Lifestyle

What dreams may come

Can dreams offer insight into the future?

By Suwitcha Chaiyong, Photograph courtesy of AP

Did You Know : A study in the US found that laboratory rats that ran in mazes every day seemed to have dreams about their experiences.

In an attempt to gain any edge when picking lucky lottery numbers, many Thai people wake up each morning and try to interpret their dreams from the night before. But can our dreams predict lucky numbers? Or, for that matter, can they even come true?

The answers to those questions vary greatly depending on who you talk to. Some say dreams can indeed provide insight into our everyday lives and even the future, while others say that dreams are just that: dreams.

WINDOW ON THE FUTURE

Phinyo Pongcharoen is the president of the International Astrological Association, and as you might guess from his career choice, he�s a firm believer in the power of dreams.

According to Phinyo, the ancient Thai book called the Sarathatsangkaha, written by Thai philosopher Phranunthajarn and well known to Thai astrologers, defines four different kinds of dreams: dreams that arise from indigestion; dreams that arise from stress and worry; dreams that come from supernatural forces, like angels or ghosts; and precognitive dreams, ones in which people somehow actually see the future. According to Phinyo, dreams from supernatural forces and precognitive dreams actually have the possibility of coming true.

Phinyo said that the Sarathatsangkaha indicates that dreams that might possibly come true happen between the hours of 2 and 6 am. According to the book, during these hours, food eaten at dinner has been digested completely, and dreams that occur during this period can�t be attributed to stomach problems. These dreams are said to be less likely to have a physical or mental cause and are, consequently, more likely to be influenced by supernatural forces or precognition.

WINDOW ON THE MIND

Dr Kasem Tantiphlachaiva, a senior psychiatrist at Somdej Chaopraya Psychiatric Institute, doesn�t buy into the idea that dreams can predict the future. Kasem prefers a more conventional, scientific approach to understanding dreams.

Kasem cites the famous Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud when explaining his beliefs. �Freud said that dreams are the result of the brain�s activity,� Kasem said. �People normally dream every night, but they may or may not remember them.�

Dreams are the result of the brain mixing a person�s past experiences with new ones, Kasem said. It is actually this basis in reality that makes some dreams seem so real.

�There is no evidence to prove that a dream can become reality,� Kasem said. �It can be a coincidence or the thing that we call deja vu, a French term which means �already seen,� the feeling of having already seen or done something that we are actually experiencing for the first time.�

LUCKY DREAMS

OK, some opinions about dreams definitely vary, but no one has answered the most important question: Can dreams help us win the lottery or not?

Not surprisingly, the two experts have very different opinions.

Phinyo thinks that it is possible that some people can see lucky numbers in their dreams. In fact, he said he won the lottery many years ago after hearing a lucky number in a dream.

He dreamt that he heard a man�s

voice coming from far a way saying

�16 sky floors.� The next day, Phinyo found that 16 was one of the winning lotto numbers. �Actually, I didn�t believe that dream, so I didn�t spend much money on it, but I earned some anyway,� he said.

Kasem doesn�t mix words when he talks about dreams being used to play the lottery. �It is impossible that a dream will imply any lucky number,� Kasem said. �Don�t be obsessed about this; it is useless. If we could predict the future from dreams, we wouldn�t have to make any choices ourselves.�

Whether you believe dreams are simply nighttime entertainment or a window to the future, it can be fun to try to analyse your dreams. Here is what the Sarathatsangkaha says about some common dream themes: Failing or passing an exam: You will face a difficult

time before being happy in the future. Don�t be lazy. Pay respect to your instructors.

A fight or quarrel: You will be upset or have a conflict with relatives.

Flying: Something good is coming your way, perhaps a high rank or a beautiful partner.

Death: Your sorrows will end, and happiness will come.

Receiving money or gold: A wish will be fulfilled.

Lost belongings: You will travel far from home and make a new friendship.

Snakes: You will be healthy and loved.

Vocabulary

philosopher (n): a person who studies or writes about philosophy
precognitive (adj): the ability to know what will happen in the future, or an instance in which you have this knowledge
digested (v): when you digest food, or it digests, it is changed into substances that your body can use
psychiatrist (n): a doctor who studies and treats mental illnesses
coincidence (n): the fact of two things happening at the same time by chance, in a surprising way
illusion (n): a false idea or belief, especially about somebody or about a situation
obsess (v): to completely fill your mind so that you cannot think of anything else
quarrel (n): an angry argument or disagreement between people, often about a personal matter