Dreams That Warn About Diseases Earlier Than Doctors 0 8

When people see an inexplicable dream, they often turn to dream dictionaries. One of the most common questions is: what does it mean to dream of illness? According to dream dictionaries, a broken vase or mirror in a dream can warn of an impending illness. Losing teeth or hair, cut nails, withered or dying plants are also considered bad signs.

According to the dream dictionary of the famous American psychologist Gustav Miller, the following dreams can also predict illness:

• lunar eclipse;

• feeling dew falling on you;

• seeing cholera or other terrible diseases that devastate a country;

• dirt, dirty clothes;

• a car accident or other disaster;

• a hospital;

• lice, flies, bedbugs;

• walking on ice;

• walking through a dark maze.

Whether to believe in dream dictionaries or not is a personal choice. Especially since everyone occasionally experiences nightmares, particularly during times of stress, anxiety, and significant changes. If one sees warnings of illness in every dream, it can lead to depression.

However, there are certain types of dreams that can indeed signal health problems even before the first symptoms appear. These are known as "prodromal dreams," where the brain detects subtle changes in the body at the earliest stages of illness.

When an infection or some pathology arises, the body sends barely perceptible signals to the brain. The brain processes these signals during the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phase, precisely when we dream. This process occurs in the paralimbic areas of the brain, including the amygdala, which plays a key role in detecting threats while awake. Sensing danger, the brain may create symbolic or alarming images that reflect disturbances within the body.

"The brain constantly monitors signals from internal organs to maintain the balance of our physiological systems. During the REM phase, the brain effectively compresses and synthesizes this information, creating a sort of snapshot of what is happening inside the body," says Professor Patrick McNamara, a sleep specialist at Boston University School of Medicine, to the Daily Mail.

Research shows that people with Parkinson's disease often have more aggressive and nightmarish dreams. A small study in 2015 found that the anxious dreams of participants preceded a breast cancer diagnosis. In this case, 83% of women who later learned of their diagnosis claimed their dreams were more vivid, realistic, or intense than usual dreams.

In a 2022 study involving nearly 3,000 people, individuals reported that several days before their COVID test came back positive, many dreamed of larvae or snake bites.

Additionally, according to other studies, dreams can warn of gastrointestinal, pulmonary, gynecological diseases, dental and joint problems, and even the common cold.

According to Professor McNamara, dreams where you feel threatened or experience any aggression should raise concern.

"It may seem unusual, but this is a metaphorical signal from the body," says the scientist.

To distinguish precursors of illness from ordinary stress-related dreams, the professor advises assessing the level of threat you felt in your dreams: the stronger it is, the more likely it is that the brain is warning of problems in the body.