Where do dreams come from?

After many years of studying dreams and consciousness, one of the most common questions still asked of me is "where do dreams come from?". Historically, there have been many suggestions of where the dreaming mind originates with basically two explanations arising: 1) dreams come from outside of the dreamer's mind or, 2) the dreamer creates the images while sleeping.

From the studies of consciousness we know that the mind is a vast and boundless entity that is constantly active during the waking day and then continues to be active during sleep. During sleep the mind assimilates and consilidates information that is stored with new information that has been acquired. Studies have shown that during sleep, the mind does not become dormant but rather, it becomes busy and more productive than ever. It is in this essential and active state of sleep that the dreaming mind is activated.

It is here that events of the past, present, and future come to life and play out in the nighttime images. It is here that the true inner self of the dreamer is revealed in many ways. The images are personalized with all the elements created from the dreamer him or her self. The images are produced from the consciousness of the dreamer-the conscious, unconscious, waking life experiences, and the very matter that makes one alive. So where do dreams come from? From the very place that makes a human life alive and that, is still a mystery.

The Mysterious Meaning of Life

In speaking with a woman earlier this week about her dreams, she reported that her dreams contained themes of being lost, looking for something she had lost, or searching for some unknown object. In discussions with her around these themes, she decided to use dream interpretation techniques to try and get some insight. She was particularly perplexed by the dreams since they were recurring and confusing to her.

What she discovered from the dreams was that they were telling her exactly how she was feeling and behaving in her waking day life, but she was completely unaware of it. She had no idea how she was constantly searching for waking day events to give her a deeper and more meaningful life. She had spent many years seeking higher education, she changed jobs many times, she looked for work that was particularly difficult and challenging-all in the hope of finding a deeper and more substantial way to live her life. In spite of these things, she still felt empty and unfulfilled.

I encouraged her to continue with the dream interpretation practice and we could keep discussing her discoveries. Of course the deepest meaning to one's life cannot be found outside the self, but rather, in a connection with one's own inner world. As she continued to explore her dreams and make meaning from them she began to see that she was searching externally for something that was internal, and her dreams could help her with her quest.

This is one case study that illustrates how dreams can help with the deeper issues of meaning and human existence. When the psyche is ready to ask the questions regarding one's own existence and to search for the ever-pervasive meaning of life, dream interpretation can be one of the best gateways into this mystery.