A dream can be defined as a “sequence of sensations, feelings, images, thoughts, etc., passing through a sleeping person’s mind”. Dreams have been a topic of study for last thousands of years. In our dreams, we can go anywhere, we can be anybody, and we can do anything. When we dream, we are like passengers on a moving train, unable to control our actions and choose our surroundings. We let our mind take over. Sometimes, dreams can be understood in the context of repressed thoughts. Dreaming serves as an outlet for those thoughts and impulses we repress during the day. When we go to sleep at night and slip into our dream state, we feel liberated and behave in a manner that we do not allow ourselves to in our waking life.
Many a times untouched ideas and visions can come from your dreams. Authors, screenwriters, Artists, Musicians and poets get inspiration from their dreams. While dreaming we see things from a different perspective, hence dreams can help us find solutions to our daily problems.
Some times our dreams have a specific meaning and convey a message. From the very early time, it is believed that the Lord speaks to his people through dreams and visions. In the New Testament this ability has become even greater and instead of a select few – every single believer has the ability to understand what God is saying to them in their dreams.
Dreams can be classified into three forms. First form, which shows the exact picture of some future events as a warning. Second forms, includes those kind of dreams which are seen in symbolic forms and needs to be analyzed or interpreted to draw a meaning eg seeing your self flying in the air indicates over expenditure and can be taken as warning to control it. Seeing animals are auspicious if they are not attacking else it indicates incoming troubles in daily life etc. Third Form is kind of “Garbage Dreams”, which may have a mixture of your previous days events, some fiction, fantasies, some unfulfilled desires etc . For example, you may see yourself having dinner with heroine of movie which you had seen before going to bed , in US (where you have applied for a job). In the next morning, with slight efforts you can identify that the dream you had seen belongs to which type.
Next clarity of dream does not depend upon depth of sleep. You may see clear dream during a short nap. Dream in open eyes is known as “Vision” (Deja-Vu), which conveys future events. I have experienced many such visions in my life.
There are some Spiritual Exercises (Sadhnas) in every religion by practicing them you can program your dreams to show you future events/warnings/answers to unsolved questions/resolve theft cases etc. Dreams are wonderful media by which some people at times communicates with deceased loved ones & divine powers. When I was 12 Yrs old, I would solve, unsolved problems of maths in dreams. This practice carried on till I passed class-XII. Since then I see future events, happenings, warnings, communications etc through dreams. Some are in direct form and some are to be interpreted. Now my two daughters are receiving messages, views and directions for day-to-day life from my late wife through dreams.
So pay attention to your dreams they could be telling you something!