MORE THOUGHTS

November 30, 2011

Dear Dreamers:

Last night the dreams came fast and furious but I don’t remember enough of them to write about, so here’s more info and thoughts from A Dictionary of Dream Symbols, with intro by Eric Ackroyd.

“Often the part of a dream that is remembered first and therefore recorded first is the last part of the dream.  In fact, the tendency is to remember and write down all the sections of a dream in reverse order.  This should be borne in mind when getting down to the business of interpreting your dreams:  sometimes, for instance, the last part of a dream gives a solution to a problem posed in the first part of the dream.”

Does this make sense to you?  Sound familiar?  I’m not sure.  It seems to me that I record my dreams in the order that I experience them.  However, the ones I remember most are the ones that occur closest to waking.  

According to Mr. Ackroyd, “not all dreams have profound psychological significance.  Some are mere repetitions of the day’s events.  Nearly all the dreams that young children tell us about are of this kind: after a day at the seaside or at the fair a three-year-old will often relive its delights and excitements in dreams; similarly a bedtime story may retell itself in a young child’s dream.

“Some dreams may have straightforward physical explanations.  A full bladder may cause you to have a frighteningly embarrassing dream about wetting your pants, for example.

“So do not assume that every dream has a deep meaning.  Not every dream will contain a life-transforming revelation -- but any dream might!  Even the apparently most trifling dream story may be trying to tell you something important about your life.  If, for example, you told me you had dreamed of an earthquake, I would generally suppose that it was an indication either that your personal world was in danger of falling apart or at least that you were deeply - perhaps unconsciously - fearful that it might fall apart.  I would therefore want to ask you about your marriage or other domestic relationships and about your work situation.  However, I would also ask if you had recently been reading something or watching something on television that might have prompted that sort of dream.  If you had just been reading a vivid account of an actual earthquake, your dream might have been simply going over the story - a chewing-the-end sort of dream.  On the other hand, it is likely that even dreams which take their symbols from very recent experience are using those symbols to represent something that is going on inside you.  

“On the whole, the truth would seem to be that if you are only trifling with your dreams, their content will tend to be trivial; if you take your dreams seriously, their content will tend to be serious and significant.  If what you want from your dreams is a fuller understanding of yourself and, eventually, fuller control over your life and the attainment of your proper ‘destiny’, your dreams will not let you down.  They will give you all you need.”

‘Til next time...

Happy dreaming!

Bev

WHAT’S GOING ON???

Nov. 29

Dear Dreamers:

I was at a rustic retreat with my husband Mark, and he and I were starting to hike up a mountain.  It was beautiful...lots of foliage, fresh smells, a sunny and perfect day. I forgot something...perhaps water...so we went back to the lodge to get some.   There was a group of women there, also on a retreat, and I joined their conversation.  It was great sitting around talking, sharing.  I especially connected with one of them, Lena.  We seemed to know each other in a deep, kind of spiritual way.  I went to get tea and after I filled the cup it slipped off the counter and broke in half, spilling the water into a puddle.  Not a big deal and Lena helped me clean it up.  My husband and I then went to look at the other guest rooms.  They were all off-size and strangely arranged.  We didn’t get to ours because I was then at an old, run-down wooden nearby garage, overgrown with grass and clearly not in use for some time.  I was closing the gas cap on my 1972 Buick, and the cap broke, spewing gas.  Luckily Lena came by with the police--she was lost and they were going to take her where she wanted to go.  They offered to help me with the car, tried to fix it but couldn’t.  They were heading to get the mechanic when I awoke.  Somewhere in this dream my hair was falling out.

This was interesting because there were a few themes which haven’t come up for me before.  Going up the mountain (moving forward, reaching new heights) was interrupted, and could coincide with the hair falling out, which can indicate either fear of aging, losing sexuality, ill health or feeling powerless.  Same with the spilled water.  If water represents new life, creativity, growth or healing, the fact that it spilled, and I couldn’t get ahold of it, indicates to me a loss of those possibilities.  All of this makes sense for me, given where I’m at in my life right now.  Perhaps it felt safer to be with the women with whom I had little emotional or sexual charge and with whom I was able to be myself without fear of rejection.  The car, in a broken down garage, was the car I drove to Los Angeles when I first moved here.  Also, leaking gas, unable to move forward, broken down...a mirror image of me.  Bottom line, I believe this is a reflection of fears of aging, becoming unattractive and ill and feeling powerless in the world. 

Wow.  Up until now, the dreams I have remembered were positive and life-affirming, and indicated powerful moving forward and upward with expanding creativity.  This is the first time I can remember waking with this defeatist energy!  My guess is that it has to do with not getting much sleep last night.  Feeling frustrated, tired and annoyed at this old pattern (part of which is the fact that my husband snored and woke me several times) the sleeping trouble globalized into frustrations with other aspects of my life, all of which infected my dreams... a clear expression of my attitudes as I drifted in and out of sleep at 7 a.m.!  This is such a palpable indication of the importance of what we tell ourselves and how those words affect us not only consciously, but subconsciously as well.  In the future, I will only think happy thoughts as I drift off!

‘Til next time...

Happy dreaming!

Bev

WHO WAS THAT WOMAN?

Nov. 26

Dear Dreamers:

For some reason, someone was trying to obliterate me and my friends.  They had some kind of x-ray gun or something that could vaporize us.  We were planning an escape, deep in conversation in a nondescript building, then running down the street.  Suddenly my friend Jodie turned around and just stared down the evil-doers and vaporized them!  It was awesome!  But the rest of us were shocked...who is this woman?  Why didn’t we know about this gift? What else don’t we know?

In fact, how much do we really know about anyone?  I hosted a party last night and lots of great folks came and there was lots of great conversation and fun.  But the dream leads me to the question...really, how much do we actually know about people, even the ones we’re closest to?

I’m tired with after-party fatigue, so that’s all my brain can muscle up for now...

Til next time...

Happy dreaming!

Bev

WHERE AM I?

Nov. 24

Dear Dreamers:


First, Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you all have a grand day.

Last night I was in a foreign country...a country where there were thousands of their currency to our dollar and where people lived very simply. It kind of felt like my idea of India. I was in a hotel that had just long strips of plastic instead of a door at the entrance.  Several of us were sitting on the floor during a big rainstorm and, even though it poured, the plastic blew but we didn’t get wet.  We sat and watched the rain, secure in the separation of the wetness and the warmth.  I was traveling alone.  At one point, I wanted to go out and, went up to the roof.  It was only about four stories, so I jumped down and walked around the corner to a cafe.  It was busy and lively, lots of conversation.  It felt and looked like a college hangout...wood walls with lots of posters, smoky, crowded.  I met several people, mostly young men, who were very friendly.  I had a great time.  When it came time for me to return to the hotel, I was too tired or drunk, and took a taxi.  After the very short ride, he charged me 2800 whatever, and I was appalled. “Are you crazy...we only went around the block!” I shouted.  We argued for a bit, and then a lovely young woman came out and handed him 50 cents American.  That was all it was and I felt embarrassed that I had argued over such a small amount.  I was grateful for her help.  Except for the argument with the taxi driver, I felt peaceful in that country and was enjoying the experience.  Then I awoke.

It seems to me that being in a foreign country is about being content with another way of thinking and being.  I’ve been working on creating both internal and external shifts in my life...perhaps this is an indication that it’s ok, that I will always be secure and protected...and perhaps the cafe is a reference to being able to shift back to old, more familiar ways of being when required or desired and that’s ok too and I can leave there with ease.  Same with the roof...I was high, in the new internal place and I was able to jump down (into the familiar) easily.  


I think the lovely young woman was me, too, telling myself to chill...stay in the flow, enjoy where you’re at while you’re there and, again, leave behind the old ways of thinking and being.  Rain for me is always good...washing away old stuff, bringing newness and freshness...rebirth.  So what I’m taking away from this is that while I may be in a strange new place, it’s a good place and it's good to be here, and I'm safe and supported here.  And even though I may be compelled to go back to the familiar at times, going back there is just a temporary visit.  Cool.

What do you think?

Til next time...

Happy dreaming!

Bev

THOUGHTS

November 22, 2011


Dear Dreamers:


I haven't been able to remember enough significant parts of my dreams for the past few days, so I thought I'd write instead about dreams...


According to A Dictionary of Dream Symbols, with introduction by Eric Ackroyd,   a dream not only appears within the context of an ever-continuing series of dreams; it also occurs within the context of your life as a whole -- your family life, your work, your love - (and hate) life.  Your dreams reflect your deepest emotional responses to your waking life experiences.  It follows, therefore, that a correct interpretation of your dreams will only be possible if they are viewed in the context of your outward life.


This obviously includes what is happening to you now, the situation you are in now, your present problems, ambitions, fears and so on.  It may also include, however, the whole or any part of your past life. Your most deeply seated attitudes, hatreds, prejudices, habits, fears, guilt-feelings and pains of all kinds may stem from experiences in your early life.  Wordsworth's "The child is father of the man" is full of truth:  the adult personality is largely conditioned by childhood experiences or, more precisely, by the emotional impact of those experiences on the child.  And what doesn't come from childhood comes from traumatic experiences in our later life:  the present state of our psyche is the result of our emotional self's reactions to the experiences and situations that life has thrown at us.


What this means is that a correct and useful interpretation of your dreams requires a full awareness and understanding of what is happening to you now and what has happened to you in the past.


It may be true that the present condition of your psyche, and consequently the present circumstances of your life, have been shaped more by emotional reactions to events than by intelligent and objective decision-making on your part.  What is equally true, however, is that you can at any time take control of your life and begin to determine your own future.  Your dreams will help here.  They can tell you what has been going on inside you so far, and they can also tell you what you need to do or stop doing in order to achieve greater happiness in the future.  Through your dreams, your unconscious will tell you what you need.  The rest is up to you, your conscious self.


To be continued...


Til next time...
Happy dreaming!


Bev

HI MOM!

Nov. 18

Dear Dreamers:

There seemed to be two parts to this dream.  First, I was in a high rise again, working and energetically attempting to complete a project.  I kept putting post-its on the wall saying “PH,” meaning, I’m guessing, penthouse.  I was surrounded by several others who appeared to be friends all scurrying about. The other part of the dream was that, somehow, my mother was there in a movie theater.  I remember her going into the movie theater with some man, and then I met the two of them in the theater lobby.  She was carrying packages.  We were happy to see each other.  I then awoke.

Again, the theme of being in a building and getting to the top (penthouse), rising above the scurrying and the melee.  Perhaps the movie theater was at the penthouse and my mother was telling me I’m already there...enjoy, relax.  Perhaps the movie is suggesting I should try to get some distance from the scurrying and to see life from the perspective of watching, observing. 

What do you think?

Til next time...

Happy dreaming!

Bev

NICE DOGGIE TWO

Nov. 15

Last night I was starting a new job though I thought I was just going for a follow-up interview.  Apparently I had already been hired though I didn’t realize it at the time.  Though the directions and identity of who I was to see were written on a post-it I held, I had trouble finding the office and found myself in the basement of the building.  I asked several people directions but most were not helpful.  One person directed me to a sliding cement tunnel that slid up, but, as I was dressed in my workplace best, I chose not to take that route.  Someone else pointed me to the stairs “over in the corner”.  As I walked down a long, wide hallway to the stairway, I notice lots of other play paraphernalia...toys lining the hallway, jungle jim, race cars, etc....I guessed it was the day care area, but there were adults using all the toys!  Nice.  A fun place, I thought, though not the best ambiance since it was in the basement.  I climbed up the stairs all the way to the top.  It wasn’t a long climb and I made it quickly and easily.  I discovered the office I sought was on the roof, outside.  As I stood in the sunlight trying to figure out which direction to go, I looked back over my shoulder and saw a golden retriever bounding over mounds of dirt toward me.  He jumped on me and barked and I was immediately relieved at such an enthusiastic welcome.  The man playing with him showed me where the destination office was, but the person I was to see wasn’t in, so this kind, friendly and very hunky young man showed me where to begin and what to do.  Then I awoke.

What do you think?  To me, this means that I’m already on the life path I’m supposed to be on and that the path can be a lot easier, more fun and enjoyable than I realize.  There are different ways to get to where we want,   and for sure, there are always helpers to guide and steer us along...so much depends on our ability to recognize the fun and the sun and the guides as well.  And by the way, oftentimes, the best guides are not in human form!   Once again the themes of dark and light in reference to place are impactful in my dream...going from down to up, dark to light.  And once again a dog appears prominently (It's the same dog as before...a RETREIVER, get it?).  I love that, and appreciate the consistency of these symbols.  And this time I especially appreciate the lightness of it...it was a lighthearted dream and I awoke feeling good, positive and eager to begin my day.

Til next time...

Happy dreaming!

Bev

CLIMBING EVEREST

November 10, 2011


Dear Dreamers:


Last night, no doubt due to the movie we watched before retiring, I dreamt I was climbing Mt. Everest.  It was a shlep, but we made it without much trouble.  Sort of an Everest-light event.  I saw myself at the top, feeling pretty good and satisfied, relaxing, celebrating with the others and enjoying the fantastic view.  I thought to myself how easy it was...what's all the fuss???  I didn't want to come down, but how long can you stay on the summit?  Good question...What is your summit tolerance?  When you're doing well and things are flowing for you, what, if anything, do you do to sabotage yourself and bring yourself down from the summit?  Hmmm...


As always I'd love to hear your comments and insights.


Til then, sweet dreams!


Bev

NICE DOGGIE

November 6, 2011 

Dear Dreamers:

Last night I dreamt about a dog.  We were living in a shanty town type of place, and the dog was sick and apparently abandoned.  He was in bad condition.  We (not sure who the others are) took him in and cared for him.  After a while, he looked like he had recuperated, but seemed to lack energy.  I held his head in my hands and stared into his beautiful, deep but sad eyes.   We looked into each others eyes a long time.  It was a deeply intense connection and as I go through the day, the gaze of those big, black eyes haunts me.  What was he trying to tell me?  What does he mean to me?  Is he me? A part or a reflection of me?  

Stuff to think about.

Til next time...

Keep on dreaming!

Bev

MOVIE NIGHT

November 5, 2011

Dear Dreamers:

Last night, I was in a movie theater.  Walking back to my seat from being out in the lobby, a teenager grabbed my ass and ran off!  It was a real fingers-in-the-ass grab and very rude, so I ran after him down the aisle.  I didn’t catch him, but managed to seize his backpack and pull it off him as I continued chasing him.  We ran around the theater.  I lost track of him, but a couple recognized the back pack and told me he went out into the lobby.  They told me he put up a great fuss about having to leave in the middle of the movie, but his parents insisted.  I went to the lobby.  Holding up the backpack, I shouted “where’s the kid who belongs to this backpack?!”  Finally I saw him, standing on a ledge above me.  He wanted his backpack and came down for it.  When he got to me, I grabbed him by the shirt, and snarled in his face...”you’re too old to behave this stupidly...I want an apology.”  He apologized then asked what I did for a living.  I told him I was a therapist and he asked for my card....a new client!  He then hooked up with his parents and I awoke.  

So...here’s another dream on the theme of going from the dark to the light!        Interesting.  A dark theater...could the movie be the dream itself?  My life?  Am I a watcher of life rather than a liver of life?  Living in the dark?  And who’s the kid?  Maybe the adventurous part of me that’s been hidden away for a long time, goosing me to get back into the light of my Self.  Leading me into my own light.  The couple was there to help me find my way.  And, of course, I’m my own best counselor...physician heal thyself!

That’s my take on it....I look forward to hearing yours!


Til then...thanks and dream on!


Bev

DREAMS

November 1, 2011


In the book, Your Mythic Journey, by Sam Keen and Anne Valley-Fox, dreams are described rhapsodically...


"In dreams we live a thousand lives.  When sleep conquers reason we become omnipotent; like Proteus, we change form to experience the beasts and little children that roam within us.


"Psychology has rediscovered what ancient and primitive peoples knew:  that dreams are essential for sanity.  Greek seers, Roman emperors, and Egyptian pharaohs used dreams to decipher the future.  Many American Indians consulted dreams to learn when they should feast or take to the warpath.  Job thought that dreams were songs God gave us in sleep.  Freud saw them as the royal road to the unconscious.  Recent experiments have shown that persons deprived for several nights of the part of sleep in which dreaming takes place become anxious and disassociated.  A healthy human mind seems to operate on two levels, the realistic and the fantastic, the conscious and the unconscious.  Like a live virus, the chaos of playful fantasy inoculates us against serious madness.


"...The inward journey is most enriching for the traveler who brings the visions of the night into the light of day."


I encourage you, kind reader, to get to know your dreams.  Befriend them, talk to them, and welcome them as a wonderful doorway into the unexpected.


I wish you sweet dreams...


Bev