The characters literally combine to mean “Duke Zhou's Interpretation of Dreams,” clearly stating the book's attributed author and purpose.
`周公解梦` is more than just a book; it's a cultural phenomenon that reveals a traditional Chinese worldview. The “Duke of Zhou” (周公) was a real historical figure, a regent renowned for his wisdom, virtue, and contributions to governance and culture. Attributing the text to him lent it immense authority and credibility. In traditional Chinese thought, dreams were not merely random firings of neurons. They were seen as potential windows into the future, messages from ancestors, or reflections of the body's qi (气) balance. They were considered meaningful omens (预兆, yùzhào). Comparison to Western Dream Interpretation: This approach is fundamentally different from the dominant Western perspective, which is heavily influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis.
While many modern Chinese people, especially the younger, educated generation, may not literally believe in its predictions, they are universally aware of it. It's a piece of shared cultural software, similar to how people in the West know their astrological sign without necessarily believing in astrology.
`周公解梦` is alive and well in the 21st century, primarily in digital form.