Dreams as medicine

When someone tells me of a powerful dream-I will not ask “what do you think it means?” Not right away.. because that may imply that once the meaning is decoded or uncovered, there is something you “get”. Like once the message has been revealed, there is a gift, a sign that will be just the thing to know, to make just the change that’s needed, to just maybe end the suffering.

And this may be true, but this method feels greedy and rushy- I feel like the dream, at least when it is still raw, deserves the respectful act of just letting it be what it is – a powerful dream- at least for a bit. Maybe the first thing we can do is admire them- be moved by them- as you would a violent storm or a surreal sunset. Even if, they are beyond our understanding or comfort level.

One of my most prolific dream teachers @tokopa says that our dreams challenge us to live with many layers of ambiguity, which is skill-forming. I love this.

Now that said, it is often during the detox process (“DETOX” simply meaning: a specific amount of time that we are focussed specifically on optimizing our physical, emotional, electrical and immaterial bodies) that our dreams may start to speak up, which I suggest inviting in- if there is a real commitment to the process. I see the act/art of detox and dipping into the subconscious mind via conscious dreaming to be highly complementary practices.

The body and mind are unequivocally and profoundly connected,
and there is an interconnected nature to dreams and the body, so when we are consciously working on ‘healing the body’ the subconscious mind may want to get involved too, in support of the mission. Dreaming is a biological process that allows us to live a more balanced and healthy waking life experience.

And so we can choose to look here, in the crevasses of our subconscious mind for clues, often areas that need our attention may start to speak up.

Sometimes with big bold show hands… impossible to ignore. well, easy to ignore actually. but what a waste that would be. These ‘medicinal dreams’ can, of course, come without our choosing, but it is how we greet them, welcome them in- that we then allow the benefits of the communion to begin.