Visions & Dream Traveling
I am not sure how many of your have an interest in dreams, visions, traveling, the dreamtime, or bardo, yet for me it is fascinating. Jen recently found an article that describes dreaming as a process of reliving the day and experiences of our past, and I find it to be true.
Though, what is lived in the dream is not the details of the actual experience, rather it is the feelings of the experience which arise. The resistances, joys, excitements, things that trigger emotional reactions, the highs and lows of the day. Feelings that drive a person can create so many different effects in the waking world, and in the dreaming world can generate really bizarre dreamscapes.
Dreaming is a way to re-experience these feelings, and while there are many great books that describe how to dream using things like dream journals and mantras, the one technique that has been most effective for me is simply; self-awareness.
The moment a person can recognize they are in a dream, there is a space of self-awareness opportunity which can be reinforced. In recognizing and reinforcing this self-awareness, more such openings present themselves.
While it is possible to alter the experiences of the dream, that is not important. In order to integrate unresolved feelings of the past, a person learns to be in the moment, while in the dreaming state. Knowing that it is a dream provides a safe-realm of exploration and resolution, because as the Dreamer, it is your personal realm where you have complete safety.
Dream interpretation manuals are a massive waste of time. Throw them away, they have no meaning for the personal realm. Although, I have found that there are certain common elements to the dreaming experience; going underground is like entering the subconscious / unconscious mind, being inside represents certain mental patterns, a personal 'home' in the dreaming can represent the emotional balance, and traveling in dreams indicates a search for resolution or answers.
Flying dreams are typically the best for the simple reason that there is a greater degree of self-awareness. When a person has a flying dream, there are many theories about what they mean, the only thing that has been important for me is that the experience is so thrilling and powerful, I am able to instantly be self-aware.
Though, what is lived in the dream is not the details of the actual experience, rather it is the feelings of the experience which arise. The resistances, joys, excitements, things that trigger emotional reactions, the highs and lows of the day. Feelings that drive a person can create so many different effects in the waking world, and in the dreaming world can generate really bizarre dreamscapes.
Dreaming is a way to re-experience these feelings, and while there are many great books that describe how to dream using things like dream journals and mantras, the one technique that has been most effective for me is simply; self-awareness.
The moment a person can recognize they are in a dream, there is a space of self-awareness opportunity which can be reinforced. In recognizing and reinforcing this self-awareness, more such openings present themselves.
While it is possible to alter the experiences of the dream, that is not important. In order to integrate unresolved feelings of the past, a person learns to be in the moment, while in the dreaming state. Knowing that it is a dream provides a safe-realm of exploration and resolution, because as the Dreamer, it is your personal realm where you have complete safety.
Dream interpretation manuals are a massive waste of time. Throw them away, they have no meaning for the personal realm. Although, I have found that there are certain common elements to the dreaming experience; going underground is like entering the subconscious / unconscious mind, being inside represents certain mental patterns, a personal 'home' in the dreaming can represent the emotional balance, and traveling in dreams indicates a search for resolution or answers.
Flying dreams are typically the best for the simple reason that there is a greater degree of self-awareness. When a person has a flying dream, there are many theories about what they mean, the only thing that has been important for me is that the experience is so thrilling and powerful, I am able to instantly be self-aware.