We dream every night as a way for our subconscious mind to communicate with our conscious mind. Dreams come in 90-minute cycles during deep sleep and represent aspects of our self that we may not be aware of. Learning to interpret our dreams can help us expand our self-awareness and gain wisdom from our subconscious. Practicing relaxation techniques before bed can help us remember our dreams by allowing us to achieve deeper stages of sleep.

1. WHY DO WE DREAM?
Did you know that by age 60 you will sleep 175,200 hours, dream 87,000 hours with
197,100 dreams? There are a significant number of people who remember their
dreams but a very small percentage who are aware of what their dreams mean. Our
vision here at the School of Metaphysics is to educate people about their dreams
through columns such as this one, books, the annual National Dream Hotline®, and
through our classes.
There are several questions that people tend to ask about dreams. For instance, why do
we dream and where do dreams come from? Your dreams tell you about your present
state of awareness, this is why we dream. Dreams come from an inner place we call
the subconscious mind and are presented to you in images which, when interpreted in
the Universal Language of Mind, become personally relevant to you and your life.
The meaning of these nighttime messages can literally change your life.
When studying dreams and learning to interpret them, you need to know the two
universal principles which apply to everyone, everywhere, at all times. The first of
these principles is that every dream is about the dreamer. The second principle is that
every person, place and thing in the dream is the dreamer. We as human beings are
very multi-faceted. A great majority of us are only aware of a small part of who we
are. You can learn to expand your awareness of yourself by learning to interpret your
dreams.
People in your dreams represent aspects of yourself. An aspect can be defined as a
certain way in which you think and express. When you are dreaming of someone of
the same sex [for example a woman is dreaming of another woman] this person
symbolizes an aspect of your conscious mind. These are the ways in which you
express yourself while awake. A person of the opposite sex symbolizes an aspect of
your inner Self. The way to identify these aspects is to imagine yourself describing
them to someone else. Here is an example: You are dreaming about a co-worker of the
same sex. In your daily life you perceive this acquaintance as being compassionate,
generous, and strong. These are the qualities of self (your Self) which are being
addressed in the dream. You might not use these qualities to describe yourself, yet
they are being brought out in your dream because your subconscious mind wants you
to see that they are a part of your character. This is one way dreams expand our
awareness -- we learn that we possess qualities we may not have known we had.
A question often asked is, “Why do we dream?” Some theories state that dreams are a
way in which we release stress. If this were true, then more people (especially those
who are stressed-out) would remember their dreams. Remember that dreams come

2. from the inner you, more specifically they are communications from your
subconscious mind. All day long we are busy moving through our waking lives,
taking in sensations from all around ourselves. During our nighttime slumber our
conscious mind is stilled, providing us with the opportunity to receive communication
from our subconscious mind.
You might ask, “Why is it so important that we receive information from our
subconscious mind?” Our subconscious mind holds all of our understandings which
we have gained either through this lifetime or other lifetimes. It has messages to share
with the outer self that are rich with knowledge and wisdom. Our inner mind is our
best friend, revealing to us the truth of our present state of thinking and expression.
Others have asked, “Do we dream every night, because I rarely remember my
dreams?” Yes, we do dream every night. Actually we dream several times in one
night, as you might have figured out from the statistics given at the beginning of this
column. We dream in ninety minute cycles. Most people do not know how to release
their attention from their day’s activities when they go to sleep. They find themselves
restless, tossing and turning throughout the night. If continued this restlessness forces
the person to remain in a shallow level of sleep. Dreams occur in the deeper stages of
sleep which means that one needs to learn how to relax and remove attention from the
worries and concerns of the day in order to receive from the subconscious mind.
If you are one of those individuals who suffers from insomnia, or if you wake up
feeling more tired than you did before you went to bed, there is a solution. Practice
each day in every moment releasing your attention from your past situations and
people in your life. Practice saying to yourself, “I am here right now and will give my
full attention to what I am doing.” It will also help to practice relaxation exercises
such as deep breathing exercises. To do this you take in a deep breath, filling your
lungs full with air, hold the breath for a count of six, then release the breath slowly
through your mouth. Attempt to remain breathless for a count of six. Repeat these
steps for ten minutes each night before going to bed.
When you wake up in the morning record your dreams. If you don’t remember a
dream, record the first thoughts you had as you were waking up. This will stimulate
you to capture those precious messages from your best friend, your soul.
Sweet Dreams.•
If you have a dream you want interpreted, write to Sandman, c/o Thresholds, School
of Metaphysics National Headquarters, Windyville, MO 65783. When relating a
dream indicate your gender and age.