Passage of Time in Dreams

I think that before we can understand the passage of time in dreams we need to reflect upon the passage of time in our daily lives. Time intervals, or the passage of time, seem to be directly related to our activities and perceptions. Albert Einstein responded to questions about his theory of relativity by saying, "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity." 

Age is a factor as well. When I was a boy, I frequently passed a house where a retired man lived. He would often be sitting on his porch, and I would stop and talk with him. I can still vividly recall a conversation one day when he told me that his days were flying by. He said that as he got older, the days passed more quickly. Now in the later years of his life, he said the days were racing by. 

His comments about age and the passage of time are not unique. Many have observed this effect, and I too sense time as moving faster as I have aged. So what is happening here? No one seems to know for certain, but there are theories that involve memory, metabolism changes, and the percentage of life remaining.

At the other end of the age scale, we find that children often think an hour’s trip is an eternity. For them, time is often moving at a snail’s pace. 

In my own life, I have noticed that my time in elementary school seemed very long compared to my time in junior high and high school. And my time in college seemed to pass much faster than my high school years. Perhaps because everything is new to the young, they focus on every detail, while adults tune out much that has become routine.

Whatever the cause, our perceptions of the passage of time do seem to be related to our current activities, our degrees of focus, and the amounts of pleasure we get from those activities. This concept of psychological time is measured by our senses and brain. This type of time is contrasted with physical time as measured by some external device such as a clock.

What type of time do we experience in dreams? The film industry has much to say about this with movies like Inception. But does this movie or other similar interpretations have any real relationship to actual dreams. 

The answer is probably not. Studies have been conducted to try to determine how real time and dreamtime differ. The consensus opinion seems to be that they don’t. See http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/time-passes-dreams/ and http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/inception-time-passes-slower.php 

The passage of time in dreams is similar to actual waking life. Maybe the explanation given by Christopher Nolan who made the film Inception is correct. He suggests that because in dreams we can change locations and focus in an instant, we think that a greater amount of time is involved. 

Suppose in a dream we walk out to our car to drive to work. The scene can abruptly shift from walking to the car to arriving at work. Similarly, once we arrive, the next scene may have us in our office. 

We have a perception that a certain amount of time has passed because we associate the drive to work and walk into the building with the passage of a certain amount of time. In fact, only a few minutes may have passed because of the way the mind can rapidly shift scenes and focus, and roughly corresponds with actual time spent dreaming.

Of course, we also have the rapid scene changes in movies and TV programs as well. The passage of a certain amount of time is suggested, but we are observers and realize it does not relate to the actual time spent watching the movie or program. In dreams, we are participants and not just observers, so perhaps we are fooled about the actual time duration as suggested by Christopher Nolan.

In any case, one effect is real and can be measured. I have written about the lengthening of dreams in a previous post. Dreams increase in length as the night progresses, with the last dream being the longest. The last dream can last up to 45 minutes. So with the additional effect of a long time passage due to rapid scene changes, we can awake with the perception that we experienced days or even weeks or longer in the dream.

Relationships, the Devil Made Me Do It, and Dreams

Relationships have always been challenging, but today they seem even more so. The divorce statistics show a breakdown of the traditional family, and the number of people on medication due to stressful relationships is frightening. Nowadays it is common to meet people who have three or more failed marriages, and some will acknowledge many more relationships that did not result in marriage.

When I was a young man, I would occasionally chat with an older man where I was employed who liked to tell stories about his life experiences. Once he confessed that he had some bad experiences with women in his life. He told me about a marriage that was not good and claimed the woman was the bane of his existence. I asked him why he married her, and he gave his favorite response: "the devil made me do it." Well, I’m not sure what he meant by devil, but I suspect he could find the answer within himself with a little searching.

So why is it so difficult for people to find happiness in a relationship? Are they just having bad luck, or is something more involved? I don’t pretend to be a sociologist; my understanding is based on observation. During my lifetime, I have heard few people say they sought help through prayer for confirmation before committing to an intimate relationship. 

I recall hearing even fewer people say that they looked to dreams for guidance before entering into a serious relationship. And those individuals I knew who did seek guidance through their dreams were involved in an Edgar Cayce study group, where dreams were discussed during a part of each meeting and daily recording and interpretation was encouraged.

No one has to enter into an intimate relationship wondering if he or she has done the right thing. If you seek guidance from your dreams, a great deal of grief can be avoided. Often if a relationship ends badly, there were signs along the way that not all was well, but the signs were ignored. Dreams will focus attention on the visible signs that were ignored, reminding the dreamer that the information is relevant and needs to be heeded.

Beyond the visible signs, there can be much more. On a subconscious level, a steady stream of telepathy between your minds could offer far greater insight, but would remain hidden unless you paid attention to your dreams. These communications may reflect deeper aspects of your individual characters and contain relevant information one or both of you was trying to hide. 

In an earlier post, I described a conversation I overheard between two young women. One woman thought she had met the perfect man and was planning to marry him, except for one “small” problem. The “small” problem was he didn’t like her children at all. Now, perhaps she thought he would come to like her kids in time, that it was an attitude on his part she could change.

I would love to see that woman’s dreams. If this relationship was doomed from the start, as it appeared to be, her dreams would make that clear, and almost certain grief could be avoided.

The above situation does not require dream guidance to realize there is a problem. To some extent, she did realize the problem. But her dreams could drive home a message in a forceful way, perhaps by showing her the consequences of her planned action. In this case, the problem was not hidden; the severity of it was just not recognized.

In other cases, one of the pair might be living a double life. If the dishonest one is clever, he or she may be able to conceal it from the partner’s conscious awareness. However, nothing is hidden from the subconscious. If the victim paid attention to his (her) dreams, he (she) would quickly discover that something is wrong. 

I cannot think of a better tool for discovering unseen intentions and actions and the true morality of the other person. In this situation, dreams can also provide a view of the consequences of actions, in this case entering into a relationship without accurate knowledge of the other person’s true character and intentions.

I have avoided pursuing relationships on several occasions because of warnings or advice from my dreams. One time, I was told we really didn’t have much in common. Another time, I was told the woman had some serious issues, which were not readily apparent to me at that time. Of course, for the guidance to be beneficial, it must be recognized and the appropriate action taken, sometimes a difficult thing to do. 

If someone is determined to push forward with a relationship, even though warnings have been seen in dreams, little can be done. One always has the option of ignoring a dream and its message; most people already do that.

If you really want to improve your relationships with friends, coworkers, and a partner, you should study your dreams and apply what you learn. If you are in a bad relationship, I think you will find that the devil did not make you enter into the relationship, unless by devil you mean your own desires. If you are in a good relationship, there is always room for greater understanding. 

I am not including family relationships such as with parents or children. There are special issues associated with them. One obvious one is that you do not choose these relationships as a conscious act in this life. You have to learn how to deal with the personalities that make up the family in which you find yourself.

In addition to heeding a warning in a specific situation, you may need to work on understanding the cause. If you have a string of disastrous relationships in your past, you need to understand why. This may take some real work and not be resolved by a single dream or two. By interpreting your dreams, you will begin to understand your choices and the reasons for them. This can be quite therapeutic, and would enhance the value of any time you spend with a therapist, who may ask you about your dreams. 

I am not providing any advice concerning health care, whether physical or mental. If you find yourself unable to cope, you should seek professional help. My posts are for relatively normal people who want to improve their lives. I think working with your dreams can help you avoid getting into a state that requires professional help, but if you are already there, by all means seek help. 

My goal is to make people aware of the potential of dreams. I try to do that by drawing on my own experience and many years of working with my dreams. My own life benefited greatly and I hope my commentary will help others realize similar or greater benefits.

If you already have a good relationship with a partner and friends, I think you can still benefit. You will find your dreams contain some surprises and room for growth.

Your Appearance in Dreams

In your self-aware dreams, dreams in which you are aware of yourself and your surroundings, what is your appearance? This may be an essential part of the dream. And this may provide a clue as to the message of the dream.

Let’s consider some examples. These examples reflect negative conditions to be corrected. The opposite of the negative conditions in dreams would indicate that positive effects symbolized are found in your daily life.

You might dream your hair is disarray with strands sticking out in all directions. This may indicate that your thoughts are in disarray, and you should reflect on the recent state of your mind. Your thoughts are associated with your mind and mental appearance, much as your hair is associated with your head and physical appearance.

I have previously written about the appearance of your teeth in a dream, but I will repeat it here due to its common occurrence as a symbol in dreams. I can best explain this symbol with an example taken from my book. I once had a young server in a restaurant express anxiety about a dream she had concerning her upper front teeth.

She said she dreamed that her teeth broke off making her appear ugly. This dream terrified her because she had expensive crowns on the teeth and feared they were about to break off. Some questioning revealed that the day before the dream she had a major argument with her boyfriend and admitted saying some ugly, hurtful things to him. The dream was the response of her higher self to her actions and appraisal of how her words made her appear to her soul.

You may dream about your eyes. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, a broken lens in the right eye could indicate that you are not seeing a situation correctly. Your right vision is impaired. Of course, if you are seeing clearly through lenses that have been cleaned, this is an indication that in your life you are seeing clearly. This type of dream could extend to a window or windshield if you are driving automobile, but here I want to focus on dreams involving personal appearance.

Next, we have the clothing you wear in a dream. Are you fully clothed? Are you neatly dressed, or are your clothes in disarray? If items of clothing are missing, what are they? What is the color of the various items of clothing? The answers to these questions begin to fill out the theme and overall message of the dream. 

Suppose you are naked in a dream. This probably does not mean you are an exhibitionist. A more likely scenario is that you are completely exposed in your life, usually in an emotional way. If you pour out your feelings to everyone you encounter, you might be depicted as naked in a dream. It has nothing to do with sex.

Clothing in dreams often represents our values. In our conscious world, clothing can make us appear physically attractive and sends a message about our concern for our appearance, our consideration for how we appear to others and ourselves. In dreams, the values we espouse and demonstrate reveal a spiritual appearance,  and can be regarded as clothing for the soul. 

Torn or dirty clothes may indicate a need to address your values and make changes that will be more acceptable to your higher self. If you are dressed up and display your best appearance in a dream, this can be a positive affirmation of your values.

The color of clothing items in a dream is very important. Colors associated with the lower chakras such as red, orange, yellow, and green could have negative connotations in a dream, but for a determination, the context would have to be examined. An example is green, which could denote healing or jealousy. 

The colors associated with the higher chakras such as blue, purple and, lavender are often found in spiritual dreams. If you have just purchased or put on a suit or dress that is blue, this could well mean you have chosen to pursue a spiritual path.

Shoes in a dream can be a very important symbol because shoes provide support for us when we stand or walk. If your shoes are in bad repair, your spiritual foundation needs to be examined. Color also provides an important clue. The color can tell you whether your foundation is spiritual or purely material. Clothing such as pants can also relate to a person’s foundation, since the legs support one’s body. 

I have provided a few examples of dream symbols related to personal appearance and their use in a dream to convey messages. Dream dictionaries may contain hundreds of symbols along with their possible meanings. However, you cannot interpret a dream simply by looking up symbols. You have to examine your life and understand your own thoughts and the associations you have with the symbols in your dreams. They may or may not correspond to accepted meanings. 

I will repeat what is clearly stated by two of the best metaphysical sources on dream material. Edgar Cayce and the Seth of Jane Roberts both make clear that you must interpret your own dreams to fully benefit from them. Your dreams were created by your mind and you must do the work to decipher them. Your dreams are intimately involved with your conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions; you cannot understand your dreams unless you understand yourself. 

Another way of saying this is that understanding your dreams is understanding yourself. Sometimes the insight into yourself comes first and gives you insight into the meaning of a dream, and other times the insight into a dream symbol leads to an insight into yourself.

More About People You Meet in Dreams

Some believe that the people you meet in dreams are all aspects of yourself. Others, who are often more of a metaphysical mind, take a more literal interpretation and think any encounter with someone is really with that person, including someone who has passed over. I believe that both views are wrong.

I have numerous examples of dreams that clearly indicate some of the encounters with individuals in dreams were to make me aware of issues the person I encountered was experiencing. Later discussions with the individuals revealed that the information the individual provided in the dream was completely accurate.

I have also had dream encounters with individuals who have passed over. Some reflection on the dreams usually quickly revealed that the person in the dream had a defining characteristic similar to someone very much alive with whom I actually had the encounter.

I think that many, but not all, of the people we encounter in dreams are aspects of ourselves. As an example, suppose you dream that someone you know has just moved into your house or apartment with all his or her baggage. This may mean that you have recently adopted a characteristic or behavior that you associate with that individual. So in this case the person you meet is an aspect of yourself strongly associated with this other person.

If you are old and have felt your physical ability is declining, but recently have experienced a burst of energy and a more youthful outlook, you may dream that someone you consider very energetic and youthful is moving into your place. If you are young and impetuous, but recently have listened to someone older and wiser, you may dream that someone you respect for age and experience is moving into your place with his or her luggage.

We must always look for associations when interpreting our dreams. This is especially true when we dream about the departed. You may dream about a family member who has passed over, and this dream may help you deal with the loss of this person, especially if the relationship was close. The dream could occur to give you that reassurance that life does not end with a physical death, but existence continues in a different form.

However, often this is not the case. The person who has passed over may be chosen by the subconscious to play a part in your dream because of your associations with that person.

As an example, suppose your mother has passed over, and your mother was someone whom you considered, and still consider, exceptionally loving and giving. An encounter with your mother in the dream may represent a recent or future encounter with another person who has those qualities. You dream used your mother as a symbol because of your strong identifications of her with those qualities.

I recently dreamed of a brief meeting with a friend who passed over nearly ten years ago. Some reflection on the dream and my recent encounters with family and friends made it clear that the dream was not a literal encounter. I strongly associated a certain characteristic and behavior with this individual, which I recently observed in a major way with someone close to me who is very much alive.

This is a reminder of one of the first principles: Dreams are usually not literal. I will discuss the times when dreams are literal in a future post.

In my case, dreams that I believe were actual encounters with someone who passed usually occurred shortly after the person’s passing. I have had pre-sleep experiences concerning my mother who passed more than fifteen years ago, but I do not regard them as dreams. The pre-sleep experiences were psychic experiences that occurred as I was falling asleep rather than dreams.

The dividing line is nebulous; some consider dreams as only occurring during REM sleep, although studies have shown that this is not the case. Dreams can occur outside the REM cycle, but still happen when we are asleep. As we pass from the beta state to an alpha state just before entering sleep, we are open to paranormal experiences that are not normally regarded as dreams, although some may call them waking dreams. You may want to review my post Seeking Answers from Dreams on 4/08/2015.

Invasion of Ants and Other Insects

Dreams help us maintain a sense of balance in our lives. If we become unbalanced in some way, we are likely to have dreams that reveal that condition. In the previous post, I wrote about storms in our lives when major imbalances occur. This post is about how minor problems or irritations are reflected in our dreams. If our responses to minor issues are not corrected, they could become major and blowups could occur resulting in stressful upsets or confrontation with others.

We all go through mental cycles and experience both highs and lows. Sometimes we can deal with the most difficult problems and still feel cheerful and in control. Other times, we become irritated by even small problems even though they will not have any lasting effect. 

One way to recognize when we are becoming overly affected by small issues is through our dreams. In our conscious state, we may not recognize when we are being unduly sharp with family and friends. They may be left wondering why we are so easily irritated, and we think we are just being our normal selves.

Dreams about insects are one way that minor irritations are reflected in our dreams. If you feel aggravated by small problems, you may well dream that your house is being invaded by ants or other small insects. The room affected should provide a clue about the issues involved. 

If you find the ant invasion in the kitchen, the irritations you have been experiencing most likely relate to food in some way, perhaps frustration with the results of a diet or unhappiness over how some meal turned out. Of course, you should first consider the possibility that carelessness regarding food cleanup and storage is the cause of the ant invasion. 

Also, consider the degree of the infestation. Is the room filled with ants, or do you just see a few ants starting to emerge. This could indicate whether the problem is in full swing or just starting to emerge.

The ants might be oversized in your dream, which could indicate you are making something a bigger problem than it actually is. To understand your dream, you need to reflect carefully on your mental state when the dream occurred. The dream most likely relates to recent events. By recognizing what you are doing with your thoughts, you can make changes and once again assume control.

Sometimes the invading insects are bees or other flying insects that can sting or bite. This may suggest that your irritations have a sting to them and not just a nuisance. You may have felt stung by someone’s words or actions. The effect is not life threatening, but does cause a degree of discomfort. There are many possibilities or variations for your dreams. You must examine your conscious mind to identify the associations you have with the particular insect. 

Perhaps the insect is a cockroach, an insect you may consider highly undesirable. They are certainly prevalent where I live in Florida and considered very objectionable by most people. You might associate them with filth, and their occurrence in a dream may mean that something you regard as filthy, dirty, or unwanted is creeping into your life.

Storms in Dreams

The presence of storms in dreams is often an indicator that your life, a situation, or the environment has seen or will see turmoil. In my book, I describe a dream I had in the early years of my work with dreams that showed two tornadoes of different sizes hitting my place of employment. 

The largest tornado hit the main building, and a smaller one hit the satellite building where I worked. Within a few weeks, layoffs were announced with the largest number occurring in the main facility. The impact on the group in the satellite building was small by comparison. Of course, the turmoil was the resulting chaos in many people’s lives due to the loss of their jobs.

Other types of storms occur in dreams as well. The area where you live might suddenly become blanketed by a huge snowstorm. In this case, in your conscious life, you might feel snowed in by a mountain of problems that suddenly hits you. If, in the dream, you have to do some serious shoveling to dig out or make a path to the highway, you will most likely be faced with the need to apply great effort to extricate yourself from your conscious-life situation.

The storms are not always major ones. In a dream, you might look out or walk out to find snow or rain, but not see it as a major storm. In this case, you may encounter a challenging situation or unpleasant period in your life, but you may feel it is not a major concern.

Storms in dreams can be limited to you, or they may relate to a broader group such as your coworkers, and in some cases may involve an entire geographic region or nation. 

I live in Florida, now in the hurricane season, so I pay particular attention to dreams involving tropical storms or hurricanes. Normally, such dreams are not literal and relate to emotional states. However, it is prudent to look at the possibility of an actual event first, and then consider other meanings.

In addition to the storm, you need to consider the environment and your relationship to the storm in your dream. Is your safety threatened in the dream? Are you in the middle of it or just an observer? What is your mood in the dream? Are there other people in the dream, and if so, how are they affected?

If everything in your life seems to be on an even keel and one night you dream that a snowstorm buries your house or a tornado destroys it, you should become very alert to the possibility of something major and devastating hitting in the near future. The type of storm that hits in the dream should be examined in relation to your thoughts and feelings about that type of storm. Is the storm in the dream your worst nightmare, the type you most fear and consider most destructive, or is it damaging but not the worst that could happen? Only you can answer that. 

Your dream selected a particular type of storm because of your associations with it. The dream did not just randomly select a tornado versus some other disturbance. Dreams have a purpose; they do not just randomly select symbols.

A storm in a dream can relate to an event that has occurred recently, or it can be precognitive and a warning of what is about to occur. I have experienced both types of dreams. The tornado dream related to my place of employment was precognitive, but I have also had dreams of being buried by a snowstorm after I encountered some overwhelming challenges that I had to face. As depicted in the dream, I felt like I had been buried by problems related to a personal situation. 

There is an ebb and flow to life, and likewise dreams have a certain flow to them. If your house is destroyed by a tornado or you find yourself buried by a snowstorm, this does not mean the situation is permanent. Your dream is reflecting a current situation, and how you deal with it will determine the outcome. 

The next night you might have a dream showing a much more encouraging situation. Dream content and messages can change rapidly. Sometimes you will have a series of dreams showing your flaws, and after that series completes you will have one that builds upon your strengths and successes and provides a more positive tone. The overall process is one of growth, provided you apply your dream guidance and make a sincere effort to bring your conscious life into harmony with your soul’s purpose.

Some Examples of Exceptional Mind Power (Savants)

The Law of Psychic Phenomena contains some remarkable stories about individuals who have demonstrated unusual mental abilities. Some additional sources of stories about and information on individuals who have demonstrated amazing powers of the mind are provided in this post.

The book Extraordinary People by Darold A. Treffert, M.D., a psychiatrist with institutional experience who has specialized in the area of Savant Syndrome, details some of the stories of remarkable genius that often occurs. The Savant Syndrome, considered an extremely rare condition, occurs often enough to have been studied by medical practitioners and researchers.

The popular movie Rain Man starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise illustrates some of the capabilities and problems associated with the Savant Syndrome. Kim Peek, a savant who had FG syndrome, was the inspiration for the movie Rain Man and the subject of many investigations. He was the subject of 60 Minutes, The Learning Channel, CNN, and many other news services.

There is a best-selling, autobiographical book called Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet that chronicles the life of an autistic with the Savant Syndrome. Daniel is unique in his ability to communicate to others what it was like to grow up as an autistic and how he experiences life. It is a fascinating look inside the mind of an autistic and savant.

There are certain definite mental feats that manifest themselves in someone with Savant Syndrome. The savant usually exhibits striking flashes of genius in a specific area and is able to perform mental feats that dazzle even the highly educated. The areas where such feats are found are the following: music, calculating ability, calendar dates, and memory. Daniel Tammet possessed the last three to varying degrees.

The world is well aware of musical prodigies like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose genius began to manifest at an early age and was composing by age five, but how many know about “Blind Tom” Wiggins. “Blind Tom” was a black slave who as a boy traveled on a piano concert tour that included the White House, and astounded the listeners with his performances. He is reported to have had a musical repertoire of several thousand pieces, but a limited vocabulary made it difficult for him to communicate with others. 

“Blind Tom” obviously could not read music and had to play a piece from memory. He was often able to hear a composition once and play it back note for note without error. He not only displayed a musical ability that placed him among the top rank of his day; he demonstrated an incredible memory in the process as well.

There is the remarkable story of Leslie Lemke recounted in Extraordinary People. Born prematurely in 1952 and soon rendered sightless by surgical removable of his eyes due to childhood glaucoma, he overcame all odds with the help of a loving foster mother, May Lemke. 

Like “Blind Tom,” Leslie was soon to demonstrate a remarkable musical ability by playing a piece on the piano from memory. He could transpose songs sung in a foreign language to the piano, and he could sing them back in the native language as he heard them. Leslie appeared on That’s Incredible!, the Donahue television show, and was the subject of the television movie The Woman Who Willed a Miracle.

Daniel Tammet describes some remarkable calculating abilities of his own, but what is unusual is the way he sees numbers. To him, numbers appear as colors, and he used this sense to accomplish one of his feats, which was the memorization and recitation of 22,000 digits of pi to set a UK record. Instead of seeing a long string of numbers as most of us would in remembering a sequence, he saw a line of changing colors that allowed him to recognize the numbers.

His descriptions of how he perceives might be a form of synesthesia where sounds take on color and color induces some other sense. It is a neurological condition where one sense perception can activate another. The condition has also been induced through drug use and is reported in deep meditative or trance states.

In Daniel’s case, in his remembering, he is seeing numbers, but his seeing is different from others. Instead of distinct shapes or glyphs, he is seeing colors.

The memory access that many of the savants have is truly extraordinary. Whether it is music, language, dates, names of cities, contents of books or something else, they are often able to demonstrate perfect recall of an incredible amount of data. In Born on a Blue Day, Daniel Tammet describes Kim Peek’s ability to recall all the content of thousands of books. Most of us can barely remember what we read in the paper yesterday.

Not all people with the amazing abilities described are autistic savants or suffer from some other learning disability. Some geniuses like Mozart in music and John von Neumann in mathematics possessed the abilities described. 

Von Neumann exhibited the prodigious memory and lightening calculating abilities of the savants, but he also had remarkable logical mind that elevated him to pre-eminence among mathematicians during the last century. In addition to his groundbreaking contributions in several areas of mathematics and physics, he is considered the father of the modern computer. 

Von Neumann was said to have a nearly perfect memory, could converse rapidly any one of five languages and could multiply large numbers of a half dozen or more digits in his head. By his contemporaries, he was considered to be in a class by himself.

Now, if you are feeling a bit inadequate at this point, remember that these are examples of a few unique individuals who possess abilities that are still considered quite rare. The main point here is that the conscious mind in each of these examples exhibits capabilities that most of us do not believe we possess. However, under hypnosis similar feats, especially regarding memory and the power of logical deduction, have been demonstrated by ordinary people.

Perhaps these individuals have these abilities because for some genetic or physiological reason they have the ability to access the subconscious more easily than the rest of us. For them, data or information they need that was previously encountered is just there; information relating to books previously read or music heard long ago is instantly accessible. 

For others, it may be necessary to resort to hypnosis to recover data that slipped into the subconscious, forgotten. Hypnosis has been used for this purpose during criminal investigations.

I am not going to tell you that meditation and working with dreams will give you a perfect memory or tell you that you will suddenly become a calculating wizard, but I believe you can become more proficient at accessing information stored in your subconscious mind. And through dreams, you will begin to see the results of the tremendous powers of logical deduction and problem solving possessed by the subconscious mind. In another post, I will cite some of the many examples of major discoveries or breakthroughs due to dreams.

If you are not familiar with the story of Edgar Cayce, I suggest you read There Is a River by Thomas Sugrue. This remarkable story illustrates the tremendous potential of the subconscious mind that was tapped by Edgar Cayce through a self-induced trance. 

While in trance, he said that others could do what he did through their dreams, if they were willing to pay the price. Many consider him the greatest psychic of the 20th century—and he was one of the best documented. Yet, he said we all possessed that latent ability, which can be accessed through our dreams.

The Law of Psychic Phenomena by Thomson Jay Hudson

In 1893, The Law of Psychic Phenomena by Thomson Jay Hudson was published and presented a working hypothesis for the systematic study of the vast potential of man’s mind. This work was also referred to in the Cayce trance readings as a book one should read to understand what happened during a reading. 

In Hudson’s work, there are two aspects of mind: objective and subjective. The two minds are very different in their purpose and capabilities. 

In modern terminology, the objective mind is the conscious reasoning mind. The subjective mind is the subconscious mind with enormous powers of deduction and memory and provides control of the autonomic nervous system. According to Hudson, the two aspects of mind, when properly understood, provide answers for phenomena not previously understood such as hypnosis, psychic phenomena, and faith healing.

This seminal work by Thomson Jay Hudson is a classic that should be a starting point for those who want a better understanding of the mind and its potential. Much of what Hudson learned was based on studies of hypnotic experiments, which have been replicated at many universities over the years since the publication of his work. 

He also examined research in the psychic field and various types of non-medical healing. Hudson recognized that the key underlying principle was “suggestion” and provided numerous examples of its use in everything from stage demonstrations to faith healing of incurable diseases.

For those who believe they have made contact with a spirit guide or entity while in a trance, this book is a required read. It provides important background that someone delving into the psychic or paranormal field should have. Hudson does not support some activities that he regards as dangerous, but the reader can draw his or her own conclusions. 

A person’s mind has enormous, in most cases untapped, capabilities. I believe that sometimes the mind creates an external reality to speak to a person, because the person does not believe he or she possesses the abilities demonstrated by the external entity.

The results of hypnotic experiments demonstrate just how erudite the subconscious can sound. In a hypnotic state, the person can intelligently discuss the most sophisticated philosophical systems, while in a normal state be completely ignorant of such topics. 

One person was hypnotized to believe he was talking to the spirit of Socrates, and he carried out a most interesting and enlightening dialogue with an imaginary Socrates. Even the readings from one of the best known modern-day trance mediums, Jane Roberts, who channeled the presence Seth, suggests that she and Seth were linked in a stronger way than she initially thought, and that Seth was more than simply an external entity.

If you doubt the power of the mind, I suggest you examine the history of hypnosis as an alternative to or supplement for traditional methods of anesthesia in surgery. The use of hypnosis is now studied for potential benefits for patients both prior to surgery and post operation. Unfortunately, stage demonstrations in the 1800s and early 1900s caused many to regard hypnosis as something used by entertainers with little or no practical value, a stigma that is still attached to it today.

In the 1950s, the scientific community began taking a fresh look at this phenomenon. Now there is widespread recognition of the effect of mind on the body, and hypnosis has become a valuable tool in helping people in a clinical setting. However, I’m not certain you will find it utilized in many hospitals.

The power of suggestion is invoked by everyone on a daily basis. Our constant mind chatter feeds suggestions to ourselves that have a real effect on our physical bodies and environments.

Positive use is made of the power of autosuggestion by athletes to improve their performance, and psychologists and psychiatrists certainly recognize its effect. Hudson’s principle of suggestion is the basis for much of the new thought we find in self-help books and the teachings of Unity and some other Christian religious denominations.

On the medical side, today we still seem to be missing family physicians who understand the principle. They often consider the mental as unrelated to most health issues. We need physicians who can treat the entire person and understand the effect of mind on body. 

Ask yourself how many times your doctor has inquired about stress in your life, as well as your diet, or the amount exercise you get each day. Does your doctor have a good understanding of your mental health?

The importance of mind to the health of the body was repeatedly stated in the Cayce readings in the 1920s, ‘30s, and early ‘40s, which is why he is regarded by some as the father of modern holistic medicine. Cayce recognized the role mind plays in disease long before most in the medical profession. 

The doctors I have met or friends and family members have encountered still seem largely ignorant of that role. They are good at naming diseases and prescribing medication, but often not very good at getting at the root cause for the disease.

I don’t think it is far-fetched to say that few doctors know anything about dreams, and those that have some knowledge are often recalling some of Freud’s outdated theories they were taught in medical school. I am fortunate in having an open-minded physician. She read my book and immediately recalled two dreams, one of which was precognitive. 

The precognitive dream involved the dire condition of a food crop, which she couldn’t understand at the time. The next day she was watching the national news when the same condition for that food crop was reported. 

Hopefully, in the future we will see doctors who are trained to ask about the patient’s dreams as part of the process of understanding the patient’s illness. Of course, this will not be of much value until more people are taught to record their dreams.

More about Your Soul's Purpose

I have previously written about finding your soul’s purpose through your dreams (10/31/2014). In this post, I will elaborate further on this topic. 

The main answers to my own searching came in the form of two dreams early in my work with dreams. Before I elaborate further on my own experience, there are several things to consider when examining the personal value of such information.

Some of you may have searched for many years, as I had, to determine your purpose on this earth. Others may feel that life is fine, so are unconcerned about it. Maybe you think you have already found your purpose in life and don’t need to examine your dreams for answers. 

Perhaps you are happy and fulfilled in what you do. If this is your situation, I think dreams still provide a value in confirming what you already believe, and may show you how you can enlarge upon your current interests and involvements.

Others may have a job that adequately provides for needs, but there may be times when there is a feeling of emptiness or lack of fulfillment. The job pays the bills, but that is all. 

Perhaps you live in a beautiful house in a good neighborhood, but there is still a feeling of emptiness at times. You feel that there must be more to life. If this is your situation, I think seeking your soul’s purpose through dreams could be extremely beneficial.

Finally, people who never find anything truly satisfying could change their entire lives by discovering their souls’ purpose. They are unhappy in their job and feel that life is without meaning. They don’t think they have a purpose or have given up on finding it. For these people, I think dreams could be their salvation. From their dreams, they could gain insights about themselves and discover why their souls are on this earth.

Your soul’s purpose is not necessarily what you think it is, if you have reflected upon it enough to identify a purpose. You may be extremely successful in some career, but your soul’s purpose may be some family challenge or other difficult relationship that you are on this earth to resolve. 

The very thing or person you consider a burden might relate to your soul’s purpose. The challenge presented is what you are here to understand and accept.

In my own case, I had a dream one night in which I was asking to have my soul’s purpose revealed. Suddenly, I heard a loud voice booming from the sky. The voice asked if I really wanted to know my soul’s purpose. I stammered, “yes,” somewhat fearful of the answer. 

I was immediately shown an image of myself engaged in a teaching activity, related to some of my past spiritual activities and current pursuits with my book and blog. In a second dream on another night, I was shown that my purpose also involved my relationship with two other individuals. Challenges were involved that I needed to understand and accept.

I believe you can find your soul’s purpose through your dreams. But you must be sincere in your desire and willing to act upon the information. Also, do not approach your search with preconceived notions, unless you are seeking a yes or no answer for what you think is your soul’s purpose. If you are open and sincere, you will receive an answer, but it may not be what you expect or consciously desire. 

Your soul’s purpose is not necessarily related to a job or occupation. What you do to earn a living may not be your soul’s primary concern. You may be in this life to overcome personal limitations such as fear of expressing yourself or avoidance of responsibility. 

If your soul’s purpose involves a specific activity, you can find ways to make your career compatible with it. Sometimes they can be made one and the same. But you might have to pursue your soul’s purpose outside the hours of your employment. 

Sometimes people start with a hobby or volunteer activity that is their real love. It might turn into a career, but even if it doesn’t, it can provide a real sense of value and may be furthering their spiritual growth far more than their jobs. Of course, if you are on this earth to learn how to deal with certain personal issues, you may be able to accomplish that objective in any vocation.

More About Carl Jung, Edgar Cayce, and Dreams

In Carl Jung’s view, humankind shared certain memories and experiences as innate patterns that are part of human evolution that show up in dreams as archetypal symbols. The wise old man or woman and the animus and anima are such patterns. 

Carl Jung was an influential thinker whose interests encompassed philosophy, religion, and Eastern cultures. He studied dreams and created a new approach to dream interpretation with the inclusion of spiritual elements that surface as archetypal symbols. In Jung’s view, it was important for a person to integrate his conscious and unconscious minds, under control of the conscious mind, to become whole as a person.

There is much in common between the philosophy of Jung and the picture of man that emerges from the Cayce trance readings. Edgar Cayce referred to what he called the akashic records that he said contained all thoughts throughout history, not just archetypal symbols, but detailed records that he accessed for his life readings. 

The term “akashic records” derives from theosophy and refers to the existence of a non-physical storehouse of everything that has ever occurred in the history of the cosmos. The akashic records are sometimes called God’s library of remembrance.

In the Cayce readings, thoughts are things with energy that leave a lasting impression or trace that can be read or accessed by someone with requisite attunement. As mentioned in a previous post (The Nature of Mind on 6/01/2015), Cayce also described a model of the mind that consisted of the conscious reasoning mind, the subconscious mind that controls the autonomic processes, and the superconscious mind with a direct connection to the Creator.

The readings indicate that humanity was not paying enough attention to dreams and recognizing their relevance to daily life. Cayce said that dreams would benefit the individual, if the individual would interpret them correctly. In connection with precognitive dreams, he said, “dreams are that of which the subconscious is made, for any conditions ever becoming reality is first dreamed.” (Reading No. 136-7)*. Note that the readings use of is rather than are, but perhaps the word conditions was recorded incorrectly and was really condition.

After a lifetime of studying and interpreting my own dreams, I am convinced that Edgar Cayce was correct. Every significant event in my life was first dreamed. Events to not just happen to us; they do not spring from nowhere in a random and unpredictable way. They first occur on a psychic level built within the subconscious before emerging into physical reality. We can deny that fact or ignore it, but that doesn’t change its reality. 

My belief that more people need to be made aware of this led to my writing and publication of my memoir that explains how this occurred in my own life. I include a description of the process I followed, and still follow, and provide suggestions for how the reader can achieve similar results.






*Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993-2007 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Nature of Mind

In my memoir and posts on my blog, I have often used the term subconscious rather than unconscious. In psychology, three aspects of mind are recognized, although there is not universal agreement to this division. The mind is divided into conscious, subconscious, and unconscious aspects.

The conscious mind is what we are aware of at any given moment. If I am talking with you, I am aware of your presence and words. 

The subconscious mind is one level removed. If I wanted to telephone you the next day, I might not be thinking of your telephone number during our conversation, so it is not conscious. But unless I have a poor memory for numbers, I can recall it when I need it. The telephone number is in my subconscious mind and includes information that I can recall if I turn my attention to it. 

The unconscious, a Freudian term, contains data I cannot normally recall such as repressed memories and basic instinctual drives. Most childhood memories cannot normally be recalled, but they have gone into molding your adult personality. They are in the realm of the unconscious, but can find their way into consciousness through dreams.

There is disagreement about this division. Some believe, as I do, that long forgotten events can be recalled and are not forever buried in some dark corner of the unconscious. Because of my belief, I often use the term subconscious when talking about dreams and long forgotten memories, even if they cannot normally be consciously recalled.

The work of Carl Jung is worth examining for a further study of the development of the concept of mind by psychologists. Jung was a psychiatrist who developed the concept of a universal consciousness. He split the unconscious mind of Freud into two parts: a personal one and a universal one or collective unconscious, with all humans sharing certain primordial patterns and images such as are found in religious mythology. 

In Jung’s approach, certain shared human characteristics and traits emerged in dreams through archetypal symbols finding concrete expression as a child, old man, old woman, or an aspect of nature such as a flood.

Edgar Cayce presented a still different view of mind in his psychic readings. In the Cayce view, there are three aspects of mind: conscious, subconscious, and superconscious. Cayce's subconscious contains information that can be recalled and is also the area of mind where most dreams occur, particularly dreams that deal with daily challenges. 

The superconscious, according to Cayce, is a part of the mind that has never left its source and retains memory of the Creator. Dreams that are direct messages from God would originate in the superconscious. Spiritual dreams are from this highest level.

Cayce indicated that after death the subconscious becomes the conscious mind and the superconscious becomes the subconscious. Of course, there is no clean division or boundaries for three separate minds. There is one mind with three different aspects.

Your work with dreams will help you recover memories that have long been forgotten that may be having a negative impact on your life. You will become more conscious of your drives and desires, and see how they are forming your daily life. 

The unconscious becomes conscious through your dreams, and you will often discover that the knowledge was there all along pushed aside and unexamined in your conscious mind. Your dreams make you aware that information you ignored needs to be brought into the light and examined. You need to see it and understand how it forms your current reality.

I am not suggesting you focus only on areas that are having a negative impact on you daily life. You may find treasures that have been totally overlooked. Something you buried deep in your subconscious as irrelevant may contain the answer to a problem or evidence of an undeveloped ability that could be developed into a new career. Jewels can be found that can be recognized through dream associations and the interpreting of your dreams.