Some dream interpreters agree that dreams are seen by the soul and are understood by one’s subconsciousness

Dreams are messengers to us from the unknown. They are voices from our collective subconscious, warnings of deep inner disturbances in the individual psyche, bearers of glad tidings or echoes of happy or sad and long-hidden memories.
As messengers from the unknown, dreams are often prophetic voices of the future. Hence, they have at times directed the course of the history of nations. The dream of the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son, his obedience to the divine will, and his willingness to submit in absolute faith to God made him the first true Muslim and the father of prophets. The true interpretation of the dreams of the king of Egypt by the prophet Joseph saved both the Egyptians and the children of Israel from famine and death.
Throughout recorded human history, dreams and the interpretation of dreams have inspired sages, prophets, poets, kings, as well as the most creative psychologists and philosophers of our day. The science of psychoanalysis by Carl Jung and his school rests on the fact that dreams form the inner diary of every human individual, hence the need to read and interpret them correctly. This fact has long been recognized by the sages and prophets of traditional cultures and religions.
Sigmund Freud is considered to have done remarkable work in the field of dreams and published his famous and controversial book ‘The Interpretation of Dreams,’ which is considered the gold standard in the field of psychology. The book is based on the analysis of his dreams and his patients through psychoanalysis. He analyzed thousands of patients, recorded their dreams, decoded them, and wrote their findings in his book.
Not all dreams, however, are either true or authentic. Those of the prophets and friends of God are divine revelations, true and sacred. The dreams of pious men and women are almost always true and meaningful. Some dreams come from Satan and are thus misleading. Others may be caused by physical or psychological problems, such as stomach discomfort or emotional disturbance. It is, therefore, important to distinguish true dreams from empty fantasies and inspired dreams from satanic insinuations.
Dream interpretation requires vast knowledge, clear perception, and sensitivity. Such knowledge must be based on the fundamentals of one’s religion, inner spiritual values, moral and cultural traditions. Some interpreters divide dreams into three categories: a good dream, which is a glad tiding from God Almighty; a dream that rises from one’s inclinations, and a dream that is prompted by Satan. As a consequence of such dreams, one may wake up either happy or afraid. Some dreams cause elation, while others cause shivers. Each dream connotes aspects related to one’s own character, actions, thoughts, intentions, qualities, associations, dealings, and environment.
However, one may wake up happy, though it signifies joy and exaltation, or one may wake unhappy, though the dream connotes sorrow and distress. There are seven types of false dreams: confused dreams, sexual dreams, warnings by Satan, dreams driven by the sorcery of jinn spirits, illusions, dreams shown by Satan (not considered dreams), dreams driven by one’s own mind and desire when confused or under stress, and dreams caused by pain and suffering from a physical ailment.
As for true dreams, they are the glad tidings that come from God Almighty. Some dream interpreters agree that dreams are seen by the soul and are understood by one’s subconsciousness. One should mostly look at the positive side first and eliminate the negative. One should also refrain from editing his own dream or using anything other than the first words that come from his mouth, and he should search accordingly. One should research the possible different appellations of each word or element, draw a tree of words, and then try to bring together a close understanding of the dream. However, one should find a man of wisdom, a sheikh, or a known dream interpreter to help him put together any missing elements or even explain hidden meanings in one’s dream when possible.
Interpreting the dream by subject requires further understanding of one’s religious and socio-cultural environment. The dream interpreter must investigate each dream based on religious opinions, logic, idioms, crucial factors, dictating circumstances, parables, what is deemed correct, and he should not express a firm opinion. A dream interpreter must listen to the complete story and its minute details. He also must investigate and find acceptable religious references for each element in the dream. If he does not fully understand the dream or if he is unable to find such references, he must investigate and find acceptable religious references. The dream interpreter must listen to the complete story and its minute details.
The writer is a PG in Mass Communication and Journalism from Kashmir University. [Email: [email protected]]

Umar Hayat Hussain