Many people dismiss their dreams: “I don’t understand them. They’re too ridiculous, strange, and fantastical. In short, nonsense.”
But evolution is conservative and efficient. If phenomenon X exists, it means it serves an important purpose for the organism.
A better question would be: “Why is the language of dreams so unusual?”
The answer: The subconscious has exhausted all other ways to communicate idea X to you.
Think about how you talk to a child or a stubborn person. First, you rely on logic and provide arguments. Unfortunately, no matter how obvious they seem, they bounce off like peas against a wall.
What do you do when this person matters to you, and idea X could save him? You say: “Alright, forget what I said before. Let’s imagine…” And you offer a metaphor to:
Pull him out of the maze of his usual thoughts, that lead nowhere.
Capture his attention with a vivid image or story, so the mind forgets everything else.
Allow the metaphor to deliver the same thought X in a different way.
Metaphor (from ancient Greek μεταφορά “transfer,” from μετά “over” + φορός “carrying”). The greater the mind’s resistance, the farther you must catapult it—like the hurricane that swept Dorothy into the magical land.
By the way, as I come to accept the “impossible” idea X, my dreams become clearer and easier to interpret.
It’s as if the subconscious says: “Finally. Now we can talk like adults—directly, without beating around the bush.”
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.