“Our dreams are like a guiding light given by the Great Spirit to souls that otherwise would wander in darkness.”
- American Indian saying
The Healing Power of Dreams
When ego is asleep, dreams open a window to the Soul, offering guidance for well-being growth and problem solving. Dreams give us information and the power to heal body, mind and spirit. They allow us to access an inner wisdom that is far greater than our conscious awareness.
Dreams Help To:
Empower us to make better choices and decisions
Heal traumas and unresolved wounds
Prepare us for new stages in our lives
Reveal the true nature of our relationships
Give us new perspective and glimpses into the future
Show us creative solutions to problems
Help us work through obstacles and blocks
Warn and protect us
The Language of Dreams
During my first pregnancy, I had this dream: I returned a gray oval purse to the mall. Inside the purse was a compact of blood-red eye shadow. I told the saleswoman behind the counter, “The makeup is not right for me.” I woke from the dream saying ,“I am going to miscarry.” I miscarried a week later. Two months later, I dreamed that I was chasing bunny rabbits and caught a black and white one. This time I woke to say, “We need a pregnancy test.” As the dream conveyed with its humorous and metaphoric language, I was indeed pregnant with my first child.
The Inner Wisdom of Dreams
Our dreams often show us the underlying dynamics about our relationships – information we need to find honest, deep and supportive solutions.
Janet shared a dream in which her husband told her that he had fallen in love with another woman and was leaving her. Consciously, Janet had no awareness that her husband was having an affair. Yet her unconscious had taken notice of all the subtle clues and sensed the truth of their relationship. In fact, her husband left three months later for another woman.
Dreams Come in Service of Wholeness
Each night, our psyches do an inventory and reveal memories, traumas and concerns that require our attention. Even the scariest nightmare is really a wake-up call for healing and can provide a pathway for recovery.
A client shared this dream that changed his life::
David had been drinking heavily for years, apathetic to the occasional loss of a job or girlfriend. One night he dreamed: “I was sitting in the chair, a beer in one hand, TV changer in the other. There came an urgent knock on the door. I couldn’t move. The paramedics came in and one of them said, ‘Mr. Jones, we have to help you up.’ The other one looked into my eyes and checked my pulse. ‘Never mind,’ he said, ‘this one’s already rigor mortis.’” David woke from this dream in a fright. “Somebody up there wanted me to wake up and change my life.” He joined AA, got sober, fell in love and is enjoying a fuller and happier life.
It is helpful to explore the language and landscape of dreams with an experienced guide to point you in meaningful directions. With practice, you will develop your own fluency and knowledge.