Throughout history the role of the Dream Interpreter or Analyst has always been considered of great importance. The ancients knew about tapping the inner source of wisdom

Ancient Egypt

The Egyptians believed that dreams were message from the gods. They believed in three types of dreams - prophetic, divine and incubated dreams.

Belief in incubated dreams was common throughout the ancient world. In order to problem solve they used to incubate a dream which means simple that they requested the right dream at the right time. To do this they would retire to special temples and requested help from priestesses and gods.

A papyrus from circa two thousand BC has recently been found containing records of dreams, word plays and puns and their interpretations.

The Hebrews

There are constant references to dreams in the Old Testament the most well known probably being Jacob's ladder and Joseph and the Pharoah's dream.

Ancient Greece

The Greeks built sleep temples such as Apollo at Delphi. Pilgrims would visit these to perform rituals and make offerings prior to incubating their dream.

The god Hypnos put pilgrims to sleep and his son Morpheus, the god of dreams, then sent them a message to be interpreted by the priests. It was from this cult that Hippocrates, the father of Medicine came.

The Romans

In the second century AD an oracle called Artemidorus accumulated all the knowledge he could from the Ancient world and wrote a great treatise called Oneirocritica - literally meaning Dream Interpreter.

In this he divided dreams into two categories - everyday and prophetic. This became the major guide for the next millenium.

India

The Vedas, ancient doctrines of Hinduism, contain many references to dream interpretation. In Buddhism it is also said that the mother of Buddha, Queen Maya had a dream that a tiny white elephant entered her womb, sixty four Brahmans interpreted her dream, all foretelling that a great ruler was to be born.

Aborigines

They believe in Dreamtime of Alchera - a place where one's ancestors sleep deep under the land. In dreams one can receive message from the other realm.

Red Indians

The Shaman was a powerful man, part priest, part medicine man and interpreter of dreams.