Sunday, December 2, 2001		Dream theme

Dreaming of togetherness — II
Vinaya Katoch Manhas

SHOULD a man dream that he is making love to a woman of a low caste, then he shall face damage to his name and respect in real life because of some action on his part. A lot of difficulties lie ahead for him. To see in your dreams that you are kissing someone implies that you shall gain friends, but should you see in your dreams two people kissing each other, then your desires shall soon be fulfilled. Should you dream that you are making love to a widow, it shall spell great ill for you. Should you see yourself with an old lady again it shall bring forth disaster in your life. Thus as we see sex within the Indian context has been given a lot of importance, besides of course the conservative nature of our society.

As per the western thought, for a woman to dream that a man is seducing her and she is enjoying it foretells that showy people shall easily influence her. For a man to dream of making love to a woman, is a warning for him to be on his guard as he shall be falsely accused for no fault of his. Should he dream that he is making love to his girlfriend, then he should be cautious that he is not used by her. On the other hand, should he see that she is shocked by his advances and thwarts them, then he can be sure that her character is above reproach. Psychologically, dreams highlight the whole range of the individual's sexuality.

Should the person ignore his desires, only then do the negative aspects of sex make themselves visible in his dreams. There are various aspects of sexuality which one sees in one’s dreams. Dreams of castration, for instance, are not uncommon. It basically highlights the fear of the dreamer of losing his masculinity and doubts over his sexuality. Dreaming of contraception portrays the fear of pregnancy. Often, we might dream of having sex with both the sexes. Such a dream portrays the conflict between the animus and the anima within us; i.e.' the masculine and feminine potentials within ourselves. A dreamer can dream of being a homosexual, whereas in reality he/she may be happily married. Such a dream portrays a desire for someone who nature wise is quite similar to you. Dreaming of incest, although not common, shows guilt feelings about one's parents. It portrays the desired need for expressed love. Intercourse in dreams is often interpreted as the need to be able to communicate with someone on a very intimate level. It does not necessarily carry the literal meaning of the act. It can also mark the integration of one's personality.

Masochism in dream portrays the desire to suffer for a wrong done by self or the desire to feel an extreme emotion of some sort or the other. It simply means that in our day-to-day life we hold up a barrier where emotions are concerned. On the other hand, dreams of masturbation define the need for comfort. Such dreams are more common among children. The desire to have sex with a person is a primeval urge for closeness and union with that person. It could also signify our search for a part of ourselves that we have lost. A fully-integrated personality does not need sex with anyone, but as such a state of complete integration is not possible, we desire to be united with that which is not a part of our ego. Such a dream often enables us to understand our own needs.

Thus, as seen, sexuality is either the highest expression of love between two people or if it is based on purely physical needs, it portrays our entirely selfish nature.

(Concluded)