Dr. Matthew Walker

But when they gave the single dream, the fossil, as it were, to these three different interpreters, the three different carbon dating machines, as you were saying,

they all came up with completely different interpretations.

And so that's not necessarily a reliable, valid method.

So in that sense, we've abandoned and let go of Freud as being relevant or meaningful.

However, I personally, and I think if you look at the data,

I don't mean that to suggest that you should not try to think about and quote unquote, interpret your dreams.

And the term interpret when it comes to dreams is so loaded.

So I tend to, I would just simply say, see if you can really...

deconstruct some of your dreams.

I think dreaming just as we've spoken about is a very solid window into the things that you should be concerned about from your waking life.

It's very obvious that whatever it is that we typically dream are the things that our brain is telling us the human being

This is the stuff that's essential.

This is the stuff you need to work through.

This is please pay attention to me.

And any amount of journaling or deliberation, digestion, cogitation of that specific dream is going to be beneficial to you.

Because in my mind, a life unexamined is not a life well-lived.

And that isn't just applicable to your waking life.

It's especially applicable to your dreaming life.

Now, does that mean I'm suggesting that everyone should race out and start cataloging and interpreting their dreams?

Not necessarily, but I am saying that if you wish to do that,