Dreams have fascinated people around the world since ancient times. Different cultures have their own way to interpret the functions and meaning of dreams. Many societies attach great significance to them. A study of dreams can in fact help us better understand different cultures of the world.
The Muria of India construe dreams as what the soul sees. It is a means to contact the other world. The messages in the dream are interpreted by the wise man of their community. Dreams of death, for instance, are usually considered a happy augury.
The Inuit tribes view that dreams are delivered to them by evil spirits and bring immense agony. Native Americans construct dream catchers as charms and hang them up above beds so that good dreams will go through whereas bad ones will get caught.
The Finnish people receive spiritual messages in their dreams. Parents even name their children in accordance with the prophetic god-sent dreams. The Romans view dreams as divine messages whereas the Greeks believe dreams have magical, healing power.
The Maori people of New Zealand take dreams seriously too. In dreams, the mind breaks away from the body in search of answers. Therefore, it is important not to wake someone up from their dreams, or the soul will get lost.
Even though people in many cultures regard dreams as spiritual inspiration, omens or even journeys of the soul, in certain societies, they are largely dismissed as unreal fantasies unimportant to their everyday life. Have you ever had any anxiety-filled dream about an imminent examination? How would you interpret it?
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