At midlife dreams may become more obvious or dramatic, especially as we start to process our thoughts and hopes for the future. As our paths start to take new directions, all kinds of symbols may appear that encourage or deter us from directions we are considering.
With Freud’s analysis of the meaning of dreams there are many reference books and sites you can refer to for specific meanings.
Religion views dreams as a way for us to consider ideas and thoughts we may be ignoring and as God’s way of communicating with us. Think of the story of Joseph and his many colored coat as a well-known example.
Between psychology and religion, there are many ideas about what images may mean. For the most part when we wake up after a strong dream we have a good idea of what it was trying to tell us, and obvious images such as dividing or ending paths are fairly straightforwards if we have been trying to decide between several options.
If your dreams become distressing, frequent or disturb your sleep, consider seeing a psychologist before popping sleeping pills. The message your subconscious mind is trying to tell you is important.
