DREAMS

Dreams

Dreams

Dreaming is an intriguing area to all of us. Do all people dream? Do our dreams have meaning? Research suggests that all people dream; if awakened from sleep when the EEG pattern suggests a REM period, the individual will report a dream (Mutwa, 2006). Instead of a distinction between dreamers and non-dreamers, the distinction seems to be between re-callers and non-recallers (those that remember and those that do not). As for the role of those dreams, there are many theories explaining why we dream, some of which also try to explain the content of our dreams. Many theories look at explaining dreaming as a way for the individual to examine what is happening in their daily lives; the content is affected by the stressors and life events we are trying to deal with each day. Some researchers speculate that dreaming is a by-product of random activity in the brain during the REM stage of sleep and the “storyline” is determined by events or thoughts an individual has had. Others speculate that dreaming is a way of “cleaning house” and ridding the mind of unnecessary clutter (Jedrej, 2006). Finally, some suggest it is a time of memory consolidation. Why do we have so many conflicting theories of why we dream? It is a very difficult question to answer and a very difficult phenomenon to study (Hodgson,. 2006).

Dreams are one of the many ways communication occurs between humans and spirits, so many Africans look to dreams for guidance in everyday affairs. Direct appearances of ancestors in dreams reflect their power and wisdom. Those with ancestors of less wisdom or spiritual power receive guidance in more general symbolic dreams. There are individuals who specialize in interpreting such dreams, although they may not hold formal titles or be a priest or priestess. Much information on dreams exists as part of the rich oral tradition of Africa, but in parts of Muslim Africa, there are written sources on dreams (Driberg, 2007). Dreams are not just experienced by humans; deities dream as well. In the creation story of the San, the deity Kaggen dreams, and what is dreamt appears as creation. Among the Shona of Zimbabwe, the first human, Musikavanhu, dreams about birds and animals; when he awakens, they are reality.

In ancient Egypt, dreams were held to communicate the will of the gods and clues to future events. The Chester Beatty Papyrus III, dating to 1300 BC or perhaps even earlier, describes several dreams and their interpretations. In addition, a scene on the stelae in front of the Great Sphinx depict king Thutmose IV, who reigned from 1400-1390 BC, having a dream that legitimized his claim to the throne as does another stelae erected at the Temple to Amen at Napata by Kushite pharaoh Tanutamani who reigned from 664-656. Beginning in 747 BC, individuals would sleep in temples so information would be revealed to them in dreams, which would then be interpreted by priests of the temple (Chaplin, 2008).

The Batonga of Zambia also consider dreams important and ...