Like a Dream Come Truth
Posted by Improving Lives Counseling | Articles
A poem about the truth in dreams.
“I’ve been searching for a Love with constant stream
water flowing through to my heart for healing.
Connection felt within the depths of infinity.
My desire is to know a union unending.
I’ve often thought about the possibility
of giving all of me
becoming, super
I really want to be free.
Maybe I could change the world…
Maybe I could be inspired to help the people see…
Maybe I could find my true purpose and live it completely…”
“The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind.” Sigmund Freud
Our nighttime dreams provide us one of the greatest tools of self-awareness available to man. I have found this to be true through years of formally studying my own dreams as well as the dreams of others. How often do you remember your dreams? Have you ever found value in the seemingly random images that appear in your mind while sleeping? If so, what do they mean? If not, there could be a new world awaiting your arrival!
For centuries, dreams have been a source of interest. Throughout the years, there have been many schools of thought, philosophers, and cultures who dedicated a considerable amount of time and research toward understanding the nature of nighttime dreaming. Ancient cultures thought of dreams as a medium between the Earth world and the gods. Some were even convinced dreams had certain prophetic powers.
In the nineteenth century Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung formed some of the most widely known theories of dreaming. According to Freud, dreams are repressed wish seeking and with important clues to the unknown, while Jung describes dreams as more of a literal message. He depicts dreams as the unconscious supplying the missing element of what ego is unaware of, bringing the unconscious to the conscious. (Singer. 1972) One perspective explores the potential of living out the life you desire, while asleep allowing us to sort through unresolved, repressed longing. The other presents dreams as a direct communication from within, leading to awareness. Since then, many other conclusions have been drawn from dreams being the result of heightened activity during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep to dreams being a collection of memories seen while awake. The common link that I’ve found is that so many people have valued the importance of dreams to our waking life. How does dreaming affect you? I have journeyed to answer that very question through learning more about nighttime dreams and how I could utilize and understand them more deeply.
I am a student, teacher, and new Director at the School of Metaphysics (SOM) in Tulsa. The SOM is a non-profit institute that teaches mind and consciousness. A main part of the coursework includes dream interpretation. My relationship with dreams prior to this course of study was intermittent. I remembered my dreams regularly, yet mainly gave attention to the ones that ‘stood out’. Those dreams were typically emotionally ridden in some way or they came true, which I was very shy to share because I didn’t fully understand what was occurring.
At the SOM, dreams are taught as a tool for communication with your higher self, a feedback system between conscious and subconscious minds. Dreams communicate to us in a language of symbols: the Universal Language of Mind©. A symbol is a noun and appears as an image of a person, place, or thing that appears in your dream. Images are universal, meaning they apply to all people everywhere and anytime. There are two points that are universal in all dreams:
- Every dream is about the dreamer.
- Every person, place, or thing is a reflection of you, the dreamer.
Because of these key points, looking more closely into our nighttime messages can provide valuable insight into the dreamer’s thoughts from the day before.
Dream symbols are interpreted according to their form and function. Have you ever dreamed about food? Food is a common symbol for people. To understand the meaning, we look for the form and function of the symbol; the function of food is to nourish the body. Next, we would look at the type of food to understand more of the form. We can discover the function of an object by asking the question “What does it do?” We find the form by asking, “What is it for?” In a dream, food nourishes the mind and represents knowledge. So in going deeper with this dream, we would look at what’s occurring with the food. Are you eating it? What is the quality? What is your reaction in the dream?
For example: In this dream, you’re at a restaurant that you’ve never been to before, and you’re eating a gourmet meal. It is your favorite food: salmon and asparagus.
This would reflect a way that you’re taking in knowledge that you really like. A restaurant is a place to receive “knowledge”. The gourmet meal represents knowledge that’s nourishing. Because it is your favorite, you appreciate it. Because your dreams reflect your thoughts of the previous day, this dream indicates that there is a new way that you’re attempting to learn. The next questions would be: are you reading a new book? Taking a new class? Identifying how the dream applies will help to deepen your awareness of yourself. If you are taking a new class then you would know this is something productive for you. Your feelings about this are positive. If the food in the dream wasn’t healthy then it would symbolize a way you’re taking in knowledge that isn’t serving you well.
Once I had a dream I was standing on top of a mountain on the planet Earth. As I stood on top of the mountain, I could see the entire world! From this vantage point I could see all the continents and people from every nation searching for something more. I could see the galaxy and how the Earth was floating. I felt larger than all the stars surrounding me. As I traveled, a spiritual teacher came to show me how to connect with a greatness that was inside of me. He gave me guidance on how to teach and taught me that the truth was within me.
After waking up from this dream, I was forever changed. I had never seen the world or myself in such a grand way. All of what was occurring in the dream left me feeling larger than life. This dream was and continues to be an inspiration to me and still is as I reflect. From ground level, this dream provided guidance and motivation and it expanded my thoughts of possibility. The dream above all is about perspective. The ‘mountain’ symbolically represents an obstacle. A teacher is a higher place of knowing. At this particular time in my life, I was re-evaluating who I was becoming, my influence, and my ability to help others. I called upon this higher authority to help me. My thoughts were expanding in my waking life as my vision of possibility broadened. This dream encouraged me to continue on my path.
Connecting with your dreams can afford you the opportunity to connect with your inner truth. They serve as a guide, much like a best friend that always gives in honesty the best feedback and advice. This type of inner rapport leads to alignment and fulfillment. You will come to know and accept yourself beyond what you thought was possible. We all have access to this treasure. Start off with a notebook and pen to record your dream and then phone your local branch or go online to the www.som.org website for more tools to get started.
Jillian Bergman- Martin is a student, teacher, and the director of the School of Metaphysics in Tulsa. For more information contact the School of Metaphysics at 918.582.8836 or via email at Tulsa@som.org
- Lewis, S. A., & Groman, W. D. (1975). Dreamwork in a Gestalt therapy context.
- Singer, J. (1972). Boundaries of the Soul: The Practice of Jung’s Psychology. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
- School of Metaphysics Mastery of Consciousness coursework
- Understanding Your Dreams, Dr. Daniel Condron
