Behind Closed Eyes: A Journey from Prophetic Dreams to Cognitive Processes

By Canan Yalçın

Abraham’s Dream

In the profound silence of night, behind closed eyes, a world comes alive. This world, free from the rules of reality, is guided by our unconscious mind. Here, we experience dreams—complex expressions that reveal our deep desires, fears, and experiences. Throughout nearly every era, dreams have captured human attention and curiosity, inspiring thinkers, scientists, philosophers, and artists. In this article, I will begin with the magnificent prophetic dreams revered by our ancestors, examine the theories of Freud and Jung, and arrive at modern neuroscience. My aim is to trace how our understanding of dreams has evolved over time.

Since the dawn of civilization, dreams have occupied a fundamental place in human consciousness. Ancient cultures often viewed dreams as divine messages or supernatural portals. Egyptians believed dreams were direct communications from God. Similarly, Greek philosophers like Heraclitus saw dreams as an alternative reality experienced spiritually (Krippner & Billy, 2012). Sacred texts such as the Quran and Bible record how Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams both guided him and others and aided in critical decision-making. On the other side of the world, ancient Chinese people viewed dreams as doors opening to the realm of the dead. As civilizations developed, dream interpretation evolved.

Enlightenment Era philosophers like René Descartes and John Locke held differing views on the meaning of dreams. Descartes claimed we cannot distinguish reality from dreams because dreams seem real while we’re experiencing them. Contrary to Descartes’ assertion, Locke argued that dreams are less reliable than our waking experiences because dreams are created by our minds beyond our control. We see that during the Enlightenment, dreams were generally devalued and considered imaginary, temporary, and meaningless. However, in the 19th and 20th centuries, with the emergence of psychology, a new interest in the fascinating world of dreams began.

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung

The foundational work of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung established the basis for modern psychological understanding of dreams. In the 19th century, Freud’s revolutionary ideas redefined how we interpret dreams. His influential book “The Interpretation of Dreams” identifies dreams as pathways for our repressed desires, serving as bridges to our unconscious mind (Freud, 1899). Within this framework, we can discuss Freud’s famous example of the “forgotten childhood wish.” In one case, Freud analyzed a woman’s dream in which she visited an ice cream shop she frequented in childhood. Freud indicated that ice cream in her dream symbolized unfulfilled childhood desires and revealed her wish for emotional fulfillment in her adult life.

Meanwhile, Carl Jung, though initially a follower of Freud, diverged from his mentor in dream interpretation. Jung viewed dreams not only as windows into unconscious desires but also as catalysts for psychological maturation and self-knowledge—a process he termed “individuation.” For example, the “shadow” in Jungian psychology represents unconscious aspects of personality and typically appears in dreams as a figure of the same gender as the dreamer. If a man frequently dreams about an aggressive man, Jung might interpret this as repressed anger or masculine aggression. According to Jung, consciously accepting these repressed feelings is crucial for individual psychological development.

Although these ideas remain debated, they established the foundation for everyday dream analysis in psychotherapy and emphasized personal dream interpretation.

With advances in neurobiology and cognitive science, our understanding of dreams has deepened. Dreams occur during deep rest, when the brain is almost as active as during wakefulness—specifically during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep (Maquet et al., 2000). Modern theories suggest dreams assist in emotional processing, memory consolidation, and creative problem-solving. Dreams form functional and important components of our cognitive life.

For instance, according to research from Harvard University, people who dream about a problem they previously couldn’t perform well on show improved performance on the same problem after these dreams. This research indicates that dreams help our memory and abilities (Wamsley et al., 2010).

But what determines the content of our dreams?

Our dreams generally derive from our waking times and incorporate our daily experiences, relationships, fears, and desires. Dreams create stories from our cultural, social, and personal frameworks and often consist of metaphors and symbols. For example, when someone dreams about failing an exam or being late for an important event, this might indicate feelings of inadequacy. A flying dream might represent our desire for freedom (Barrett, 2017).

Animals in nature, who are companions to humans—do they dream too?

A Painting by Salvador Dali

Available research indicates that animals also dream. Studies on mice show that the way neurons function in the brain during sleep resembles their activity when mice are exploring their surroundings while awake. This suggests that mice can dream about their daily behaviors (Wilson & McNaughton, 1994).

As noted above, dreams have maintained their influence across all times and cultures. From Native Americans who consider dreams as spiritual guidance to the surrealist paintings of Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, dreams have been a rich source of inspiration and ideas.

Today, dreams also influence the world of technology. Virtual reality technology can create experiences that feel like dreams. Some artificial intelligence researchers are attempting to create machines that can “dream.” We are approaching technology that can record or share dreams. This is fascinating but also brings certain contradictions regarding questions like “who are we?,” “what is reality?,” and privacy issues. We see that dreams are not just a way to view our unconscious thoughts but simultaneously an expression of our shared thoughts, culture, and growth.

In conclusion, the labyrinth of dreams is as diverse and deep as the human experience itself. Dreams serve as an important connection, linking us across time, place, and species. Dreams are bridges between the conscious and unconscious, inside and outside, abstract and concrete. Dreams are the narrators of our past, the mirror of our spirit, and the vision of our future. Whether we follow Freud’s suggestion to explore our unconscious, Jung’s path toward individuation, or simply breathe life into daily events, dreams remain an important cognitive part of our lives. Perhaps as we delve deeper into the complex structure of dreams, we will further illuminate the secrets of our minds and gain a greater understanding of our consciousness.

References:

Barrett, D. (2017). The Committee of Sleep: How Artists, Scientists, and Athletes Use Their Dreams for Creative Problem Solving – and How You Can Too. New York, NY: Crown.

Descartes, R. (1641). Meditations on First Philosophy. Latin: Michael Sweeney.

Freud, S. (1899). The Interpretation of Dreams. Vienna: Franz Deuticke.

Jung, C. G. (1951). Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self. Zurich: Rascher Verlag.

Krippner, S., & Billy, J. (2012). Extraordinary Dreams and How to Work with Them. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Locke, J. (1689). An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. London: Eliz. Holt for Thomas Basset.

Maquet, P., Péters, J., Aerts, J., Delfiore, G., Degueldre, C., Luxen, A., & Franck, G. (2000). Functional Neuroanatomy of Human Rapid-eye-movement Sleep and Dreaming. Nature, 383(6596), 163-166.

Wamsley, E. J., Tucker, M., Payne, J. D., Benavides, J. A., & Stickgold, R. (2010). Dreaming of a Learning Task Is Associated with Enhanced Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation. Current Biology, 20(9), 850-855.

Wilson, M. A., & McNaughton, B. L. (1994). Reactivation of Hippocampal Ensemble Memories During Sleep. Science, 265(5172), 676-679.