It is important to start with a linguistic distinction. In many languages, "dreaming" can mean what you do at night or what you hope for the future. In Turkish, we have two distinct words:
: The subconscious experiences we have while we sleep.
: Prophetic or truthful visions that provide guidance.
Historically, rüyalar have held immense weight in Turkish and Ottoman society. They were often viewed as a "forum for the revelation of hidden knowledge". Even today, many people look to traditional dream interpretation books, such as , to decode the symbols they encounter at night.
: Our conscious imaginations, daydreams, or future aspirations. The Cultural Significance of Rüyalar
In this tradition, dreams are often categorized into three types:
: Often seen as confusing or meaningless disruptions. Why We Dream: A Psychological Perspective
: Reflections of our daily anxieties, memories, and desires.