China

The mention of dreams in Chinese history dates back over 4,000 years. The ancient Chinese almanac, the T'ung Shu, has been in circulation nearly that long. It contains a section on dreams called "Chou Kung's Book of Auspicious and Inauspicious Dreams." This specific section has been dated to around 1020 b.c.e. Chou Kung, who is still associated with dreaming to this day, was the author.
The T'ung Shu divides dreams into seven different categories; it discusses the symbolism of these categories independently of one another. In the section regarding the human body, it states, for example, that to dream of one's teeth falling out indicates that one's parents are in danger. If one dreams about the rising of the sun or moon, his or her family will be prosperous in the future. These and other dreams of the same nature are discussed in the section on the heavens and weather. Animal dreams are particularly relevant in ancient Chinese culture; dreams in which a parrot is calling to you is prophetic of an upcoming quarrel that has the potential to be quite serious, while dreams of a swallow flying to you indicate the visit of a dear friend from far away.
The Lie-tseu employs the Taoist approach to dream interpretation. In order to comprehend this principle fully, it is important to understand Taoist doctrine, which concerns the unity of the universe and the relativity of the material world. Concepts are empty without their contrasting opposite. The Lie-tseu divides dreams into several different classifications, such as: ordinary dreams, which are merely random byproducts of the mind without any previous emotion or influence; dreams of terror; dreams of thought, of what the dreamer thought of the previous day; dreams of waking, which are the residue of the dreamer's actions throughout the day; and dreams of joy.
The Lie-tseu discusses the need for harmony in one's life, and how our dreaming mind compensates for the imbalances in our waking lives. The Taoist concept of yin and yang exemplifies this principle. For instance, if one is hungry in the waking world, he or she may dream of taking or of having abundant food. In the same way, a person who is wealthy in the physical aspects of life may dream of giving to the less fortunate. A dream of crossing water may indicate that the yin is particularly strong in that individual's life, while walking through a great fire of some sort may indicate the yang is of greater strength. The Taoist approach also includes the use of astrological factors for explaining the meaning of specific dream symbols.
Like other traditional societies, many Chinese have believed that many dreams originated from the realm of the dead. They separated the soul into two distinct forms: the p'o and the hun. The p'o is considered to be the "material soul." It is the physical essence that gives life to the body and then ceases to exist after death. Co-existing with the p'o is the hun; this spiritual soul could depart from the body while the person is asleep yet retain the appearance of the physical body. During its nocturnal journeys the hun often visited the land of the dead, where it communed with the ancestors of the dreamer, but it could also communicate with the souls of others who were asleep. These interludes make themselves known to the dreamer in the form of dreams.
The Chinese developed the practice of acupuncture, which gave them a more complete understanding of the energy fields in and around the human body. Because of this knowledge, they considered it dangerous to awaken a sleeping person. When the hun is traveling out of the body, the person must wake up according to the soul's timing. If one was awakened abruptly from sleep, the consequences could be dire; should the hun be unable to return to the body, the sleeper would be susceptible to chronic health problems or even madness. Alarm clocks and other abrupt means of awakening the body are violent to the soul and thought to result in a variety of negative side effects.
Dream incubation was also a widely observed practice in various temples throughout China; up until around the sixteenth century, Chinese society expected prominent political figures to seek dream guidance periodically to maintain their balance and objectivity. The sequence of preparatory rituals that one went through before receiving a dream usually began with the supplicant burning incense as an offering before an image of a specific god. Prayer or some ceremonial chanting often followed, all of which would invoke the favor of the temple deity. One must note, however, that not all dreams were sought in a temple setting. In the province of Fu-Kien, people called upon their ancestors for dream revelations by sleeping on a grave.
Upon the reception of the requested dream-if indeed the supplicant received one-he or she would seek to establish if a god did, in fact, send the dream. Once the dreamer was able to establish that the dream was divinely inspired, she or he was then free to spend time in careful consideration as to the symbolic meaning or, as often was the case, seek out a professional dream interpreter. Once the true meaning of the dream was deciphered, the dreamer was able to decide on a course of action and apply the message to his or her waking life.

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