"A dream is a microscope through which we look at the hidden occurrences in our soul." -Erich Fromm

New Delhi, September 7, 2017: The phenomenon of dreaming is indeed mysterious, and that's where lies its appeal. The why's and how's related to this phenomenon sound fascinating, but are extremely difficult to answer. Honestly, we haven't yet discovered the function of dreaming, and not even affirmed or negated the preposition, that there is one. Some believe that dreaming is simply an epiphenomenon or a mental activity that takes place when one is asleep. However, there's a different set of people who are inclined towards the idea of dreams holding a bigger purpose, a profound one.

What exactly are dreams?
Dreams, simply stated, are the images or stories that our mind creates while sleeping. Technically, they are a result of neural activity in the brain. But apparently, this is the most basic description of the most mysterious of mysteries, dreams.

The famous psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud mentioned dreams as "The Royal Road to the Unconscious". Freud in his very popular book, The interpretation of dreams, put dreams into three categories: 1) Direct prophesies 2) Foretelling of a future event 3) Symbolic dreams. He argued that dreams are nothing but the action of unconscious, the expression of hidden desires, the wishes that we are looking to fulfill in our waking lives.

The proposed link between our dreams and our emotions or subconscious mind has been highlighted in numerous theories, therefore, highlighting the importance and need of decoding these symbolizations or dream analysis. Here we have compiled a list of some important symbols, visions, dreams that might have a hidden meaning and therefore, should not be ignored!

BEING CHASED: The level of anxiety that one experiences in this dream is so vivid, it lets most people remember the dream when they wake up, making it one of the most commonly reported dreams. It reflects you're scared of something or someone, and you're running away from that something/someone in your conscious state. Exploring what is it that you're running away from will give way to overcoming those fears that you subconsciously hold.

ANIMALS: Our innate impulses or instincts show up in our dreams disguised as animals. They symbolize the aspects of one's personality that the society shrugs off, calling them 'uncivilized'. Different animals suggest different things, and there comes the need to identify the specific animal in your dream for a refined dream analysis.

DEATH: Death in dreams is not so negative, as it is perceived. Death may represent the end of a phase in your life, opening gates for another fresh one. Basically, Something new is about to start!

FLYING: Flying is often associated with freedom, or getting rid of the things that weigh you down. Flying, sometimes, also represent our ambitions and our desire to fulfill them.

FALLING: Falling uncontrollably symbolizes your anxiety to deal with the circumstances/ situations in your waking life. Falling from heights may symbolize the fear of failure after success. However, falling slowly may represent serenity, peacefulness, and the act of letting go.

Also read: Decoding subconscious mind: How dreams can be guided by yoga

TEETH: Teeth are one of the most common dream symbols. Losing your teeth in a dream may mark fear of communication, or fear of appearing unattractive to others. Pulling your teeth may show that something within you needs to come out.

FOOD: Food is believed to symbolize knowledge, since knowledge nourishes our intellect, like food nourishes our body. Precisely, it represents Hunger for new information or ideas.

NUDITY: Nudity in dreams portray emotional or psychological vulnerability. Exposing body parts may signify the urge for recognition. The part of body that is being exposed can give more insight into what is that your mind wants you to understand.

WATER: Generally water tends to represent the unconscious, a huge part that constitutes us, but that we don't know about. Water in dreams can have both positive and negative meaning. The quality, quantity, depth of water are the characteristics that help us decode the hidden message.

HOUSE: A house represents a structure of the dreamer's mind, their inner psyche. Different floors and different rooms may symbolize different aspects of a dreamer's personality. The basement usually represents neglected thoughts, whereas the bedroom may depict more intimate thoughts, those that concern the dreamer's deepest emotions.

Dreams, so it seems, always attempt to communicate with the dreamer, but in a language that is different from those used in the state of consciousness.

-prepared by Samiksha Goel of NewsGram. Twitter @goel_samiksha