There are many types of dreams and even more themes
within a specific type. However, most dreams seem to be problem solving and
relate directly to our daily lives. In Some
Common Dream Themes (4/13/2015), a post about
dream themes, I mentioned some of the themes one might encounter such as taking
a wrong turn off a highway or failing a class.
These dreams are about actions we are taking or failing to take in our everyday experiences. These dreams are a call to action. They are telling us that we need to take action in some area of our lives or that we need to change the action we have taken and replace it with a new action.
The area of concern might relate to the job, family, or a personal issue such as poor health. As an example, suppose you make a New Year’s resolution to include regular exercise in your daily routine, which may be something you are not currently doing.
Many people will make such a resolution as we enter a new year. If after a few weeks you decide you really don’t have time to continue and drop your exercise routine, you are likely to have a dream reflecting on that action. You might dream that you take a wrong turn or fail a class on biology or health. If you think about restarting your exercise program, but delay, you may dream that you are late for a class.
The dreams mentioned are not esoteric, mysterious nighttime plays that are difficult or impossible to interpret. They deal with your daily life and usually a little reflection will make their meanings clear. Unfortunately, we tend not to want to hear about our shortcomings, whether from someone else or through our dreams. Rather than taking action, it is much easier to just push them out of our conscious minds and say they probably don’t mean anything.
As an interesting side note, studies have shown that children as young as six or seven will often take advice from their dreams even when the same advice from parents is ignored.
Dreams are for our benefit and can help us resolve our problems and issues. But we must act to experience their benefit.
I have often thought about all the benefits I have received from my dreams over the course of my life, and I am puzzled by the reluctance of people to work with their dreams. I know all the reasons for this reluctance, but I am still amazed at such behavior. I think it reflects the materialism of society, the fear of who and what we are, and I think it also illustrates a misunderstanding of our relationship to our creator.
Often when a crisis arises, people will sincerely pray for help, for an answer. If someone is desperate to find money to pay bills, the person might sincerely pray for help. But the help is not likely to come with the sudden unexplained deposit of all the money needed into his or her bank account or by the front door. It is more likely to come with the sudden opportunity to do some extra work to earn the money, the sale of possessions, or a loan from a friend or family member.
In other words, the answer is found by accessing the creative spirit that operates through us. If someone wants a better job, the answer from a dream might be to go back to school.
The creative force operates through us, but we need to be open and not establish blocks through preconceived notions about what we are willing to do. If we establish rigid boundaries about what we are willing to do, the advice we receive is not likely to be understood, if it is noticed at all.
To better your life, the interpretation of your dreams cannot simply be an intellectual exercise. You must act upon the guidance received. Otherwise, it quickly becomes a pointless exercise, and the potential of dreams remains just potential.
If you don’t find yourself challenged and at times struggling to make changes in your life based on dream guidance, then you probably aren’t working seriously with your dreams.
Many years ago, I was exploring the booths at a psychic fair. A young woman asked me what I did related to the psychic. I said I worked with my dreams. She laughed and said, “No one cares about dreams.” She was waiting to get a psychic reading.
Now in my book I have much to say about psychics and getting readings. For this post, let me just say that even if she found a psychic who gave her accurate and beneficial advice, I don’t think it would have nearly the same impact as making the discovery for herself through her dreams.
A further discussion with her indicated she was looking for a quick and easy answer, for someone to do it for her. Eventually she will have to find the answers for herself. And I think a good psychic would point that out to her. There is no shortcut to self-awareness.
I think people’s attitude towards getting help from dreams is much like their attitude toward getting answers from God through prayer. When a specific problem arises, they want an immediate answer for that problem, but want to be left alone for the rest of what they do. And this attitude affects the quality of their dreams.
How would you feel if someone only came to you for help when he or she had a problem, but the rest of the time had no interest in communicating with you?
Similarly, when people seek help from psychics, it is usually to get help for a specific problem. I wonder how many say to the psychic, “How can I live a better, more productive life, or how can I be of more help to people?”
The questions seem to be more of the following nature: “Will I find Mister Right or Miss Right, or when will I get a better job?” And they don’t understand that they are the ones who have already created the answer, and if they want a different answer, they must change. And change involves a process and is not as simple as getting an answer to a single question.
Dreams can enable that change and are a call to action, but we must listen, interpret, and be willing to act.
These dreams are about actions we are taking or failing to take in our everyday experiences. These dreams are a call to action. They are telling us that we need to take action in some area of our lives or that we need to change the action we have taken and replace it with a new action.
The area of concern might relate to the job, family, or a personal issue such as poor health. As an example, suppose you make a New Year’s resolution to include regular exercise in your daily routine, which may be something you are not currently doing.
Many people will make such a resolution as we enter a new year. If after a few weeks you decide you really don’t have time to continue and drop your exercise routine, you are likely to have a dream reflecting on that action. You might dream that you take a wrong turn or fail a class on biology or health. If you think about restarting your exercise program, but delay, you may dream that you are late for a class.
The dreams mentioned are not esoteric, mysterious nighttime plays that are difficult or impossible to interpret. They deal with your daily life and usually a little reflection will make their meanings clear. Unfortunately, we tend not to want to hear about our shortcomings, whether from someone else or through our dreams. Rather than taking action, it is much easier to just push them out of our conscious minds and say they probably don’t mean anything.
As an interesting side note, studies have shown that children as young as six or seven will often take advice from their dreams even when the same advice from parents is ignored.
Dreams are for our benefit and can help us resolve our problems and issues. But we must act to experience their benefit.
I have often thought about all the benefits I have received from my dreams over the course of my life, and I am puzzled by the reluctance of people to work with their dreams. I know all the reasons for this reluctance, but I am still amazed at such behavior. I think it reflects the materialism of society, the fear of who and what we are, and I think it also illustrates a misunderstanding of our relationship to our creator.
Often when a crisis arises, people will sincerely pray for help, for an answer. If someone is desperate to find money to pay bills, the person might sincerely pray for help. But the help is not likely to come with the sudden unexplained deposit of all the money needed into his or her bank account or by the front door. It is more likely to come with the sudden opportunity to do some extra work to earn the money, the sale of possessions, or a loan from a friend or family member.
In other words, the answer is found by accessing the creative spirit that operates through us. If someone wants a better job, the answer from a dream might be to go back to school.
The creative force operates through us, but we need to be open and not establish blocks through preconceived notions about what we are willing to do. If we establish rigid boundaries about what we are willing to do, the advice we receive is not likely to be understood, if it is noticed at all.
To better your life, the interpretation of your dreams cannot simply be an intellectual exercise. You must act upon the guidance received. Otherwise, it quickly becomes a pointless exercise, and the potential of dreams remains just potential.
If you don’t find yourself challenged and at times struggling to make changes in your life based on dream guidance, then you probably aren’t working seriously with your dreams.
Many years ago, I was exploring the booths at a psychic fair. A young woman asked me what I did related to the psychic. I said I worked with my dreams. She laughed and said, “No one cares about dreams.” She was waiting to get a psychic reading.
Now in my book I have much to say about psychics and getting readings. For this post, let me just say that even if she found a psychic who gave her accurate and beneficial advice, I don’t think it would have nearly the same impact as making the discovery for herself through her dreams.
A further discussion with her indicated she was looking for a quick and easy answer, for someone to do it for her. Eventually she will have to find the answers for herself. And I think a good psychic would point that out to her. There is no shortcut to self-awareness.
I think people’s attitude towards getting help from dreams is much like their attitude toward getting answers from God through prayer. When a specific problem arises, they want an immediate answer for that problem, but want to be left alone for the rest of what they do. And this attitude affects the quality of their dreams.
How would you feel if someone only came to you for help when he or she had a problem, but the rest of the time had no interest in communicating with you?
Similarly, when people seek help from psychics, it is usually to get help for a specific problem. I wonder how many say to the psychic, “How can I live a better, more productive life, or how can I be of more help to people?”
The questions seem to be more of the following nature: “Will I find Mister Right or Miss Right, or when will I get a better job?” And they don’t understand that they are the ones who have already created the answer, and if they want a different answer, they must change. And change involves a process and is not as simple as getting an answer to a single question.
Dreams can enable that change and are a call to action, but we must listen, interpret, and be willing to act.
No comments:
Post a Comment