About MeaningOfADream.com
MeaningOfADream.com was built on a simple observation: dream interpretation is not one-size-fits-all. A snake dream means something different to a Jungian therapist, a Christian pastor, a Muslim scholar, and a Hindu priest — and all four perspectives have genuine depth and centuries of scholarship behind them.
The Four Traditions
Jungian / Psychological
Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) revolutionized the understanding of dreams by introducing the concept of the collective unconscious — a layer of the psyche shared across humanity, populated by archetypes. In Jungian psychology, dream symbols are not random; they are the language of the unconscious speaking to the conscious self. Our Jung sections draw on his foundational work Man and His Symbols (1964) and other primary sources, as well as the work of Marie-Louise von Franz and Edward F. Edinger.
Christian / Biblical
The Bible records numerous significant dreams — from Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dreams in Genesis to Daniel's visions and the angel appearing to Joseph in Matthew 1:20. Christian theology distinguishes between ordinary dreams, warning dreams, and prophetic dreams. Our Christian sections reference relevant scripture and distinguish these categories clearly, drawing also on Augustine, John Calvin, and the contemplative tradition.
Islamic (Ibn Sirin)
Muhammad ibn Sirin (c. 654–728 CE) is the pre-eminent classical Islamic scholar of dream interpretation. His methodology, preserved in Tafsir al-Ahlam, forms the foundation of Islamic oneirology. We also draw on al-Nabulsi's Alam al-Ahlam and Ibn Qutaybah's Kitab al-Ahlam. Islamic dream interpretation considers the dreamer's circumstances, the time of the dream, and the specific details of the imagery.
Hindu / Vedic
The Hindu tradition has an ancient and sophisticated approach to dreams encoded in texts like the Swapna Shastra and other Vedic literature. Dreams are classified as subha (auspicious) or ashubha (inauspicious) based on specific symbols, the time of dreaming, and the dreamer's state. We draw on the Atharvaveda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, and the Puranic traditions.
Editorial Standards
Every symbol page is researched against primary sources in each tradition. We cite specific texts — not generic references. Where traditions diverge, we present both interpretations and let the reader draw their own conclusions. We do not manufacture meanings, invent symbolism, or project modern anxieties onto classical texts.
This site is not a substitute for spiritual counsel, religious guidance, or psychological therapy. Dream interpretation is one lens among many; it is not predictive and it is not diagnostic.
About the Curator
Ayoub Merlin
This site is curated by Ayoub Merlin, a scholar of comparative dream traditions with a focus on classical Islamic dream interpretation (Tafsir al-Ahlam, Ibn Sirin) and depth psychology. Content is researched and cross-referenced against primary sources in each tradition. Ayoub has studied the oneirological literature across four living traditions for over a decade, and brings both philological rigour and lived spiritual inquiry to the interpretations presented here.
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Ayoub Merlin
Scholar of comparative dream traditions with a focus on classical Islamic dream interpretation (Tafsir al-Ahlam, Ibn Sirin) and depth psychology. Content is researched and cross-referenced against primary sources in each tradition.