The Art of Dreams

Perhaps you experience startling recurring dreams that have pervaded your nights since childhood, or your mornings are spent eagerly recounting the bewildering occurrences that ameliorated your otherwise dull slumber to your family and friends. In my dreams, I have met Taylor Swift’s mother and convinced myself that I was a wolf in a past life, which I’m not sure if I should admit to The Saint readership. However, I believe my dreams of being a pack animal communicate the breadth and power of the stories that occur while we are asleep. I have always had a fascination with forces that are out of human control, and on my bookshelf at home, alongside books about astrology and Pantones associated with birthdays, I own a book about the symbolism of dreams.

In medieval European literature, allegorical dream visions convey messages to characters that they would otherwise be incapable of accessing, especially in their waking life. These dreams typically relate to events occurring in their waking life, and the advice that characters extract from the allegories guides them through challenges faced in their narrative. Sleep was regarded as an intersection between the conscious and the unconscious, allowing the mind of a character to examine aspects of their life from an external perspective. Gothic literature also uses dreams to reveal the supernatural, or like medieval dream visions, to broaden a character’s understanding of their identity. Mary Shelley claimed that her idea for Frankenstein came to her in a dream, distancing her waking identity from the novel by asserting that the horrifying concept could not come from her conscience.

Dreams seem to have the same impact today as they did in the medieval period and the nineteenth century. Although theories circulate about the evolutionary importance of dreaming, no concrete reasons exist for why humans dream. Thus, the value of dreams derives from their artistic interpretation rather than their scientific understanding. As explored earlier, dreams provide unbridled access to our imagination, and intricate dreams allow us to celebrate our creativity. As I have moved away from my childhood, my imagination has become preoccupied with coursework and encroaching worries about adulthood, leaving limited room for whimsical stories. Dreams permeate our sleep without invitation or explanation, and I can’t help but credit my imagination when I wake with a story that I am excited to record, analyse, and share.

Simultaneously, dreams allow us to examine our emotions closely. About two years ago, I had lengthy dreams four nights in a row; they were all different, but equally peculiar. Despite dreaming every night like most other humans, it was atypical for me to remember such anomalous dreams. These consecutive dreams prompted me to create a ChatGPT account so I could stop pestering my friend who previously used her account for my dream analysis. ChatGPT’s analysis wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it helped me recognise recurring themes throughout four completely different dreams. Dreams became a means through which I could validate emotions in my waking life. I would often have dreams that ChatGPT analysed as apprehension about change or transitions in my waking life, and this information aided in my validation of inexplicable feelings of nervousness or uncertainty. Although it may not seem completely rational to read so deeply into dreams, the meaning I extract from dreams provides me with stability, allowing me to grapple with perplexing and daunting emotions. 

Obviously, not all dreams are pleasant, and it is important to recognise that dreams can produce new worries instead of providing an explanation for existing ones. Like many of us, unsettling dreams have inhibited my desire to rest, concerned that I will relive horrific events from prior nights. Although perturbing, nightmares speak to our creativity and imagination, and they force us to question our mind’s intent when creating terrifyingly realistic scenarios. Importantly, they compel us to seek change in our waking life that may correlate with an improvement in our sleep. Overall, I believe that the experience and analysis of dreams help us gain a complete understanding of ourselves.

Image from Wikimedia Commons