This last election, with some
incomplete results, shows a much-divided America. Each side in the division
looks with scorn and contempt on the other side. Many of the core believers,
whether espousing a democratic or republican philosophy, think they are right in
all of their beliefs and the opposing views are nothing short of evil. People
are now readily demonized based on how they cast their vote. We can no longer
talk with one another, and political philosophy now defines our worth as a
person.
My many years of studying my dreams
has taught me that things are seldom as clear cut as our conscious minds might
believe. The conscious mind develops filters during our formative years, and by
the time we are adults, we see life through those filters. We think we see life
as it is, the real world. But few people see the real world because anything
that conflicts with their biases is filtered out and never really seen. The
beliefs of our parents, the geographic location where we were raised, our
religious training, the school where we were educated, the state of our health,
and other influences during our formative years have all gone into creating our
worldviews.
Even when I thought I was seeing
everything clearly, my dreams have shown me that sometimes my view was not
completely accurate. This is one of the great benefits of the study of our
dreams. We quickly learn when our approach to a problem or position we have
chosen is not correct. This allows us to see things in a broader way and make
adjustments before we become completely committed to an erroneous position or
bad approach. It is often difficult to see ourselves as we really are, not as
we think we are or would like to be seen. But seeing the truth heals and
grounds us in reality.
At this time in our society, there
is much hate. Many people decry that hate and are quick to find blame. They believe
the other person or group is the one responsible for all the hate. In reality, I think many of us contribute in some way. The world we experience
reflects the beliefs of the society in which we live. And we are all part of
that society. We all need to first examine our own biases and hates—yes, hates—
to ensure that we are not contributing to the problem. If we look at people we
consider the opposition and cannot find any good in them, we are probably not
helping to reduce the fractious forces operating in America today.
Some few may be among the greater contributors
to hate. But I think we must all first look within ourselves to resolve our own hate before pointing the finger at another person or
group. That does not mean we cannot take positions and point out wrongs when we
see them. However, we cannot spiel vitriol ourselves and claim we are not contributors
to the hate that is so prevalent.
The subconscious mind speaks to us
every night through dreams. It assesses what we have thought and done during
the awake hours. Some have suggested that it is the soul’s review of each day’s
activities. If we want to live a life that is free of illusion, we must unite
the conscious and subconscious aspects of ourselves. We can begin to do this
through an interpretation and study of our dreams.
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