Dreams reveal what is hidden in our subconscious, they are a mirror of emotions, fears and tensions that we often do not admit to ourselves. Through dreams we often resolve internal conflicts, understand something that we cannot see consciously – but can dreams also warn of physical illness, even before the first symptoms appear?
According to some studies, dreams can signal a predisposition to developing a disease much earlier than a person realizes. There are documented cases where people have reported recurring dreams that warned them of diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis or even a heart attack. Although there is little direct scientific evidence, it seems that the brain can perceive changes in the body much earlier and translate them into symbols during sleep.
An example mentioned in the book Psychotherapies for cancer patients, by Jane G. Goldberg, describes a man who says his wife had been having terrifying dreams for two weeks about dogs tearing her stomach apart, a few months later she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He believed those dreams were the first warning of the disease.
This phenomenon is called prodromal dream – from the Latin word prodromus, which means "warner". Since ancient times it was believed that dreams can indicate the presence of yet unseen diseases. The famous Greek physician Galen, in his book Prophecies in dreams, describes a man who saw his leg turn to stone in a dream, and a few days later it became paralyzed. In ancient Greece, people went to the temples of Asclepius, the god of medicine, to sleep there and be healed through dreams that were then interpreted by priests.
Even Aristotle believed that diseases begin invisibly and that the first signs can only appear during sleep, when the body and brain are at their most restful. Similarly, psychologist Carl Gustav Jung analyzed the phenomenon of dreams that reveal bodily states: in one case, he predicted that a patient who had dreamed of a “mud-clogged circle” had an organic problem with the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, reports the Telegraph.
In the book Psychology of dreams (1920), William S. Walsh cites several such examples: Aristides, a man of Athens, had a dream in which a bull had gored his knee, and a tumor soon formed there. An American physician, William Alexander Hammond, describes the case of a patient who dreamed that he had been cut in two, a few days later suffering paralysis of half his body. A journalist, H. Addington Bruce, often dreamed that a cat was scratching his throat, and it was later discovered that he had a mass that needed to be operated on; after the operation, the dreams disappeared.
In many cases, dreams can be the body's way of trying to warn us about something going on inside. We often ignore the small daily signs – fatigue, discomfort, stress, but during sleep, when the brain is calm and free of distractions, these sensations become clearer. Dreams can focus the sensation of pain on a specific place or transform it into a symbol (e.g. a bite, a cut or blood).
There are also examples of people with diabetes having recurring, frightening dreams just before their blood sugar levels drop dangerously low. One patient reported dreaming that she was falling into a bottomless spiral and waking up in a sweat, not realizing what was happening until she realized her sugar levels had dropped below safe limits.
Similarly, stress often appears in dreams in symbolic form: a delayed bus, a missed flight, the loss of things or people – all of these are related to the feeling of being overwhelmed, pressured, or out of control. A dream about a burning house often indicates emotional “burnout” and warns of the risk of nervous exhaustion.
Dreams can also be linked to pregnancy: many women report having more vivid and strange dreams during this period. Studies conducted in Israel and Italy have shown that pregnant women who have more dreams, even scary ones, are less likely to develop postpartum depression and often experience easier births.
Some people practice lucid dreaming – the ability to be aware during a dream and direct it at will. This technique, now scientifically documented, allows them to better utilize the brain's capabilities and connect more deeply with the process of self-healing.
Dreams were once considered simply "random neural activity," but today psychologists see them as important mechanism of awareness and self-careStudies by psychologists David B. King and Teresa L. DeCicco showed that people with poorer physical health often have more dreams involving wounds, injuries, or animals, while those with depressive states more often see dreams with feelings of sadness and anger.
The authors conclude that The more we understand dreams, the more aware we become of our physical and emotional health.Therefore, although dreams may seem strange or meaningless, they are often the body and soul's deepest way of communicating with us.
If you are apparently healthy but frequently experience recurring, intense, or frightening dreams, don't ignore them. They could be your body's messages that require attention. As Jungian psychologists say: “Dreams are the language of the soul – and the soul always knows when something is wrong.” /Telegraph/
