SleepingOrchid

Dreams = IMAGINATION “Spiritual Connectivity”

In Dreams we discover ourselves. Dreams give the lie to the idea that we are simple biological creatures tethered to rituals of attachment, food foraging, illness and death. Because in Dreams we see visions, and we spend we rest of our lives puzzling out their meaning. There has not yet been a human culture unaware of the numinous nature of existence. Given the choice between symbol-saturated subjects and simple objects, we go for the symbol every time. We live entirely within our own heads, playing out a story line known to us alone. Dreams awaken us. It is quite possible, as the philosophers suggest, that question we are truly asleep in our everyday interactions and only fully conscious in our Dreams.

Learning Through Dreams: Dreams are a form of learning, a connection with our deepest selves and with others’ deepest selves. Dreams are a story our primitive self tells our grown-up, social selves. Dreams don’t necessarily even belong to us but can be “transferred” from those around us, including the dead, and even celebrities (such as literary figures and fictional characters) with whom we have forged an emotional connection. Therefore, the content of the dream, while important, is not as important as from where it originates. Today we will work on “self-hypnosis;” a process of “asking a question”, relaxing into a “waking trance” and thinking about what bubbles up.

Remember not all questions have answers, and few have immediate answers; but it is important to put the question “out there”. If fear is our primary reaction when we want to study our deepest links with others, that has to be dealt with so that we can move forward. We are not at the “mercy” of the universe, we are its “co-creators” and we must bravely claim our birthright. Dreams are to be welcomed; they are not simply warnings and stories but also teases, in a language we need to learn. Dreams celebrate our spiritual connectivity not just with all the creatures who have ever shared the gift of life but with ideas, group powers and abilities.

They say when we go to sleep in one world, we awake in another. Dreams show us our possibilities as well as our fears. I once had a dream in which I looked at myself in my coffin, but it was a powerful “my soul jumps!” experience and not a fearful one. When my son was a tiny boy he described dreamed of driving a truck “and my feet reached the pedals!” Sometimes we are such beginners we don’t even know what to dream about. Dreams have long been recognized as warnings. Our unconscious sees dangers our conscious self refuses to recognize. So it is a worthwhile map – not to the way forward, but a method of understanding where you have been. If you are having nightmares about a love choice, this is something to pay attention to. Gavin de Becker tells us (Gift of Fear) to honor our fear, but not to be controlled by it. Move forward with caution.

TOO LATE IN THE YEAR

The mind is double-edged as well as double-eyed
She thinks; stands
outside to watch him
Sightlessly within;
Covering sheets with runes,  
Purloined plans from someone else;
Plagiarizing love-letters
Safe within his private storm –
Sexual ivy casting
Hawks-wing shadows
on his bloodhound cheeks;
A smile too cautious;
Too familiar;
In season and out;
Nurtured like his scars
Deepening like his drama.
Save him, save him voices cry but
I know better; it’s too late
Too late in the year.