Why Focus on Understanding Your Dreams?

Many of us have the tendency to write off a dream as just a dream, without taking much time to consider what the deeper meaning of the dream may be. But, understanding your dreams can be key to better mental and physical health.

Your body and mind attempt to maintain a balance with each other. However, negative emotions such as doubt and fearfulness can harm that balance. When you have dreams, it’s often your mind’s way of telling you something need to be changed in your life, especially in the case of nightmares. In essence, your dreams are trying to heal you.

Hidden Meanings

Some dreams can be downright frightening. Take for example a young teenage girl who dreams her mother or father has died. The teen will usually be very confused and upset by this type of dream. Not understanding what it means may cause anguish. But, this dream may occur as a teen matures and begins to think of leaving home. It is also not uncommon for the parents to dream the teen has died. Why are they having the dreams of death? It is because the dream signifies not the actual death of a person, but the death of an era. Something so familiar as the child living at home is about to change. Once everyone understands what this type of dream means, it puts their minds at ease.

And that is one of the important points of understanding your dreams. Dreams can often be confusing and bothersome, but if you understand the true meaning behind them, it can put your mind at ease. Dreams are rarely black and white – there is usually a hidden meaning that requires at least a bit of analysis. After you learn the dream meaning, you may have a conscious moment where you think “Aha” and suddenly things become clearer.

Decision Making

Interpretation of your dreams can help you during waking hours. If you are faced with a difficult and important decision, the dream may help you make a clear choice. Consciously, we often tend to run from problems or situations that make us uncomfortable. Yet, we are often faced with big decisions about family matters, relationships, and work. When faced with a life changing decision, take a minute and notice your dreams. They may be telling you which direction in which to go.

Insight into Others Lives

Dreams can also offer you insight into others in your life. A woman in a new relationship may find herself dreaming about a former boyfriend or husband. She may look at the two men and think there is no connection between them. The former may have been a terrible choice for her for whatever reasons and she sees the new man as wonderful. But, her subconscious may be noticing subtle actions that mimic her ex. A dream like this can caution her to take a closer look at the personality of her new love. This may help her notice things that could prevent future heartbreak by falling for the same type of man.

But, dreams can give you great insight into yourself as well. A dream may be trying to tell you something in your personality has changed. For example, maybe you have not noticed you are becoming increasingly aggressive or demanding, but a dream can clue you into this fact. Once you analyse your dream and notice this, you can begin to make conscious changes.

Some people choose to ignore their dreams, but dreams, especially reoccurring dreams, can ease your mind and help you better understand yourself and others. In the end, this can create less stress and worry in your life, thus not only improving your mental health, but your physical health as well.