KUWAIT: Every night, when people finally close their eyes and put an end to the day’s events, they are transported to a different world - one that might be too fictional or just too random. Yet, it is undeniably a place where they experience a sense of liberation from their mundane reality. "A dream is a theater in which the dreamer is himself the scene, the player, the prompter, the author, the producer, the public and the critic,” said Badria Al-Saeedy, a dream analyst who attributed this quote to Carl Jung, whom she fondly referred to as her "Godfather.”
According to Saeedy, dreams mirror our daily reality, yet twist it into forms of images, sending iconic messages from the unconscious to the conscious mind. Delving into dreams unveils the deepest hidden causes behind our personal struggles, unlocking childhood traumas or buried memories. Hence, she explained, this made psychologists like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung consider dreams as a potent tool for mental state analysis. "Dreams can tell you who you truly are as they have the power to guide you from darkness into light,” added Saeedy.
In her contemplation of dreams, Saeedy noted, "Even the most complex concepts like ‘immortality’ or ‘death’ which our analytical minds might not fully grasp, can be easily interpreted or experienced through dreams.” Viewing dreams as "a world unbounded by the physical rules of our reality,” she highlighted their function as a direct window to our souls, unspoken desires, and the unknown future. "Unlike our solid reality, dreams transport us far from where our minds usually rest,” she said. "It’s like another dimension to perceive life.”
Sometimes, the same dreams might also be experienced by different people, as Saeedy stated the existence of universal themes in dreams. The repetition of these dream patterns is a signifier for something deeper, indicating an ongoing internal struggle for the dreamer. Referring to one popular theme - "falling from a high place,” she highlighted its indication of the dreamer’s relentless pursuit of control. Such dreams serve as a counterbalance, offering an opposing experience to the desired feeling, thus establishing equilibrium in emotions.
"Once this dream stops showing up, means the person is finally unshackled from one of his greatest fears,” she added. Dreams are also "a blend between intuitional and analytical thinking of your subconscious,” she said. As you casually spend your time during the day, your subconscious automatically stores data from your surroundings, working in harmony with your intuition to offer insights into future events, termed as "Visionary dreams.”
She described these types of dreams as direct conduits to divine messages. Recognized by their association with peaceful and positive emotions, she remarked, "if you happen to have these kinds of dreams, you’ll instantly identify them without question.” Supported by Saeedy’s experience and previous research, she confidently stated that "It’s impossible to find someone who doesn’t dream. Unless they are suffering from a bad memory or lack of connection to inner self.”
The same goes for the person who mostly encounters too complicated or too random dreams that are hardly deciphered. She observed that individuals of this sort often endure "emotional suppression,” constantly escaping the confrontation of negative memories or feelings. In contrast to those who enjoy healthier relationships with themselves, they tend to experience more "vivid dreams,” signaling a more engaged response to their reality.
The best way to deal with dreams, according to Saeedy, is to always look beyond their images. Instead of just seeing the scenes and symbols, try to link each theme with the emotions that might have triggered it. By doing this, you can decipher the subconscious messages and unlock a gate to deeper self-awareness.