"The dream rectifies the situation. It contributes the material that was lacking and thereby improves the patient's attitude. That is the reason we need dream-analysis in our therapy. "
- Carl G. Jung.
- Carl G. Jung.
In Jungian Psychology we consider the unconscious a precious jewel, a treasure to be discovered and be utilized to help to make our life more whole and conscious. This means that our shadow represents portions or parts of us, of our personality that we don’t like, we don’t see it and/or we don’t recognize despite that our shadow is filled with much potential. Unknowingly by many, it is pure gold.
As a part of us and part of who we are our shadow is also connected to the world itself and makes us who we are, human beings with mind, body and soul; we are an embodiment of different polarities, represented by the positive and the negative, the conscious and the unconscious parts in us.
A side from the individual aspects to take into consideration, dreams also connect us to the universal, the archetypal and the symbolic. Dreams have the power to awaken us to the terrestrial plane and to the divine mystery we are all living in and attempting to comprehend more fully.
The unconscious is filled with information about ourselves and about our personal growth as individuals. Often, the unconscious can reveal and let us know in truth how we really process our experiences, but most important to consider is, that speaks a very unique and symbolic language, not as easy to track and interpret.
A very famous quote from C. G. Jung says: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” This is the reason why in the endeavor of providing Psychotherapy, the purpose of such is connected to improving the life of the individual, the family or the group or overall society. But primarily, it is about assisting the process of making conscious the unconscious and then being able to understand what is missing or attempting to understand what is not working well.
At Bach Flower Therapy we believe that flower essences can assist anyone with this arduous and elaborate process of finding what is missing but we certainly see the benefit of investing time and energy paying attention to your dreams and being healed by them while you take the flower remedies. Certainly, it is a very unique healing modality.
What the essences catalyzed is your inner doctor within, and dreams come as a reflection of the conflict or portraying an image of what is needed to change or what has been already resolved. Each flower essence has a quality and while working on healing any trauma, dreams can be your ally to find clues that are hidden. While making these clues conscious, it will then favor your conscious process and for you to awaken to parts of yourself that perhaps have been dormant or inactive for you to feel better, back to normal or renewed.
We say sometimes that it is an “arduous process” because it takes bravery to look at your unconscious. And, it can be important in this process to not be alone. This is a process of knowing yourself and awakening to who you are. Also, it is a process for bringing into consciousness what is most precious for you to realize. To be conscientious of unknown things that can be the key to the next steps of your life. In this sense, we want to offer you guidance and support.
As a part of us and part of who we are our shadow is also connected to the world itself and makes us who we are, human beings with mind, body and soul; we are an embodiment of different polarities, represented by the positive and the negative, the conscious and the unconscious parts in us.
A side from the individual aspects to take into consideration, dreams also connect us to the universal, the archetypal and the symbolic. Dreams have the power to awaken us to the terrestrial plane and to the divine mystery we are all living in and attempting to comprehend more fully.
The unconscious is filled with information about ourselves and about our personal growth as individuals. Often, the unconscious can reveal and let us know in truth how we really process our experiences, but most important to consider is, that speaks a very unique and symbolic language, not as easy to track and interpret.
A very famous quote from C. G. Jung says: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” This is the reason why in the endeavor of providing Psychotherapy, the purpose of such is connected to improving the life of the individual, the family or the group or overall society. But primarily, it is about assisting the process of making conscious the unconscious and then being able to understand what is missing or attempting to understand what is not working well.
At Bach Flower Therapy we believe that flower essences can assist anyone with this arduous and elaborate process of finding what is missing but we certainly see the benefit of investing time and energy paying attention to your dreams and being healed by them while you take the flower remedies. Certainly, it is a very unique healing modality.
What the essences catalyzed is your inner doctor within, and dreams come as a reflection of the conflict or portraying an image of what is needed to change or what has been already resolved. Each flower essence has a quality and while working on healing any trauma, dreams can be your ally to find clues that are hidden. While making these clues conscious, it will then favor your conscious process and for you to awaken to parts of yourself that perhaps have been dormant or inactive for you to feel better, back to normal or renewed.
We say sometimes that it is an “arduous process” because it takes bravery to look at your unconscious. And, it can be important in this process to not be alone. This is a process of knowing yourself and awakening to who you are. Also, it is a process for bringing into consciousness what is most precious for you to realize. To be conscientious of unknown things that can be the key to the next steps of your life. In this sense, we want to offer you guidance and support.
THE UNCONSCIOUS
The unconscious is a pretty “sensitive entity” and it is like a character that has his own personality. In our psyches, the unconscious is a whole entity by its own doing its job. This is a very powerful source and it has life in itself. I might say also that this is a pretty sensitive entity to be looked at in relationship to other parts of us.
The unconscious can be a trouble maker, a mobilizer and shaker. Its energy is very powerful. This is the reason why we can wake up very moved by a dream. Also, this is the reason why the unconscious favors us to have the most amazing wake up calls. It can be shaking but it is fascinating at the same time when we open up to learn about ourselves. It helps us to really pay attention to what is need it, even if we don’t like it or we don’t want to.
One of the most important things to pay attention to in catching your dreams is constancy. Often, I like to equate this process to the act of “fishing”. The process of catching a fish can be long and arduous; it requires a lot of patience: you have to take care to not scare the waters by waiting patiently for the fish to bite the hook. In this regard, you have to trust what you are doing and wait for the fish to show up.
In this sense, what it the most crucial aspect to consider in this process is for you to become an ally to your unconscious and allow the unconscious to be revealed to you through your dreams and the synchronicity that can accompany this magical process. Let’s say that in order to make friends with your dreams and your unconscious, it is very important to be open with curiosity (not be scared) and set up the right intentions. By setting the right intentions, it can also wake up your curiosity in synch to your inner experience.
In my years of studying and practicing Psychology, I encountered many people complaining of not remembering their dreams and this becomes a frustration to them. But once they start to be curious and pay attention, trusting the process and being open, things start to change.
Therefore, here I want to make some suggestions or give you some tips for you to pay attention and see how these can work for you. Welcoming your unconscious in your life implies to invest time in exploring and nourishing your inner life. And, for me to help you to be doing this work, I will provide you with some tips that can favor the remembrance.
The unconscious can be a trouble maker, a mobilizer and shaker. Its energy is very powerful. This is the reason why we can wake up very moved by a dream. Also, this is the reason why the unconscious favors us to have the most amazing wake up calls. It can be shaking but it is fascinating at the same time when we open up to learn about ourselves. It helps us to really pay attention to what is need it, even if we don’t like it or we don’t want to.
One of the most important things to pay attention to in catching your dreams is constancy. Often, I like to equate this process to the act of “fishing”. The process of catching a fish can be long and arduous; it requires a lot of patience: you have to take care to not scare the waters by waiting patiently for the fish to bite the hook. In this regard, you have to trust what you are doing and wait for the fish to show up.
In this sense, what it the most crucial aspect to consider in this process is for you to become an ally to your unconscious and allow the unconscious to be revealed to you through your dreams and the synchronicity that can accompany this magical process. Let’s say that in order to make friends with your dreams and your unconscious, it is very important to be open with curiosity (not be scared) and set up the right intentions. By setting the right intentions, it can also wake up your curiosity in synch to your inner experience.
In my years of studying and practicing Psychology, I encountered many people complaining of not remembering their dreams and this becomes a frustration to them. But once they start to be curious and pay attention, trusting the process and being open, things start to change.
Therefore, here I want to make some suggestions or give you some tips for you to pay attention and see how these can work for you. Welcoming your unconscious in your life implies to invest time in exploring and nourishing your inner life. And, for me to help you to be doing this work, I will provide you with some tips that can favor the remembrance.
CREATING THE RIGHT INTENTIONS
As you might know, one important theme in Psychology and Metaphysics is setting intentions and working with your belief system. By modifying your set of negative beliefs to a more positive ones can benefit you immensely.
Therefore, the first step to take in the journey of following and tracking your dreams is to review your set of beliefs about your unconscious. As we said earlier, being open to look at things in a different way, and to get to know parts of yourself that can be ugly or difficult, or they can feel negative or puzzling to you.
Thus, by not pushing away anything puzzling, strange to you or that feels negative, can be a good step to begin and welcome the unconscious in your life. As firm and as determined and open you are to the world of dreams, the more possibilities will open up for you to remember them.
Often, to remember dreams it can be of good advice to suggest to yourself a “mantra” that you can repeat to yourself along the day. You can write an affirmation down in a paper (e.g. “I am open to remember my dreams”), or even painting the word “dreams” in a board or an image that symbolizes the oniric and the imaginal world will help you to invoke them and for them to show up and be part of our life.
When going to bed, it is important to hold this intention in your mind and keep repeating your mantra until you fall sleep. It is like when we were little children and our mothers read us fairy tales or encouraged us to start counting sheep to help us transition from the day time to the night time.
In this way, by doing some writing, visualizing that you will remember your dreams or doing an affirmation or mantra connected to this purpose, you will welcome your dreams and you will hold a better attitude to enter the dreaming state when you go to sleep.
To favor your intention to remember your dreams, you can also write down your mantra or affirmation in a piece of paper and place it under your pillow. The utility of this is based on the fact that your unconscious will pick up on the very intentional act.
The same that we do when setting intentions and affirmations, it is very important to see yourself being the master of your own process and visualize yourself journaling, and writing down your dreams and working on your association/s and diverse meaning that can elicit.
For example, visualize in your mind that the right dreams are revealed to you and that they will be very meaningful to you. Visualize all the process in your mind, like “playing a tape” of all the ritual that you create. See this process headed to a very positive outcome (your ideal one). Enjoy it, feel it, and recreate it like it was real.
Therefore, the first step to take in the journey of following and tracking your dreams is to review your set of beliefs about your unconscious. As we said earlier, being open to look at things in a different way, and to get to know parts of yourself that can be ugly or difficult, or they can feel negative or puzzling to you.
Thus, by not pushing away anything puzzling, strange to you or that feels negative, can be a good step to begin and welcome the unconscious in your life. As firm and as determined and open you are to the world of dreams, the more possibilities will open up for you to remember them.
Often, to remember dreams it can be of good advice to suggest to yourself a “mantra” that you can repeat to yourself along the day. You can write an affirmation down in a paper (e.g. “I am open to remember my dreams”), or even painting the word “dreams” in a board or an image that symbolizes the oniric and the imaginal world will help you to invoke them and for them to show up and be part of our life.
When going to bed, it is important to hold this intention in your mind and keep repeating your mantra until you fall sleep. It is like when we were little children and our mothers read us fairy tales or encouraged us to start counting sheep to help us transition from the day time to the night time.
In this way, by doing some writing, visualizing that you will remember your dreams or doing an affirmation or mantra connected to this purpose, you will welcome your dreams and you will hold a better attitude to enter the dreaming state when you go to sleep.
To favor your intention to remember your dreams, you can also write down your mantra or affirmation in a piece of paper and place it under your pillow. The utility of this is based on the fact that your unconscious will pick up on the very intentional act.
The same that we do when setting intentions and affirmations, it is very important to see yourself being the master of your own process and visualize yourself journaling, and writing down your dreams and working on your association/s and diverse meaning that can elicit.
For example, visualize in your mind that the right dreams are revealed to you and that they will be very meaningful to you. Visualize all the process in your mind, like “playing a tape” of all the ritual that you create. See this process headed to a very positive outcome (your ideal one). Enjoy it, feel it, and recreate it like it was real.
RITUALIZING AND ACCOMMODATING YOUR SLEEPING AREA
It is very important that you have a place to sleep that it is clean and you feel comfortable. Keep in mind that your sleeping place is a special place. Ideally, this should be accommodated for you to rest and have a peaceful night.
It can be of help that your bedroom or your sleeping area is decorated with meaningful things, including personal objects that inspire what gives you a sense of clarity and well-being, as well as inspire your purpose or what you want to become, connected with your conscious dreams.
It is said in some dream studies that it is easy to remember your dreams if you sleep in the complete dark, without any type of light around. Thus, if you feel comfortable, it is important that you sleep with the windows, doors and lights closed.
Meditation also is a good practice known that favors remembering our dreams. While meditating, you learn to cultivate awareness in the present moment and to notice what flows to your conscious mind, allowing it to be present, and then once it is made conscious, be able to let it go.
Therefore, when paying attention to your memories, slowing down your mind and connecting to your breathing, it favors the inner sight to expand and connect more easily with your subconscious mind.
This will bring up some unconscious material to the surface. This content is stored and once emerges is the time for you to explore. This can happen through an image, a felt sense, a thought, a word, or a vague memory that emerges while meditating and being mindful of the content that emerges in your mind.
Interestingly, it is also known that some people tend to remember more their dreams when they sleep in an unknown or unfamiliar place out of their usual comfort zone, or in uncomfortable situations that interrupt their sleep. Studies show that it is easy to wake up at different times during the night time, which they remember easily the dreams than when they sleep all the way through the night.
Ritualizing your life can favor the access to your dreaming state. It is important that you choose the way in which you “sacralize” your life and your present moments. You can do that in different ways, by doing a prayer, by ringing a bell, reading a passage of a book or a poem that means something important to you, or even lighting a candle in your altar or incense before going to bed.
Again, here it is also where you can set up your intentions and aligning your beliefs with the purpose of working with your dreams and welcoming your unconscious to be of guidance to you. This is a mental preparation, a readiness to surrender to the unknown.
It is also a way to honor your dreams and be serious about it. If you want a good example about ritualizing your life, the monks prepare themselves all day long with rituals. For example, going to bed very early and waking up very early in the morning while practicing all sorts of rituals and prayers during the day long.
It can be of help that your bedroom or your sleeping area is decorated with meaningful things, including personal objects that inspire what gives you a sense of clarity and well-being, as well as inspire your purpose or what you want to become, connected with your conscious dreams.
It is said in some dream studies that it is easy to remember your dreams if you sleep in the complete dark, without any type of light around. Thus, if you feel comfortable, it is important that you sleep with the windows, doors and lights closed.
Meditation also is a good practice known that favors remembering our dreams. While meditating, you learn to cultivate awareness in the present moment and to notice what flows to your conscious mind, allowing it to be present, and then once it is made conscious, be able to let it go.
Therefore, when paying attention to your memories, slowing down your mind and connecting to your breathing, it favors the inner sight to expand and connect more easily with your subconscious mind.
This will bring up some unconscious material to the surface. This content is stored and once emerges is the time for you to explore. This can happen through an image, a felt sense, a thought, a word, or a vague memory that emerges while meditating and being mindful of the content that emerges in your mind.
Interestingly, it is also known that some people tend to remember more their dreams when they sleep in an unknown or unfamiliar place out of their usual comfort zone, or in uncomfortable situations that interrupt their sleep. Studies show that it is easy to wake up at different times during the night time, which they remember easily the dreams than when they sleep all the way through the night.
Ritualizing your life can favor the access to your dreaming state. It is important that you choose the way in which you “sacralize” your life and your present moments. You can do that in different ways, by doing a prayer, by ringing a bell, reading a passage of a book or a poem that means something important to you, or even lighting a candle in your altar or incense before going to bed.
Again, here it is also where you can set up your intentions and aligning your beliefs with the purpose of working with your dreams and welcoming your unconscious to be of guidance to you. This is a mental preparation, a readiness to surrender to the unknown.
It is also a way to honor your dreams and be serious about it. If you want a good example about ritualizing your life, the monks prepare themselves all day long with rituals. For example, going to bed very early and waking up very early in the morning while practicing all sorts of rituals and prayers during the day long.
BE THE DREAMER AND THE DREAM
Another way to help you to remember dreams is to read other dreams that you have written before in your journal. Reviewing them is a wonderful way to get in synch with your inner life.
In this case, reading for example one dream, you can activate a chain of other dreams (recurrent ones) that can bring more answers to the questions you have to that particular dream or to the content that it is connected. In this way, by sitting with your journal and the dreams you wrote, you send the message to your unconscious that you really care about what is trying to show you.
When you sense that you are falling sleep, quiet your mind and observe your thoughts and the images coming along. By paying attention to watch for the hypnagogic images, this is the entrance to the night time. These are images that come and go spontaneously. Even if you think that they are not related to you in any way, these are important to pay attention.
When you will recognize this type of images, you must trust them and hold them in your memory to later write them down or make a note to yourself to remember them. When a dream will be revealed more clearly, perhaps will be in connection as well with these other images.
As a dreamer or person who pays attention to his or her dreams, you need to keep them alive in your conscious mind. You need to welcome them and play with them. Well, I say “play” in a very positive way as dreams are not toys. They are psychic material to be explored and be understood.
When we are playing, we are mostly exploring, taking an adventure in our own minds and re-creating this outside. Of course, this is easier to do when we were children, but when we are adults, the key is to learn to put a side our judgment and allow ourselves to be curious, open and playful with possibilities.
In this case, achieving a “beginner’s mind” will be the key, a state of mind where there is no censorship and there is tons of room for making mistakes.
How you wake up is crucial to be able to catch up the images of the dream and hold them for long enough time to write them down. In this sense, to catch a dream, it is much easier to wake up naturally with no alarm clock. In this sense, I often recommend to many of my clients (the ones who suffer from being workaholics) to set up a day on the weekend when they allow themselves to wake up at their body’s desire.
By doing so, as the weeks pass by, this will favor remembering the dreams that night. The clocks unfortunately take us away of the dream time and often can interrupt them.
Will continue… with Part II.
In this case, reading for example one dream, you can activate a chain of other dreams (recurrent ones) that can bring more answers to the questions you have to that particular dream or to the content that it is connected. In this way, by sitting with your journal and the dreams you wrote, you send the message to your unconscious that you really care about what is trying to show you.
When you sense that you are falling sleep, quiet your mind and observe your thoughts and the images coming along. By paying attention to watch for the hypnagogic images, this is the entrance to the night time. These are images that come and go spontaneously. Even if you think that they are not related to you in any way, these are important to pay attention.
When you will recognize this type of images, you must trust them and hold them in your memory to later write them down or make a note to yourself to remember them. When a dream will be revealed more clearly, perhaps will be in connection as well with these other images.
As a dreamer or person who pays attention to his or her dreams, you need to keep them alive in your conscious mind. You need to welcome them and play with them. Well, I say “play” in a very positive way as dreams are not toys. They are psychic material to be explored and be understood.
When we are playing, we are mostly exploring, taking an adventure in our own minds and re-creating this outside. Of course, this is easier to do when we were children, but when we are adults, the key is to learn to put a side our judgment and allow ourselves to be curious, open and playful with possibilities.
In this case, achieving a “beginner’s mind” will be the key, a state of mind where there is no censorship and there is tons of room for making mistakes.
How you wake up is crucial to be able to catch up the images of the dream and hold them for long enough time to write them down. In this sense, to catch a dream, it is much easier to wake up naturally with no alarm clock. In this sense, I often recommend to many of my clients (the ones who suffer from being workaholics) to set up a day on the weekend when they allow themselves to wake up at their body’s desire.
By doing so, as the weeks pass by, this will favor remembering the dreams that night. The clocks unfortunately take us away of the dream time and often can interrupt them.
Will continue… with Part II.
Image used from Free Images at https://pixabay.com
