When we turn eighty, we will have spent about twenty-six sleeping ... Is that perhaps a waste of time? Of course not! Sleeping is very useful not only to physically survive — if we did not sleep we would die — but also to solve some problems ... Because when we sleep, we dream. And what is dreaming? Dreaming is simply thinking about our things in a different state of consciousness. While we sleep, the brain remains focused on the same thing that worries us when we are awake. And so, we may be discovering things that we are not aware of when we are awake! When you dream, areas of the brain related to deep emotions, visual images and movement are activated, while areas related to logic or socially appropriate are slowed down. From the nineties it began to be seen that dreaming serves to learn and to improve memory. Dreaming also sometimes helps to solve problems: during sleep, we access our unconscious mind, which hides information that can be useful to us and which we only access through intuition or dreams. In fact, many musicians, like Beethoven, have revealed how they woke up to the music playing in their heads. More examples? The writer who created Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, had dreamed of him before. Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeléyev glimpsed the famous periodic table when he was asleep. Furthermore, dreaming we can find solutions or clues to solve our problems and dilemmas, because when we dream we are not so limited by the conditions of the day to day. We see images and associate ideas in a different way from everyday logic. And that is precisely how it can make us more creative. So now we know for sure that we can take advantage of our dreams.
HOW TO ANALYZE DREAMS?
Psychiatrist Judith Orloff tells us how: “I believe that dreams provide us with extraordinary insights to improve our health, our relationships and our careers. When I have to make important decisions, I consult my dreams using a technique. If you saw all the advice your dreams give you, either spontaneously or because you asked for it, you would be surprised. There are studies that suggest that when you have a dilemma think less and sleep more, since this will give your subconscious an opportunity to solve the problem. When you need to make a decision, adopt the method called “sleep on it” in English, which allows you to take advantage of the wisdom of your dreams ».
HOW TO REMEMBER AND INTERPRET YOUR DREAMS?
I recommend five strategies to remember your dreams:
- Have a notebook and pen next to the bed to write down your dreams.
- Write a question (just one!) In your dream journal before going to sleep.
- In the morning, spend a few minutes remembering your dream. Delight yourself in the peace between sleep and wakefulness, what is called the "hypnagogic state." These first moments give you a gateway to dreams.
- Record your dream immediately. If not, it will evaporate. You may remember a face, object, color, setting, emotion, or sensation. Don't censor anything, even if it doesn't make any sense. Nothing is too strange or strange.
- Notice how the dream has answered your question. Act on this answer and think about whether it has made your life better.
Try this every day for a week. You are programming your subconscious to be able to remember.
And then how do you interpret dreams? One key is to focus on the most intense emotion, for example, anger, fear, or joy. Then ask yourself where in your life you are feeling those emotions. Think about whether you can heal that situation or celebrate a triumph.