Why do we dream in metaphors?

Answer 1

so that some people would earn their living by interpreting them.

Answer 2

Sub councious works differently. Dreams are interpitations of what the sub concious says not the literal. Think of it this way. Ever saw something that you could not describe? That you have no imediate words to put a name on it? That is basically what's happening, your subconcious presents to you information in a way alien to your normal thought processes. It is not logical, rational, linear. Yet a great deal of our intuition, inspiration and creativity comes from the sub-concious. Its how we know something when we can't tell you the logic to arrive there. It's the little birdie that tells you not to use the toaster this morning or that it's going to rain today.

So when we awake, we interpit these signals, usually visually as tokens. When I say tokens, each image containing a wealth of information. It's not necessary to interpit the actual dream. What your subconcious said to you is being processed by another part of the waking brain.

So in short dreams are glimpse of what your up too while the waking brain is asleep. It might be working out a problem, might be exploration, might be repressed events coming ot the surface or a host of other information. They are not the whole picture. Just the last things said. A parting shot as you go out the door.

Answer 3

Maybe you are falsely interpreting something that really should be taken at face value.
Maybe a few dreams have some metaphorical properties, but dreaming is really just your brain rambling without the restraint of your logic interfering.
Lucid dreaming is awesome. (where you are aware that you are dreaming while you are dreaming. Those types of dreams are definitely not metaphorical because you are controlling every aspect of the dream.

Answer 4

I look at it this way - we don't. We dream a random array of our past recollections and form new thoughts, or at least those with creative minds would, like you said, dream in metaphors.

Guess what? Dreams don't mean anything. They're still your thoughts, so it's probably just YOu telling YOURSELF something, or just the creative mind at work, making new thought patterns and evolving itself. Some people are just caught up in trying to inturpet nothingness, when really your dreams aren't meant to be over-analyzed.

I look at it this way - it's like inturpreting the book of Revelations - It's a meaningless, book of nothingness and was written by somebody who probably just dreamt it or something. So really, every religion has their own take on this book, when really, there are no metaphors, there's no substance to is whatsoever! So don't get too hung up on it, learn to dream happy things as I have.

Answer 5

I have no answer for you, but dreams have always intrigued me. I'm not sure if I believe the "official interpretation" of images in your dream, but it is interesting food for thought. I have one dream I can still remember from 5 years ago...why do I still remember that one dream? Why did you ask such a thought provoking question at this time of day?!!!

Answer 6

Dream in metaphors?

I sure wish I was intellegent enough to know what that means, so, I will have to "sleep on it" and dream some and lose myself in unconciousness and while away my hours in senseless thoughts and wants...

I am going to have to look up that word, someday, if it ever comes across my computer again, just to see what it means...:)

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 7

Because our thinking mind is not completely functional when we are only semi or unconscious. It's like our brain starts going on auto-pilot, so it's haphazardly flying off into all directions, without a specified point of destination.

Answer 8

Hmmm... whats up with the good ?'s today? I'm not sure if we do or not. I always seem to dream about whatever is on my mind when I fall asleep.

Answer 9

We don't. What we dream is exactly what we're thinking of at that point in time of REM sleep. Your question is just like, 'Why do psychichs only have visions in crystal balls', or 'why can ducks be consistently fooled by bunnies?'

Answer 10

Because if we dreamt in regular scenbarios it would be way to easy to understand.