Understanding Night-Time Dreams
Everybody dreams; we usually have 5 dreams per night, yet some of us never remember our dreams. The reason for this is often a lack of interest and awareness of how beneficial working on our dreams can be.
Recorded dreamwork goes back to Assyrian-Babylonian times and can be found in Egyptian hieroglyphics and the Bible (over 700 recorded dreams and visions). The Greek pantheon included the healing god Asclepius who was in charge of 300 temples dedicated to dreamwork. People for thousands of years around the world in less “developed” countries have continued to rely on dreamwork for the safety and health of the tribe.
According to Freud “Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious.” Whereas, for Carl Jung, “The dream is a little hidden door in the innermost and most secret recesses of the soul, opening into that cosmic night which was psyche long before there was any ego-consciousness, and which will remain psyche no matter how far our ego-consciousness extends.”
My favorite dream work trainer, Jeremy Taylor believed as I do that, “All Dreams come in the service of Health and Wholeness.”
Problem Solving: Our dreams can provide creative solutions. Albert Einstein’s dreamed of the theory of relativity and Elias Howe invented the sewing machine needle from a dream. Robert Lewis Stevenson composed many of his novels particularly “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” from dreams. Mary Shelley wrote of “Frankenstein” from a nightmare she experienced. Many songs, poems, and ideas come from dreams. We can all tap into this creativity by simply being interested in our dreams and by asking dream wisdom for help.
Premonition Dreams: We all know of someone who had a premonition dream, i.e. a dream of something that later occurred. Others have had warnings of illnesses, plane crashes, and various other disasters. Thousands of people reported having dreamt of 9/11 before it occurred. Our dreams can be our greatest allies. If we would only pay them the respect they deserve.
Why do you need help with interpretation? Our dreams are often symbolic. They symbolize something other than the obvious. For example, to dream of your car, may represent your physical self or your means of getting around. Notice who is in control of the wheel? If it’s you, good; if not, perhaps you are allowing someone else too much influence in your life? If the car is veering off the road. Perhaps you are currently making a decision that is not in alignment with your values or goals.
All dreams are unique to the dreamer and we often need help in deciphering the symbolic meaning. Your innate wisdom can help you discern the correct meaning of the dream for you.
Anxiety Dreams and Nightmares: People who seek out my dream interpretation services often do so because they are experiencing recurring anxiety dreams or nightmares. Anxiety dreams and nightmares are more common in children prior to the age of 9yrs old. The reason for this is that young children feel more powerless and dependent on others.
Nightmares in Children: These are often a warning sign for parents to pay attention to the child’s current situation and evaluate where the child is having difficulty. Often children cannot voice what it is that worries them but by paying attention to the nightmare you may be able to figure it out. If not, you can always benefit from an expert’s opinion.
Repressed Feelings: For some of us, dreams that cause anxiety or nightmares are often caused by a feeling of a lack of control. Dreams are related to our day’s events and feelings that occurred. Often we are busy with life and don’t notice or pay attention to how we truly feel. If a client tells me everything in there waking life is fine but they are experiencing nightmares. Then, as a licensed mental health counselor and Dream worker, I know that something is bothering them that they are unaware of and I will assist them to discover their repressed feelings. In my experience, interpreting dreams can help provide greater self-awareness, resolve emotions and end anxiety and nightmare episodes.
In my 20 years of providing dream interpretation, I have been pleasantly surprised at how people’s dream retention increases rapidly by attending a dream workshop or dream group. So why not start today to record your dreams? Working on your dreams can provide greater self-awareness, emotional stability, and aid in decision making.
If you would like to explore and learn more about dream interpretation within a group setting, please join me and your friends for a class at the Center for Spiritual Living in St. Augustine on Oct. 22nd, 2019, 6-8 pm. Donations are gratefully accepted. You can register at (904) 436 5576 or email Info@isobelmcgrath.com.
The Center for Spiritual Living is located at 1795 Old Moultrie Rd, St Augustine, 32084. Tele: 904 825 3600.
More about Isobel McGrath LMHC, ICAC, CHT. International Counselor, Life Coach, and Hypnotherapist:
Isobel has presented at the International Association for the study of Dreams conferences and studied with leading Dream Workers: Monty Ullman, Robert Moss, Jeremy Taylor, Bob Hoss, and has facilitated dream groups and taught psychotherapists how to work with client dreams. You can learn more about Isobel and her practice at Mindful-Options.com.