[4] The Dream Time, Dreaming and Make-Believing "All that I see ; I can dream. All that I dream I see. And I am aware of all my dreams".
We are not just biological cousins of the Indigenous Australians, but friends and collaborators in a common enterprise - The Dream Time. They believe the entire Universe is a composite creation of dreams. Their society is built around the importance of these dreams. Virtually all of their daily activities are 'regulated' by the sharing of dreams and their interpretation. Dreaming is a way to connect more deeply with one's soul. Each time we dream, we are experiencing the condition of our soul essence. Personal limitations begin to dissolve and there is a sense of being more in control of personal destiny Intuition and imagination during waking hours are noticeably increased.
It is the act of "making oneself believe anything is possible" that makes anything possible. Dreaming of becoming, is a necessary part of wanting to, which is essential to becoming. Making believe is a necessary preliminary to doing it. It's the first part ; what 'goes with' creating the desire and acquiring the ability. The difference between wanting and becoming is mostly desire. You can be 'anything' you want to be. And making believe is part of making dreams come true. ->* Let your mind visualise the object of your desires. The Dream Time "Dream ; because that's where some of the most important parts of your personality are expressed and some of the richest and most worth while ideas have come from".
The following traits are evident in all native cultures which posses a high regard for the status of dreams. [1] Dreams are considered vital to success in life. This particular attitude made it easier to recall and interpret dreams for the ancient American Indians, and it also is true for us today. [2] Super-natural figures appear in dreams granting special powers or giving important information. [3] Shamans , and Medicine Women and Men, are expected to use their dreams in acquiring knowledge. [4] Dreams are induced by utilising techniques such as sleeping alone in a power spot or sacred space or place, or by fasting. All ancient civilisations and cultures understood the dream concept and had developed methodical processes of writing down or recording all the thoughts that spring to mind in association with a dream image, to build up some impression of what it represents. The Iroquois Indians had a method whereby once the dreamer had a clear idea of what wish was being expressed, or what problem was being confronted, then they would 'make it come true' by acting it out, either in reality by staging an argument or in a ritualistic way. Huron Indians believed that the 'voice' of the dream world was a guardian spirit, which gave revelatory messages, but in disguised form. These could be warnings about enemies, disclosure of special cures for diseases or good advice about the best places to go hunting. Especially interesting is the belief that the 'spirit voice' could reveal the hidden wishes of the soul - rather like the Freudian idea that dreams are expressions of subconscious-unconscious urges or wishes. The Huron's suggested [much like modern thought] that perhaps the 'spirit' or 'soul' inside is made happy or satisfied by expressing its desire in dream form, and that physical illness or emotional upset is caused by the 'spirit' rebelling because it's desires are not recognised - not far off present- day thinking about psychosomatic illness. MAKE CHANCE ESSENTIAL ! Our dreams contain the essence of that which is profoundly vital in the establishment and maintenance of beautiful and harmonious living, so that we may be at peace with the outer community because we are at peace with our selves. If there is, as some say, "a dreamer dreaming us", then it would seem consistent to believe that the mysterious process we call dreaming, both asleep and awake, contains the veritable secret of the Cosmos itself. Sleep is a source of refreshment and revitalization not only for our physical bodies but also for those much finer, more subtle bodies of mind, emotion and spirit. It is there to follow, a magickal pathway of dreams, whose messages are treasured as wise teachings. The outer world perceived through the five senses is but an echo in matter of our inner reality. We might think of our 'everyday self' as being our 'sun self' ; this outer world, rational and conscious, to deal with the practical aspects of physical life. Our 'dreaming self' is our 'moon self' or 'lunar self'. This inner world which is the dwelling place in our being of memory, emotion, feeling and sensation, habits and attitudes of mind, of the sensibility which receives and responds to the constant stream of information and impressions that is the harvest of our everyday experience. So that a proper balance may be maintained between these solar and lunar life streams which comprise our being, it is important to regard the inner worlds as an objective reality in which our subjectivity, or individuality, is rooted and nourished. Yet it is also true that we are creators of ourselves, that our life is our child ; malleable, impressionable, and alive to the guidance and influence of wise parenting. How therefore, can we best learn to shape our deeper selves so that we may gain ascendancy over our lives and steer our own destiny ? The answer might well lie in accepting the idea that the soul-wisdom and visions which arise from our lunar selves can revitalise our often parched and arid outer selves. To listen to our dreams is to give ear to the life of the soul, so that it's inspiration might be brought into our everyday lives and given full expression there in. When our conscious self penetrates our dreams, and our dreaming self is allowed to participate actively in our waking lives, we strike a balance, and heal the division in our selves which so often causes life to seem drab and meaningless. Dream Types - Examples >* Physical >* Confused >* Subjective >* Prophetic >* Spiritual Physical Dreams : Synchronised and relevant for our day to day living. Sometimes they are defined by their muddled meaninglessness and their random and mundane imagery. Physical dreams will often be provoked by illness or indisposition. Confused Dreams : Are the type which discharges a host of rapidly changing images, as if the dreamer were looking out of a window on a fast moving train journey. These images are often worth recording and studying. Subjective Dreams : A subjective dream is that which derives it's imagery from those scenes and persons familiar to the waking life of the dreamer. Prophetic Dreams : Prophetic dreams give prescience of dramatic events in the near or distant future, and deliver the message either through literal imagery or by means of symbols. Spiritual Dreams : The spiritual dream is a direct experience of inner subjective reality, and deep lessons of wisdom and enlightenment may be drawn from them. The prophetic and spiritual dream are the most likely to speak to the dreamer through the exquisite spiritual language of symbols or 'Jung's Archetypes'. They contain dream pictures so vivid and mythical that their meaning is instantly recognisable [such as the angel, the hero, and so on]. The last three types of dream [subjective, prophetic, spiritual] are the most valuable, especially the spiritual dream, which comprises a beautiful and precious gift to the dreamer. Dream Journal "Tonight I am aware and conscious that I am dreaming. During my next dream, I remember that I am dreaming. I am dreaming. I am dreaming". [1] Are the messages you gained during the night valuable ? [2] Do they contribute to your waking life ? [3] Do they expand your inner horizons ?
Keeping a dream journal is best done in two stages :
Notebook + Journal
Stage 1 : Dream Notebook Keep a notebook and pen by your bed and, immediately on waking, write down in sequence, everything you can remember of your dream. Try particularly to capture the 'emotional atmosphere' emanating from 'dream landscapes' and 'dream figures' in your description, as well as the general 'feeling' or 'tone' of the dream as a whole. Was it threatening, frustrating, magical, poetical or urgent ? Did it impart a sense of discovery, wonder, anger, comedy or emotional discomfort ? If sexual, was it lewd or inspiring, comforting or disturbing ? Record the date and time of the dream [as far as you can tell] upon waking.
Stage 2 : Dream Journal In the evening, enter your dream in your journal - which should be big enough to provide plenty of space for creativity. If you can elaborate, do so. It's a good idea to number them, as dream sequences often appear in what seem like random patterns. These sometimes occur over a number of days or weeks, depending upon the 'revelations' the dream is attempting to impart. Note the colours, characters, scenery, imagery and symbols. Write in any full words spoken, songs, poems or riddles. These usually occur in the form of an absurd question, which often proves to be a mirror image of wisdom in that the answer prompted by it maybe applied, with profit, to the outer waking circumstance. Dreams seem to set a puzzle for the dreamer, and it is in the act of analysis that many messages and revelations are made clear. To interpret such revelations requires a meditative and receptive level of thinking, which modern day living tempts us to neglect. When the dreams each night are finally entered into the dream journal, progressive study will prove to be exciting, edifying and revelatory. Always write your dreams down immediately upon waking, because they fade with such great speed. If you perform some other task first, they will be lost to you. Dream Links >* Achilles >* Hippocrates >* Plato >* Sigmund Freud >* Carl Jung >* Artemidorus >* Homer Films Waking Life [Richard Linklater] Last year in Marienbad [Alain Resnais] 8 1/2 [Fellini] Juliet of the spirits [Fellini] Wild Strawberries [Antonioni] What dreams may come
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