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Follow Your Dreams
October 6, 2005
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Do you ever remember your dreams?
Do you day dream?
I always wonder, are our dreams reality? Are they previews of what's to come?
Throughout history and across many
different cultures, dreams and dreaming have had
much importance attached to them.
The Ancient Greeks and the Japanese, for
example, believed dreams to be full of portents and warnings about the future. More
recently in the West, Sigmund Freud and others
have sought to use the interpretation of
dreams as a means of unlocking the mysteries of the subconscious.
It is thought that the subconscious
alerts the waking mind (through dreams) to hidden conflicts, to the ways problems can be solved,
and to the creative talents within us all.
(Source: Understanding Dreams
by (C) 1994 Running Press Book Publishers)
Recently I was invited to a dream work
seminar where we learned how to interpret dreams. The fun part about the seminar was that
we worked in groups of two and there really was"no right or wrong
answers". Kind of like Philosophy class in college!
Our dreams are little snippets of what's
going on underneath the surface. Little hints or clues from our subconscious. It's
really useful to work with another person to help unlock the mysteries...that only
you know the answers to.
It's kind of cool to think that I'm the one answering my own
questions...it really gives you the sense of ownership...
The steps to working with a dream work
partner are very simple; the following is excerpted from "The Practice of Active
Dreaming". A Manual for Dream Teachers, Level One" June 2003, by Robert
Moss.
The person telling the
dream is the "dreamer" and the other one listening and
questioning is the "partner".
Step 1.
Tell the dream as a story with a title.
Step 2. Partner
asks three questions:
- How did you feel when you woke up?
Reality check:
1- Do you recognize any of
the people or situations of the dream in waking life?
2-Could any part of this dream
be played out in waking life in the future?
3-What would you like to know about
this dream?
Step 3. Playing the "If it were My Dream"
game.
- Make suggestions on
possible perspectives, prefacing all suggestions with,
"If it were my
dream..."
- Without
interpreting, this is a way to guide the dreamer to consider various perspectives,
investigate deeper meaning, and to prompt action on the dream.
Step 4. Honor the dream: What action will you take
to honor this dream?
Suggestions:
- Write a bumper sticker or slogan from the
dream.
- Go back inside the dream through dram
re-entry.
- Share the dream with someone else who may
need its guidance.
- Write/paint/create to honor the
dream.
What you are
reading here started from a dream; my television series, website and my
soon-to-be-released quarterly magazine all stemmed from my dreams: waking and sleeping.
I really utilize my imagination during
daydreams...especially when sitting in a dark room with a child that's afraid of the
dark. I try to write down my dreams the moment I wake up in the morning and I also focus
on remembering my dreams before I go to bed at night. All of this seems to help me
to remember my dreams better.
Next time you wake up and can remember
your dreams, write them down then decide what they mean to you. You're always right...and you never where they'll take
you.
Sweet Dreams,
Beth Aldrich
p.s. Suggested reading:
- A little course in dreams.
R. Bosnak, Shambhala Publications (1986)
- Concsious Dreaming. Robert
Moss, Three Rivers Press (1996)
- Private Myths. Dreams and
Dreaming. A. Stevens,Harvard University Press (1995)
- Our Dreaming Mind. R. Van
de Castle,Ballantine Books (1994)
Help us grow!! Pass us on to a
friend.
We welcome your story or ideas
for a future FHI Connection!
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