YOUR EXAMPLE (SLEEP STATE) DREAMS
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As previously outlined, your Example Dreams (dreams associated with your sleep state) constitute the second level of reflective manifestation offered to you by your Inner Self. When you examine your Example Dreams, you will want to pay particular attention to the overall emotional feel of each dream. For example, some people experience a recurring Example Dream in which they are late for an exam or are unprepared for an exam. Usually, the emotional feeling associated with this this kind of dream is anxiety. If a dreamer has recurring dreams of this nature, this is a reflection offered by the Inner Self in response to the dreamer’s regular offering of anxious thought vibrations. This kind of Example Dream is mirroring and usually exaggerating the dreamer’s anxious thought pattern so that it can be examined and potentially modified. Another common Example Dream is one in which the dreamer is flying. Typically, the emotional feeling associated with flying dreams is joy, freedom and exhilaration. If a dreamer is experiencing recurring flying dreams, this is a reflection offered by the Inner Self in response to the dreamer’s regular offering “high flying” thought vibrations. The same can be said of sexual dreams. Not surprisingly, flying and sex are popular activities among lucid dreamers!
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I see lucid dreams as having two closely related sources of fuel that we cultivate during our “waking” hours: good feeling emotional states and awareness. My goal with my meditation practice is to soften the barriers that I have created to the flow of energy from my Inner Self. Meditation always feels good to me. Very often, it feels ecstatic. Thus, the distinction I’m making is a very subtle one, as the concepts of “feeling good” and “awareness” are very close cousins. In my dream journal, I categorize flying dreams as “pre-lucid” because I know that they are reflecting my good feeling “vibes” and that I’m just on the precipice of gaining full lucidity. Research studies have revealed that people who frequently meditate are much more likely to experience lucid dreams as compared to the general population. I think this is because meditators have cultivated the mindfulness and awareness that is needed to make the leap from a good feeling flying dream to an ecstatic lucid dream.
In addition to paying attention to the emotional feel of your Example Dreams, you can also often glean a message from your Inner Self by examining the symbolism presented in the dream. A full discussion of dream interpretation is beyond the scope of this page of the website, but I’d like to introduce a few basic ideas. In many Example Dreams, the dreamer is presented with an obvious metaphor that is easy to interpret. In other dreams, the symbolism can be very subtle. One very potent method of dream interpretation is to look upon every dream figure as representing an aspect of the dreamer (a method commonly employed by Jungian psychologists). On many occasions I’ve been able to employ this method to decipher a puzzling dream and discover a meaningful message from my Inner Self.
In deciphering dreams using the “aspect of me” method, I’ve learned to pay attention to the gender of the dream figures. Male dream figures often represent the idea of ”masculine” or “yang” energy – the idea of action, willpower, structure, and taking initiative. Arnold Schwartzenneger, Hulk Hogan, and Clint Eastwood have appeared in my dreams as cartoon-style exaggerations of this kind of energy. Female dream figures often represent the idea of “feminine” or “yin” energy – the idea of Intuition, allowance, grace, relaxation and patience. Oprah Winfrey is a recurring figure from my dreams that represents this kind of energy. Through my dreams, I’ve picked up on a message from my Inner Self to the effect I would benefit from further blending these energies. In my case, it would serve me to incorporate more feminine or yin energy into my vibration. In contrast, a person who lacks action and initiative in their life would likely experience dreams that emphasize the opposite -- the need to incorporate more masculine energy.
Here are some examples from my journal where the gender of the dream figures are representative of my masculine (yang) and feminine (yin) energy vibrations:
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April 23, 2012
Dream 2 (5:55 AM). Short dream scene. There is a relay race going on. Each team has 4 runners. I associate myself with one team, although I am really more of an observer. My team has a huge lead. My third-leg runner is a woman. She will be handing the baton off to a man who will run the anchor leg of the race. The handoff gets botched. Possibly, the anchor-leg guy takes off too early. He ends up tripping and falling to the ground. The third-leg woman then crashes into him. They both end up crashing into a wall on the side of the track. COMMENT: The male and female runners represent my feminine (intuitive) and male (action) aspects. This dream is suggesting that I need to work on better coordination of these aspects. I may be running them separately rather than blending them together. |
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March 25, 2012
Dream 3 (8:43 AM). I’m walking out of a building with a group. Myself and at least 3 others. It is an urban setting. We seem to be in a hurry. One in the group, a short woman, has gone ahead of myself and the others. I step outside of the building. The exit to the building is unusual. It starts out as a steep staircase. It reminds me of a fire escape. As with other fire escapes, the final part is a ladder that drops straight down. In this case, this hanging ladder is extremely long. Hard to judge distance in recalling a dream, but it look like it might drop down for 50-feet or so. The other two in our group are larger guys. I question whether these guys (and/or the stuff they have with them) can make it down this ladder. COMMENT: The short woman represents female energy or my “intuitive self”. She is nimble and can easily climb down the stairs/ladder. The larger guys represent male aspects of my personality that are larger, more rigid, less flexible, less nimble etc. I think the message is that I need to blend in more of my intuitive aspects if I want to travel places that require me to be nimble and flexible (e.g. if I want to experience lucid dreaming more frequently). |
Why do we want to improve our blending of these energies? Because such blending assists us in leading a more energized and fulfilled life where we realize the potential of our unique gifts, talents and passions. In March of 2012, I recorded two dreams featuring Michael Jordan, the world famous basketball player. In both dreams, I suddenly realize that I’m affiliated with Michael Jordan and that he brings incredible talents and resources to the table. My Inner Self offered these dreams to me as a reminder that I have a “superstar within” that can emerge when I trust my inner guidance and follow my Excitement. Michael Jordan is a male dream figure. During his playing career, he often exhibited explosive power on the basketball court. But, his game was also characterized by grace, touch, and remarkable creativity – all feminine aspects. Thus, both of these dreams are presenting Michael Jordan to me as an example of the blending of masculine and feminine energy. His recurring appearance in my dreams at this time was also a reflection of how I was just then coming into greater awareness and appreciation of my inner resources. Both of these dreams are encouraging me to draw more from my vast inner resources:
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March 5, 2012
Dream 1 (4:25 AM). Setting is a basketball game. . . . Michael Jordan is on our team, but it is as if we never realized that we had a player of his caliber on our team. He takes a jumpshot and the ball sails through the basket with a clean swish. This basket seems to be critical in the scheme of the game – there is celebration. . . . It is as if Michael Jordan was always on our team but we didn’t realize it was Michael Jordan – or maybe we never gave him the ball. . . . Eventually, the ball comes back to Jordan. He takes a shot that bounces off the rim and falls in. The game had been close until we let Jordan step up and more or less take over the game. . . . |
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March 19, 2012
Dream 6 (2:34 AM). Dream involves real estate development projects. Michael Jordan needs space for his project or concept. He is a client and I did not seem to realize previously that I had him as a client. I start to go through some normal deal concerns, including financing. I then realize that we don't have to worry about financing as he can borrow at low rates due to his extensive wealth. He can use stocks etc. as collateral (or just use cash). . . . |
Celebrities are fun to interpret as dream figures. I’ve recorded a lot of Example Dreams with comedians, including Amy Poehler, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Will Ferrell, and Stephen Colbert. Sometimes they represent the idea that I’m connecting with laughter and lightheartedness. Sometimes they are pointing out that I’ve become too serious and thus I’m shown as disconnected from them. Performing artists like Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jennifer Lopez and Sammy Hagar have appeared in my dreams as symbols of self-expression. Journalists like Tom Brokaw, Wolf Blitzer and Brian Williams typically represent the idea of “mass consciousness” and my fears associated with blazing my own trail and diverging from mainstream thought.
I also try to reflect upon the potential symbolism of dream animals, especially when I have an emotional response to the animal in the dream. For instance, I will occasionally encounter gators in my dreams and I’ve come to understand that they represent fear, as I usually have a fearful response to them. In contrast, dolphins typically represent playful, high frequency energy. The following dream intentionally contrasts these vibrations in a creative way:
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December 24, 2011
Dream 1 (5:40 AM). Gators in the water. The dreams starts out as if I’m watching a funny video on a screen. There are two guys in a kayak. I recognize the video, as if I’ve previously seen it. I expect that a gator is going to jump up and give the two kayakers a real scare. Then I shift perspective and I am in the scene on the kayak. I appear to be on a kayak by myself. Then, one by one, several huge gators glide under my kayak. The gators are swimming in a manner that I would more associate with dolphins. Each time one of them rises up under my kayak, my kayak is pulled along on the gator’s back. Then the gator swims out ahead of me. This happens 3 or 4 times. It is as if I am kayaking with a school of giant gators. Emotion feeling: fear! I felt so much fear that I was screaming at the end of the dream . . . and I woke up as if waking up from a nightmare. COMMENT: I believe the gators in the murky water are symbolic of the fear I feel when I try to go deeper in exploring my inner life. As I went to sleep last night, I felt fantastic energy coursing through me. I felt some buzzing in my ears. It occurred to me I could be on the verge of having an out-of-body experience, but then I felt fearful. The dolphin-like swimming style of the gators is very intentional and is intended to contrast higher-frequency energy (dolphins) and lower-frequency energy (gators). The dream may be pointing out that I’m starting to “swim” with dolphin energy, while still holding on to gator (low-frequency, fear-based) ideas. |
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Likewise, inanimate objects often represent something much greater than their literal function. When an object is used in an extraordinary or ludicrous manner, it serves as a cue for us to reflect upon its symbolic value. Here is an example:
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April 27, 2013
Dream 1 (5:18 AM). There is a guy who has a large machine gun. There is a woman who is an actress. She is holding a large old-fashioned camera. The guy with the gun is pointing the large gun at the actress. A robbery attempt? The woman is not intimidated by him. She approaches the guy with the gun and attaches her large camera to the front nozzle of the gun. This effectively renders the gun inoperable. The guy then pulls out a smaller gun. The woman and I (and possibly others present) just ignore him. The guy is frustrated by our lack of fear. I decide to leave. . . . COMMENT: I think the woman with the camera represents the observer aspect of my soul. She represents that part of my inner being that is simply present as an observer and does not get caught up in drama. I think the dream is encouraging me to call upon this aspect as a means of using the power of awareness to dissolving any drama, especially fear based drama. |
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