Is a Dream Ever JUST a Dream, With Absolutely No Rhyme or Reason?

As a Matter of Fact….

Most dreams (even uncommonly short and seemingly insignificant dreams) have some sort of meaning behind them. There’s almost always something that the subconscious mind is “thinking through” or “sorting out.”   But are there dreams that actually have zero meaning or significance whatsoever?

Absolutely. There are several different conditions under which dreams occur. The condition we’re most familiar with are dreams we have during our rhythmic, nightly sleep.  Most experts believe that these dreams provide the most accurate dream interpretations because the brain is completely at rest, the conscious mind is almost completely turned off and the subconscious mind is completely turned on. During this state (or condition), our “rational thoughts” are taken over by our deepest, most vital thoughts – expressed in dreams.

There are a few other conditions, however in which dreams are also significant and hold hidden meanings.  Dreams that occur during afternoon naps, for example, can – and do – have meaning and significance. I’ve actually been able to find meaning in dreams that “were just getting started.”

Most dreamologists (people who study dreams) believe that dreams which occur while the dreamer is under a sedative are meaningless when it comes to dream prophecy.  The sedative’s effect on the mind could actually “mask” any real analysis, interpretation, or prophecy.

The same can be said for dreams that occur after a dreamer has overindulged – with either alcohol or, more surprisingly, food. These events can affect the mind much like anesthesia does.  When an outside influence affects the mind while dreaming, the interpretation will not be accurate.

In “The Complete Book of Dreams,” author Edward Frank Allen had this to say about another condition in which he believes dreams hold no prophetic meaning:

Dreams that are brought to a termination by certain sounds that awaken you – such as the crying of a baby, the ringing of a doorbell, or the slamming of a door – may be simply nothing more than lightning thoughts that go through your mind, seeming to anticipate and have their climax in the sound that awakened you.  Such dreams are to be regarded simply as psychological phenomena, or mechanically rather than spiritually induced dreams.  They are frequently interesting, but they have no bearing on future events in your life.

Before determining the importance of your dream’s meaning or hidden message, ask yourself if an outside influence could have affected your mind before or during the dream.  The larger the influence, the more likely your dream is to be that… just a dream.