Dreams

The life you want

Dreams

What are dreams?

Dreams are said to be a series of mental images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during sleep.

"We experience a dream as real because it is real ....the miracle is how, without any help from the sense organs, the brain replicates in the dream all the sensory information that creates the world we live in when we are awake". William Dement, sleep researcher.

There are countless 'dream dictionaries' on the market which give meanings for different symbols and images present in the dream state thus assuming that they have the same meaning for everyone. However different images and symbols mean different things for different people. The meaning of a symbol or an image for you is dependant on several aspects including the context, what is going on for you in your life at that time, and what emotions you feel during the dream.

We all dream, often several times a night. Often though we are unable to recall what we dreamt about. We may remember particular images or feelings but not be able recount the whole experience. What is important is to make a note of what you do remember. Start by keeping a pen and paper beside your bed so that if you awaken and have a dream recall fresh in your mind then you can write it down and often when you do this right away you will find that other aspects of the dream will come to mind. It is important to note how the dream made you feel because it is our emotions which guide us and if something in our dream stirred a surge of emotion within us then we need to be aware of that and use that in our attempt to dicifer what the dream is telling us. For example if you are contemplating applying for a particular job and you dream about that job and in your dream you feel discontented, unhappy, pressurised in that job, then it's likely that you should not apply for the job as it will not be right for you at this time. Our emotions and feelings are our inner guide as to what is right for us and what is not in our best interests at any particular time of our life.

People in our dreams are usually mirrors of different aspects of ourselves. For example an angry figure in a dream may simply be your own anger personified. The scary monster or demon in a nightmare is that part of yourself which you are frightened to face up to and so on.

Water in a dream represents emotions. Is it a flowing river, a stormy sea, a calm ocean? Whether you are in the water is also significant. Are you struggling to swim in a stormy sea for example. This would suggest that you are currently overwhelmed by your emotions. Or are you sailing in a boat on a calm ocean - controlling emotions.

Lucid Dreaming

The term Lucid Dreaming refers to those dreams when we are aware that we are dreaming. You may find yourself standing on the edge of a cliff being chased by wild animals when you suddenly become aware that you are dreaming and you know that you can control the dream. You can leap off the cliff and land on a lovely sandy beach or you might decide you can wave at the animals and they will all disappear! Basically you can actively participate in your dream and manipulate the imaginary experiences within the dream environment. Lucid dreams can be very vivid and seem extremely real. They are not always synonymous with control though. It is possible to be lucid but have little or no control over the events which unfold in the dream. Alternatively it is also possible to have control without being fully aware that you are dreaming.

Some people are able to induce lucid dreaming and there are various techniques that can be used to do this. Often, with practice, lucid dreaming can be induced by affirming before going to sleep, that you are going to be lucid during your sleep.

New age thinking works with the idea that when we are dreaming lucidy our astral body leaves the physical body and travels to other realms of consciousness aka out of body experience (OBE).

Lucid Dreaming has been said by enthusiasts to be a stepping stone to the OBE experience. During an OBE, typically you will be lying in bed, apparently awake when you experience somatic sensations which may include vibrations, heaviness and paralysis, followed by the sensation of seperating from your physical body and floating above the bed.

Telepathic Dreaming

Telepathic Dreaming is the term given to dreams where we communicate with our departed loved ones. These types of dreams can be very vivid and often a source of comfort during the period of grief. Communicating with the departed in dreamland can enable us to resolve any issues that were outstanding at the time of passing, to talk to one another soul to soul. Telepathy during sleep is said to be a communication between the two realms - the physical and the spiritual.

This mental communication during sleep can also occur between two living people. We may send our own thoughts or receive anothers thoughts, as mental visions within our dreams - intentionally or unintentionally.

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