What is it about?
Dreams have fascinated humans for thousands of years. They have been seen as messages from gods, windows into the unconscious mind, or simply random mental noise. But what did one of the greatest Islamic philosophers and physicians, Avicenna (Ibn Sina), think about dreams more than a thousand years ago? This article explores his comprehensive theory of dreams, which combines philosophy, psychology, and medicine in a unique and systematic way. Avicenna believed that dreams are not meaningless or random. Instead, he saw them as meaningful experiences that are deeply connected to our body, mind, and even spiritual world. According to him, dreams occur when the external senses are resting during sleep, while inner faculties such as imagination, memory, and estimation remain active. These faculties work together to create images, recombine past experiences, and produce new meanings. He divided dreams into three main categories. The first type reflects daily experiences and memories from waking life. The second type arises from physical imbalances in the body—such as disturbances in the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile)—which can affect mood, health, and dream content. The third type is the most profound: dreams that come from a higher spiritual source, revealing truths about the unseen world. Avicenna believed that purer souls are more likely to experience such truthful dreams. One of the most fascinating aspects of Avicenna's approach is his use of dreams for medical diagnosis. He carefully analyzed patients' dreams to identify physical or psychological disorders. For example, he believed that dreaming of fire or yellow objects could indicate an excess of yellow bile, while dreaming of black or frightening images might signal an imbalance in black bile. This shows how deeply he integrated psychological and physiological knowledge. Modern science is now beginning to confirm some of Avicenna's insights. Research in neuroscience shows that dreaming involves the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala—brain regions responsible for memory, emotion, and imagination. Studies on memory consolidation during sleep reveal that dreams help reorganize and strengthen memories, which aligns with Avicenna's emphasis on memory and internal senses. Furthermore, modern psychosomatic medicine recognizes the connection between emotional states, physical health, and dream content—a connection Avicenna had already described centuries ago. By bringing together ancient wisdom and contemporary science, this article shows that Avicenna's ideas about dreams are not just historical curiosities. They offer valuable insights that can still guide modern research in psychology, neuroscience, and integrative medicine. Dreams, in Avicenna's view, are not random noise—they are windows into our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
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Why is it important?
Understanding dreams can help us better understand our physical and mental health, and ancient wisdom like Avicenna's can still inspire modern science.
Perspectives
Writing this article was a deeply enriching experience for me, as it allowed me to explore the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and medicine through the lens of one of the greatest thinkers in Islamic history. I was particularly fascinated by how Avicenna's insights on dreams, though developed over a thousand years ago, resonate with contemporary findings in neuroscience and psychosomatic medicine. I hope this work encourages further interdisciplinary dialogue between classical philosophy and modern science.
Farah Ramin
University of Qom
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Philosophical and medical analysis of dreams in avicenna’s perspective: Nature, mechanism, and functions., Dreaming, June 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/drm0000341.
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