In the beginning of the year 2000 I began a study of my dreams. Along with meditative contemplation, painting and writing, this exercise has proven to be a very powerful, inspiring spiritual exercise and has affected my life profoundly in more ways than I can possibly mention here.
Recently I decided to re-read some of the entries from my dream journal that I wrote a few years ago. I was amazed at what I found. The amount of inspiration present in the pages was incredible. As I read, I also became aware of a variety of other things that were equally as intriguing; revelations had been made, lessons had been learned, and I might add, in a far easier fashion than they would have been out here in the “real world.” Discoveries about myself and about my life had also been made and to my astonishment I realized that an incredible amount of prophecy had presented itself to me through my dreams. I have to admit that I was not fully aware of the profound nature of this information until the act of re-reading. What a wonderful discovery!
The potency and power of these recollections seemed almost eerie to me. I was amazed at how, in retrospect, the sequence of these dreams seemed to have been arranged in such a perfect order. It was like seeing puzzle pieces falling into place, creating a larger picture that I could now look at and appreciate with a grateful heart and soul. I also realized as I re-read these dream pages, I was able to view them in a far more detached and nonjudgmental way. This caused me to wonder if perhaps this is what it will be like when I pass on to the next world. Looking back at my life lived, will I see all of the events from this existence fitting together in a very exacting, functional and perfect order? Hmmm….....But that’s another topic all together.
You cannot completely preplan dreams. Although you can prepare yourself for them, they happen in the way they are meant to. And from my experience, I can see that they happen in a particular way for a particular reason. They are, in fact, another key that can help us to open the door to pure inspiration.
I can hear some people right now saying loud and clear,
“I don’t dream.” Or,
“I can never remember my dreams.”
Please don’t be too quick to say this. The fact is, at some point during sleep we all dream. I do agree that it can be very difficult to remember. But with practice, patience, persistence and preparation over time the quality and quantity of memories can and will improve dramatically. There is no doubt in my mind about this because I have experienced it first hand.
So how do you start a study of your dreams?
This is very easy but does require a certain amount of dedication and self discipline. With a committed effort of at least one month to this process, I have no doubt that you will begin to see a significant change in the vividness and quality of your dream recollections.
I assure you that it is not difficult to do.
And with the right outlook, I have found that it can also be a very pleasant way to start your day.
The first thing that I must say is this:
PLEASE DO NOT RUN OUT AND BUY A DREAM SYMBOL DICTIONARY!
When it comes to dream symbols...One size does not fit all. The symbols in our dreams are very personal and after time and careful consideration you can and will create your own dream dictionary with symbols and meanings that are perfectly suited to you alone.
What you can get for yourself is a special notebook and a pencil or pen to record your dream discoveries upon waking. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, unless of course you want it to be. You can even use loose pieces of paper if you’d like. However, in my experience, I have found that a notebook makes it far easier to keep everything in one place, and well ordered. This will allow you to access and refer to specific entries with ease.
Keep this notebook and pen or pencil close to where you sleep and in one place at all times. This way you will not need to go searching for it when you wake. Searching for something is enough of a distraction to cause the dream to slip from your memory. Be sure to keep it somewhere handy…THE SAME PLACE AT ALL TIMES.
Time to dream:
Before you go to sleep make a conscious decision that
YOU WILL REMEMBER SOME OF WHAT YOU DREAM.
Repeat this to yourself at least once or twice before you fall asleep (The more times, the better... really let it sink in). In doing this it will strengthen the idea within your subconscious mind and help you to remember your intention upon waking. Then, when you feel ready, simply let the thought go and fall asleep as usual.
The trick to remembering your dreams is to quickly catch them in the net of your conscious mind AS SOON AS YOU WAKE. For some people this comes easily, but for others it is a little more difficult and may take numerous attempts, thus the commitment of at least one month's practice.
Think about these dream memories for a few moments before you rise.
REMEMBER THEM.
Solidify them in your mind, then get up and immediately write those memories down, in point form only (otherwise you might find yourself writing a book every morning – I did this for a while but found it to be quite tiresome) write down any details that happen to stick out in your mind.
Where do you think you were: Indoors or out? Were you with other people: who were they or what did they look like? What was the atmosphere like? What was happening to you and to those around you? How did you feel? Write down anything that appears to be an important detail and everything that shines like a beacon in your memory.
Occasionally I find that all I am able to recall is the FEELING I am left with when I wake. No other details or conscious memories of events are present. THIS IS OK TOO. WRITE IT DOWN. If you do this every time that you wake from a sleep, before you know it you will discover that you are dreaming in far greater detail and you are remembering these details with greater ease.
Date each entry with the day, month and year. You will find this to be of great importance when you go back to re-read your dreams later on.
Finally, once you have written all that you can recall , contemplate for a moment what you think this dream might be trying to tell you.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT DREAMS ARE SYMBOLIC!!!
This is vitally important. DO NOT TAKE THINGS LITERALLY. Look at the SYMBOLS that have presented themselves to you and decide what these symbols might mean to you. Also remember that the people you meet in your dream state do not always represent those same people in the waking world. Sometimes, in fact usually, they may actually be showing you a side or quality of YOURELF. Be sure to take notice of this.
When deciphering your symbols, think with all parts of yourself...body, mind and spirit.
Pay attention to what your body energy is telling you...
Go with your intuition...
gut feelings are important here.
If you see a tree…what does that say to you…quickly…what does it mean: family, earth, life, comfort, nourishment or?
Write down all answers that come to you and then while re-reading your answers, notice how each one makes you feel, inside and out.
To illustrate this idea, I will give you a couple of my own dream symbols and meanings. Please remember that they may not mean the same thing to you.
I have found that:
A CAR = MY PHYSICAL BODY It is my vehicle in this world
Is it well tuned and shining or broken and in need of repair?
Where is it going and how?
Who is driving it?
These are important things for me to note when I receive a car in my dreams.
RAIN = A CLEANSING, RENEWAL OR CHANGE
Change is occurring or about to occur which will help me to learn, grow and relieve myself of some hardship or challenge that I may be facing.
Another type of dream that I have experienced is what I call a “PURE LEARNING DREAM.” I have actually experienced inner art lessons in the dream state, where I have been engaged in discovering or learning new techniques while my physical body sleeps. These techniques have then transferred into my waking life...I can do things that I could not do before the dream...it's magical!
There have also been many times when I have had a problem with no solution in sight. I take these challenges to my dreams.
I ask myself before sleep, what the solution may be...what is my next step? And then I assure myself that by morning I will have an answer.
Sure enough, more often than not, I do wake up with the answer or at least I have found a direction to follow that eventually leads me to the place or experience where I do find the solution.
Sometimes, I must admit, that this technique takes persistence and I must repeat the statement to myself numerous nights in a row, but eventually I find that the answer does come through in one way or another. It comes when the time is right...when I’m ready.
As I said earlier, there is much to gain by studying our dreams. It does take dedication, patience and time, but I assure you that if you put forth the small effort that it takes, the results can be truly inspiring.
All the best to you always, day or night...
~Pam
"It was so real!" You say as you wake from your dream, placing your feet on the solid floor beside your bed. Your mind racing through the intricate details of the experience. "It felt so real!"..."But I guess it was only a dream."...Or was it? Could you see it? Could you hear it? Could you feel it? What exactly did you experience? How real did it feel? As "Real" as this moment you are experiencing right now? What in fact is reality? An experience?...
Ponder that for a moment.
“Conscious Dream”
