Dreams - What do dreams mean, why would we have them?

Dreams

To the common dictionary a dream is defined as “a series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.” I agree with this statement because these things do occur in dreams. But what do dreams mean, why would we have them? And are they healthy for us? Dreams are vivid images and ideas that do, in fact, express emotions. Despite this, the most important factor of dreaming is the meanings it conveys about ones personal life. In my opinion all dreams have a significant meaning.

. . “One of the things that we’re familiar with in dreaming is the sense that familiar or prosaic objects are being put in very bizarre circumstances or situations” (King). I believe that having dreams is the best way of really discovering who you are. Dreams are uncontrollable, which makes them all the more frightening, tantalizing and vividly expressing who you are. Dreams seem to be the human subconscious speaking out and taking control. Dreams can express happiness, and sadness in ones life. I myself have experienced dreams which have made me come to realizations about myself. In keeping a dream journal you can communicate your ultimate creativity. Although dreams are the best form of communicating ones own wishes, it is the hardest thing to interpret. In my opinion, every dream has a hidden meaning. What though is the meaning of our dreams? That is uncertain. It is our job to analyze and critically think on what our subconscious is trying to tell us. That in itself is a challenge.

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I once had a dream that I felt explored my human mind and persona. In that dream I was stuck on an island, all by myself, wearing nothing but an embroidered garment made of leaves. In the dream I could find nothing on the island except a wooden staff to help aid in my survival. In the dream I held the staff and for some reason I began to run. Faster and faster I ran but then I tripped, my staff broke, and all I could do was cry. Then I felt something touch me on my shoulder and I awoke from my dream. It seemed something fell on me which made my dream feel all the more real when I awoke. I scanned my body for bruises luckily none, it was just a dream after all. I wondered, what was the significance of my dream? To me having barely any clothing on represented pureness, and showing my real self, just as Adam and Eve had absolute pureness before their grave sin. The wooden staff I found probably represented my hope to survive since I was all alone on the island. My running could mean taking evasive measures to avoid a problem. Unfortunately I did not know what the problem was in the dream. The staff would represent my hope and the staff breaking would represent my hopes and dreams being shattered. And lastly the tears in the dream would represent the emotional expression of the real me, and not the persona of a tough guy who shouldn’t tear. The dream told me that I shouldn’t put my trust in specific things because it can cause heartache and disappointment, and I should face a problem and not run away from it. I came to this conclusion because I’ve found sometimes I rely on things and people and become betrayed.

Within the chapters of the Dreams and Inward Journeys book, especially in the writings of Car Jung, he explains what to him dreams are. “Dreams have a definite, evidently purposeful structure, indicating an underlying idea or intention.” (Jung). This coincides with my feeling that dreams are vivid images and ideas and do in fact express emotions. Most importantly, dreams have meaning. So through the writings within the Dreams and Inward Journeys book, and my own experiences, I have been able to clearly understand the purpose of dreams and their hidden meaning.

Peer Reviews

Here's what a star student thought of this essay

sydneyhopcroft

12th of Jul 2012

Quality of writing

The Quality of Written Communication here is fine. There are no major issues with regards to incorrect use of grammar, misuses of punctuation or spelling errors. The candidate also succeeds in their use of a number of psychological terms wisely and abundantly, helping to give the examiner an idea of the confidence with which they can analyse specifically psychology-related topics.

Level of analysis

The Level of Analysis here is very in-depth, and not too irrational or 'pie-in-the-sky'. The candidate makes a very thoughtful and sensitive interpretation of one of their dreams and comes to a sound conclusion about the nature of it, and what they think the dream was trying to tell them. As stated earlier, as an extension of the introduction to the essay I would like to see more fact-based content before the main body begins. The candidate could look to Dement & Kleitman's study into the nature of sleep stages and REM sleep. Implementing this into the essay would easily ensure this essay a five star review as it would show how the candidate has the skills to apply factual evidence to personal anecdote in order to create a coherent, insightful essay.

Response to question

The candidate her makes a good attempt to explain their dreams rationally and with an ounce of personal anecdote (as one should have when referring to your own dreams) in order to satisfy the question. The question is nicely answered although factual evidence from psychological research into the nature of dreams may have served the candidate well, because as this answer stands, it is merely a collection of subjective thoughts (aside from the quotes, which are both aiding and illuminating as a part of the essay). The candidate's essay structure also serves them well, with a strong introduction outlining their views about dreaming before delving deeper into symbolism analysis. But again, somewhere along the line some factual evidence is required, hence why this answer is not a five star essay.

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