Speaking of dreams...

Moving off the topic of waking dreams (i.e. life) for a foray into the forest of sleeping dreams. The other night I had a post-apocalyptic dream of sorts--I have these every once in a while, and I value them because they open up possibilities of what we may be evolving toward. They almost always involve complete strangers to whom I become closely bonded; they are almost always communal in nature...almost like intentional communities, although not in the way we generally think of those.

I do not consider these dreams to be precognitive--they're far too removed from recognizable reality. Nor are they consistent in location or people--so if they're precognitive, it looks like I'll be moving around quite a bit! However, in them there is something of a consistency in feeling, of purpose, and I think THAT might be a possibility for us physically--to live in communities of like purpose, or perhaps like spiritual purpose--perhaps in groups who take responsibility for a particular area's restoration. Such a group might include energy healers who specialize in gardening, or botany; some who clear water or soil of toxins; some who heal people and animals; others who are involved in the arts or teaching or what have you. Very land-based, these dreams--rather like seeing bits of daily life in a very small (maybe a few hundred people, tops) village.

As most people who know me will tell you, I'm mildly allergic to very small towns, which makes these even more interesting to me.

How about you--any interesting dreams of possible futures?

The waking dream

The shamans of Peru talk about how the world is as we dream it -- that the problem is we're dreaming the wrong dream. That we need to wake into a new dream. Was it Emerson who wrote "our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting"?

Buddhist teachings, not to mention the odd western mystic or philosopher (I believe it was Bishop Berkeley who remarked that we are all figments of God's imagination, or something to that effect), say similar things. Essentially, that what we perceive as reality is just that: our perception. That the things we "know" to be true are the product of a consensual and group imagination.

Imagine the possibilities if you could, in fact, dream a new world into being. What would you dream of? In my dream, there are mountains and forest and clear running water, and animals and birds and most importantly (in my dream) people living joyous, BIG lives of creativity and passion and laughter, with no worries about the next meal, or a roof over their children's heads. Other people's dreams of waking dreams might include a world full of pets wanted by every owner, or no abused children, or people with every 't' crossed and 'i' dotted and tons of peace and quiet and classical music on every corner.

Of course, how we create a waking reality out of our dreams is the tricky part, and it's one reason I suggest volunteering. Maybe you can't see your way into a veterinary degree just yet--not with bills to pay and kids to raise, or an early retirement in your sights. But you could volunteer with the ASPCA, or the Humane Society. Maybe you aren't sure a career in hydrology is for you, so you spend a few weekends instead on river cleanups. Or taking that law degree and writing petitions for the local NIMBY group.

So that's your homework this week, while you're getting those New Year's resolutions mapped out and marked down. Take some time to sit (or lie) down and dream a new world into being. Then get up and start the work.

Pay attention to your dreams

Not the waking kind. The "I'm asleep and would like to stay that way" kind. Have you ever had a dream that was so vivid, so interesting, so...whatever, that you didn't want to wake up from it? Couldn't wait to go back to sleep in hopes of repeating the experience?

Those dreams can tell us something about our waking experience. While one type of dream has been identified by dream researchers as processing information that our conscious mind didn't get to during the day, another type -- far more important, I think -- is our subconscious trying to get through and nudge us into action. (I've identified two other types of dreams in addition to the classic ones, all of which have their place.)

When you set your mind on a particular intention--say, trying to pinpoint a part of your life you want to open up your path on--your subconscious mind often swings into action while you're sleeping. I think it's because during our waking hours, our conscious mind is in charge, and it's the part that has identified all the reasons "you can't do that" (in its words). But in the wee hours of the morning, your walls are down (this is why deep meditation also works for this) and the truth can creep through. You may have to dig in to find the Truth (note capital 't'), since you are still filtering it through images your mind / brain finds familiar, but it's there.

Dream journals are often handy references for this: keep a notebook by the bed, and when you wake up, jot down as much of the dream as you can remember (at first, especially, this may be only the big images). Make note of patterns as they develop, or dreams that occur in groups (three tends to be a significant number). What do they have in common? How do you feel in the moment of dreaming? Elated? Frightened? Exhilarated? Strong emotion is an indication that the dream has some importance.

Also pay attention to whether some element of your dream appears in your waking life: it may be something you've avoided consciously noticing (such as the 'volunteers needed' sign at the local food bank). You can also use part of a dream to set your intention for the next night's dream. This usually takes some practice--follow-up dreaming, that is--so don't be surprised if you are less than successful the first few tries. Remember, your subconscious is in control here, and generally is going to bring up images you need to see, even if you hadn't planned them.

When you identify things that potentially are important to your intention, hang on to them. Start exploring them in your waking hours, either as hobby pursuits (easier to learn woodworking on a birdhouse than on the family home) or volunteer work (or you could help build a Habitat for Humanity house). Then see where it leads.