Let us Talk a Bit About Dreams

All I can convey with respects to dreaming is that of my own subjective experiences. I know in western culture we tend to belittle dreams overall.

Many westerners are conditioned to say that dreams are products of the subconscious mind. This translates to: "Dreams are just some BS that your sleeping mind came up with to entertain you while you are not awake."

I personally think that is a very diminutive way of looking at an extraordinary topic. I mean how often does the average person sleep? Something like eight hours a day on a good day...

That's a third of your life, that's serious business!

I think it's safe to say that we've all had dreams where we know that we are ourselves in the dream. What I do not know, is how many people have had dreams about other people's lives?

For instance, on more than one occasion I've had a dream that I was someone else entirely. Many times these people, their lives when I inhabited them presented themselves as a rich tapestry with complex and intricate back stories.

Now if we were to talk to a Native American because of their culture some might view dreams differently, or even call them something else, like a vision for example. If you ask me calling a dream a vision is a lot more beneficial.

This, because instead of outcasting the dream to the deep recesses of your mind, you embrace it and look to it in order to divine meaning from it, or even learn from your dream experience before it fades back into the oblivion and is forgotten entirely.

My favorite dream quote ever has to be Chuang Tzu's 'Dream of the Butterfly'. He was an influential Taoist philosopher that lived way back in the 4th century, long before Christianity stormed the scene. I'll quote his experience below.

"Once upon a time, I, Chuang Tzu, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of following my fancies as a butterfly, and was unconscious of my individuality as a man. Suddenly, I awaked, and there I lay, myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man..."
^{- Chuang Tzu (Translated by Herbert A. Giles)}

I'd like to know what your take on Chuang Tzu's butterfly dream is. Do you have a perspective on dreams that is substantially different from the average notion that they are simply an unimportant product of the subconscious mind?

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^{Images via Pixabay and Wikipedia.}