Some of the most recent research conducted on the brain - the organ that produces human mental activity - proves that the man currently uses only a small part of its capacities.

Construction of the human brain is based on two hemispheres; one specialized in logical reasoning, the other responsible for intuitive understanding. Experiments have shown that, if the two hemispheres are separated, they are no longer able to communicate with one another, one functions are taken over by other hemisphere. It’s like the human body could adapt to survive, like “should know” that it needs both types of knowledge, both the rationale, and the intuitive.

Some experts consider that, during his prehistory, one man held the sixth sense, the telepathy. It says that only education and objective conditions adapting to human survival would have reduced the importance of relationships and cerebral thinking, like all human faculties that have been left to dawdle, telepathic sense (mental communication), atrophied. Read the rest of this entry »

No matter how much progress men and women make in sharing the same professions and undertaking the same roles within the family, there are fundamental distinctions between us. While we work toward equality in many parts of our lives, the success of our relationships, especially those across the sexes, depends on our understanding and appreciating differences between the genders. Somewhere along the line, merging gender roles in our society has become confused with merging gender characteristics. This psychological androgyny leads only to confusion: a man and a woman might reach the same conclusion on a given matter (or they might not!), but our thought processes and the way we communicate differ across the gender divide. If dreams are to help us improve our relationships, it is useful for us to understand gender-specific differences so that we can interpret the language of our unconscious more effectively. Read the rest of this entry »

It is part of the human condition to be needy from time to time. Most of us feel dependent upon other people for emotional nourishment: we may crave the warmth, closeness, understanding, and companionship that only someone else can provide. When we are without a significant relationship, our energies, consciously or not, often focus on searching for one. Even if we are happily involved, or have a strong network of supportive friends, the fluctuations in our confidence and sense of security can sometimes generate an emotional craving. Read the rest of this entry »

The psychologist Erik Erikson once described intimacy as finding yet losing oneself in another. In the most successful kinds of relationship, we discover new and wonderful things about ourselves, setting free the unabridged version of who we are, while at the same time becoming enriched by our intimacy with another which constantly gives us fresh perspectives on life. This deceptively simple goal can seem all too elusive. One common experience that can prevent us from reaching Erikson’s Grail is the feeling, at some point in the relationship, that it is becoming claustrophobic — as though the walls of intimacy are bearing down on us and preventing us from moving freely as individuals. Read the rest of this entry »

Dreams often seem elusive — compelling dramas that quickly fade as our minds shift from sleep to waking consciousness. But it is not that the dreams themselves are mercurial, rather that our ability to recall them is underdeveloped. In the West we tend not to remember dreams because our culture invests little significance in doing so. In some other parts of the world, dreams are regarded as the storehouse of wisdom. Where dreams are highly prized, virtually everyone is urged to recollect them. Hunters in many Native North American tribes traditionally used dreams to guide them to the best hunting grounds, and today the tribespeople of Gabon, in Central Africa, judge the guilt or innocence of someone charged with a crime according to the content of the elders’ dream, revelations. People who bear such responsibilities have acquired carefully honed powers of dream recall. Read the rest of this entry »

Dreams erupt with emotions. Some smother us with the violent force of a volcano, while others provide a gentle nudge — the slight tremor of a moonquake. Waking consciousness is vigilantly protected from emotional assaults too intense to withstand, as we automatically erect psychological barriers that let in only those feelings we can manage. Dream emotions have no such defensive barriers. They are honest, straightforward, and lay bare feelings that in waking life stay buried beneath the business of each day or are misinterpreted when we subject them to rational analysis. The lingering nature of dream emotions (for example, the feelings of dream sadness that we carry into morning wakefulness) is evidence enough that we should take notice of them. Read the rest of this entry »

Even within people who are emotionally resilient by character there lies a panic alarm, which occasionally registers feelings of fear, loss, bewilderment, abandonment, and other negative states. In relationships we tend to panic when we fear that we are about to lose what is precious to us. We might feel this after a heated argument, or when our partner describes in glowing terms someone whom we begin to perceive as a rival. But sometimes we panic only in our dreams, because in waking life we have not come to understand the real risk of loss that accompanies certain tendencies current in our relationship. Read the rest of this entry »

Opposite poles of an emotional spectrum, joy and sadness are abundantly expressed in dreams. Sometimes they reflect the events that are currently happening in our waking life — for example, a dream of joy could represent our own or our partner’s promotion, or sadness at the loss of a cherished object such as an engagement ring. But sometimes dreams of joy and sadness can occur as a result of the need to release hitherto repressed feelings from the past.

In the range between these two extremes are many shades of feeling that are less dramatic and therefore unobtrusive, so that we do not always notice them in our dreams. For example, a dream of a still, natural landscape is likely to reflect a quiet contentment with our waking life rather than emotional emptiness (unless, of course, the mood of the dream indicates otherwise). Read the rest of this entry »

During trying times, dreams can help us to deal with our powerful emotions and equip us with the emotional strength and self-confidence to see a crisis through to its conclusion. Of course, they will also reflect our turbulent state of mind by generating negative images and moods — for example, if we are jealous, we might vividly imagine passionate acts of betrayal. However, there are several possible approaches that, combined in a conscious program of visualization and dream- work, will enable us to muster the inner resources to ride out the emotional storm.

When we are overcome by surges of emotion we tend to perform an act of emotional surrender, allowing them to take us over so that, in effect, those feelings are magnified. Read the rest of this entry »

Unexpected prompts in waking life can bring clarify to the meaning of a recent dream. In this case study, an ornament that had gone unnoticed for many years became a vital reminder of the emotional warnings in the previous night’s dream.

Paul never paid much attention to his dreams until he and his wife Christine began to drift apart after seventeen years of marriage. Their problems built up so gradually that they were hardly noticeable. There were no real fights: superficially they still seemed to get along well, even when handling minor crises together, but the passion that once kept their relationship buoyant was slowlybeing snuffed out. Intimacy and sex became almost non-existent. When Paul was promoted at work, he celebrated with friends, and Christine did not learn of his promotion until two weeks later. Read the rest of this entry »

Guilt is the most misunderstood emotion of all. Sometimes it is the useful prompting of the conscience, telling us that our thoughts or actions are wrong — and will lead us into trouble. But sometimes guilt stemsfrom external rather than internal pressures, such as a friend repeatedly trying to persuade you to do something against your will.

Take three examples. Andre felt bad because he knew in his heart that he was putting his career before time spent with his wife and children. Antonia felt uncomfortable because she was 15 years older than her new lover, and she was conscious of people staring at them. Read the rest of this entry »

For many of us, the search for a partner absorbs much of our energy and occupies our minds, whether consciously or unconsciously, from the moment we reach sexual maturity. This is our natural instinct, ensuring the survival of the species; yet it also reflects the deep-seated urge to make ourselves feel whole by finding the right person with whom to share our lives.

Some of us may feel that the key to wholeness is remaining single. But if we have a profound need for a relationship, dreams are not fooled by rationalizations and other psychological defenses that hinder us in our search — after all, they are in direct contact with our unconscious. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever wondered why you can be intensely attracted to someone you have just met whose appeal seems to go beyond the physical? Or why certain rare friendships feel so natural, comfortable, and inevitable? From antiquity, many people have sought wholeness in a love that integrates body and soul, and when we meet someone who seems to be in some way already our friend, so that communication is almost like self-communion, it is likely that we have found a soul- mate — someone whose inner spirit seems perfectly to complement our own.

Many dreamworkers believe in the concept of past lives, and hold that we unconsciously surround ourselves with friends, lovers, and even enemies who have played a prominent role in a previous incarnation. Whether or not this concept strikes us as plausible will dependupon our religious and philosophical beliefs, but the notion that souls are intertwined for eternity enjoys a long tradition in both Eastern and Western mysticism. Read the rest of this entry »

Jason and Tara could never just talk. Their interactions always burst with emotion, whether joy or anger. Whenever they tried to discuss something, their conversations became confrontational, as each battled ceaselessly for control over the other. And then, following every vicious fight, there was an equally intense reconciliation when their intimacy and feelings of connection knew no bounds.

In fact, the one area left unscathed by their arguments was their sex life — by far the best either had ever had. Read the rest of this entry »

When we are attracted to someone, our life suddenly seems vibrant with possibilities. Our imagination starts working wildly, and we read volumes of meaning into sometimes quite trivial signs. We start to daydream, and at the same time we lay down intricate plans to create situations that will further our cause. At night our minds are tossed by dreams that are often colorful and sensual, as well as full of frenetic movement, with a predilection for primal symbols such as fire, volcanoes, and high winds.

Once you have decided to pursue the object of your attraction, allow your dreams to guide you. Bear in mind that conscious planning alone will not bring you what you are looking for, because attraction is a mysterious chemistry, with its roots in the unconscious. Avoid taking your dreams too literally: principally, you are looking for clues about the nature of your attraction, the qualities in your potential partner to which you are especially drawn. For example, you might dream of the person crouching in a field and all the birds in the area flocking around their head. As always, the interpretation will depend on what you already know. Read the rest of this entry »

Dreams are often enigmatic in their symbolism, but occasionally they point the way with unexpected clarity. This case study focuses on a couple whose mutual dreamwork blessed them with clear signposts toward parenthood.

Mark and Mary were trying to decide whether or not to have a baby. They vacillated from having an urgent desire for a child to coming down definitely against the idea because they feared their freedom would be lost. Read the rest of this entry »

We tend to lean heavily on our friendships in times of emotional need. Why not invite your best friend to appear inyour
dreams and guide you through the dream adventuresyou hope to have? An effective way to do this is to identify the friend
with an animal that represents one of their positive characteristics, and incubate dreams of your chosen creature.

Identify your friend with the animal which you feel best represents their most outstanding quality. For example, you could choose a gazelle (speed of thought or action), an owl (wisdom), or a horse (loyalty and intelligence).

Each night, before you drift off to sleep at bedtime, meditate on your chosen animal, mentally imbuing it with your friend’s spirit.

Now imagine yourself entering the world of dreams with your animal companion by your side — if you have chosen a horse, perhaps you could ride it.

In the morning, go back over your dreams looking for associations with your animal— friend (if not the animal itself). So, if your dream companion is a gazelle, any sudden or fast movement, or graceful gesture, could be a symbol of their presence.

When interpreting your dream, treat any such feature, or the part of the dream in which it occurs, as a coded oracle, offering you wisdom and advice. With practice, you may come to dream of the creature directly. As a result of these dreams, you may also develop a closer bond with your friend in waking life

Even in the most solid relationship, conflicts and confusions are bound to arise from time to time. They are an inevitable byproduct of the chemistry between two human beings with distinct personalities, separate histories, and conflicting needs, as well as different attitudes and opinions. With so many diverse factors to balance, is it any wonder that clashes occur? All couples in strong relationships fight, but they also know how to fight and to fight healthily. Read the rest of this entry »

When exactly is a dream considered sexual? According to Sigmund Freud, a dream need not contain any obvious sexual activity, or even nudity, to be considered erotic. In fact, dreams whose imagery is overtly sexual are far less common than those in which this content has been disguised. For example, the Freudian dream interpretation of apples or peaches would be that they represent breasts, while the act of climbingladder would suggest sexual intercourse, and an airplane would be a reference to male genitalia. Read the rest of this entry »

The Virtual Dream

You find yourself on an exotic desert island. At first you think you are alone but then you discover that there is another presence — a total stranger whose language and methods of communication are completely foreign. The stranger tries desperately to communicate something do you, talking loudly and frantically, butyou fail to understand a word that they are saying, as their language seems based on a structure entire!), different from your own. The figure gesticulates, draws in the sand, and uses physical movement, but all to no avail. Read the rest of this entry »