Dreams
Question: How does one stay awake, so to speak, in the dream world of sleep? A major part of our life is spent sleeping in bed. Does our spiritual work continue while we are sleeping?
Answer: As you awaken to yourself in this world, the energies that permit this new consciousness begin to "work" their way into subtler places in the structure of self. There is no question that at certain stages in a person's development, the interior work to be done is no longer limited to one's "waking hours." In fact, you would be surprised how rich the so-called invisible world is with all of the various lessons and teachers that we need to continue our development. Persist with your work and you will watch as increasingly you are guided in both worlds.
(A past chatroom exchange)
Question: Would you consider dreams part of the false nature, and if so, are they just to be observed rather than be used -- as commonly referred to -- as subconscious insights?
Answer: You cannot classify dreams as belonging strictly to what is "false" or "true" relative to self. All dreams reflect some state of relationship in the psychic body, mentally or emotionally expressing what these parts of us have yet to resolve or wish for us to understand. Just watch all dreams with the same intent and impartiality.
(A past chatroom exchange)
Question: Every night I have a recurring dream about two people I knew in high school. Is this dream just nonsense coming out of memory, or is it trying to tell me something about myself?
Answer: There are really two orders to dreams. Most dreams for most people are just recycled garbage pushing its way back into the mind for reasons known only to whatever unconscious associations or impressions befell that person during the day. Other dreams provide us with a window into ourselves when we realize all characters and conditions in the dream are merely uninvestigated expressions of our own sleeping mind.
(A past chatroom exchange)
Question: I have had some bad dreams lately. It seems that the evil forces are really going to work on me at night, not giving me a moment's rest. Any suggestions?
Answer: First, if you are sincerely working upon yourself, no dark night -- regardless of what is dredged up in it -- has an ounce of power to keep you from realizing the truth of yourself. When you lay down tonight, meditate yourself to sleep the best you can and unemotionally, when you are quiet, say to yourself, "I wish to be protected while I sleep." Direct this to God as you understand Him and you will sleep better.
(A past chatroom exchange)
Question: Much work has been done concerning the use of dream interpretation to help us understand ourselves. Do you see a real value in recording and interpreting our dreams to aide our self-development?
Answer: To the mind that wishes to awaken and the heart that won't be denied, there is nothing in our lives that cannot be used to further this realization. There is a certain amount of insight one can gain through studying dreams after the fact. This requires a non-identified mind, for any thoughts that are reactions to the images in the dream are themselves extensions of the unconscious states of the "dreamer." Most True discoveries (insights) occur in the moment the event unfolds. Analyzing and interpreting past images is fraught with "dangers" because the mind that recalls such images changes them as it recollects. Further along in one's development, it is possible to dream lucidly, but this is a different story.
(A past chatroom exchange)
