Dreams, the other side of reality
Iam a big dreamer, but not the kind psychologists, successful people or inspirational quotes tell us to be. I’m the dreamer who lives it all behind closed eyelids in the nocturnal hours, experiencing joy, fear, happiness and anguish, depending on what adventure I’m part of.
I find this phenomenon intriguing; I have always wondered what causes us to dream. It’s just one of those things that our mind hooks on to and keeps ruminating about. Dreams give me the same feeling I get when I’m absorbed in reading an interesting book, or watching a good movie; as I get totally caught up in the plot and the characters and emotions of the whole sequence. The difference being that I’m sleeping and oblivious to the real world.
So possessed was I with this phenomenon that I found myself reading a lot about it. You must have guessed I’m talking about the days before the Google era when we had to work hard if we were seeking to add to our knowledge or clarify muddled concepts in our mind. Every piece of information was not available at our fingertips, secured in our mobile phones to be unlocked as and when we desired.
From the four books I picked up, the one I read through thoroughly was: The Interpretation of Dreams by neurologist Sigmund Freud. This doctor with his concepts did invite a great deal of debate but when I sifted through information there was much that made sense.
My dreams for the most part are beautiful, bizarre (as most people probably have experienced it too), and detailed. At one time, I was obese and dieting diligently so quite understandably I would dream of a lavish spread of the most exotic food as though I were a part of a feast in a royal palace. The details of the food and the exquisite display of lacy table cloth and silverware were strikingly clear and remain etched somewhere in my memory even now. On other occasions, I would be riding or racing across hills and valleys either chasing or being chased and then waking up charged or agitated. Did it ever happen in my past life?
A nightmare that haunted me for a long time was when I was unable to finish the exam. Either the pen was not working or the ink had spilled or I had just blanked out. It makes me break out in a sweat even now.
All that reading helped me analyse and deal with persistent dreams that did fade away once I understood their significance in my life. So are dreams just fantasy? Or are they the other side of reality? Are they a manifestation of our unfulfilled aspirations, suppressed emotions, unresolved issues of pain and anger? It’s anyone’s guess and till we know better, I’m happy to partake of this enchanting phenomenon.
DREAMS GIVE ME THE SAME FEELING I GET WHEN I’M ABSORBED IN READING A GOOD BOOK AS I GET CAUGHT UP IN THE PLOT