Dreams Blog

There are several types of dreams that we encounter in our lifetime. However, there’s this type of dream that could leave us flushed and confused when we wake up – sex dreams. Despite the naughty images that we just saw during our nap, an author stated in her book that these raunchy dreams also have significant meanings.

Dr. Pam Spurr, the author of Sex Dreams and Symbols – Understanding Your Subconscious Desires, stated in an online interview that it is not that unusual when we dreamt having sex with unlikely individuals – like our boss or a stranger we meet during daily commute. She said that these types of dreams have symbolisms and should not be taken literally.

She said that it is also common when we dream of having sex with a former lover despite the fact that we are now embarking in a new relationship. She shared that when we encounter this dream, we are simply missing for something that is comfortable and familiar. She added that there are insecurities that need to be addressed in the new relationship because these basically triggered the sleeping mind to transmit images of familiarity with a former lover.

We sleep and dream of several symbols – may it be animals, people, buildings, water and even food. When we wake up, we wonder why the dream was dreamt and how it affects our lives in the long run.

Here are some common dream symbols that have been interpreted by researchers:

• People. It basically symbolizes our personalities. When we dream of other people, we need to determine what outstanding qualities that are common between ourselves and those other people.

• Animals. Symbolizes our daily habits

• House. It symbolizes our state of mind. One example is that when we dream of churches, we have spiritual concerns to attend to.

• Water. This is a symbol of our life experiences. If we glide through the water with relative ease then we have successfully managed our life for now. However, if we dream of drowning, then there are experiences that overwhelm us and we need to address it.

• Food. This symbolizes our knowledge. Are we learning things that would improve our life? Or is it the other way around?

• School. Our attention is geared toward learning. Learning is a never ending process so even if we actually finished our studies, there is still a lot of life experiences that we need to learn as we go along.

The meaning of these dreams may affect you or not. In the end, you are the steward of your own life.

At the recently concluded annual meeting of professional sleep researchers in Seattle, Washington, it has been determined that poor or disturbing sleep dreams could increase risks of death. These poor sleeps can be caused by nightmares, interrupted slumber and even insomnia.

SLEEP 2009 is the 23rd annual meeting of Associated Professional Sleep Societies. During the event, studies in relation to sleep dreams were presented and findings were shared to the participants.

According to a group of researchers from the Penn State College of Medicine, insomnia or poor quality of sleep dreams could increase high blood pressure risks which basically increases stress to a person.

The conclusion was based on the results that came from their sample subjects of 1741 men and women. The participants were chosen randomly. These individuals were followed-up within the span of 14 years. According to their findings, the mortality rate for men was 19.6 percent while women, it was 10.3 percent. To men with insomnia, the mortality risks were said to be five times greater.

To have quality sleep means taking a slumber for more than eight hours. Experts said that to avoid these risks, one should make time to properly rest.

When we encounter dreams in our sleep and wake up the next day, we tend to rack our brains or do some research in an attempt to have these dreams explained. In this day and age, it is important for us to embrace the possibilities given by our dreams. These may be messages or solutions that we need to live our lives daily.

Here are some things we could do to empower the possibilities:

• Have a dream journal: Dreams can be fleeting most of the time. Sometimes we wake up at the middle of the night after we experience the dream. In order to hold on to the memory, have a notebook by your bedside so that you can write all that you can remember and then attempt deciphering these images and messages the next day.

• Share the dream: Your loved ones could have these dreams explained. Show them the dream journal as you both attempt to find meaning on these dreams.

• Embody the dream: If the dreams explained are positive and executable then there’s no reason for you not to embody it. With the support of your family and friends, everything can be done.

Through the generosity of people all over the United States, the Stand Up to Cancer campaign managed to raise a $15 million grant that enabled the organization to set up a dream research team from the Texas Medical Center in Houston.

The research team is composed of scientists from MD Anderson, Harvard University and Sloan Kettering Cancer (New York). These people will attempt to find a more effective and efficient treatment for cancers.

“Dream Team” co-chairman Dr. Gordon Mills said that this team is something that has never been assembled before. He added that there will be scientists coming from Spain and Vanderbilt who will assist with the scientific research.

The team will start researching and studying the genes found in the tumors of more than 10,000 patients. Dr. Mills said that by determining the genetic changes on these tumors, they can find the best drugs that provide the best effect to the cancer patients.

The impressive composition of the dream research team makes it possible to find a viable solution in the next two years instead of the estimated five to ten years.

The researchers said that a number of cancer tumors have some common attributes that they can look further and find the best alternative cure.

A group of researchers revealed in their study that bad dreams are actually our brain’s way of processing emotions. They added that regulating these emotions can be the major function of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – the stage wherein most dreams happen to people.

Drs. Tore Nielsen and Ross Levin wrote in the journal Current Directions in Physical Science that the so-called “nightmares” happen when regulating the emotions goes wrong thus sometimes waking us up in the middle of the night. Nightmares are those bad dreams that consist of frightening images that usually startles us out of sleep.

The researchers added in the study of dreams that it is normal for everyone to have bad dreams, considering the fact that most dreams are not really positive ones. Dr. Levin said that bad dreams are usually the “default dream” because people are in some way dealing with negative emotions throughout the day.

He added that there are parts of our past memories that become part of our dream and can be exaggerated to look even more negative and frightening.

The researchers stated that about 85 percent of adults experience at least one nightmare per year. This usually happens when the individual undergoes moments of high stress.

The doctors concluded that results from study of dreams resulted to more effective solutions and therapies.

A study has discovered that the dreams we encounter during the early mornings can be very important especially when it comes to solving unanswered problems during the day. It only intensified the claim that dream meanings have significant impact in our lives.

The rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, a form of sleep in a dream state, is believed to be aiding the person in getting to the subconscious that could hold the answers to the problems we might have encountered the day before.
Experts said that we experience REM sleep about two hours in the span of an eight hour sleep. It may not be succession and could alternate with deep sleep.

About 80 participants underwent a series of tests with the researchers. It was discovered that REM sleep effectively increases the chance of that person to solve a complex problem. Problems may be related to dream meanings of patterns.

The participants were requested to find a solution to a set of creative problems the day after they had a good night sleep. The researchers discovered that those who experienced REM sleep were mostly the ones who solved the problem.

The study team was led by Sara Mednick of the University of California – San Diego.

An American author is scheduled to give her analysis on dreams in a workshop that takes place this week at the Lake Tahoe Wellness Center in California. The author is Kari Hohne, the person behind “The Mythology of Sleep: The Waking Power of Dreams” and “The Mind’s Mirror: Dream Dictionary and Translation Guide.” She also has a website titled Way of Dreams.

In an interview with local media, Hohne said that all dreams have a certain pattern which could be about resolution and conflict in our daily lives. Usually, the first part of the dream symbolizes the latest conflict and a change in landscape at the middle part informs the dream where the conflict started.

The last part usually is something that gives a clue on what to do. However, Hohne said that this is the part that’s usually ignored by the dreamer as the usual case is not remembering the dream the next day.

According to Hohne, one of the common dreams would be someone who’s not driving or a vehicle. This means that the person is actually not taking control of his or her life right now while taking a flight would mean aspiring to move forward with life or to “breakaway.”

A massive $2.1 billion casino resort project named “City of Dreams” became the second-largest casino complex in the Asia’s gambling capital of Macau after the structure was unveiled on Monday. This is certainly a positive development for Macau which reported a decline in gambling revenues for the first quarter of 2009.

The “City of Dreams” has three hotels, about five hundred gambling tables, shopping mall, restaurants and Las Vegas-themed entertainment venues. One popular hotel names is in the complex and that is Hard Rock Hotel.

This is the first highly-financed casino that opened in Macau for the past two years. It is a project by the Melco Crown Entertainment – a partnership between rich businessmen Lawrence Ho, son of gambling scion Stanley Ho, and Australian James Packer.

Ho said that this is a positive development for the gambling capital and even for the competitors because more people will be visiting Macau not just for gambling but for a luxury vacation and entertainment.

However, analysts said that the major challenge for the “City of Dreams” is how to retain interest in the long term once the opening stage is over. For now, the project is gaining interest but the challenge lies after the “honeymoon stage.”