Discussion Do you think dreams have set meanings? Poll

[Forever Sleep]

I'm trying not to overlap too much on other great posts about dreams here...

Dreams fascinate me. I think we've probably all wondered what certain dreams mean. Especially if they reoccur. Like- is this something I should be taking notice of?!!

Have you ever tried to look up the meanings behind a dream? Do you think any of that theory makes sense? Symbolism in dreams I suppose. On the face of it, it doesn't make sense to me. Like- if my dreams are supposed to be trying to communicate something speceific to me- why use symbolism? How can my brain know to dream about a chicken to symbolise prosperity and well being?!! Not that I have many dreams about chickens!

Actually, I keep dreaming I'm in the army at the moment (which I'm not.) Apparently- that signifies a desire for more order in life which is kind of true at the moment. But then I think- is it like horoscopes- do they keep it vague enough so that you still believe it's about you?

One of the most interesting things I read was that people in a dream aren't actually other people but aspects of ourselves. I used to have reoccurring dreams that people were trying to break in- usually in to a childhood home. Supposedly- they represent parts of your own character that you don't want to face. I found that interesting. I've also read that flying dteams mean you are trying to attempt the impossible- which has at least felt accurate in the past!

What do you think? What's you're weirdest/nicest dream? Do you have reoccuring dreams? Do they trouble you? What do you think they mean- if anything?

 

[Praestat_Mori]

I don't dream that much i maybe not at all. At least I never really remember whether I dreamed sth or not. I also cannot remember that I ever had "recurring dreams". I never had nightmares. Very rarely I can remember that I dreamed sth st night but I forget about it quickly.

From this point if view I voted No.

 

[Life_and_Death]

not every dream does, but some times they do. its not as basic as yes/no

an example with a dream with a meaning: youre about to try a new drug and you dream that your support group isnt the happiest about it.
this is a dream i had, its basic-ness is why i picked it as an example. dreams come from your subconscious (kinda obvious considering your not conscious lol). a group of people that isnt even impressed that im smoking weed? yeah theyre not gonna be impressed with something else for any reason.

so its really easy to pick out. others are more difficult, and yes some dreams have zero meaning.

 

[cold_severance]

idk, i think they're like general representation of your emotional state, sometimes literal, sometimes more allegorical. i dont believe theres more reason to them other than that. my weirdest was not really a dream i guess. it was like me existing in a void without anything else, no light, no sound, no thoughts. theres was only time passage, cause it lasted for a while. idk how you keep track of time like this. for nice dreams - i never had any. at best they're neutral, just stuff happening. and most are bad/stressful or just straight up nightmares.

 

[F@#$]

I don't dream.

 

[vitbar]

I don't think they have set meanings, but they can mean something. Some of my recuring dreams speak volumes about my core worries. Sometimes my dream content just reflects my recent consumption of a lot of a particular type of media.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

Dreams themselves don't actually mean anything. They are most likely just a by-product of the brain re-organizing itself while you sleep. Sometimes, if you are noticing you are having a lot of nightmares, that could be a sign of mental illness, but that's it. Anything you experience in your dreams is most likely just random bs or are based on certain events that may happened in real life.

For example, last night, I had a dream that involved me being depressed at my university and then me thinking about the last time I tried to hang myself (dream me, not real me. I've never actually tried hanging myself irl) and then attempting to do it again. The reason I dreamt of those things was simply because lately I've been having the strong urge to use my belt and hang myself and uni makes me feel miserable. That's it. It was only jumbled up nonsense made up of my own experiences, mixed in with some random bs.

When you sleep your brain is busy re-organizing itself and making sense of the variety of information that was collected throughout both the day and throughout the past. This can include a variety of things, from memories to emotions. Dreams are likely just a symptom of that. Hence why you dream, even if you don't remember it. Therefore, dreams don't have any set meaning to them.

That's my belief.

 

[deathviahanging]

while i don't think dreams have a set meaning i think they can say a lot about someone's mental space and how current life events r affecting them. it's an interesting way to get to know urself

 

[Celerity]

I don't believe in dream symbolism at all. Aside from common dream themes that many people have - e.g. taking a test naked or falling off of a cliff - the way a particular dream makes you feel seems far more important.

 

[R_N]

I recently described my recurring dreams about symbols in the sky and end of the world but I don't think it means anything tbh. It is probably something my brain thinks will make me wake me up so it pulls that out ocassionally if it thinks I need to.

What I felt about it would just put me on wrong track because emotions have nothing to do with logic for me. I can rarely excuse an emotion as something that should be followed. So no, I think my dreams are just brain construct and don't mean anything outside of it. It is not a glimpse in the future and it doesn't mean anything grandiose.

Just how I see it.

Oh yea, also, I had dreams about someone breaking into my home a lot as a kid but it was just a fear from the burglary for me because I stopped it irl one time by waking up. I was on high alert for a lot of time after that.

 

[ctvunny]

I think so too. Sometimes I treat it as a guide, tho not mindlessly. My dreams are very vivid. The ones Im having trouble with would often show up like school and classmates, it started last year I kept dreaming about it cause maybe I regret dropping out. Ill also share this somewhat disgusting dream. I think it was around last month? I kept having these instances where I was walking in my dream...while chewing cockroaches. Instead of gulping it down, I would spit it then chew some more and spit again. I even spat out irl thats why I woke up.

The most recent one was where a lady offered me to be "reborn" with her in a game like setting world (yes, very isekai like). But at the same time, Im also talking with someone else because a problem was occuring at that time. I turned and focus more to that person since it was urgent but felt like the lady started to walk away. Then I just dropped everything and chase as I call out to her, she stopped eventually when she heard that I was crying and reached out for a hug while saying "I knew it". I woke up that morning crying while hugging a pillow. Shortly I slept again cause I felt really sad lol

I searched it up and found that eating cockroaches in your dream means having a desire to take over life to make it better or facing something that Ive been avoiding. While the second one, Ill just make it up as "desire to start over" and "needing someone that I can lean on" kind of thing. Dreams are amazing and weird.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think so too. Sometimes I treat it as a guide, tho not mindlessly. My dreams are very vivid. The ones Im having trouble with would often show up like school and classmates, it started last year I kept dreaming about it cause maybe I regret dropping out. Ill also share this somewhat disgusting dream. I think it was around last month? I kept having these instances where I was walking in my dream...while chewing cockroaches. Instead of gulping it down, I would spit it then chew some more and spit again. I even spat out irl thats why I woke up.

The most recent one was where a lady offered me to be "reborn" with her in a game like setting world (yes, very isekai like). But at the same time, Im also talking with someone else because a problem was occuring at that time. I turned and focus more to that person since it was urgent but felt like the lady started to walk away. Then I just dropped everything and chase as I call out to her, she stopped eventually when she heard that I was crying and reached out for a hug while saying "I knew it". I woke up that morning crying while hugging a pillow. Shortly I slept again cause I felt really sad lol

I searched it up and found that eating cockroaches in your dream means having a desire to take over life to make it better or facing something that Ive been avoiding. While the second one, Ill just make it up as "desire to start over" and "needing someone that I can lean on" kind of thing. Dreams are amazing and weird.

Yikes- that is horrible! Do you remember if the cockroaches tasted of anything?!! I've heard that we don't experience taste or touch in dreams and I can't actually remember experiencing those senses when I think about it. Weird though- definitely. I usually dream I'm failing in some way. I'm late or can't find the place I'm supposed to be going to or- I can't do even the most basic task and everyone is getting annoyed with me. I do have a fear of failure and being late, so- it's not entirely surprising it would appear in dreams.

 

[ctvunny]

Yikes- that is horrible! Do you remember if the cockroaches tasted of anything?!! I've heard that we don't experience taste or touch in dreams and I can't actually remember experiencing those senses when I think about it. Weird though- definitely. I usually dream I'm failing in some way. I'm late or can't find the place I'm supposed to be going to or- I can't do even the most basic task and everyone is getting annoyed with me. I do have a fear of failure and being late, so- it's not entirely surprising it would appear in dreams.

Fortunately theres no taste! If it did I think it would just be my mouth haha. The closest thing I could get a sensation from was during a sleep paralysis but had read they are different. I can relate to failing in dreams though now its mostly running away. Kind of a bummer when dreaming is supposed to be an escape.

 

[Arachno]

I don't think dreams really carry any meanings, but they are fascinating for sure, I always wondered how our brains produce them.
My scenarios in my dreams mostly pretty random and strange, nothing special really.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

A bunch of SS users have appeared in dreams. I think Freud could figure out the significance of that.

 

[TransilvanianHunger]

I don't think dreams have "set" meanings, though some elements can have fairly common meanings simply due to a shared cultural background. But a dream in a vacuum is not very meaningful at all, because it's not a communication from outside that the dreamer receives or anything like that. Dreams originate in our unconscious, and are related to our experiences, thoughts, feelings, desires, needs, fears, and so on. You won't understand the meaning of a dream from looking at a website any more than you'll understand the meaning of a poem by flipping through a dictionary.

Actually, I keep dreaming I'm in the army at the moment (which I'm not.) Apparently- that signifies a desire for more order in life which is kind of true at the moment. But then I think- is it like horoscopes- do they keep it vague enough so that you still believe it's about you?

Your dreams are about yourself in one way or another, but without your own personal context vagueness is the only option. Being in the army, for example, could indeed mean a desire for order in one's life. But order can easily become rigidity, and dreaming about being in the army could also mean that the dreamer feels like they're in a situation where they have no options or freedom to choose, and have to subject themselves to the will of others. It could also signify a desire to belong or to find a purpose or a community of people with a similar mindset or goals. It can mean a whole lot of different things, really.

What do you think? What's you're weirdest/nicest dream? Do you have reoccuring dreams? Do they trouble you? What do you think they mean- if anything?

I have a reoccurring dream where I witness a volcanic eruption. It happens just far enough away for me to be safe, but the ground still shakes around me and everything is covered in a thick layer of ash. I am always with others, sometimes family members, sometimes friends, sometimes acquaintances. When the eruption starts, we stand around and watch, in awe. Once it becomes clear that things are getting serious, it's up to me to guide the group to some form of shelter, though it's never good shelter, just some place inside a house or another building where we're not exposed to the ash and debris. It's not a frightening dream, which is kind of curious. Been a while since I've had that dream, now that I'm thinking about it.