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Ancient Egypt and Dream Analysis

By: Libby Pelham BA - Updated: 8 Oct 2023 | comments*Discuss
 
Ancient Egypt Dream Analysis Dream

Like many ancient cultures, the Egyptians put quite a bit of emphasis on dreams. They felt that the messages delivered in their dreams could cure an illness and help them make important decisions, to the point of deciding where to build a new temple or when to wage a war.

Because these dreams were so important, the Egyptians often sought out dream interpretation to find the true, underlying meaning of the dream.

The Importance of Dreams

In ancient Egypt, it was believed that dreams were answers delivered by the gods to help people with their daily questions and problems. In fact, they often went to a dream temple to help summon such dreams. This was known as dream incubation.

There were dream temples built specifically for this reason. The temples were open to everyone who believed in the god the temple was dedicated to, as long as they were considered pure. To achieve this, the person often went through a ritual of cleansing that included fasting and abstinence for several days prior to entering the temple to assure their purity.

The name of the god the person hoped to contact at the temple was written on a piece of linen and that linen cloth was burned in a lamp while at the temple. To help call the god, the dreamer would often recite a special prayer to him or her. Once they visited the ancient Egypt dream temple, the person would often go to a priest or dream interpreter for dream analysis.

The Dream Book

Because they put so much stock into dreams, it was important for Egyptians to be able to understand the significance and meaning of their dreams. Like many others, some Egyptians kept a Dream Book – a book that chronicled their dreams and the interpretation of them. One such Dream Book, written on papyrus, dates all the way back to approximately 1275 BC, during the reign of Ramesses II.

It is believed that the ancient Egypt Dream Book kept in The British Museum in London had many owners as it was passed down for more than a century. All in all, the Dream Book included 108 different dreams, which included such activities as weaving, stirring, seeing, eating, and drinking.

The dreams were categorised into good dreams and bad dreams, with the bad dreams being written in red, a colour of bad omens. In this book, there are hieratic signs that state such interpretations, as that it is good when a man dreams he sees himself looking out a window. Even a man seeing himself dead was seen as a good sign, meaning that he would live a long life.

However, if a man dreamed he saw his own face in a mirror it was a bad omen. Also, dreaming of putting your own face to the ground was seen as a bad omen. It was believed that that particular dream meant that the dead wanted something.

Most Prevalent Dreams

Like today, the ancient Egyptians had some dreams that were more prevalent than others were. People often dreamed of breaking stones, which the Egyptians interpreted as having one’s teeth fall out. Dreaming of your teeth falling out is still a common dream today.

Many often dreamed of drowning in the Nile or climbing to the top of the mast of a ship. However, some other common dreams seem to defy explanation. Dreaming that your face turned into a leopard was a common dream in ancient Egypt.

Dreams as a Portal

The Egyptians also believed that their dreams could serve as a window to see the activities of the dead. However, they often feared these types of dreams – afraid that this could bring about unwanted, evil spirits.

In ancient Egypt, dreams were held in high regards. Ancient Egyptians used their dreams as a way to receive messages from the gods and they used these messages from their dreams to guide their lives. To help them further understand the dream analysis, they wrote them down or often consulted a higher authority. A respected individual, such as a priest, could be consulted to help them fully understand the dream interpretation.

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First I had a dream of a Jaguar that killed my whole family except for me. I pretended to be a cat and the Jaguar became my companion. But tonight I had a dream of being in ancient Egypt it was a blur. There was these people trying to sacrifice a child to get the location of buried jewels and artifacts. The child lived and a canyon falling apart revealed the hidden artifacts. For a brief moment I saw a forest of banyan trees. Then the people get boxes of ancient jewels but they were shifted. It was green glasses , gucci wallets and more. In one box it was diamonds and rubies. Except one diamond had a sticker on it and the people to it to be inspected. They weren't happy when the person inspecting the diamondswasn't wearing gloves. But there was diamond rings and more. But one thing stuck out as the only thing that seemed Egyptian. It was a small knife in a case with the eye of RA on it and the knife had black writting all over it. Then when it was unsheathed a women popped up with grey sling beads and jewels hanging from her body and an Egyptian Bob. She was curved in a weird way and moved like she was dancing. It seemed like she wasn't happy to be back in service or that the people had her knife. Also for some reason the people were Kanye west and his family I think my brain associates them with wealth and couldn't imagine or see the actual people. But the woman stuck out to me the family left Egypt with her stealing jewels a making a declaration to the city of Egypt. I just wanna know why I feel the need to find the knife and save this woman it like I know her this isn't my first Egyptian dream
Dawn - 8-Oct-23 @ 4:45 PM
I would be most focused on recieving recognition based on this dream, find out what you wish to recieve recognition for. Perhaps you wish for some authority to cone tell your husband to give you more recognition since he is in this dream aswell in the way that you mention. However, the most important step to recieving more recognition, it to give yourself the recognition you crave. Don’t depend upon others for this as they will not give it or you will not REALLY feel it unless you are allready giving it to yourself. This is the key!
EndreV - 13-Jul-21 @ 10:28 AM
Are you a big fan of movies, books etc about mummies? Like «The Mummy» movies? Cuz it sounds like the script from such a movie pretty much. BUT, still soubds to me that you want to be seen and recognized as beibg special or that there is indeed something special about you in a good way is something you desire i particular. Perhaps you think your own life is dull and insignificant, or that you yourself feel insignificant and not recognized.
EndreV - 13-Jul-21 @ 10:20 AM
I have currentlyhad this dream 3 times of going my husbandand friends with their kids to the museumin dc and we go to the Egyptianpart on a tour and there are 2 Tall Anubus statues they are gold and black with red eyes and a sarcophagus in glass with a pharaoh mummified in the sarcophagus.He is coved with the lid on him. The Anubus statues come to life as soon as they see me and they kneel downbowing to me and call me a princessandget very protective of me and ask me who my husbandis and what year is it. Ican understandthem and I speak to them back in Egyptianthat he is my husbandand these are my friendsand it is 2020. They then provide to ask where they are and I let them know they are in a museum.The museum people and my husbandand friends are freakingout but at same time in awethat I dont speakEgyptianbut can talk to them no problem. They thensay very well and let me know back in there time I was a Egyptian Princess. And I was the reincarnation of her. At that point the museumpeoplemade me walk away and they stood up.What does this all mean?
Shorty - 12-Aug-20 @ 7:29 AM
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