Dreams have had amazing interpretations for centuries. Scholars and learned people from the psychological and medical fields gave many theories with explanations regarding dreams. Likewise, the Islamic interpretation of this topic also adds up to the seriousness of the impact of dreams on human life.
Both psychological and Islamic interpretations of dreams are, however, a little different from each other but one thing between both is the same. And, that is, dreams do have importance in human lives, somehow. This blog presents a psychological and an Islamic perspective of dreams, separately. It’s not a comparison between both, however.
Psychological Interpretation Of Dreams
1. The Psychodynamic Approach to Dreams by S. Freud
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, is much known for his interpretations of dreams, their importance, and their emergence. According to him, dreams originate from the unconscious mind and they are deeply symbolic. They are expressions of our unconscious desires; the desires we have while awaking. Further, he says, dreams are personal to every individual and they are byproducts of the dreamer’s mental and physical state.
2. Carl Jung’s Approach to Dream Interpretation
Although Carl Gustav Jung initially followed the theories of Sigmund Freud, he eventually created his own ideas and diverged from Freud’s path. Despite this divergence, there are still similarities between the two psychoanalysts’ approaches to dream interpretation.
Both men believed that dreams contained hidden meanings beneath their surface content. However, in contrast to Freud, Jung believed that dreams were a way for people to find equilibrium in their character. He placed more emphasis on the manifest content of a dream than Freud did, believing that significant symbols could be found there.
Jung also theorized that dreams were reflections of the collective unconscious, providing insight into potential future events. He believed that by studying dreams, one could gain a better understanding of their own life and anticipate what may come.
3. Calvin S. Hall’s Approach to Dream Interpretation
In contrast to Freud and Jung, Hall thought dreams were not composed of latent content. Rather, he argued for a cognitive theory suggesting that dreams are simply ideas that come up during sleep. Thus, our dreams can be seen as reflections of our personal lives through the following cognitive structures:
- One’s self-perception, perception of others, and view of the world all contribute to a person’s overall outlook.
- Self-conceptions involve understanding one’s identity and values. Conceptions of others involve how an individual perceives those around them.
- Conceptions of the world refer to how they interpret their environment.
- The obstacles we face in life can be viewed through a variety of lenses.
Other Dream Interpretations through Psychological Analysis
Behavioral psychologists look at how a person’s behavior in the waking or conscious world can affect their dream behavior and how the dream behavior can influence waking/real-life behavior. They also look at how the dream environment can influence the dreamer’s behavior and how the dreamer’s emotions can be expressed through their dream behavior.
Humanistic psychologists believe that dreams are a way for the unconscious mind to work through issues and conflicts that the conscious mind may not be aware of. Dreams can also be seen as a way to gain insight into the individual’s true feelings and desires.
Also read: 5 best exercises to find mental peace in social matters
Islamic Interpretation Of Dreams
Islam gives much importance to dreams. In Islam, dreams are of three types.
1. Ru’yaa
Ru’yaa is an Arabic word which is meant good dreams or glad tidings from Allah. These kinds of dreams are also termed mubashshiraat, and referred to as visions, suggestions, or inspirations from Allah. It is a positive dream, as no dream that is from Allah frightens or terrifies you, or makes you sad. Even if it is not positive, it would be a factual statement. It will be something true and not something terrifying.
The sign of this dream is that you will wake up, remembering the dream vividly. Sometimes, you wake up in a very positive state, and sometimes in a neutral state. Not scared; not happy; but maybe a little confused. However, it’s still some sign from Allah, not to scare you but to make you think deeply.
2. Hulum
Hulum is meant for bad dreams or nightmares. In Islam, such dreams are believed to be from Satan. These are evil dreams. The sign of this dream is that it terrifies a man. Someone sees something evil, something disgusting, seeing a loved one dying a terrifying death, or sees one’s self in a car accident, or being chased by something evil. These dreams happen just because Shayateen want to irritate you or play a practical joke on you. These types of dreams are never ever true.
There is a hadith also about nightmares. Last Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H said that nightmares should not be told to anybody. Why? Because Satan is making a fool of you.
3. Hadees un Nafs
These are dreams from your own imagination, and neither from Allah nor from Satan. For example, you think of a luxurious car you want to drive. You do daydream about it. So, when you go to sleep, you see yourself driving that car. This is your hadees un nafs or imaginative dream. And, according to scientists (who study dreams), this type of dream happens every night. There is a phase in our sleep; REM (Rapid Eye Movement), every night, and at this phase, everybody dreams.
The sign of this dream is that when you wake up, the dream is absolutely fresh in your mind. But in the next 5 seconds, it’s gone. So, this is an indication that it was only your imagination.
Conclusion
Both Islam and Science, highlight the fact that dreams are not merely a short journey to a fantasy world. Instead, they are absolutely connected to the real life of a man. They definitely, somehow and somewhere, have an impact on a man’s life and justify the presence of so many parallel universes, other than this universe.
Also read: Violence and Aggression – A Huge Psycho-social Problem
