Monthly Archives: June 2010

Sleep takes us to a strange and mysterious land. Throughout history people have been fascinated by the imagery and twisted story lines of the dream scape. 

In contemporary times, many mental health professionals believe, to some degree, that dreams offer keys to understanding the subconscious. Ever since Sigmund Freud published “The Interpretation of Dreams” in 1899, dream interpretation has been one of the gadgets in the toolbox of psychologists.

The prevailing belief in the ancient world was that dreams were messages from the netherworld. In 626 BC, the library of Assyrian king Assurbanipal contained clay tablets which  told of the importance of dreams in the life of kings and commoners. The king’s dream book was compiled from older sources that may have reached back as far as 5000 BC. Dream interpreters were revered in the ancient world. The “Oneirocritica” by Artemidorus of Daldis was one of the first and most famous books on dream interpretation. Thousands of books followed.

Whether you want to unlock the secrets of your subconscious mind in the modern tradition, or follow the old ways and decipher messages from the spirit world, the lexicography is much the same.  Dream symbolism has remained remarkably consistent down through the centuries. Dream interpretation is a subtle art. The meanings of the symbols are open to … interpretation. A cigar isn’t always a cigar, but sometimes it is.