Because learning about your brain and sleep can be fun . . .
An episodic dream is a dream that continues in episodes over two or more nights. On the first night, the crowd sat to eat at a long picnic table. On the second night, more guests arrived and sat around the same table, squeezing together. Someone placed a plate in front of each guest. The good…
In the Bible, God communicated with people in dreams. The angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would bear the Savior. Another angel came to St. Joseph and told him of Herod’s plans to kill off the oldest son of every Jewish family. There are many other instances in both the Old and…
“And, speaking more generally, it is plain foolishness to believe in ready-made systematic guides to dream interpretation, as if one could simply buy a reference book and look up a particular symbol. No dream symbol can be separated from the individual who dreams it, and there is no definite or straightforward interpretation of any dream.”—…
Sometimes you’ve got to wonder what your dreams are telling you, especially concerning your health. Health warnings in dreams can be confusing—though taking them seriously can save your life. It’s easy to go on the Internet and type in a query, and people do every day. When it comes to getting definitive answers about what…
In your dream, your boyfriend behaved awfully. He yelled at you about nothing. You noted how veins were popping out on his forehead, spittle flying out of his mouth. Then, in the dream, he threw a shoe at you. You ducked… …Then you woke up. Now you’re sitting up in bed, breathing heavily, heart racing. …
Your dreams can be compared to the vital signs they take in a doctor’s office. Dreams are useful for self-diagnosis. It’s a rough morning. You feel sick after a restless night. You’re coughing up slimy yellow-green junk. You feel dizzy and vaguely nauseous. It’s time to go see your doctor, you decide. You call in…
Am I crazy? Am I insane? It’s a question people can have after they have an experience—or experiences—that defy easy explanation. Skepticism is valued in our society. Being skeptical shows you’re no fool. Knee-jerk skepticism, even cynicism, is easy. Sometimes it takes work and courage to ask questions. You may not like the answer either.…
Sometimes your subconscious practically hits you over the head when it’s trying to communicate. When that happens, dream interpretation can’t get any easier. A dream that’s boring or dull is a little more subtle. If you consult a dream dictionary, you’re actually begging to misunderstand yourself. In the dream, I was sitting around a table…
A number of shabbily dressed peasants were being interrogated by a law enforcement official: “Who did you see?” “I don’t know,” they said. “Say Stevie Nicks,” the official said, apparently feeding them answers. “Okay,” they agreed. “Stevie Nicks.” “Good,” he said. “That will make it better and safer for you.” Then it was the famous singer’s turn. She…
Something of a cross between George Clinton and Snoop Dogg, the lead singer wore dusty overalls and thick work gloves. The backup dancers were also dressed for farm work. No crops were being raised, however. There were no animals getting fed either. Behind them, a barn. A crowd grooved approvingly on a tractor and up in…
While making the rounds of various TV and radio talk shows, with the release of Dream Power (1972) and subsequent release of The Dream Game (1975), psychologist Ann Faraday popularized both the activity of dream journaling and the idea dreams could be meaningful. Her books sold over 500,000 copies, according to Harper & Row, her publisher. The Encyclopedia of…
Why nobody can interpret your dreams for you. Six Carl’s Jr. fast-food workers stood ready to take on the problem: a home in disarray. The dream: I had too much to do in too little time. I was fretting. This team would help. Actually, I don’t have an exact count of how many fast-food employees…
Cute, winged insect creatures carried components of the nativity scene one by one through the snowy forest. Up went an angel. Up went a donkey. Up went a shepherd. The swarm went through the hilly forest, over to a snow-covered front yard. The caller to the nationally-syndicated radio show described what he was having the…