Cultural Interpretation Of Dreams In Different Culture

Culture permeates many aspects of people’s lives. Dreaming is no exception. People of different cultures dream about different things and have different frequencies in their dreams. Most importantly, culture influences how dreams are interpreted. Culture greatly affects how dreams are interpreted because there are big differences in how different cultures interpret dreams as predictions for the future, dreams in the personal sense, and how dreams operate. Many cultures use dreams to predict the future. It is how these dreams are interpreted that is the difference between the cultures. Many times, symbols appear in dreams. These symbols contribute to a metaphorical sense that many cultures believe foreshadows a future event. For instance, many biblical characters have these symbolic dreams. In other places dreams mean the opposite of what they seem. On the second page of “Cultural Aspects of Dreaming”, the article states that in places like Corsica, dreaming about someone’s death might mean that that person will live longer. This is usually made to give a reassuring and positive outlook on otherwise negative dreams. Besides varying in the prediction
of future events, dreams also vary in the meaning surrounding a person. Dreams also have many personal meaning for the dreamer.
They can act as a window into a person’s feelings about a subject matter. Different cultures have different beliefs about several symbols. These symbols are necessary to understand a person’s beliefs. For example, the article states that a mythical serpent is a recurring character in the dreams of the Hopi Indians. That serpent has special meaning for this culture and can mean specific things for the people who dream about it. Another example is that in Morocco, Aisha Qandisha, a female spirit, features herself in the dreams of Moroccan men. Aisha Qandisha has a specific meaning for these people and affects how people view their dreams. Not only do dreams have different meanings for different cultures, different cultures also interpret their existence
differently. Dreams can be interpreted in how they operate. For most Western cultures, the waking life is real and dreams are imaginary. For some South American cultures, dreams can be used to affect the waking life. According to the article, “Cultural Aspects of Dreaming”, many Parintintin and Tapirapé shamans use dreams to carry out actions intended to help with childbirth. These cultures and others like Indian culture, put great emphasis on the power of dreams so that dreams are equal to waking experiences. A dream’s inner workings are interpreted differently depending on the culture. Since different cultures vary in their interpretations of dreams as predictions, dreams pertaining to the person, and dreaming and the waking experiences, culture tremendously affects how dreams are interpreted. Some cultures think of dreams as metaphorical means of predicting the future while some think dreams mean the opposite of what they seem. Some cultures have different symbols connected with different meanings. Many cultures view the connections between dreams and the waking life in different ways. Even though similar dreams can occur, the culture in which a person belongs to can determine how dreams are interpreted.