Dreams, Dreaming and Dreamers

I. Dream Meaning and Interpretation (Keeping a Dream Journal)

We know from studies that we experience our most vivid dreams during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep when the brain is very active. REM sleep occurs three or four times a night, about every 90 minutes. Dreams during non-REM sleep are less vivid.

Dreams are the unconscious or subconscious mind freely manifesting inventions of our brains without the constraints of the physical world.

Some dreams are just interpretations of our creative subconscious pouring out visions related to whatever our thoughts may be, and have very little meaning outside of our creative projection of thought.

Dream dictionaries can be somewhat helpful; but the bottom line is that it's your dream - your subconscious turning your thoughts into visual images. Therefore, the most precise interpretation of a single element of your dream is what it means to you.

Whether you have great dream recall or have difficulty remembering your dreams, we know that almost everything that happened during the long night's sleep was forgotten by morning.

Unless some notation of the dream is written down, it will almost certainly be forgotten in a matter of minutes after awakening.

A dream may be recalled later in the day or another day, especially when that same brain state is accessed that was present during or shortly after the dream.

Keeping a dream journal can be very helpful in interpreting your dreams. Write down the dream as well as you can remember as soon as possible after it has occurred. Then you can begin to interpret it. Sometimes days or weeks later the meaning of the dream becomes apparent.

Keeping a dream diary upon awakening provides a record for further interpretation and assures that later embellishment (however unintentional) will not alter one’s memory of the actual dream.

II. Psychic Dreams and Connecting with Spirit in Dreams

Psychic impressions may manifest themselves in the dream state in which we are more susceptible to experiences outside the norm. This is especially true for those who are reluctant to experience psychic phenomena or to accept paranormal occurrences.

Suspected psychic dreams should be analyzed with scrutiny and re-analyzed objectively after the emotion of the moment has passed to separate those psychic in nature from vivid extensions of the subconscious.

A psychic dream may be ambiguous at first; but when one considers that figures in the dream may be subconscious representations of ideas, especially for thoughts that are less desirable to view literally, the dream can begin to unfold.

For example, a monster or vicious animal may represent that which is too horrible to see rather than an actual creature. Clues within the dream may guide the dreamer to understand what dream elements mean to him.
Vehicles of travel may represent a physical journey or life’s journey, thus transition to a new stage, phase or direction.

III. Lucid Dreaming

Whether it's prophetic dreams, nightmares, or visitations from the other side in dreams, there is a technique that can be learned that will be helpful on many levels. It's simply Lucid Dreaming, and it's not difficult.

Lucid Dreaming is learning to discover that you are dreaming while you are asleep, and then learning to control the dream. You don't exactly have complete control; but you are not at the mercy of the dream anymore. It can help you overcome a nightmare and restore your freewill to received only those impressions that you are prepared to receive. You can use your dream control to bring in guides, access your higher self and dialog with characters and aspects of your dream to understand their true meaning to your current life and gain insight from your unconscious and subconscious mind.

To learn the technique of Lucid Dreaming, you just begin by asking yourself every little bit all day while awake, "Am I dreaming?" As you look around your environment doesn't change, giving proof to yourself that you are not dreaming. (Of course you're not, you're awake.)

Eventually, after days or weeks, (since this is now a habit) you'll begin to ask the question while you're asleep.
As you turn around to view your surroundings in your dream, you'll notice inconsistencies and changes that indicate that you are dreaming.
Then, upon determining that you are dreaming, you can being to control the dream.

Once you are able to control the dream, you can visit with anyone anywhere (living or dead) and you can do anything that you can dream.

IV. Purposeful Dreaming

"Dreaming with Purpose!" Imagine being able to tap into your creativity and ingenuity while you sleep to solve and resolve, decide, create and achieve what you desire!

Listen online to the special free broadcast of the guided meditation, "Dreaming with Purpose," a tool to inspire you to tap into your inner creativity, resourcefulness, ingenuity and imagination to solve, resolve, decide, create and achieve what you desire.

V. How to Be a More Effective Dreamer

Set your intention.
Relax, release and clear your thoughts.
Focus your mind.
Notice clues.
Keep a dream journal.
Interpret your dreams with enlightened understanding.