During the past few years, a number of ‘dream interpreters' have started their own programs on TV, internet websites, and even offer special mobile services for people who want to interpret their dreams. Some people consider dreams a guiding factor in their lives, so if they have ‘good' dreams they feel optimistic and ambitious, but if the dream is considered ‘bad', they become pessimistic and afraid of the future. Saudi Gazette met several people who are very interested in the interpretation of dreams and believe that dreams carry special meanings, even if achieving these dreams seems impossible. “I fell in love with someone over the internet and used to chat regularly with him, but the man I was in love with was extremely bashful and could not even express his emotions for me. His reticence made me very curious and I wanted to find out what his true feelings were about me,” said Juhina Ibrahim, a Saudi student. “Because I know believing in zodiac signs and astrology is considered wrong and prohibited in Islam, I contacted a dream interpreter to ask him about the meanings of my dreams regarding my relation with this man, since most of my dreams used to make me feel very happy and optimistic,” she added. “The interpreter assured me that my dreams had favorable meanings, but suddenly obstacles appeared in our relationship and he decided to put an end to it. I cried a lot and today I am sceptical and wonder if dreams actually mean anything,” Ibrahim said. On the other hand, Hind Al-Arifi, a Syrian housewife is convinced that dreams mean a lot. For example, she recalls a dream where she saw her mother giving her necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, and when she went to the doctor the next day she was told that she was going to have a girl. “Similaly, when I dreamt that my husband brought me a huge fish, I conceived and had a baby boy,” she added. Dr.Mohaammed Al-Hamed, head of the Psychology Department at Bakhsh private hospital defines dreams as “ Manifestations of hopes, internal clashes, and fears of the future appear as figures in a sleeping person's dreams.” He advises people not to believe in dreams blindly and adds, “ If someone asks an interpreter to explain his dream and the interpreter gets the correct explanation, it can simply be a coincidence or sheer luck.” A person's psychological condition and social status also affect one's dreams. For example, Dr Al-Hamid says, “ A person with a stable life does not have many dreams, but someone who has an unstable and confused life may have puzzling dreams relating to his social conditions.” Dr Al-Hamid also believes that people sometimes achieve their desires in dreams, but in a more easy and acceptable way than in reality. “For example, if someone has a sexual desire, expressing that desire may be prohibited or taboo in reality, but this can be realized in a dream. Sometimes these desires may be expressed symbolically which protects the sleeping person from seeing their dream being acted out in graphic detail.” Belief in dreams can play a very important role in motivating a person, but at the same time it can discourage them. “I generally advise people not to get very deeply involved in their dreams and interpretations, since this can make them afraid of their future.” There are several ahadeeth (narrations) of Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, which mention dreams and visions. “Dreams are a common phenomena that we cannot deny, and people should know the different types of dreams and their real implications,” said Asem Al-Hakim, Imam of Jafer Al-Taiyar mosque in Jeddah. “ If a person sees a good dream, it means that this is an indication (vision) granted by God, so the person should believe in it, but if the dream is troublesome or upsetting, it means that it is an indication of the devil,” he said. The third type of dreams are nightmares, which are indications from the devil and talk about the person's life. Imam Al-Hakim advises people to not talk about their dreams in front of anyone, because if a person narrates his dream to someone with bad intentions or an enemy, this person may deliberately interpret the dream badly as he might want the person to be troubled or come to harm. Al-Hamed does not deny the existence of the science of dreams that psychoanalysts like Sigmund Freud and theologians like Ibn Sirin talked about in their books. “Interpreting dreams was a common and acceptable practice for people in the past, but today there are not many genuine practitioners of this faculty. Nowadays, it would be better if we concentrate on concrete plans and actions to determine our future, rather than simply relying on dreams that we see during the course of our sleep,” adds Dr. Al-Hamid.
