Histroy of dreams

The word "dream" stems from the Middle English word "dreme", which means joy and music. Dreams have been thought to mean many different things and have puzzled philosophers and psychologist for centuries. Ancient belief stated "dreams tell the future"(Barett 8).

Carl Jung, a philosopher and psychologist include anthropology, religion, and mythology in his studies of dreams. He proposed the idea of the "collective unconscious", a deep "well" of images and stories shared by everyone. Jung believed that the content of the dream was meaningful in later life (16). Carl Jung began as a follower of another dream annalists Sigmud Freud (1856-1939). Freud began with a degree in neurology, which he later turned into a practice of psychoanalysis. He believed that dreams were wish fulfillment - in our dreams we represent our deepest desires (14). Sigmund Freud is probably seen as the leader of dream analysis because he made it " intellectually acceptable". He taught that dreams symbols disguised truths (13).

Colors in dreams often say a lot about the meaning of the dream. Gold - this masculine color represents richness and royalty, particularly kingship. Gold is the brightness of the sun and r

Numbers may also have an influence on dreams. Symbolically odd numbers are male and even numbers are female (Stevens 39). The most important of the numbers are zero to thirteen. Zero - empty, a void, nothingness. One - man, loneliness, and ideas of unity and being unique. Two - woman, a pair, choice, or an opposite. Three - family, creation, and movement, middle. Four - seasons, directions, (compass points) functions of the mind, intellect, emotion, sensation, and intuition. Five - the human nature, life and the senses. Six - sex, the creation (6 days). Seven - a holy number, heaven, a day of rest, days of the week, notes of the scales, colors of the rainbow, wonders of the world. Eight - infinity, material maters, worldly concerns.

In dreams, animals may appear as themselves or represent people. These would imply nourishment or hardworking. Dreaming of a spider may mean being trapped or entrapped by a female. Cats may be playful but can also show elegance yet mean untrustworthy or have a balance of life. A dog would imply companionship or obedience. Rats or mice might mean intelligence or cunning but may also be associated with disease. Cows are a symbol of prosperity. Horses can also symbolize prosperity or strength. A fox may suggest being stalked or being cunning. A monkey is naughty, clever, or childish (Alvarize 12).

Because one - third of our life is spent sleeping, in our lifetime we will have spent six years of it dreaming. That is more than two thousand one hundred days spent in a different world or an unconscious mind. (" Dream Information"). Everyone dreams, simply because you