What Your Dreams Augur For You

WHAT YOUR DREAMS AUGUR FOR YOU

Since antiquity, dreams have been a marvel for the human conscience. Even in the 21st century when human beings have already landed on the Moon and are scaling vast astronomical distances, dreams have not lost their mystical attraction. Dreams are still a mystery for us and at the same time have pleasing as well as terrorizing effects on us.

Our religious scriptures abound in the extensive descriptions about dreams. The fact that a separate scripture had to be created especially for the analysis of the dreams amply corroborate their importance. We may however say that analysis of dreams is in fact an integral part of Astrology. Like astrology where predictions are made according to the movement of the planets, dreams also help us to draw an inference based on the sequence of events that we witness during sleep.

A layman broadly divides his dreams into good and bad ones. Invariably, he takes bad dreams as ill omens and vice versa. So-called modern intellectuals deride one’s beliefs in dreams as mere superstitions. But it is also a fact that in the western countries like USA, which is at least a century ahead of us in terms of technological development, dreams constitute an interesting subject for research in modern science.

WHY DO WE HAVE DREAMS

Different people have different kinds of views regarding the origin of dreams. Mostly these views are based on speculation. Scientists too have deeply studied the dreams. They say that the dreams are an outcome of the unique quality of our brain.

Brains of all higher animals including humans have two parts- 1) Conscious and 2) Sub-conscious. Conscious part of the brain is active during the awakened hours. It directly interacts with our immediate external environment. Sub-conscious part or mind on the other hand is always alert and keeps on working even when we are asleep. It is in fact a sink for the conscious mind and interacts constantly with our internal environment.

When we are awake, innumerable kinds of thoughts constantly appear in our conscious minds. Like ripples, these thoughts appear, stay for a moment and then disappear. Have you ever wondered where these thoughts go? Into our sub-conscious mind that always keeps on receiving these thoughts and dissipating them to nowhere, as is presumed usually. But these thoughts do not die out according to our presumption. Our sub-conscious mind has its unique way of disposing them. It plays these thoughts to us as dreams.

Desires are nothing but powerful thoughts. No matter how high a position a man is enjoying, he would not be free from desires. A rich man might desire to achieve something so that his name could become immortal. Even an ascetic who has renounced the world might have a desire for having some mystical but miraculous powers. All it means to say that desires do not leave a man till death. Even the action that one undertakes in order to attain salvation are in fact guided and driven by desire.

Now a question naturally arises: ‘Do all the desires that one might have materialize?’ Not all of them. Most of the desires of most people remain unfulfilled for one reason or another. Everyone has his physical as well as mental limits. Surprisingly most of the people desire for things or achievements that are beyond their limits. Our sub-conscious mind has a unique way of coping with ever increasing desires. It shows those unfulfilled desires as dreams in our sleep. Thus, in a way, dreams are nothing but those desires that are beyond our limit and are hence largely unfulfilled.

In dreams, we get such things that we cannot enjoy in our awakened period. In our dreams we can even make love to sexy, glamorous film heroines, something that is impossible during awakened state.

DO THE DREAMS AFFECT HUMAN LIFE?

Dreams do affect our day-to-day life, sometimes positively, sometimes negatively, though the scientific investigations to support this point are lacking. Your own experience with the dreams and how you felt afterwards are the only things that support this view. It is entirely a spiritual or para-psychological matter, which is far beyond the precepts of physical sciences. But experiences of even a layman have certain weight when it comes to the analysis of dreams.

Our religious scriptures contain profuse description of the dreams and their effects. In Sunder kand of Ramayana, an ogress Trijata relates her dream to her companion that in the dream, she had seen Ravan with tonsured head and going to the south riding an ass and that there was great stampede in Lanka. It is well known that within a month, her dream came true as Hanumana caused devastation by setting Lanka on fire that resulted in a great stampede there. Even Ravan ultimately migrated to the south i.e. met his death.

Dreams may also be termed as premonition i.e. having knowledge of the events that are to take place in future. But all the people are not able to draw an unfailing conclusion on the basis of the dreams. Those who are more pious, more spiritual in nature have a developed ability to draw a conclusion on the basis of the dreams. Same was the case with Trijata who is stated to be more pious and spiritually inclined than the rest of the ogresses as is apparent from this stanza:

TRIJATA NAAM RAKSHASI EKA, RAAM CHARAN RATI NIPUN BIBEKA ||
SABANHU BOLI SUNAESI SAPANA, SEETAHI SEI KAREHU HIT APANA ||
SAPANEN BANAR LANKA JAARI, JAATU DHAAN SAINA SAB MAARI ||
KHAR AARURH NAGAN DASASEESA, MUNDIT SIR KHANDIT BHUJ BEESA||
EHI BIDHI SO DACHCHHIN DISI JAI, LANKA MANAHU VIBHISHAN PAI ||
NAGAR PHIRI RAGHUBIR DOHAI, TAB PRABHU SEETA BOLI PATHAI ||

All the dreams do not have similar effects. Outcome of some of the dreams begins to manifest within a few days whereas others might take months or even years to show their outcome. It is generally believed that only those dreams have effect, which we have during deep slumber. Those dreams that we have during short nap are usually ineffective. Thus, time of the dream is equally important. In any case, correct interpretation of dream helps us to condition ourselves physically and mentally to deal with the ensuing circumstances.

CATEGORIES OF DREAMS

Broadly, the dreams have been divided into 3 categories.

1. Strange dreams.
2. Premonition dreams.
3. Dreams those reflect real life.

1. Strange dreams :

As is apparent from the name, these dreams are strange in nature and produce strange feelings in the dreamer. The sequences that are played in such kind of dreams have no connection with reality such as one can see in a dream, a person with four heads, sixteen hands or with huge mountain-like body. One might even see elephants flying in his dream. Such sequences have no connection with reality but still people experience them. Sequences can be even stranger than one might expect.

2. Premonition dreams:

This category of dream can have two types- dreams that augur well, and dreams that augur ill. These are the most important kinds of dreams, which have long-lasting effect on our daily life. Sequences seen in these dreams like visiting temples and places of pilgrimage, sighting holy people and having their blessings and many such things, which are pleasant to us. Contrary to such sequences, one might see a woman clad in red or black sari taking someone towards the south. This type of sequences always augurs ill. Similarly, sighting of shooting stars and breaking shoes also indicate some mishap.

3. Dreams that show real thing :

This type of dream also does not have much importance and materialize only rarely. These dreams however fulfil our incomplete desires. Such as for example, one might be desirous of becoming a king, so in his dream, he becomes a king. Similarly, a pretty girl might want to marry an extremely handsome man. So in her dreams, she sees herself becoming a queen. Effect of such dreams lasts as long as we are dreaming. Once the sleep is disturbed, these dreams and their effects also vanish altogether.

TIMING OF THE DREAMS

During the whole night’s sleep, a normal human being has five cycles of dreams. An insane person can have even more up to fifteen cycles of dreams. Even a normal person has a complete cargo of dreams if he is mentally disturbed or having physical ailment. There are five distinct timings of the dreams. These are -

1. First quarter of the night that lasts one and a half to two hours.
2. Second quarter of the night that also lasts about two hours.
3. Third quarter of the night that has duration of two hours.
4. Fourth quarter of the night. It overlaps with dawn.
5. Early morning.

Experts and analysts of dreams believe that the dreams, which one has during the first quarter of the night, take one year to show their effect. Dreams of the second quarter manifest their effects within 8 to 10 months. Dreams of the third quarter materialize within 3 to 5 months whereas dreams, which one has during the fourth quarter or Brahma Muhurta, show their effects instantaneously or within a month. Dreams of early morning period are virtually ineffective for they are an outcome from state of half sleep.

Auspicious dreams: Sighting of cow, elephant, cadaver, girls, silver utensils and ornaments, learned Brahmin, king, mourning in the home are considered as auspicious signs. Moon, a tree in full bloom, beautiful garden, idols of deity or great people, temple of Lord Shiva, oxen, chariot or other vehicle, lotus, white cloth, astrologer, cotton, dancing troupe and book in the dream is definitely an auspicious sign. Similarly, performing actions like touring through the places of pilgrimage, conquering enemies, riding a horse, bathing in sacred rivers and meeting ascetics in the dream also show auspicious sign. Apart from these sighting of divine objects, eating rice and curd, drinking sherbet and delivering lectures are also auspicious sign.

Inauspicious dreams: Dreams in which one sights a shriveled tree, ghost, giants, dried well, or pond, buffalo, owl, burning pyre, solar eclipse, accident etc. are definitely inauspicious. Similarly, wearing black or red clothes, getting insulted, swallowing snake, eating meat, roaming with empty vessel, sticking of mud on the body, getting stuck in the mud and riding camel, buffalo, or ass are inauspicious signs.

Apart from these, sequences like theft of precious metal and gems, abduction of wife, theft of shoes, sighting of shooting stars, drinking oil or ghee, sighting bandwagon and marriage procession as well as sighting honey bees in the courtyard, getting touched by a physician or a handicapped person etc. are extremely inauspicious signs that our dreams might show us.

INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS

Dream world is indeed marvelous. No one can fathom it. Million kinds of sequences appear in the dream but still these seem to be unending. Some of these sequences do have definite indication but most of them are meaningless. It is not possible to interpret all the sequences that more than six billion people of the world see in their dreams nor it is possible to count all these sequences. Broadly, the dream sequences can be divided into certain heads. Each of them has their own indication. All other sequences have more or less similar indications provided that they bear resemblance with these major sequences listed below -

1. Sighting of great people.
2. Sighting of temples and places of pilgrimage.
3. Sighting of holy objects and auspicious events.
4. Sighting of unholy objects and inauspicious events.
5. Sighting of violent animals.
6. Sighting of holy animals.
7. Sighting of strange looking people.
8. Sighting of strange events.
9. Sighting of losing and finding something.
10. Sighting of people dead long ago.

These are major types of sequences one usually sees in his dreams. All the other types of sequences revolve around these major types and hence have more or less similar effects. While going through the current discussion, you will come to learn a great deal of things about the omens related to the dreams. If you have a dream that augurs well, we advise you not to sleep again after having that dream in order to have its complete effect. Likewise, if you have an inauspicious dream, fall asleep again to minimize its bad effects. There are many more measures to minimize the bad effects of an inauspicious dream. We shall discuss about them in subsequent chapters.

DREAMS AND THIER EFFECTS

RESULTS OF AUSPICIOUS DREAMS

Sighting of great and holy people, temples, place of pilgrimage, auspicious objects, birds and animals are considered good and such dreams as auspicious.

Sighting of great and holy people: Sighting of great and holy people in the dream augurs well. Following is a discussion about different categories of great and holy people.

1. Sighting of sages and ascetics: The dreamer might receive some auspicious news. Receiving of gift from the sage in dream signifies even more auspiciousness.
2. Sighting of teacher: This is also an auspicious sign. Blessing by the Guru signifies even more auspiciousness.
3. Sighting of astrologer: This signifies a sudden search in the fortune.
4. Sighting of the elders: This is a beneficial sign. A blessing by the elders in dreams results into the fulfillments of desires.
5. Sighting of the king: This is also an auspicious sign that indicates fulfillments of desires.