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1.: Dreams, DreamWork, & Dream Interpretation From: gaia_dianne

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1.: Dreams, DreamWork, & Dream Interpretation

Posted by: "gaia_dianne" gaia_dianne@yahoo.com gaia_dianne

Thu Aug 4, 2011 1:27 pm (PDT)

DREAMS, DreamWork,

And Dream Interpretation

(c) 2010 By Gaia_d@yahoo.com <mailto:Gaia_d@yahoo.com> - Please don't
reproduce without permission.

Let's go back and review some basic information on Dreams and Dreamwork
--
1. What are Dreams, Where do they come from?
Dreams come from the Sub-conscious. Every moment of everyday, even when
we're sleeping or unconscious, there is a part of our minds that is
always awake and aware, monitoring every thing we see, hear, feel,
experience. There is even evidence that unconscious patients in an
Operating Room are aware of what goes on around them.

The "unconscious" or "sub-conscious" also is a kind of "repository" of
all our fears, joys, frustrations, terrors, bright and dark fantasies,
etc, from infancy and perhaps before -- THIS is our "sub-conscious;

-- And *this* is where dreams come from. Obviously, therefore, dreams
have a very rich, broad and deep "reservoir" from which to draw.

Some dreams are efforts of our sub-conscious to understand and cope with
all this material; some are merely responses to it, and some seem to be
jumbled-up confusions of it all.

2. Dream "Gestalt":

A dream is what psychologists call a "Gestalt" – Meaning a
complete, total picture, each part of which is *essential* to the whole.
Even seemingly "unimportant" elements are actually important to
understanding the whole thing—in fact, they're even capable of
changing the entire meaning. And, the entire picture is more than just
the sum of its parts; the meaning arises out of the INTERACTION (not
meaning to yell at you there, just emphasize something really crucial,
ok?) of all those "parts" working with each other -- When all those
"parts" or elements are taken together, they become something much more
than just the sum of all the parts.

Consider for example, a symphony: The horns play one "part", the drums
play another, the string instruments play yet another, etc, etc. -- but
put them all togehter -- that's the key, you understand: TOGETHER -- and
they create something much beyond what each of them is capable of,
alone.

3. Dream Language:
Dreams use a "language" all their own -- a *symbolic* language; which
can take some time and effort to understand.

While some symbols do seem to have some universality, we must beware
generalizing too much, or taking a single "meaning" and assuming that it
always applies.

One good example, especially for Pagans, is the Serpent. For many
people (and often in those "dream symbols" booklets) you'll see serpents
or snakes portrayed as negative symbols. There is certainly some degree
to which many people do (properly and appropriately) interpret snakes
negatively --

However, go back a bit in history and human culture, and you discover
that serpents have a very different symbolism/ "meaning": Since they
shed their skins but live on, they have long been a symbol of rebirth,
renewal, eternity, and longevity.

4. Why Dream Booklets are Seldom Helpful:
Those little "Dream Interpretation" booklets we often find in
supermarkets are *NOT* considered very good resources – Here's
why:

Let's say we dream tonight of serpents. Let's say we have one of those
little booklets on "Dream Symbols" or "Dream Interpretation" that we got
from the grocery store; so tomorrow morning we look up "serpents" in
the book, and find the typical sort of interpretation -- something like,
"Dreaming about snakes means evil is coming..." or some such thing.

Compare that with ideas / concepts like "eternal renewal, rebirth,
wisdom gained through the experience of many lives" -- and many other
possibilities -

Look what richness we might have missed by just accepting the first
single "interpretation" given by that silly book!

Another thing to consider is that while some symbols are somewhat
universal (often referred to as "archetypes" - See for example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes>

http://www.crystalinks.com/archetypes.html
<http://www.crystalinks.com/archetypes.html>

However, we are each individuals, and our individual, unique experiences
give us each a very unique view of symbols. For example: Let's say
that in your youth, you (or a family member) collected snakes, so every
time you think of serpents, you're reminded of that family member, such
that for YOU, the "meaning" or symbolism of snakes has become
(unconsciously) connected to/ with all the symbolism, experience and
feeling associated with that person.

No booklet is going to have that information; they are not going to be
able to remind you of all the little symbols and meanings that are
"stored" in your sub-conscious.

Can you see how limited, even problematic, those little booklets are or
can be, in interpreting your dreams? They may send you off on some
interpretational "wild-goose chase" - While all the answers you
ever need, are actually deep within your very own psyche! -- You just
need to learn how to (reliably and easily) access them -- and you *can*
do so.

So to review: Your sub-conscious has its own symbolic
"language", and it's understanding the interaction of all the
different symbols of a dream, working together, that is key to
understanding the dream itself -- and its meaning and "message" to/for
you.

5. Levels To Dream Interpretation:
There are indeed several different "levels" to Dream
interpretation. On one level, *everything* in the dream -- every
person, animal, character, even "props", surroundings or scenery --
represents some aspect of YOU, and gives "voice" to some part of
yourself.

For example: Let's say you have a dream in which the following appear
or happens :

You "wake up" and as you walk down the hall to the bathroom,
you encounter your mother and father offering you some toast for
breakfast; in the bathroom you look in the mirror and see yourself
reflected – but your hair is a different color; you get two phone
calls: one from your best friend and the other from your worst enemy;
while you talk on the phone, your next-door neighbor knocks on your
door, and simultaneously, on the TV in the background, the President of
your country is giving a speech; your pet cat or dog comes by and just
as you hang up the phone, you get a call from your Boss telling you not
to come into work today……

OK, EVERYthing in that dream -- from your mother and father, the toast,
your own reflection in the mirror, your friend and enemy and the
telephone itself, to your neighbor, the President as well as the TV,
your pet, your boss, etc, etc -- ALL of those are on some level, a
manifestation of YOU or some "part" of you, expressing something about
yourself that your sub-conscious is trying to communicate to you.

6. Lucid Dreaming:
A "Lucid" Dream is one in which you know you're dreaming. They
can feel like and indeed be, very magickal dreams, and are the beginning
of various kinds of advanced DreamWork -- such as learning how to
direct, change, finish, and even "incubate" your dreams.

Dream Journal:
The best way to begin Dream Work, is to begin keeping a Dream Journal.
Dream researchers have found that within the first few moments of
awakening, we forget nearly 90% of any dream -- so it's important to
keep your Journal, pens, and a small pen flashlight right by your bed,
so you don't waste precious few minutes locating your equipment.

Write down everything you can remember. Don't worry about complete
sentences, grammar or spelling -- just so you can understand it all
later. Write down whatever you can remember of the setting, mood,
theme, emotions, characters, props, conversations, etc.

If you have trouble remembering, put yourself into a gentle trance
through some "grounding and centering" and deep breathing, and try to
put yourself back "into" the dream.

Don't worry if you don't get much at first. Write down what you do, and
gradually, your sub-conscious will begin to realize that you're serious
about wanting to work with it, and it will begin giving you more and
more material to work with.

* * * * * * *
* * *
MORE RESOURCES:

On Dreams & DreamWork:
There is an awful lot of garbage out there on Dreams and DreamWork, so
beware. One of the best resources is Dr. Stanley Krippner, a
psychologist who has devoted many years to studying Dreams and
Dreamwork, and written some excellent books -- For more on Krippner and
his books, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Krippner
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Krippner>

http://stanleykrippner.weebly.com/ <http://stanleykrippner.weebly.com/>

http://www.thinkingallowed.com <http://www.thinkingallowed.com/>

On Lucid Dreaming:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream>

http://www.lucidity.com/ <http://www.lucidity.com/>

http://www.dreamviews.com/ <http://www.dreamviews.com/>

http://www.dreamviews.com/whatislucid.php
<http://www.dreamviews.com/whatislucid.php>

http://www.ld4all.com <http://www.ld4all.com/>

http://www.luciddreaming.com/ <http://www.luciddreaming.com/>

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Lucid_Dreaming
<http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Lucid_Dreaming>

http://www.amazon.com/Lucid-Dreaming.../034542011X
<http://www.amazon.com/Lucid-Dreaming.../034542011X>

1. Video results for lucid dreaming
<http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS\
363US363&q=lucid+dreaming&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=hqR1S6-qM4PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&o\
i=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=11&ved=0CDkQqwQwCg>

<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llw717IARpQ&\
ei=hqR1S6-qM4PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&oi=video_result&resnum=11&ct=thumbnail&ve\
d=0CDMQuAIwCg&usg=AFQjCNH3RTjl_9ZmoKohk4hRWsDZAfPoGw>

<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llw717IARpQ&\
ei=hqR1S6-qM4PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&oi=video_result&resnum=11&ct=thumbnail&ve\
d=0CDMQuAIwCg&usg=AFQjCNH3RTjl_9ZmoKohk4hRWsDZAfPoGw>

How To Lucid Dream <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llw717IARpQ>
<http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/youtube.com?ref=safesearch&aff_id=534&\
premium=false&suite=false&client_ver=2.5.0.6173&locale=en-US>
1 min 57 sec - Dec 29, 2008
www.youtube.com

<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=256\
24917631272129&ei=hqR1S6-qM4PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&oi=video_result&resnum=12&\
ct=thumbnail&ved=0CDYQuAIwCw&usg=AFQjCNEo9JEkbSWb8bMUsBgvHsnVtthgdA>

<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=256\
24917631272129&ei=hqR1S6-qM4PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&oi=video_result&resnum=12&\
ct=thumbnail&ved=0CDYQuAIwCw&usg=AFQjCNEo9JEkbSWb8bMUsBgvHsnVtthgdA>

Jerimiah Molfese´s Step by Step program in the ...
<http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=25624917631272129>
124 min - Aug 27, 2007
video.google.com

2. Book results for lucid dreaming
<http://books.google.com/books?q=lucid+dreaming&source=bll&ei=hqR1S6-qM4\
PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&oi=book_group&ct=title&cad=bottom-3results&resnum=13&v\
ed=0CDoQsAMwDA>

Lucid dreaming: the paradox of consciousness ...
<http://books.google.com/books?id=WLE9j3dg15kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=lu\
cid+dreaming&source=bll&ots=G5llx2UMrs&sig=9Rjd_Ql0l5bOsimzLE1gIBrt8X0&h\
l=en&ei=hqR1S6-qM4PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=13&v\
ed=0CDsQ6AEwDA> - Celia Elizabeth Green, Charles McCreery - 186 pages

Lucid Dreaming: A Concise Guide to Awakening ...
<http://books.google.com/books?id=YvzgW-sOWtUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=lu\
cid+dreaming&source=bll&ots=kSq6ed6kJ1&sig=CIi8231cEA4ZtPM1Yo-yF9HcZ9o&h\
l=en&ei=hqR1S6-qM4PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=14&v\
ed=0CD0Q6AEwDQ> - Stephen LaBerge - 77 pages

Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self
<http://books.google.com/books?id=Jquw6rtphG8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=lu\
cid+dreaming&source=bll&ots=vXKgXSfpG0&sig=1ZiCVJxZCdEdKPB1V_zul6At0Rk&h\
l=en&ei=hqR1S6-qM4PisQO4_7nLCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=15&v\
ed=0CD8Q6AEwDg> - Robert Waggoner - 306 pages

On Dream Incubation:

http://www.creativethinkingwith.com/Dream-Incubation.html
<http://www.creativethinkingwith.com/Dream-Incubation.html>

http://www.dreams.ca/incubation.htm
<http://www.dreams.ca/incubation.htm>

Video results for dream incubation
<http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS\
363US363&q=dream+incubation&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=7KJ1S9uNOJCCswOP-YTLCA&sa=X\
&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=10&ved=0CCoQqwQwCQ>

1.

<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ehow.com/video_4398503_dream-inc\
ubation.html&ei=7KJ1S9uNOJCCswOP-YTLCA&sa=X&oi=video_result&resnum=10&ct\
=thumbnail&ved=0CCQQuAIwCQ&usg=AFQjCNFd6e5a9tgsyE8lenEL-CqIZXk7SQ>

<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ehow.com/video_4398503_dream-inc\
ubation.html&ei=7KJ1S9uNOJCCswOP-YTLCA&sa=X&oi=video_result&resnum=10&ct\
=thumbnail&ved=0CCQQuAIwCQ&usg=AFQjCNFd6e5a9tgsyE8lenEL-CqIZXk7SQ>

Dream Incubation
<http://www.ehow.com/video_4398503_dream-incubation.html>
<http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/ehow.com?ref=safesearch&aff_id=534&pre\
mium=false&suite=false&client_ver=2.5.0.6173&locale=en-US>
www.ehow.com <http://www.ehow.com/>

I hope that's helpful -- Blessed Be - Gaia

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