Dream Therapy: Reaching Into the Subconscious!

[Guest guest]

Good Morning!

 

Dream Therapy: Reaching Into the Subconscious!

 

Some of mankind's greatest creations, ideas and inventions have all

been attributed to the attempts of interpreting and understanding

dreams. Visions of symbols, words, objects and people whom appear

during sleep cycles can give us many messages. In any particular

culture, the meaning of dreams can vary in their vision and

interpretation. One book, " Oneirocritia " , was written by Artemidorus-

a Roman philosopher in the 2nd century A.D., has served as the

foundation of many other dream interpretation books.

 

Psychologist Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, who have both embrassed the

important significance of dream interpretation, have given credit to

Artemidorus' work.

 

Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, interpreted people's dreams in

order to help them unearth hidden feelings. Jung, a Swiss

psychologist, who initially followed in Freud's footsteps, developed

theories of Anima (women) and Animus (men) involving the feminine and

masculine principles and the collective unconscious symbols known as

Archetypes.

 

Archtypes such as falling, flying, colors and numbers all take on a

universal meaning, as well as, specific significance to cultures and

the individual dreamer.

 

With the advancement of science in the 1950's, many studies and

theories were summarized on the physiological aspect of dreams. The

discoveries of REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non rapid eye

movement), which are the brain's electrical activities during sleep,

became apparent.

 

REM cycles four to five times a night during sleep and lasts less

than 30 minutes per cycle for the first cycle but increases in length

as each cycle progresses. This is the period when dreams occur. The

other sleep cycles are spent in NREM sleep without dreaming.

 

Through extensive research, it was also discovered that birds and

nearly all mammals, including newborn babies, experience REM sleep.

People with emotional disturbances, those who have suffered trauma,

and highly stressed individuals, seem to increase their dream time.

 

 

Dream Research and PET Scans

 

There has been a lot of research done on dreams and dreaming. The

research I focused on was the work done with the PET scan. (1) The

Positron Emissions Tornography have been used to measure various

rates of blood flow through the brain.

 

There is basically two major Phases in Sleep. NREM - non rapid eye

movement and REM - rapid eye movement. NREM sleep is the beginning of

the sleep cycle. In NREM, the average brain activity decreases -

proportionately the rate of blood flow decreases.

 

So areas such as the Reticular Activating System which is the area

involved in arousal and wakening, shuts down. Areas involved in

muscle movement shut down. But, regions involved in the consolidation

and retrieval of memory did not decrease in blood flow, but the

pathways that bring information to and from this region did shut

down, therefore isolating them metabolically.

 

About 90 minutes into our sleep pattern we experience REM sleep. REM

sleep is produced by the excretion of Acetylcholine in the Pons. (2)

Suddenly, the Brain Stem begins firing electrical impulses through

the brain. Heightening breath, heart rate and sexual arousal and

sends impulses through the cortical and subcortical regions. Some

regions of the brain's metabolic rates wind up being higher than when

we are awake.

 

An area of gray matter, located at the Occipito-Temporo-Parital

junction is activated. This is where the brain performs the highest

level of processing of perceptual information.

 

Our emotional brain - The Limbic System increases with blood flow and

our memory and sensory processes connected to simple vision and

hearing in the Diencephelon and Medulla increase but the Primary

Visual Cortex region in the Occipital Lobe did not show much of an

increase in blood flow. Normally, an increase in activity in the

lower areas cannot occur without an increase in the Primary Visual

Cortex.

 

But, in REM sleep, the brain will activate the lower areas and begin

integration of visual patterns. This is what is speculated to be the

make-up of imagery and symbols in our dreams. (3)

 

The Prefrontal Cortex, which is divided into four regions, plays a

central role in our self-discipline, gratification restrainment and

controlling one's impulses. This region is typically inactive during

REM sleep. except for one of the four regions. This is the deep white

matter of the frontal lobe with large fiber pathways which transmit

the chemical Neurotransmitter Dopamine from the Mid Brain to the

Frontal Cortex.

 

So with the Limbic emotional brain extremely active and the self-

disciplinary Prefrontal Cortex mostly inactive, it is believed to be

the reason why we have such disinhibiting dreams (4) such as flying,

falling and fantasies.

 

 

Dream Journals

 

Dream Journals are a book or record of your past dreams. They can be

used for writing down dreams you have experienced during sleep or

often people will even write down there day dreams too! These

journals are good places to record your information so that you can

go back and look at this information later. It can allow you to look

at that information for interpretation and dream analysis.

 

TIPS FOR DREAM JOURNALING

 

1. Upon waking, pick up your dream journal and write down the first

thing that comes into your head.

 

2. It is a good idea to write out the dream in the symbols you saw

for easier interpreting later.

 

3. After you have written down as many symbols as you can recall, try

to fill in the information between the symbols.

 

4. Jot down significant words, objects or people that were in your

dream.

 

5. What is the association with these objects, words or people.

Explain in your journal.

 

6. Take as much room as you like in your book. It is a creative work

in process.

 

7. If there were colors, write them down. Was it day or night? Did it

take place in a familiar place or some place you have never been?

 

8. If you can't recall all the details, that is ok. You can always

come back to the journal later.

 

9. Be sure and write the time and day on the top of the dream page.

 

10. Have sweet dreams!

 

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac

Peacefulmind.com

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit

[Guest guest]

I really like this!

I like the tips on noting down dreams at the end!

I also have done a lot of dream therapy and it is so helpful in so

many ways on so many levels.

I like to keep a dream journal and even have posted some of my dreams

on my website-

http://alaivani.com/Blog/tabid/56/BlogID/10/ParentBlogID/1/Default.aspx

Enjoy. Jennifer

[Guest guest]

Is there any website that offers some of the universal interpretations

and symbols?

[Guest guest]

, " laughingtoe13 "

<laughingtoe13 wrote:

>

> Is there any website that offers some of the universal

interpretations

> and symbols?

 

 

 

I would consider going to the source of this article and that is our

group owner, Andrew, he has a fantastic dream dictionary with several

different interpretations from Jung to Freud....

 

http://www.peacefulmind.com/dream_dictionary.htm

 

 

Peace,

 

John