Dreams.
Those mysterious journeys we will never
completely be able to gauge, no matter
how thoroughly we research and analyse.
There is a mystic power they possess that
takes us into a world much deeper than
the conscious reality and introduces us
to bizarre phenomena... that we were never
aware of, or could never imagine we would
go through. But this is not without a
meaning. Dreams are meant to direct, if
only we choose to let them. They are capable
of finding solutions to the most disturbing
problems we face, when the mind gives
up on it in the conscious state. This
phenomenon is recognized as Dream Therapy
. “Dreams either caution or vent
subconscious thoughts. It is a good idea
to keep a tab of the time and subject
of your dream to interpret it”,
says Dr Blossom Furtado, clinical hypnotherapist,
who heads the Delhi branch of the famous
California Hypnosis Institute.
However, it is a misconception that Dream
Therapy is the process of having your
dreams interpreted by others for you.
In reality, no one but you can understand
your dreams, as they are so closely a
reflection of your innermost thoughts
and desires that it is impossible for
anyone to completely infer what they suggest
to you. Therefore, it is the process of
deciphering your dreams yourself and letting
them guide you the way your soul wants
it to be, as it conveys it to your conscious
in the form of subconscious play. Here,
it is also necessary to not that a dream
should not be dissected into parts and
symbols and then understood differently,
because no �dream� dictionary can specify
meanings for different symbols... a lion
in your dream may suggest strength whereas
in mine it may be representing fear. Dream
messages are as unique as we are.
So how does Dream Therapy work? Firstly,
you need to remember your dreams. To some,
this might come naturally. Others my have
to work on it. If you fall in the latter
category, you need to ask yourself repeatedly
to remember your dream. Start this ten
minutes before you get into bed. There
are more chances that you will. This is
also known as �Lucid Dreaming� that takes
your conscious mind to the dream state.
This works on the basis of subconscious
need that works in other situations, too,
for example, you needed to get up early
on a certain day and worried about it
the whole time you were in bed before
falling asleep, and the next morning you
actually got up on time because your body
clock remembered your subconscious desire.
The second thing to do is to make a note
of your dream, whether on a notepad or
a voice recorder, as soon as you wake
up, before the minute details are forgotten.
Then, it is time to contemplate. How did
you feel in the dreams? Were your activities
related to the obvious reality of your
life or were they more symbolic? Does
it remind you of anything specific? Were
you happy or scared in the course of the
dream? Were you an active part? How were
you handling the bizarre situation? Look
at different aspects and keep brainstorming
till you come to an interpretation that
makes enough sense with respect to the
current events in your life.
If you can�t do it alone, as for different
interpretations and see if any of these
fit your picture.
You will see that most dreams have a definite
purpose- to bring to light something significant,
to make you aware of your conflicts and
troubles and to direct you towards a healing
path.
No wonder the power of dreams has been
harnessed from yonder years... Hippocrates
practiced it and in ancient Egypt and
Greece, dream temples were built where
�dream incubation� was followed to solve
major problems by hoping for a magical,
curative or prophetic dream. Freud�s dedication
to the dreaming mind was fascinating.
An insightful dream acts like a bridge
between the conscious and unconscious
awareness and allows synergy between the
two. When the conscious interprets the
unconscious message, it is led towards
curing the problem, be it illness, injury
or emotional disturbance.
So if you want to nurture the inexplicable
power of dreams to lead a physically and
mentally healthy and stress-free life,
it is time to �sleep over the problem�!
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