforward in what they are trying to say? Many of us may wonder: “If a dream wants to give me a message, why doesn’t it just come right out and give me the message, clearly and literally?”
In fact, our dreams are indeed trying to be clear and direct - but they're speaking in their own native language - and those of us who are interested in deciphering their meaning should become passionate about translation.
One of the biggest myths about dream translation is that there is a set of rules that you need to follow - however, this is not the case! Your dreams are as unique as you are - so there's no set formula or equation for figuring out what they mean, but there are a few explanations that can help you put together the puzzle pieces of your sleepy imagination.
Here are some of the most common dreams and their meanings:
"Falling" dream
Falling dreams typically occur during the first stage of sleep. Dreams in this stage are often accompanied by muscle spasms of the arms, legs, and the whole body. When you sometimes have these falling dreams, you may feel your whole body jerk or twitch and actually awaken from this jerk. It is thought that this jerking action is actually part of a mechanism that allows you to wake up quickly and be on the alert to possible threats in the environment!
As with most common dream themes, falling is an indication of insecurities, instabilities, and anxieties. You are feeling overwhelmed and out of control in some situation in your waking life. This may reflect the way you feel in your relationship or in your work environment. You have lost your foothold and keep up with the hustle and bustle of daily life. When you fall, there is nothing that you can hold on to. You more or less are forced toward this downward motion without any control. This lost of control may parallel a waking situation in your life.
If dreams of falling are interrupting a good night's sleep, you may want to try our Calm Homeopathic Tincture to ease a worried mind.
"Flying" Dream
Generally, dreams of flying are positive.
A lot depends on the nature of the dream and the relationship we have to flying - often times, though, flying represents a sense of freedom. Flying dreams often serve as a sort of escape from the pressures of the real world (which is represented by the ground).
Usually, they occur when we are dealing with issues of freedom, momentum or a lack thereof. Flying dreams can be purely informational in the sense that they highlight an experience we are having, but have not yet been conscious of. They may also provide actual tips on how to remedy a situation!
"Thinking You're Awake" Dream
If you have ever had a dream in which you thought you had awakened but instead remained asleep, you are all too familiar with the concept of a false awakening.
False awakening occurs when an individual dreams about waking but in fact remains asleep, and it is a fairly common occurrence. Almost everyone who remembers their dreams experiences them at some point in life.
Interestingly, false awakenings may occur repeatedly; like a Russian doll (think "Inception") the dreams and false awakenings may be layered within one another. As a result, the dreamer believes they have finally awakened yet they continue to sleep only to falsely awaken yet again, sometimes numerous times.
False awakenings are divided into two types. Type 1 is characterized by mundane activities of waking: getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed, having breakfast, and leaving for work. At some point, the dreamer realizes something is not quite right and this may provoke a true awakening in which the person recognizes it was just a vivid dream.
Type 2 false awakenings are described as less pleasant with a more tense or ominous feeling. These may be associated with hallucinations or apparitions of foreboding people or monsters. Such events are more likely to be considered nightmares and may have associated anxiety.
If you're left with the latter, this can be a distressing experience to wake up to. Build a sleep ritual to remove feelings of anxiety about sleep, and try our Good Morning Essential Oil Roll On to shake the feelings of a bad dream when you wake up.
Maybe you think you don't dream at all, or find it difficult to remember them. Keeping a Journal will assist you with figuring out what you're dreaming about, and how you can conquer the bad ones, and relive the nice.
