The Journey of Dreaming

There are dreams of the night and dreams of the soul. There are numerous sayings about dreams: Follow your dreams; Dream big and; It's a dream come true. It is interesting that the word dream relates to both the nocturnal state of dreaming, when an alternative world opens up to us, and the state of conscious dreaming.... hoping, creating and aspiring to ones wishes and desires. Both types of dreams offer us the opportunity to manifest our deepest hopes into reality. Regarding dream state, sometimes dreams can feel so incredibly real, that when you awaken, you are not sure which is more true, the dream or the apparent reality. In Eckhart Tolle's book, "The New Earth," he says this about dreams. "The dreamer is not the person. The person is part of the dream. To awaken within the dream is our purpose now. When we are awake within the dream, the ego-created earth-drama comes to an end and more benign and wondrous dream arises. This is the new earth." Other quotes about dreams: Dreams are the language of God; It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting (Paulo Coelho); Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today (James Dean). A shamanic healer, Robert Moss says this about dreaming: "We should actively seek dream guidance on our major issues – by asking for dream help on going to bed, or by learning to embark on conscious dream journeys to sources of wisdom – and we should take action in waking life to honor our dreams, bring the gifts of dreaming into our communities, and create better futures. This approach includes learning to navigate by synchronicity: using the play of coincidence, chance encounters and the symbolism of everyday life for guidance on your path." Dream work can be an important part of understanding yourself. If you get into the habit of writing about your dreams often, you begin to understand the inner workings of your unconscious mind and emotions. Dreams can also be portals, to see loved ones who have passed away, see friends, get messages and intuitive guidance and to heal emotional wounds. I have worked with so many clients, friends and family, who have had dreams where they meet up with people they know and have very real, healing conversations and interactions in the dream world. I too have had this occur on many occasions. Sometimes, people who have a difficult time expressing themselves, visit you in your dreams and are able to be more open and honest with you than they can in waking life. There are also lucid dreams, where the individual has become an active participant in the dream, able to navigate his or her way in the dreamworld. Lucid dreaming is when the individual graduates from passive participant to the orchestrator in the amazing world of dreams. Shamans believe that we can "bridge" our dreams into reality.....sort of like painting a picture of your souls path in the dream world first and then it bridges itself into reality, coming to life. Dreaming is a magical connection to the divine. Paulo Coelho, the author of "The Alchemist," a journey about dreaming says: "Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World." Allow yourself to dream your hearts desires into reality and to explore and learn how complex and wonderful the world of dreams can be. The next time you close your eyes to go to sleep......let go, be open, enjoy the journey and see where it takes you.