Dreams in Traditional Chinese Medicine

“Dreams are a reservoir of knowledge and experience, yet they are often overlooked as a vehicle for exploring reality.”  Tarthang Tulku

How do you think about dreams?  Are they random bits of information that the brain compiles while you are sleeping?  An integration of the day’s events?  Or are they deeply meaningful, full of symbolism and guidance?

In Asian Medicine, dreams are a piece of the puzzle that help us to identify where imbalances lie.  Different themes can help elucidate whether the Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water elements are calling for attention.  While some of the examples below are colorful and perhaps extreme, acupuncturists can consider the content of your dreams to select the right point prescriptions to help you come back into balance—and perhaps stop recurring themes in your dreams.

• Dreams of trees, forests, mountains, mushrooms, fights, trials and suicide point us toward the Wood element

• Dreams of fire, smoke, laughing, crowds, large cities, and busy roads suggest different aspects of the Fire element

• Dreams of singing, being hungry, having a large meal, building a house, being heavy, or even swamps signal the Earth element

• Dreams of weeping, flying, white or gold objects, losing your footing, bloody killing, battle, war, open fields and foreign lands relate to the Metal element

• Dreams of voyages, wandering, traveling, swimming, plunging in water and being scared, being immersed in water, having your spine detached from your body, or teeth are signs of the Water element

The substance of your dreams can help us determine not only which elements may need to be harmonized, but also which points to use to help you.  Addressing your recurring dreams, and reducing nightmares or night terrors, can help you to get a better night’s sleep, and help with your health overall.

Sources: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine by Giovanni Macciocia and Acupuncture for Insomnia by Hamid Montakab