Human evolution, or anthropogeny, is the origin and evolution of Homo sapiens as a distinct species from other hominids, great apes and placental mammals. I have always appreciated the commonly known horizontal illustration of the evolution of “man” from stooped over simians to almost vertical sapiens. I believe we humans were brilliantly engineered as a species to adapt, grow and survive and while it is incomprehensible that our species could develop into anything but what we have become today, there is no logical reason to believe that we are done growing!
However… I also believe that our evolution continues to occur not only as a developing species but also as a developing consciousness. Indeed, the fact that we dream is one of the strongest supports for this belief. Dreaming is non-essential when it comes to survival as a body but I believe it is essential with regard to our development and evolution as thinking, feeling, consciously metaphysical beings.
Dreaming is the process whereby the unconscious mind communicates with the conscious mind in an attempt to create wholeness in our beings. Dreams are the bridges that allow movement back and forth between what we think we know and what we deeply, unconsciously, even metaphysically know.
Dreams also allow us to transport information or events that may be painful or confusing to an environment that is at once emotionally real but physically unreal; we inject these confusing or challenging thoughts and feelings into a psychic Petri dish where we experiment and observe ourselves in a safe container.
Dream analysis is a key component in the process of becoming whole as a person. While interpretation and input from a book, a psychotherapist or one of Oprah’s guests can be extremely beneficial, it can never be as meaningful or profound as it is when we figure something out on our own. Our desire to make peace with or establish an understanding of something that occurs in the dream world is truly a movement toward deeper awareness of ourselves. It speaks volumes about our evolution as an intelligent consciousness.
In addition, dreams often involve the vast array of human experiences from our deepest desires to our deepest wounds. Therefore, analyzing these emotional places within ourselves helps us make peace with both extremes and steers us back toward the center, fashioning a baseline of peace and balance.
One need only observe a (rapidly diminishing) animal of prey to see the level of calm and equilibrium they exhibit when moving through the world. It would be unusual indeed to witness a panther (theroretically) who can’t execute dinner because of too much strain and stress, fear of failure or residual childhood trauma. Yet, for all of our development, knowledge and understanding about the world, we humans seem far less at peace with our essential selves than those animals who are arguably less “evolved.”
Personally, I’d rather be chased by wolves, stalked by a panther or shot at by crazy gunmen in my dreams then in my waking life in order to learn something about myself and expand my conscious awareness of life. Still a scary experience, but far less life threatening!
Jeffrey Sumber is changing the world, one relationship at a time. For over two decades, Jeffrey has worked to understand the human experience from as many angles as possible. As a successful psychotherapist, marriage counselor, and life coach, Jeffrey has worked with thousands of clients who strive to live their best lives.
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