Discernment for Dreamers
Over the years of being a dedicated dreamer and dream teacher for beginners - I’ve tracked and noticed a handful of common stumbling blocks that can creep up on the path. It happens to all of us - we’re human after all!
As humans we, too, are given the ability to CHOOSE which paths we will follow. In regards to our dreaming, we can apply the gift of mindful awareness, noticing when these pitfalls when they arrive, and choosing a different way. An early awareness of them helps us maintain a high level of discernment and wisdom.
Pitfall #1: Overwhelm
This is a pitfall that often arises for beginners. There is much excitement and downright giddiness that arise when people first begin reclaiming their dreaming. This benevolence of the beginner’s mind is a great gift indeed. However, it comes with the need for some discernment, as we want to watch the tendency to fall into overwhelm. It usually happens that when people turn towards dreams, they invariably start dreaming more. The dreams are responsive to our attention and our intention. Folks who for years were remembering 0-1 dreams a night, are now remembering 3-4. This can lead to a feeling of downright overwhelm with what to do about it all.
If overwhelm creeps into your space - notice it, then grab it, stop it, and reset. Perhaps it’s time to give yourself a break from writing down all the dreams. Just write down one. If that is too overwhelming, write down one a week. Or just drop them all together for a while. Overwhelm does not increase our receptivity to dreams, and it ultimately is not a sustainable state. Our relationship with the dreams should be easy, joyful and should flow. If it becomes overwhelming, take a break or cut back.
Pitfall #2: Disappointment
Similar to overwhelm, disappointment often creeps in when we’re first beginning. Once bombarded by tales of precognition, interplanetary visitations, conferences with gods and goddesses and the like - we can start to think that to be a real dreamer, we too should be having only magical dreams. I’m here to tell you that those dreams do come, but they are not commonplace. If you begin to feel disappointed by your dreams, stop and identify that disappointment, then reassure it that dreaming doesn’t mean we get to transcend our humanity.
I’d say that for most of us, around 80ish% of dreams have to do with our personal unfolding, meaning we are working to heal and integrate our own psyches and histories. That means that only 20ish% of dreams are the big fun juicy stuff. So don’t be disappointed, you’re human! So am I. Disappointment will not increase the magic in dreams, if anything turns them away, making them feel un-admired. Love the dreams you have and more dreams will come.
Pitfall #3: Overliteralism
Robert Johnson, 2nd generation Jungian teacher said in his fabulous book Inner Work, “An overinvolvement with theories is a main obstacle to dreamwork.” Remember, dreams are supposed to stretch our minds, it kind of “hurts” a bit when we hold a dream in our minds to turn it over - know what I mean? This is natural. Beware of growing overly literal, rigid in your thinking, and too attached to dream theory. The dream dictionary is ONE voice at the council table - it is not THE authority. There is, in fact, no authority on dreams other than our own souls.
For example, what a tiger means to you is very different from what a tiger means to me. Our dreams are speaking a customized language specifically for us, using the symbols of our consciousness to send us messages. This is why we must trust the Aha! Free association and personal projection can guide us greatly in interpreting our own dreams and helping us avoid growing too literal or analytical
Pitfall #4: Spiritual bypass
Spiritual bypass occurs when we use spirituality, and in this case dreaming, to bypass or skirt around dealing with the truth of the suffering of our lives. Don’t use dreaming to escape from reality. Instead, work to weave the dreams by pulling the energy, wisdom and power from them into your life. Do this not just for the actualization of your own soul, but for the healing of our world and all life. Dreaming, if engaged properly, renders us better equipped to more fully live life, be more present in our relationships, more engaged with our world and more creative.
Pitfall #5: Doing Nothing
We can further avoid spiritual bypass by taking action steps… by DOING something with and from the wisdom and power unleashed in the dreaming. Failure to take action on dreams, leaving them in the realm of the in-between, does them no justice. Dreams come to us because they want to live in this world, our job is to weave their energies here. Make sure to take action steps, make rituals of the dreams, research the symbols, make the phone calls and send the emails and have the conversations with the people that need to be had.
Pitfall #6: Ego Inflation
When we make meaning from a dream that feeds an ego story - whether positive or negative - it’s a sign we’re off track.
Positive ego inflation would be any meaning that puts you above everyone else. For example, if you have a dream starring Jesus Christ, choosing a meaning of “I knew I was the second coming of Christ, I am the messiah here to save the world! Come follow me!” that is positive ego inflation. A more integritous and true meaning might be something like “Christ consciousness, which exists in all people, is arising in me and I will take steps to welcome that light into my heart in service to all of life.”
Negative ego inflation would be a meaning that serves an often unconscious, negative story we might have about ourselves. Dreams serve this function - they will show us our fears and wounds. They do this to empower us with the choice to believe differently. Dreams will show us negative beliefs and patterns in the form of a symbol, image or character, so that we can see them. Instead of being unconsciously driven by negative ego stories, we can bring them into the light of day, heal them and move on.
Pitfall #7: Going At It Alone
All dreams bring new information, no dream comes to tell us what we already know. Dreams occupy the cutting edge of our conscious awareness. This means that we, unfortunately, are rather poorly equipped when awake to be our own sole dream interpreters.
Dreams want to be shared. Did you have a startling dream? Nightmarish? Provocative? Groundbreaking? Are you wondering if you’re on the right track with your interpretation? Run it by someone! Anyone who is compassionate, loving and sane will be able to provide some amount of help. For dreams that feel especially dicey, tender or groundbreaking - ask trusted friends and allies to share their honest opinions. This is invaluable, and can save us from ourselves, preventing us from slipping into meanings that feed stories of ego instead of soul.
With a healthy dose of discernment on board, you are equipped for a lifetime of dreamweaving… enjoy!
