Abstract
Dreams are a communication of body, mind and spirit in a symbolic communicative environmental state of being. Our brains are in constant activity. Different states of consciousness (like awake, asleep, alert, drowsy, excited, bored, concentrating or daydreaming) cause different brain wave activity. Dreams hold significance in clinical homoeopathy as valuable symptoms that provide insights into the patient’s mental and emotional state. They offer a unique scope to understand the subconscious mind and aid in individualizing treatment. However, using fixed interpretations and incomplete dream descriptions can limit its usefulness.
Keywords
Dreams, Clinical Homoeopathy, Scope, limitations
Introduction
A dream is a sequence of mental images that occurs during sleep; a sequence of images that appear involuntarily in our mind while we are in sleep, often an assortment of real and imaginary characters, places, and events. Every one of us (except a snorer) sees dreams. A lack of dream activity generally indicates a personality disorder or protein deficiency.
Man has always been probing about the sense of dreams since its appearance. Before Aristotle, people attributed dreams to supernatural power. It was Aristotle, who for the first time stated that dreams are related to psychological problems. Dreams are particularly during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep phase. They are influenced by both past and present experiences and can sometimes hold significance for the future. Nightmares or frightening dreams are common between early childhood and beginning of late childhood of life i.e. during 3-8 years of age. Animals like cats and dogs see dreams. Even a blind person’s dreams, other sensations like sounds, smell and tactility become hypersensitive for the blind and their dreams are based on these. Dreams are closely linked to neurophysiological processes in the midbrain, which are responsible for memory and human emotions. The scientific study of dreams is known as “Oneirology“.
Dreams primarily take place during the two hours of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Their duration can vary, ranging from a few seconds to 20-30 minutes. When individuals are awakened during the REM phase, they are more likely to remember the dream they were experiencing. On average, a person has three to five dreams per night, although some individuals may have up to seven. However, the majority of these dreams are promptly or rapidly forgotten.
Sigmund Freud believed that “The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a deeper understanding of the unconscious activities of the mind”. His influential book on dream analysis has paved the way for numerous hypotheses, concepts, and research exploring the significance of dreams. Freud’s work has been instrumental in shaping the field of psychology and our understanding of the hidden aspects of the human psyche through dream interpretation.
According to Carl Jung, dreams are considered the psyche’s way of communicating essential messages to the individual. In his model of the psyche, dreams emerge from the ego. Jung’s extensive collection of books, with various volumes, serves as a rich source of understanding the significance and interpretation of dreams. Through his work, Jung delved into the depths of the human psyche, shedding light on the hidden meanings and symbolism present in dreams, offering valuable insights into the unconscious mind.
There are several common types of Dreams;
Daydreams: These start with compelling thoughts, memories, or fantasies when the imagination runs wild while being awake.
Normal Dreams: Arising mostly during REM sleep, these dreams are considered essential for our survival and wellbeing.
Nightmares: Nightmares are distressing that evoke disturbing emotions like fear and anxiety in the dreamer.
False Awakening Dreams: A vivid type of dream where the dreamer feels like they have woken up, but in reality, they are still asleep.
Lucid Dreams: In lucid dreaming, the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming and may have some level of control over their dream.
In Homeopathy, dreams are regarded as the inner essence of an individual at a subconscious level, providing insight into their state of mind, hidden desires, and wishes. Analyzing these dreams can help in the selection of the most suitable homeopathic remedy (similimum) for the individual’s overall well-being.
Miasmatic View in Dreams
Miasm plays a significant role in homoeopathy and dreams can help us to understand the miasmatic background of a case.
Psoric dreams: As soon as the psoric patient closes their eyes fearful, images and distorted faces appear, anxious and frightful dreams. Sad, frightful, anxious and lascivious dreams.
Sycotic dreams: The sycotic patient has sexual dreams with fantasies.
Syphilis dreams: Sexual dreams with perversions and suicidal dreams, dreams of violence, destruction, death and dead bodies, and gloomy forebodings.
Scope of Dreams in Homoeopathy
- In homeopathy, dreams hold great significance as they are believed to be reflections of the unconscious mind. They provide valuable insights into a person’s hidden desires, aversions, and inner conflicts. By understanding the innermost turmoil and subconscious aspects of the individual through their dreams, homoeopathy aims to find the most suitable remedy to promote healing and restore balance in the person’s overall well-being.
- In homeopathy, dreams carry significant importance as they play a crucial role in the process of drug proving and remedy selection. During drug proving, when individuals (provers) take a substance to understand its medicinal properties, any dreams experienced by them are recorded and included in the Materia Medica. As a result, homeopathy has a dedicated chapter on dreams, compiled from various sources such as the Therapeutic Pocketbook of Boenninghausen, Knerr’s repertory (from Hering’s Guiding Symptoms), Kent’s Repertory, and more recent repertories.
- Dreams are given a higher priority in the selection of the similimum, the most suitable remedy for the patient. They are considered valuable symptoms that help form the totality of symptoms, contributing to the individualization of both the patient and the remedies. By carefully analyzing the patient’s dreams and matching them with the corresponding remedies in the repertory, homoeopaths strive to establish a complete cure, addressing not only the physical symptoms but also the emotional and psychological aspects of the patient’s health. This holistic approach allows homoeopathy to deeply understand the patient’s unique condition and provide personalized treatment for lasting healing.
Limitations of Dreams in Homoeopathy
- Adopting fixed interpretations for symbolic dreams, such as associating a snake with sex, can introduce bias in homeopathic prescriptions. Each person’s dream symbolism is unique and may carry different meanings based on their individual experiences and emotions. As a result, relying on preconceived interpretations can lead to inaccurate remedy selection. Dreams that are incompletely remembered or communicated may not be valid for interpretation. A comprehensive understanding of the dream’s content is essential to gain meaningful insights into the patient’s mental and emotional state. Incomplete dream descriptions can limit the homeopath’s ability to assess the full scope of the dream’s significance.
- In cases involving infants, deaf individuals, those who are unable to communicate verbally, unconscious patients, or those in a comatose state, dreams may hold no value for analysis. Since these individuals cannot provide information about their dreams, it is not feasible to include dream related symptoms in the overall assessment for homoeopathic prescribing. Instead, other relevant symptoms and indicators must be given precedence in these cases.
Conclusion
Dreams play a vital role in homeopathy, serving as valuable clues for determining constitutional remedies. Combining dream analysis with other diagnostic methods enhances the effectiveness of personalized and holistic healing in homoeopathic practice.
References
- Dr. Bichitra Bhusan Misra, Textbook of PSYCHOLOGY FOR HOMOEOPATHIC STUDENTS
- Bikash Biswas SM, Nath M. Dreams and Its Interpretation and Applicability in Homoeopathy
- Homeopathy360.com. Homoeopathy and Dreams
- Jani N. Role and utility of dream interpretation in homoeopathic practice: A study
- Banerjea SK. Miasmatic prescribing.
Author
Dr Megha Patel Md (Hom)
Assistant Professor
Organon of Medicine Department
Ananya College of Homoeopathy
