The unconscious mind speaks a language of symbols, colors, stories and metaphors. Dreams are the best way to communicate these messages to the conscious mind. Sadly, the conscious mind is not very proficient with this language set. The conscious mind is basically turned off while we sleep. The unconscious mind is on 24/7. During the sleeping hours the unconscious mind works diligently to problem solve, offering great wisdom, if only the conscious mind was better at interpreting the messages. Enter the field of dream interpretation. The other night I went to a lecture by dream expert Jeremy Taylor. Here are a few highlights, which Taylor calls the Basic Dream Work Tool Kit. 1. All dreams speak a universal language and come in the service of health and wholeness. 2. Only the dreamer can say with any certainty what meaning his or her dream may have. 3. There is no such thing as a dream with only one meaning. 4. No dreams come just to tell you what you consciously already know.
People who work to both remember their dreams and interpret them often seem to be more at ease with themselves than those who don’t. Finally, a recurring dream is a message of some unresolved issue (stress) that is begging for resolution. Jung’s idea of active imagination, where you finish the dream in a lucid state, appears to be helpful to many. Remember, asleep or awake, you are the producer, director, actor and audience of your dreams.
Stress Tip for the Day:
To remember your dreams better, plant a thought as you lay your head on your pillow that you wish to remember your dreams. If it helps, keep a dream journal and keep that journal right by your bedside to record any dream fragments that you remember as soon as you wake up. As you work to decode the dream, look at the dream from a variety of perspectives, including all the people in your dream. Carl Jung often spoke of psychic equilibrium, the ability of conscious mind to speak the language of the unconscious mind…Work for this equilibrium. Trust your dreams as a healing agent, even if you don’t understand what they mean. Your unconscious mind has your best interest at heart.
Links, Books and/or Movies Worth Noting:
Jeremy Taylor has a great book on dreams called The Wisdom of Your Dreams. And… I highly recommend Carl Jung’s book, Man and His Symbols.
Here is a link to Jeremy Taylor’s website: http://www.jeremytaylor.com/
And here is a youtube link of Jeremy Taylor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3UmS0dHqos
Quote for the Day
“The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul.” — Carl G. Jung
Photo For the Day
The mind is often symbolized by a mountain; that which is conscious is above the clouds, while that which is unconscious remains below the cloud line. To be fully conscious suggests the clouds disappear to reveal a deep-seated wisdom. For this reason I selected the Peruvian mountains that guard Machu Picchu for today’s theme. Enjoy!
Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 12 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (7e) and the newly released, A Beautiful World: The Earth Song Journals. He can be reached through his website: www.brianlukeseaward.net
© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.
