The Universal Practice
Dream interpretation is one of the oldest and most universal human practices. Every major civilisation has developed systems for understanding the messages of sleep — from Mesopotamian dream books to Freudian psychoanalysis.
The Artemidoran Tradition
The foundational text of Western dream interpretation is the Oneirocritica by Artemidorus of Daldis (2nd century CE). Artemidorus classified dreams as enhypnia (reflections of the body's current state) and oneiroi (true omens pointing to the future), then interpreted them accordingly. He worked in the healing temple of Asclepius, where dream incubation — sleeping in a sacred space to receive a divine dream — was a recognised practice. The Dream tool on SpiritWave Labs works in this Artemidoran tradition.
Related Traditions
- Dream Interpretation tool — the working tool
- Mesopotamia — the Assyrian Dream Book
- Ancient Egypt — dream incubation in the temples
- The Cosmic Library — all divination traditions