Dreams in colour

We often claim to have dreamed in colour but when we are questioned, we fail to clearly tell which colours we  dreamt in or what was the colour of a particular object or so. Every colour possesses its own symbolism for each of us. Colours play an important psycho-physiological role in our lives. 

Dreaming is quite visual in nature, but those who have heightened awareness of colour during waking hours may be more likely to recall their dreams in colour than their less colour-aware counterparts. Dreams can’t be captured or encapsulated, they are subject to the filter of consciousness, which makes them difficult to study. In our waking state, colours stimulate emotions. Similarly, colours also stimulate emotions in dreams. 

Scientific REM studies have proven that we tend to dream in colours but we do not always recall them. The meaning of colours in dreams is not just indicative of the dreamer’s emotional state but also one’s personality traits.

According to Robert Hoss who has extensively studied the significance of colour in dreams and its interpretations, dreams are characterised by the following aspects:
1. Most people cannot recall their dreams and hence perceive them to be colourless.
2. Only 25 per cent of dreamers recall colours in their dreams. This is because people can only remember the emotionally stimulating parts of the dream.
3. The colours and shapes in dreams come completely due to internal stimuli which may be based on the psychological associations the dreamer places with those objects and colours.

Colours and their meanings in dreams:
Brown represents practicality 
Burgundy represents wealth and success 
Cream means acceptance 
Green represents life force  
Gold relates to spiritual healing 
Grey represents denial, lack of commitment, or a depressed state 
Indigo represents clairvoyance 
Ivory relates to tainted purity 
Lilac indicates responsibility 
Mauve means endurance 
Maroon represents courage and strength 
Navy blue indicates a lack of individuality 
Orange relates to energy, drive and ambition 
Peach represents empathy 
Pink indicates a desire for unconditional love 
Purple can relate to a spiritual leader or teacher 
Red represents passion, while dark red is anger 
Scarlet is lust 
Silver represents intuition
Yellow is an intellectual colour, dark yellow 
represents clouded thinking and light yellow represents enlightenment 
Black and white play significant roles in dreams because they have their own meanings, but they also have influence on other colors as well. White purifies other colours, and black adulterates them. 
Black represents fear. hate, anxiety, guilt, depression, lack of hope, lack of faith and nothingness. 
White represents enlightenment, hope, faith, purity, confidence and perfection. 

Together they may represent extreme beliefs or perception. The images and events in the dream play a significant role in interpreting the meaning of colours. For example, a yellow shade can represent energy, but it can mean illness or betrayal in others. 

That said, interpreting a dream using colour alone may yield inaccurate results. It is important to consider other symbols, and your relation to the colours you dream about.

The writer is a tarot reader and spiritual mentor