Your Ancient Greek Doctor Says, "Pay Attention to Your Dreams"

Most of us today associate dream interpretation with psychoanalysis. The world of dreams applies only to the psychotherapy branch of medicine. However, perhaps we should take a page from the book of ancient Greek medicine and listen to what our dreams might be telling us about the state of our bodies as well as the state of our minds.

In the ancient world, the interpretation of dreams fell into two categories:

1. Divine dreams
2. Natural dreams

Divine dreams, of course, came from the gods and often foretold the future. These are the dreams we hear about in legends. But natural dreams came from the body, and could often give medical insights to doctors treating their patients. Indeed the first in depth discussion of dreams and their sources is found in a Hippocratic medical text from around 500 B.C. It discusses "natural dreams" and their effectiveness at assisting in diagnoses in some length.

It makes psychological sense that our dreams, which come from our subconscious, would have a closer connection with our visceral selves than our waking minds. So pay attention to your dreams and what they might be telling you about the state of your health. You just might go to see a doctor a little sooner than you otherwise would, and heading off medical problems early is often the key to combating serious illness.