Sunday, December 30, 2001		Dream theme

— Dwight. D. Eisenhower.

VIOLENCE in the present age is a part and parcel of our lives. We have become very aggressive. Thus seeing violence and aggression in dreams is not uncommon.

As per Indian thought to see yourself fighting or hitting other people is indicative of opposition. You shall be vengeful towards those who stand up against you. If you are victorious then it is a good sign but if you lose then it is a bad omen. You shall stand to lose in love, buisness and personal affairs. Should you see that you are hitting your kids or someone else for a wrong the person has done then it is a good dream. It means that people shall obey you and respect your authority. But should you hit out at people for no fault of theirs then you shall be disliked by your friends and relatives because of wrong and unjust behaviour on your part.

As per western thought to dream of someone committing a violent act against you means that you shall be overpowered by your enemies. If you dream that you are inflicting violence on others then you shall stand to lose fortune and favour as a result of the reprehensible manner in which you conduct your affairs. Thus either way, dreaming of violence is not a good omen.

Psychologically speaking, violence in dreams is a reflection of our own inner feelings, sometimes about ourselves, and at other times about the situations we find ourselves in. To fully understand its significance it is necessary to study the different types of violence. In your dreams you can be violent towards others because you feel they have done some wrong to you or because they have not obeyed your wishes and desires.

When we are unable to express ourselves properly due to social pressure and constraints we find ourselves behaving violently in our dreams. For instance, violence or aggression towards parents, teachers and elders is common among children and adolescents.

On the other hand if you see others behaving violently towards you, it can signify either a fear of that person, or a justified action on the part of the person for some wrong you have done towards him or her. Inflicting injury on your person in dreams and enjoying it implies a masochistic tendency, for which you need professional help.

Take the case of a 24-year-old person. He was a very aggressive person and he often dreamt of inflicting pain on others. Such dreams would leave him feeling guilty and sad. The recurrence of such a dream does not mean that the person is a sadist by nature. His dreams mean that he does not like the aggressive aspect of his personality.

This is obvious because he reacts with feelings of guilt and sadness to his dreams. The recurrence of the dream portrays his desire to improve himself and his inability to do so. In such cases counsellors can prove useful. They can bring about a change in their personalities through therapy.