Want to decode your dreams? These 5 books are for you

Our dreams are often complicated and undecipherable to us. We often dream about visiting places that don't exist, meeting people we have always wanted to meet, or sometimes, even death and the afterlife. Such dreams, while being extremely fascinating, are equally weird and mysterious. Plus, they often leave us feeling confused. If you want to decode your dreams, here are 5 books for you.

Freud's most significant work, 'The Interpretation of Dreams' aims to give readers a peek at the workings of the unconscious mind through dream interpretations. In this book, Freud paves a new way of understanding human nature and thought processes. It fascinates the readers with symbolisms that establish how everyday experiences get manifested into dreams.

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This is an absorbing account of a dialogue between leading Western scientists and the Dalai Lama of Tibet. It sets the stage for Dr. Jerome Engel, Dr. Joyce MacDougal, and others to engage in extraordinary exchanges with the Dalai Lama on topics ranging from the neurology of sleep to the yoga of dreams. Revolving around three key moments of consciousness - sleep, dreams, and death - the conversations recorded here are engrossing. Whether the topic is lucid dreaming, near-death experiences, or the very structure of consciousness itself, the reader is left surprised and delighted.

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Written in 1912, this book lays out Jung’s theories for how our subconscious manifests symbolically in consciousness, and how it affects the human psyche as a whole. It illustrates a theoretical divergence between Jung and Freud on the nature of libido. Interestingly, its publication led to a break in the friendship between the two men, both stating that the other was unable to admit he could be wrong.

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Designed specifically for Black women, the book explains the art of “shadow work,” which helps users tap into the most repressed parts of their subconscious minds. The main focus in this work is the idea that there is a remarkable parallel between the valences given to dreams in the African healing realm as there is in the psychology of C.G. Jung.

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The term 'lucid dreaming' means dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming. Told in an autobiographical form, the book breaks down the five phases of lucid dreaming and explains how to master them all. It also offers advice for those who have never experienced the lucid dream state and suggestions for how experienced lucid dreamers can advance to a new level.

Pic credit: Moment Point Press