Dream Reading : The Evolution of Interpretation
A key to understanding your dreams is to explore with an open mind, remembering that every dream has multiple messages for us. At any one moment you're seeing it from one vantage point only, like the old story of 3 blind people asked to describe an elephant while each is touching a different part. Can you imagine their different descriptions with one holding the tail, one the trunk, and the 3rd touching a leg? Each of their descriptions is accurate and far from complete. In my workshops, I like to use the image of holding the meaning of a dream in an open hand. The idea is to train your awareness to consider each interpretation as another possible meaning rather than 'the' meaning. The more you practice this the more this skill begins to serve you in your waking life. How often do you think you've understood something or someone and then arrived at a judgment or decision based on what you believed to be true, while still missing much of the full story? We do this in relationships, in business deals, in science and in spiritual metaphysics. An open hand allows you to hold what you 'know' while not gripping it with such intensity that you blind yourself to other possibilities.
The different levels of dreaming
Most commonly, the first level of the dreaming perceived is the psycho-emotional. This relates to what you're dealing with in your daily life, consciously and unconsciously, on intellectual and emotional levels.
Micro & Macro-cosmic stories
In each sequence you can look at the immediate, apparent message, as well as the larger picture. To see the macro-cosmic story, you’re looking at the scene from a conceptual or archetypal vantage point. What kind of dynamic is it? Meaning is it a situation of conflict, curiosity, joy, fear, aspiration, or something else? Are you moving towards or away from something? Is something nearby or far away? Is there a pattern of trying to discover something? Are you trying to deny something? You can do this by removing the details from your inquiry, pulling back enough to notice the overall type of story being played out.
Use the clues from the details you've written to see the dream sequence. As an example, if you can see everything that's going on, it's something that's in your conscious awareness and you're willing to see it. If it's dark or blurry or foggy, it's either (or an aspect of it) is either in your subconscious or it's something that you're aware of but you're not willing or able to see the whole story. If you take this approach in relation to all the details, you'll improve your understanding of the dream and how it relates to your waking life.
Next, place your attention on the emotional charge. Pay attention to the emotions of each scene, to understand how you’re feeling in relation to each. These emotions may be your deepest truth or they may be something to resolve and heal from.
Next, you can explore the astral, the psychic, the ancestral, the totemic, and so forth.
Many dreams include clues to many additional dimensions of meaning. The key to unlocking this awareness is to look at each detail to learn what’s there. For example, I experience clouds as a messenger totem. I work with cloud energy and relate to them as conscious, expansive entities with immensely broad range. When I dream about clouds there is, among other messages, an indication for me to re-connect to my awareness of the larger picture. It's a reminder that I'm identifying with my smaller self and limited sensitivity, and that this is not my truth. It's time to tap back into my deeper, expansive 'knowing'. It might also be inviting me to re-tune in to the clouds nearby or those of the coming day and to remain open to insights and guidance that might ‘pop’ in. I trust that tuning into them adds a valuable dimension to my life and has consistently brought me greater clarity and deeper into the flow of synchronicity, strengthening my intuition. I don’t claim to understand or fully grasp what's happening or how. What I do know is that the more I trust this part of the process the more magically my life unfolds and I believe the same is possible to you.
'When the only available means of transportation is a leap of faith' - (unknown)
Below:
1. 8 1/2 minute video clip, discussing the details of reading your dreams
2. A 3-segment Dream Reading interview
A key to understanding your dreams is to explore with an open mind, remembering that every dream has multiple messages for us. At any one moment you're seeing it from one vantage point only, like the old story of 3 blind people asked to describe an elephant while each is touching a different part. Can you imagine their different descriptions with one holding the tail, one the trunk, and the 3rd touching a leg? Each of their descriptions is accurate and far from complete. In my workshops, I like to use the image of holding the meaning of a dream in an open hand. The idea is to train your awareness to consider each interpretation as another possible meaning rather than 'the' meaning. The more you practice this the more this skill begins to serve you in your waking life. How often do you think you've understood something or someone and then arrived at a judgment or decision based on what you believed to be true, while still missing much of the full story? We do this in relationships, in business deals, in science and in spiritual metaphysics. An open hand allows you to hold what you 'know' while not gripping it with such intensity that you blind yourself to other possibilities.
The different levels of dreaming
Most commonly, the first level of the dreaming perceived is the psycho-emotional. This relates to what you're dealing with in your daily life, consciously and unconsciously, on intellectual and emotional levels.
Micro & Macro-cosmic stories
In each sequence you can look at the immediate, apparent message, as well as the larger picture. To see the macro-cosmic story, you’re looking at the scene from a conceptual or archetypal vantage point. What kind of dynamic is it? Meaning is it a situation of conflict, curiosity, joy, fear, aspiration, or something else? Are you moving towards or away from something? Is something nearby or far away? Is there a pattern of trying to discover something? Are you trying to deny something? You can do this by removing the details from your inquiry, pulling back enough to notice the overall type of story being played out.
Use the clues from the details you've written to see the dream sequence. As an example, if you can see everything that's going on, it's something that's in your conscious awareness and you're willing to see it. If it's dark or blurry or foggy, it's either (or an aspect of it) is either in your subconscious or it's something that you're aware of but you're not willing or able to see the whole story. If you take this approach in relation to all the details, you'll improve your understanding of the dream and how it relates to your waking life.
Next, place your attention on the emotional charge. Pay attention to the emotions of each scene, to understand how you’re feeling in relation to each. These emotions may be your deepest truth or they may be something to resolve and heal from.
Next, you can explore the astral, the psychic, the ancestral, the totemic, and so forth.
Many dreams include clues to many additional dimensions of meaning. The key to unlocking this awareness is to look at each detail to learn what’s there. For example, I experience clouds as a messenger totem. I work with cloud energy and relate to them as conscious, expansive entities with immensely broad range. When I dream about clouds there is, among other messages, an indication for me to re-connect to my awareness of the larger picture. It's a reminder that I'm identifying with my smaller self and limited sensitivity, and that this is not my truth. It's time to tap back into my deeper, expansive 'knowing'. It might also be inviting me to re-tune in to the clouds nearby or those of the coming day and to remain open to insights and guidance that might ‘pop’ in. I trust that tuning into them adds a valuable dimension to my life and has consistently brought me greater clarity and deeper into the flow of synchronicity, strengthening my intuition. I don’t claim to understand or fully grasp what's happening or how. What I do know is that the more I trust this part of the process the more magically my life unfolds and I believe the same is possible to you.
'When the only available means of transportation is a leap of faith' - (unknown)
Below:
1. 8 1/2 minute video clip, discussing the details of reading your dreams
2. A 3-segment Dream Reading interview