Dreams.. Hey.. I just finished the explaining stuff, so right now I'm working on the dream dictonary and organizing this huge page of text into links. So, please, be patient. Thanks!! -Charon Dreams and Sleep Every night we go to sleep, we become 'dead to the world'. We have to sleep in order to dream and each night, when we slip off into that unconscious state which would be frightening in the extreme if we were not so familiar with it, we visit another world- the world of dreams. Although we now know a little about the condition scientifically, physiologically and psychologically, its real purpose is not fully understood. Until the twentieth century, the only access we had to sleep came from remembered dreams but, with the advent of electronic monitoring of brain activity, certain information and discoveries have been made. The Purpose of Sleep For centuries the purpose of going to sleep was thought to be solely to rest the physical body. Having worked hard during the day, it needed to relax, so we went to sleep. We spend about one-third of our lives asleep. This means that when we reach the age of seventy five, we have been asleep for twenty-five years. Babies sleep for over fifty per cent of their first year, it is presumed that they are dreaming visually. In fact, they sleep and dream even before they are born. Adolescents sleep for eleven to twelve hours a night, adults seven to eight and older people seldom sleep for more than six hours during the night. This suggest we need slightly less sleep as we grow older. The Source Revisited It has been concluded that, since resting the body and mind do not depend on sleep, its specific purpose must be to allow us to dream. During sleep our awareness reaches out to undiscovered realms, the land of dreams. This could well be the source from whence we came before we were born, and the place to which we return to when we die. Not all dreams, of course, are journeys to the great beyond. Many are literal action replays of real-life events. When, at night, we do return to the source, we enter a dimension far more expansive than the limited outer world. Here, we recharge with vitality following a physically active day, and we are ill sleep is often the only healing force we need to recover. To combat the stress and strain of life, relaxation and mediation is often resorted to. Some people can manage with less than seven hours sleep each night but they are, along with those who need over nine or ten, in the minority. The person who is occupied physically and mentally throughout the day needs an average of eight hours sleep. The test to know if you are getting enough sleep is simple. If the alarm clock has to awaken you, it means you have not completed your sleep, so you are depriving yourself of valuable sleep. 'Sleep', as Shakespeare so wisely put it, 'is the balm for hurt minds, nature's great second course'. Health and Dreams Traditionally, it was thought that every disease produced a characteristic dream as a warning sign. Chest complaints were said to manifest as fights. Many illnesses do, in fact, express themselves in dream form but not consistently enough to be totally reliable as warning signs. For example, a high fever is often interpreted by the dreaming mind as a fire. Kidney complaints and problems associated with the urinary tract were said to conjure up scenes of water and over-full rivers, while seeing a canal heralded a birth. Stomach and digestive ailments give rise to dreams about disputes, while warnings of liver disease presented as green and yellow objects. These are the colors of bile, a product of the liver. Anaemia was said to cause feelings of suffocation and weakness, again a representation of physical symptoms False Awakenings Dreams are memories so in retrospect it is often difficult to be certain if an event really occurred or if it was a dream. One woman was so convinced that she had left her handbag on a train that she even telephoned the lost property office to inquire if it had been found. She was most relieved six months later when she found the handbag at the bottom of her wardrobe; she was also most perplexed when she realized it had been a bad dream and not reality. Another example of a dream mistaken for reality is when we believe we are awake in the middle of the night, and see a person or ghost standing by the bed. Whoever it is we see is so real, and the memory is so clear, that in the morning it is impossible to convince the dreamer that what occurred was actually a dream, and not a reality. Dreams such as this are known as 'false awakenings' and account for many of the ghosts seen at night. But since we do not know everything there is to know about the dream state, who can say that the visitation did not take place, in a way different to what we assume is normal? 'Things that go bump in the night' and other strange, unaccountable noises are also heard during false awakenings. Lucid Dreams Lucid dreaming is to know you are dreaming at the time of the dream. When a dream is very unusual we often say to ourselves, 'I must be dreaming'. When it is a particularly a bad one, this realization wakes us up, but in addition to this, there are three other important aspects associated with lucid dreaming. First, to become aware in a dream shows we have discovered something new about ourselves. Secondly, having discovered this, and realize we alone have created this dream-scene, so we can 'direct' the dream like directors do with movies. Thirdly, since many dreams do come true, it is possible to create a dream that will do just this. Warning Dreams We do not dream for amusements nor about things in life that we can deal when awake. This is why most dreams contain a warning message or at lease a message concerning negative aspects. A warning dream can all too easily turn into a prophetic dream. An example of this is the man who dreamed that he was driving his car at great speed and had an accident. This was a literal warning clearly telling him to be careful and not to drive so fast, but he ignored this and the inevitable happened. To him, the dream was prophetic but if he acted on the advice it gave, there is no doubt that he would have saved his own life. Sometimes warning dreams relate to someone else. By telling those involved to be careful may avert trouble but unless they are close relative, it is difficult to do this. A mother, whose son owned a red power boat, had a vivid dream showing him speeding in a blue boat that turned over, and drowned him. She was so upset by this, she begged him not to race, but his reply was that his boat was red. The following Saturday he went as usual to the lake where he kept his boat and for some reason he drove his friend's boat. It was blue, and sadly the dream came true. Colors and Dreams Tradition says that we use colors in our dreams to highlight certain things in our life. Bright, clear colors indicate positive aspects and dull, drab colors have negative associations. Although personal likes and dislikes for particular colors obviously affect the message. WHITE Purity, illumination, honesty, innocence and relief from pressures are portrayed. BLACK An accepted color denoting the end of a phase, death, total negation or hidden aspects of life. It indicates shades of mourning and death, gloom and depression. Alternatively, night, passiveness, and motherliness are offered. RED A color denoting physical energy and strength. Depending on the circumstances in the dream, it can warn against rage and anger, as in the case of the red rag to the bull syndrome. ORANGE Social activities are under scrutiny when the color is dominant. It also has the power to change a dismal atmosphere into one of the cheerfulness, and matters of a trivial nature are also indicated. YELLOW The need for clear thinking and intellectual reflection is represented in this light. The message is: 'Think with the head, not with the heart.' On the negative side, it indicates cowardice. GREEN In the not too distant past all classrooms and hospitals were painted green. This was because green has a very calming, relaxing effect, so when it appears in a dream, it is telling the dreamer to take time off, and rest more. Green in natural surroundings will bring relaxing moments, so a visit to the country would be helpful. This color can also suggest envy and jealousy. BLUE Blue, and the sky blue means the dreamer is protected from whatever it is that may be threatening him or her. Confidence and renewed hopes are restored as a result. On the negative side, look for any cold, calculating facts which may bring about a blue mood. INDIGO Instinct and intuition are stirring with this mysterious color, bringing a realization with the physical world is not the only world. It also urges: 'Think with the head, not with the heart'. VIOLET This color is nearest to heaven, denoting spiritual matters, altruistic feelings and all things of worldliness. BROWN Devotion to duty is indicated, but to some, a depressing feeling fills the air. GOLD Sunshine and happiness are indicated.