Dream Dictionary Nature

Rape

Dreams of rape are dreams of violence. As a dreamer, you may find yourself as an aggressor, victim, or spectator to the crime. In dreams of this nature, your role and feelings about the others in the event are crucial to understanding the meaning of the dream. If you have recurring dreams of being the victim of rape, you should try to determine if post-traumatic stress is a factor in your dreams.

Being a victim in a non-recurring rape dream usually indicates a message that you are being personally violated, thwarted, or ruthlessly exploited in waking life. In dreams of this nature, the aggressor is a faceless adversary. This could be explained by the fact that people who get close enough to us in life to exploit us often are significant to us in other, more positive ways. The dream is not meant to have an actual aggressor, but simply serve as a warning that you're being overpowered.

Being the aggressor in a rape usually indicates powerful unresolved or unexpressed anger at someone. As with the victim scenario above, the other party to the rape is often faceless. For example, if you harbor anger towards an opposite gender boss, parent, teacher or colleague, rape dreams may occur. Finding a source of unresolved anger in waking life can provide great insight into the meaning of this dream. Identifying why you are unable to express your anger in waking life will also help.

A 25-year-old woman reports: Even before I became sexually active, I remember having recurrent dreams of men tied down. I would force myself on them sexually. It was always against their will, and according to my power or desire. I never knew them, and often I did not even notice their faces. It is strange to me that I should have such dreams without even knowing what actual sex was like.

This woman had a deeply troubled relationship with her father. Although there was no incest or sexual misconduct, there was little affection. The woman reports that her relationship with this parent has been very bitter and troubled. However, she notes that as the relationship improved, the dream lessened in frequency.

Observing a rape is often equally troubling. This is because of the powerlessness you feel in relationship to the victim. Often there is an intuitive connection with the victim or the aggressor. In either case, the dreamer may be feeling angry or exploited in waking life. The watching is an attempt to dissociate oneself from the trauma of the event. This can allow better recognition of the relationship between aggressor and victim.

Consequently, whatever psychological protection is gained by indirect participation is lost on the more complete awareness of the other characters.

See also Beating, chased by people, victim, held captive and vulnerability.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Rape , Meaning of Dreams about Rape , Dream Interpretation Rape )

Sex, Sexual Dreams

Interpreting sexual dreams

Sexual dreams are not about sex exclusively. Often they are about how we perceive people and how we think others are perceiving us. To construct a framework for interpreting sexual dreams, it is important to identify who is with us in the dream and how we feel about the experiences being had while dreaming.

Certain dreams are simply romantic. Boy and girl meet in the dream state and find themselves enjoying one another. This scenario commonly involves an attractive acquaintance and a generally pleasing environment. There is no violation of taboo, except for a sense that perhaps things are moving a little fast in the nocturnal relationship. Often, the dreamer has simply acted upon a desire for a relationship with a particular person - Freud's theory of wish-fulfillment is a sufficient explanation.

Other dreams begin to press on the boundaries of our taboos. These include dreams with sexual content the dreamer would consider inappropriate in waking, but participates in during the dream. These dreams can be very troubling. One can wake up feeling as though a rape was committed, a fidelity violated, or that innocence has been stripped away. Dreams of this nature may require some more thorough examination.

Identifying the 'who' or 'what' that has generated discomfort is an important first step. Was it a boss, co-worker, friend? Someone much older or younger than you with whom you have an affectionate, but platonic relationship? Or was it the nature of the encounter - coerced, cheating, public, or whatever - that is the most distinct feature of the dream? Who was forcing whom? Was it a stranger who reminded you of someone you know? Representation and displacement relationships are often components of sexual dreaming.

Some of these dreams indicate our own ambivalence about taboos. There is, after all, something exciting about what is forbidden. In other cases, we are expressing our own frustration with a sex life that is not satisfying. Still other times, others have violated our boundaries and we respond by thinking they have taken unmerited favours from us.

In all of these cases, the dreams are worth noting and studying. By looking into what you may find abhorrent at first, you will see aspects of your personality and the relationships around you that are mostly unnoticed. Perhaps most importantly, you will become more aware of the various facets of your personality in those relationships.

See also Nudity, bed, out-of-body experience, pregnancy and rape.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Sex, Sexual Dreams , Meaning of Dreams about Sex, Sexual Dreams , Dream Interpretation Sex, Sexual Dreams )

Balding

Losing hair or becoming suddenly and completely bald are two common dream events. Often dreams of this nature reflect concern about your attractiveness or sexual virility. If you are forcibly shaved during your dream, this may be a concern over sterilisation, as hair often plays a significant role in male gender identity. For many men and some women, the loss of hair in dreams may also reveal anxiety about growing old. Even if the dreamer is not showing signs of balding in waking life, he may lose his hair in an age-anxiety dream. Yet another possible interpretation of hair loss in a dream is the feeling that an illness of some sort may be imminent.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Balding , Meaning of Dreams about Balding , Dream Interpretation Balding )

Horses

An astrologist from helenaparis.com analyses an iVillager's real dream

serendipity1980 says:

Normally my dreams are straightforward and I can understand them but this one is just strange! I am standing behind the fence of a paddock watching horses running about. Two come over to me as I have apples for them. When the first horse bends down to take the apple, its face changes to a human face (not of anyone I know, but in the dream this person seems familiar). As the horse moves away to chew the apple, its features change back into a horse. Then the second horse bends down to take an apple and the exact same thing happens but it's a different face - this person also looks familiar. When I see their faces change, I'm not frightened but think to myself ... why would they do that? I have a warm feeling inside and just smile. I don't say anything, I just stand there watching. I know this sounds very weird but does it signify anything? Thanks for your help.

Helena Paris says:

Hello, serendipity1980. Thank you for sharing your dream.

Our bodies tell us in dreaming what it is we already know in spirit. It is interesting that you are standing behind a fence watching the horses, like you are watching a part of yourself that is somehow disconnected in daily life. Horses are beautiful and majestic creatures associated with freedom and power. They are often linked with our sexual, creative and spiritual energy. You are already familiar with that part of yourself, but you aren't quite sure how to access it, how to get over the fence and let it out!

As a symbol, apples have long been associated with deeper wisdom and knowing. An apple contains within it the seeds of new life; it is the perfect container for the growth of that new life, like women are the perfect containers for new life and creative expression. We long to express ourselves, but there are so many ideas which we never bring to fruition, because we don't make time to explore them.

The feeling you have when you see the horses may be connected to the sense of fulfilment from realising even the smallest achievement of our goals. We all have an inner calling, a yearning to be a part of a much more creative existence. By ingesting the idea, giving it time to gestate, making time for even the smallest of creative projects, brings a passion and colour to our lives, and becomes a constant source of regeneration. Joseph Campbell said 'We have to give up the life we have planned, in order to have the one that is waiting for us'. What is the life that is planned for you, who has planned it, what is it you would really like to do?

By feeding your inner life through meditation, walking in nature, being silent within, you will engage with another kind of energy, that of life itself. Learning to ride this power in existence you will shine, nurture yourself and you will grow, express your deeper knowing and you will move into the life that is waiting for you.

Sweet dreams.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Horses , Meaning of Dreams about Horses , Dream Interpretation Horses )

Siblings

Dreaming of siblings can be pretty ordinary stuff. If you have brothers and/or sisters in waking life, it would be expected that in dreams of your family, they would be present. The important work of interpretation comes when either your sibling is missing, or if you suddenly acquire siblings in dreamland that do not ordinarily exist in the waking world.

If your real-life sibling is noticeably absent from a dream event, it may reflect your perceptions of your family at large. While either you or your sibling may be at odds with the family, a dream of an incomplete family points to a fracture in one or more of the possible relationships.

Sometimes, if you are experiencing particularly strong identification with a colleague, they will show up in dreams as a newfound sibling. If the dream solution to the new sibling is a comfortable arrangement, this may herald a positive partnership. However, this event can be a little troubling - in dreams of this nature, you may feel as though the new sibling is burrowing too far into your life and relationships.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Siblings , Meaning of Dreams about Siblings , Dream Interpretation Siblings )

Urination

Elimination of body waste is a task that we often prefer not to share with others. We either feel that our privacy is being invaded, or that another is forcing themselves on us. This often reflects not only the base nature of the act, but also the genital exposure that accompanies it.

A 25-year-old student reports dreaming: I am sitting in my flat. One of my instructors enters and urinates in my kitchen. He makes it a point to expose himself to me prior to leaving. Not surprisingly, this student felt as though the instructor violated not just his free time, but also his person.

Upon further questioning, the student revealed feelings of underlying aggression, as well. The student feared the teacher could wilfully affront the student for little cause, simply by "pissing on" a term paper with an unwarranted "D" grade, for example. The message of the dream seems to include a sense that the student felt powerless to prevent the intrusion.

Urination is a symbol for territorial disputes. It is also a signal of dominance.

Who is taking part in this activity in your dream? Where is it occurring and why? If someone other than yourself is doing the urinating, do you confront them, keep quiet, or escape?

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Urination , Meaning of Dreams about Urination , Dream Interpretation Urination )

Violence

In dreams, facets of personality that never get displayed in waking life can become quite animated. Nowhere is this more apparent than with violent behaviour. The violence may be justified or random, but it is often extremely graphic. It is so graphic, in fact, that you should understand that this is normal-albeit disturbing-and that its presence is almost always an exaggeration of another point.

Violence can be an off-shoot of heroic behavior, especially in rescuing dreams. Terrorism in the news has made all of us aware that the enemies can be in our midst. Kidnapping dreams, escape dreams, and protecting dreams are other versions of this type of violence.

Violence may come unexpectedly, as well (suddenly, you are just jumping on some poor bloke?s head with no apparent provocation).

Often these dreams deal with repressed anger towards authority figures. While wanting to become physically aggressive toward others is a common desire, it should never be acted on in waking life, and it very rarely is. However, the dream releases the anger for you. If you have recurring dreams of this nature, you may want to consider a mediated session with the object of your anger; or re-arrange your circumstances.

If you are the aggressor, does the violence frighten you or make you feel powerful?

If you are the witness to violence, do you feel ambivalent to it or does it somehow affect you?

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Violence , Meaning of Dreams about Violence , Dream Interpretation Violence )

Searching

Hunting for a misplaced item is frustrating. However, discovery can be a pleasant reward. The key to analysing dreams about searching is to focus on whether the dream ends with the object or person being found or not.

If the dream resolves itself, it is important to note what or who you were looking for, and how those things were found. Think about the relationship that exists between the object and who (if anyone) helped you find it. Commonly, the thing that is lost in the dream reflects an area of life where we are feeling incomplete or ineffective. Finding it in partnership with others may be a cue to seek outside wisdom in the resolution of the circumstances.

A 48-year-old man reports dreaming: I am looking for my car keys. They are nowhere to be found. I am turning the house upside down, shouting at my wife, and generally coming unglued. My daughter is out, and I begin to blame her. A friend of hers comes in and says I should look in the front door. I do. My keys are there.

This searching dream is interesting because the man reported throughout counselling how anxious he was concerning his daughter's driving. The loss of control he was feeling in his daughter's life consumed much of his emotional energy. After this dream, he realized that much of the home conflict he was experiencing came from his own anxiety more than actual defiance on the part of his daughter. The insight produced from the dream resulted in a much more peaceable home life for everyone involved.

In an unresolved dream of searching, the dream often illustrates the need to find resolution of an emotional trauma. The unresolved search can be for an object or a person.

Some common versions of the person dream include the crying baby that cannot be found, chasing a runaway whom you cannot locate, or receiving a message that cannot be returned. These dreams may occur in periods of extended grieving.

Another unresolved search scenario is the unfound place or item. For example, you may have a map in a dream that leads nowhere. Or perhaps you simply lose an object by setting it on the table. Dreams of this nature can give tremendous insight into the goals of your life and how effectively you are realising them.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Searching , Meaning of Dreams about Searching , Dream Interpretation Searching )

Cars

As in life, the car is simply the best mode of transportation within a dream. In that case, the rest of the dream is more important than the car itself. However, if the dream includes significant information about the car, that image may be worth a deeper look. There are numerous car images in our dream lives. These may include accidents, being a passenger in a car, buying a car or driving a car.

Accidents usually reveal perceived threats, vulnerabilities or anxieties about the well-being of those we love. They may also reflect a sense of being out-of-control or unable to protect others sufficiently. Dreams of this nature can also have a strong premonition feeling to them that inspire additional caution the following morning. Deja vu may be a very powerful element, as well, if the accident occurred on a road often travelled. Heightened sensitivity to careless habits might be a good idea following an accident dream.

Being a passenger in a car may indicate that you feel the driver has control over your destiny. The driver may even be a public figure, such as a celebrity or politician. In these instances, your feelings about the driver and how trustworthy he is can be significant. Buying a car is often a wish-fulfillment or problem-solving dream. These dreams reflect a desire to acquire something that is beyond your means in waking life. If you are in the market for a car, your dreams may actually be trying to help differentiate the best choice.

Driving a car is roughly the opposite of being a passenger in one. However, the passengers may reflect persons to whom you feel an acute sense of responsibility. Again, they may be figures from almost any area of your life. What is important is how you relate to them and how you all agree or differ on your destination.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Cars , Meaning of Dreams about Cars , Dream Interpretation Cars )

Dogs, Vicious Dog, Vicious Dogs, Blood-Hound, Small Dogs, Small Dog, Biting Dog, Being bited by a dog, Pet Dogs, Fear of Dogs, Fearing a Dog, Snarling Dog, Dogs and Cats, Friendly Dog, Many Headed Dog, Mad Dog, Dogs Swimming, Swimming Dog, Dog Kills a Cat, Dog kills a Snake, Baying of a Dog, Lonely Dog

• To dream of a vicious dog, denotes enemies and unalterable misfortune. To dream that a dog fondles you, indicates great gain and constant friends.
• To dream of owning a dog with fine qualities, denotes that you will be possessed of solid wealth.
• To dream that a blood-hound is tracking you, you are likely to fall into some temptation, in which there is much danger of your downfall.
• To dream of small dogs, indicates that your thoughts and chief pleasures are of a frivolous order.
• To dream of dogs biting you, foretells for you a quarrelsome companion either in marriage or business.
• Lean, filthy dogs, indicate failure in business, also sickness among children.
• To dream of a dog-show, is indicative of many and varied favors from fortune.
• To hear the barking of dogs, foretells news of a depressing nature. Difficulties are more than likely to follow. To see dogs on the chase of foxes, and other large game, denotes an unusual briskness in all affairs.
• To see fancy pet dogs, signifies a love of show, and that the owner is selfish and narrow. For a young woman, this dream foretells a fop for a sweetheart.
• To feel much fright upon seeing a large mastiff, denotes that you will experience inconvenience because of efforts to rise above mediocrity. If a woman dreams this, she will marry a wise and humane man.
• To hear the growling and snarling of dogs, indicates that you are at the mercy of designing people, and you will be afflicted with unpleasant home surroundings.
• To hear the lonely baying of a dog, foretells a death or a long separation from friends.
• To hear dogs growling and fighting, portends that you will be overcome by your enemies, and your life will be filled with depression.
• To see dogs and cats seemingly on friendly terms, and suddenly turning on each other, showing their teeth and a general fight ensuing, you will meet with disaster in love and worldly pursuits, unless you succeed in quelling the row.
• If you dream of a friendly white dog approaching you, it portends for you a victorious engagement whether in business or love. For a woman, this is an omen of an early marriage.
• To dream of a many-headed dog, you are trying to maintain too many branches of business at one time. Success always comes with concentration of energies. A man who wishes to succeed in anything should be warned by this dream.
• To dream of a mad dog, your most strenuous efforts will not bring desired results, and fatal disease may be clutching at your vitals. If a mad dog succeeds in biting you, it is a sign that you or some loved one is on the verge of insanity, and a deplorable tragedy may occur.
• To dream of traveling alone, with a dog following you, foretells stanch friends and successful undertakings.
• To dream of dogs swimming, indicates for you an easy stretch to happiness and fortune.
• To dream that a dog kills a cat in your presence, is significant of profitable dealings and some unexpected pleasure.
• For a dog to kill a snake in your presence, is an omen of good luck

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Dog , Dreams - Meaning of Dream about Dog , Dream Interpretation Dog )

Seven The fundamental number of manifestation, frequently found in the different cosmogonies as well as in many religious dogmas and observances of the different ancient peoples.

Although ten was called one of the perfect numbers by the Pythagoreans, seven was unique in their series of numbers because it has all the "perfection of the Unit -- the number of numbers. For as absolute unity is uncreated, and impartite (hence number-less) and no number can produce it, so is the seven: no digit contained within the decade can beget or produce it" (SD 2:582). Seven is the number of the manifested universe, while ten or twelve is the number of the unmanifested universe.

Pythagoras taught that seven was composed of the numbers three and four, explaining that "on the plane of the noumenal world, the triangle was, as the first conception of the manifested Deity, its image: 'Father-Mother-Son'; and the Quaternary, the perfect number, was the noumenal, ideal root of all numbers and things on the physical plane" (ibid.). Further, seven was called by the Pythogoreans the vehicle of life for it consisted of body and spirit: the body was held to consist of four principal elements, while the spirit was in manifestation triple, comprising the monad, intellect or essential reason, and mind.

There are innumerable instances of sevening -- the seven days of the week, the seven colors of the spectrum, the seven notes of the musical scale -- while special emphasis is placed upon the seven human and cosmic principles; the seven senses (five senses now in manifestation and two more to be attained in the future through evolutionary unfolding); the seven cosmic elements; the seven root-races and seven subraces; the seven kingdoms, human and below; the seven rounds; the seven lokas and talas; the seven manifested globes of the planetary chain; the seven sacred planets; the seven racial buddhas; the seven dhyani-bodhisattvas and -buddhas; the seven Logoi; etc.

Man as well as nature is called saptaparna (seven-leaved plant), symbolized by the triangle above the square {illust}. While the senary was applied to man in all ranges from the physical to the spiritual, when completed by the atman, thus making the septenary, the latter signified the entire range of the constitution, whether of man or nature, crowned by the immortal spirit.

In Hindu literature the number seven continually appears: the saptarshis (the seven sages), the seven superior and inferior worlds, the seven hosts of deities, the seven holy cities, the seven holy islands, seas, or mountains, the seven deserts, the seven sacred trees, etc. In Greece seven was often connected with the gods and goddesses: Mars had seven attendants, seven was sacred to Pallas Athene and to Phoebus Apollo -- the latter with his seven-stringed lyre playing hymns to septenary nature as well as to the seven-rayed sun; Niobe's seven sons and seven daughters, etc.

Apart from mythological considerations, in physical life manifestations of the number seven occur continuously: "if the mysterious Septenary Cycle is a law in nature, and it is one, as proven; if it is found controlling the evolution and involution (or death) in the realms of entomology, ichthyology and ornithology, as in the Kingdoms of the Animal, mammalia and man -- why cannot it be present and acting in Kosmos, in general, in its natural (though occult) divisions of time, races, and mental development?" (SD 2:623n).

Seven is indeed the sacred number of life, and with the circle and the cross it forms a triad of primordial symbols of the ancient wisdom.

(See also: Seven , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Agneyastra (Sanskrit) (from agneya fiery weapon from agni fire + astra missile weapon, arrow)

Fiery weapon; one of the magic weapons used by some of the gods and heroes of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Vishnu-Purana (3:8) recounts that the agneyastra was given by the sage Aurva to his disciple King Sagara. A magic weapon said to have been "wielded by the adept-race (the fourth), the Atlanteans" (TG 9), and to have been built of "seven elements" (SD 2:629).

It can signify a weapon of fiery character used in physical warfare, or on a cosmic scale can denote the employment of a force of nature by an intelligent being either for offensive or defensive purposes. In archaic thought fire, in its abstract sense, is almost equivalent to spirit, and permeates the sevenfold nature of the universe.

(See also: Agneyastra , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Fundamental darkness

(Jpn.: gampon-no-mumyo)

Also, fundamental ignorance or primal ignorance. The most deeply rooted illusion inherent in life, said to give rise to all other illusions. Darkness in this sense means inability to see or recognize the truth, particularly, the true nature of one's life.

The term fundamental darkness is contrasted with the fundamental nature of enlightenment, which is the Buddha nature inherent in life.

According to the Shrimala Sutra, fundamental darkness is the most difficult illusion to surmount and can be eradicated only by the wisdom of the Buddha. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) interprets darkness as illusion that prevents one from realizing the truth of the Middle Way, and divides such illusion into forty-two types, the last of which is fundamental darkness. This illusion is only extirpated when one attains the stage of perfect enlightenment, the last of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice.

Nichiren (1222-1282) interprets fundamental darkness as ignorance of the ultimate Law, or ignorance of the fact that one's life is essentially a manifestation of that Law, which he identifies as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In The Treatment of Illness, Nichiren states: "The heart of the Lotus school is the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which reveals that both good and evil are inherent even in those at the highest stage of perfect enlightenment.

The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven". Nichiren thus regards fundamental darkness as latent even in the enlightened life of the Buddha, and the devil king of the sixth heaven as a manifestation or personification of life's fundamental darkness. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings reads, "Belief is a sharp sword that cuts off fundamental darkness or ignorance."

(See also: Fundamental darkness , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Dream Interpretation including the meaning of dreams about: Dagger, Dahlia, Dairy, Daisy, Damask Rose, Damson, Dance, Dancing Master, Dandelion, Danger, Dark, Dates, Daughter, Daughter-in-law, David, Day, Daybreak, Dead, Death, Debt, December, Deck, Decorate, Deed, Deer, Delay,

Dream Dictionary Index including links to 10.000 dream interpretations: Dream Dictionary Index

For more dream interpretation, see: Meaning of Dreams or Dream Dictionary

For articles about dreams, see: Dreams

Read more here: » Dream Interpretation: Dream Interpretation from; Dagger to Dead / Death

Meaning of dream including the meaning of dreams about: Dagger, Dahlia, Dairy, Daisy, Damask Rose, Damson, Dance, Dancing Master, Dandelion, Danger, Dark, Dates, Daughter, Daughter-in-law, David, Day, Daybreak, Dead, Death, Debt, December, Deck, Decorate, Deed, Deer, Delay,

For more dream interpretation, see: Meaning of Dreams or Dream Dictionary

For articles about dreams, see: Dreams

Read more here: » Meaning of a Dream: Meaning of Dream from; Dagger to Dead / Death

Reason shows us that "belief" and "experience" are one and the same. This understanding is crucial to understanding illusion, and it is difficult for most people to grasp. If I experience the pain of loss, I must be saying that such loss is not only possible, but REAL; i.e. when I experience loss, I BELIEVE in the REALITY of "loss." I cannot meaningfully say that I can experience something that is unreal; that would be to say that there is no way to distinguish real from unreal, making the word "real" meaningless.

Read more here: » Personal Growth: The Nature of Dreams

evolution of the soul: Adhyatma prasara.

In Saiva Siddhanta, the soul's evolution is a progressive unfoldment, growth and maturing toward its inherent, divine destiny, which is complete merger with Siva. In its essence, each soul is ever perfect. But as an individual soul body emanated by God Siva, it is like a small seed yet to develop. As an acorn needs to be planted in the dark underground to grow into a mighty oak tree, so must the soul unfold out of the darkness of the malas to full maturity and realization of its innate oneness with God.

The soul is not created at the moment of conception of a physical body. Rather, it is created in the Sivaloka. It evolves by taking on denser and denser sheaths-cognitive, instinctive-intellectual and pranic-until finally it takes birth in physical form in the Bhuloka. Then it experiences many lives, maturing through the reincarnation process. Thus, from birth to birth, souls learn and mature. Evolution is the result of experience and the lessons derived from it. There are young souls just beginning to evolve, and old souls nearing the end of their earthly sojourn. In Saiva Siddhanta, evolution is understood as the removal of fetters which comes as a natural unfoldment, realization and expression of one's true, self-effulgent nature. This ripening or dropping away of the soul's bonds (mala) is called malaparipaka.

The realization of the soul nature is termed svanubhuti (experience of the Self). Self Realization leads to moksha, liberation from the three malas and the reincarnation cycles. Then evolution continues in the celestial worlds until the soul finally merges fully and indistinguishably into Supreme God Siva, the Primal Soul, Parameshvara. In his Tirumantiram, Rishi Tirumular calls this merger vishvagrasa, "total absorption. The evolution of the soul is not a linear progression, but an intricate, circular, many-faceted mystery. Nor is it at all encompassed in the Darwinian theory of evolution, which explains the origins of the human form as descended from earlier primates.

See: Darwin's theory, mala, moksha, reincarnation, samsara, vishvagrasa.

(See also: Evolution of the soul , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Dreams Interpretation including the meaning of dreams about: Ditch, Dividend, Diving, Divining Rods, Divorce, Docks, Doctor, Dogs, Dolphin, Dome, Dominoes, Donkey, Doomsday, Door, Door Bell, Doves, Dowry, Dragon, Drama, Dram-drinking, Draw-knife, Dressing, Drinking, Driving, Dromedary.

Dream Dictionary Index including links to 10.000 dream interpretations: Dream Dictionary Index

For more dream interpretation, see: Meaning of Dreams or Dream Dictionary

For articles about dreams, see: Dreams

Read more here: » Dreams Interpretation: Dreams Interpretation from; Diving to Drinking

Lower Nature, Lower Self The dual human nature arises from the fact that manas (mind), the field and substance of human thought and reasoning, is the scene of interaction between the spiritual soul (buddhi-manas) and the animal soul (kama-manas). Thus there is a threefold division, so that lower self may be considered as either the kama-manas as opposed to buddhi-manas, or else the dual human consciousness or false ego, consisting of both selfish and unselfish elements. The term lower nature, however, refers to the animal and selfish side of human nature, that part which tends downwards and which has to be regenerated and raised.

(See also: Lower Nature, Lower Self , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

About dreams and how we can improve our dream recalling abilities.

Read more here: » Meaning of Dreams: Remembering Your Dreams

The analysis of dreams and their cause by psychoanalysts are defective. They maintain that the cause of dream creation lies in the suppressed desires of the dreamer. Can they create dreams as they like by suppressing desires? No, they cannot do that. They say that desires stimulate or help the dream creation. But they do not know what supplies the material out of which they are made and what turns the desires into actual expression, enabling the dreamer see his own suppressed desires materialised and appearing to him as real.

A spiritual view on dreams and the meaning of dreams by Sri Swami Sivananda, an authority in the vedic sciences and traditions.

Read more here: » Philosophy of Dreams: Introduction to Philosophy of Dreams by Sri Swami Sivananda

In a series of articles by Richard Wilkerson we will get a great insight in dreams and their meaning. Richard Wilkerson is behind the DreamGate, a pioneering web community exploring and investigating the meaning of dreams.

Read more here: » Meaning of Dreams: Do Dreams Have Meaning? Part I