Dreams: To Sleep, Perchance to Surf the Internet
If you've ever wondered why you dream or what your dreams mean, you’re not alone; entire schools of thought have been dedicated to exploring human psychology using the images that travel through our unconscious minds. Theories on the biological purpose of dreams, the interpretation of dream content, and the nightmares so many of us experience are some of the issues explored in this guide.
Expand All Guide SectionsWhat is a Dream?
Dreams are literally thoughts, images, or emotions that occur during sleep, but why we dream and ... read more »
Dream Interpretation
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were two of the most influential dream interpreters. Freud’s ... read more »
Nightmares and Night Terrors
Nightmares happen to everyone. However, some are more serious than others. If you suffer from ... read more »
Discussing Dreams
Part of the fun of dreaming is describing your surreal, nonsensical visions to others. The Web makes this easier by allowing dreamers to connect on forums and add their dreams to archives.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Consider keeping a dream journal if you are interested in learning more about your dreams. Not only will this help you recall the dreams you’ve had, but you’ll also be more aware of patterns and repeated symbols you might otherwise have overlooked or forgotten.
- If you’re looking for the most basic dream symbols and associations, use this reference on iVillage.
- When dealing with dream interpretation, there’s a definite distinction between legitimate, professional interpretation, conducted for the purposes of psychoanalysis, and friendly, informal interpretation that is done for sport. If you are seriously interested in interpreting your dreams, contact a professional using the resources provided in the “What are the basic approaches to dream interpretation?” section of this guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For a dream discussion forum …
Dream Moods
is one of the few active forums on the Web, for the topic of dreams, with some degree of quality and legitimacy. Registration is free and is the only step keeping your from sharing your dreams.
Dream Views
has a variety of dreaming discussion forums. Topics include "Attaining Lucidity," "Dream Gallery" and "Dream Control." You must register to to post or reply to a thread, but you can view the messages.
For dream collections …
DreamBank
provides access to thousands of dreams collected through research at the Psychology Department of the University of California, Santa Cruz. Search by demographic or subject to read what others have dreamt.
Slow Wave
is a “collective dream diary”; people from around the world submit their dreams to have them drawn as comic strips by site artist Jesse Reklaw. Click the “Submit your dreams” link to add to the collaborative effort. Visit the “Archive” section to see the comic strips depicting user-submitted dreams.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
