Intuitive dreaming
Most of the people are not aware of the state of body and mind when a particular dream occurs. The Tibetans believed that during a dream, the soul leaves the body and enters into realms that it generally comes across after the human body ceases to exist. According to them, mastery of the state of dream suggests that after death, the soul is aware of the skill to traverse to these realms which helps it to stay free from the pull of reincarnation.
Though this thought has been considered as a myth by many, the magnanimous power of dream cannot be denied. In fact, dreams can be used to unravel the mysteries of real life. Intuitive dreaming is one of the many ways by which you can utilize dreams for your benefit. However, in order to use dreams as an effective means for your intuition, you need to know the stages of sleeping and dreaming.
With the advent of modern age, the study and research on the physiology of dreams has enabled to identify the four stages of sleep. This has been possible by measuring the electrical activity of the brain during sleep. Out of the four stages, one of them is the REM state of sleep and the rest three are non-REM sleep.
REM is the rapid eye movement and occupies 20-25 percent of sleep. The REM sleep commences as soon as you fall asleep. Though it is fleeting in the initial level, gradually you move into the deeper stages of dreaming. The duration of REM sleep keeps increasing with the progress of night. It is the longest between 5 am to 8 am when the physiological processes of the body that is the digestion and absorption of food is complete. This is the time when precognitive and lucid dreaming is most likely to happen.
Intuitive dreams guide you and help you to know what is going to happen in your future life. In fact, in Egypt and Greece from ancient times till date, inducing dreams has been used as a healing practice to gain insight. Interestingly, many famous scientists and inventors got a solution to their problems through intuitive dreaming. For instance, the answer to the basis of atomic structure was dreamt by Kekule, the famous chemist. Similarly, the basis for modern chemistry was revealed to Dmitri Mendeleyev in his dream. The inventor of sewing machine, Elias Howe, solved the problem of designing the needle based on the image of spears with holes in the end, seen in his dream.
Milton, the famous poet of the 17th century, believed that intuitive dreaming can aid in the creative field also. According to him, intuition can be accessed in an altered state of consciousness produced by a devout prayer to the Eternal Spirit combined with a REM sleep.
In fact, dreams are also known to be precognitive in nature. These dreams are mostly symbolic in nature and act as a warning signal for the dreamer. With an exact understanding of such a dream helps you to avoid an impending danger which otherwise would have been inevitable.
Remembering dreams
A common complaint of most of the people is that they tend to forget their dreams. However, you can programme yourself to remember dreams by practicing a few things. First of all, you need to assert yourself that whenever you experience a significant dream then you will wake up naturally in order to record it in the exact manner that you have seen it. For this, you need to train yourself to wake up before your alarm clock goes off so that you can recollect your dream in peace and record it properly. You can also wake up and remember your dream after you happen to hear a chiming clock strike six or seven.
The throat chakra connection
An effective method to activate the state of dream is by practicing the throat chakra connection. This method has been practiced in the Tibetan Dream Yoga for ages and now modern research too confirms its credibility. In this method, you need to focus your attention on the back of your throat and imagine a bright white light activating this point and passing through to the stem of your brain. While you are doing this, drink a glass of hot chocolate or plain water with nutmeg added to it. Stimulation of the rear throat chakra and its connection with the brain-stem helps in the activation of the state of dream.
Keep an intuition journal close to your bedside and record your dream in it as soon as you wake up in the morning. You can also record your dream in a voice-activated tape recorder. In such a case, you have to keep your eyes closed and make minimum movements or else there is a probability of losing the dream memory. It is also advisable to keep a low light to help you concentrate on your dream. Try to record your dream in the same manner as you have seen including every single detail, however odd that may be. The smallest detail can also turn out to be quite significant in nature. Some people like to briefly record the main events of their day before going to sleep. This helps them to find a connection between these events and their dreams.
Ritual dreaming
Another effective means to induce dreams is the ritual dreaming. In fact, in ancient times, there were temples that were dedicated to dreaming. While practicing this technique, you need to involve yourself completely in the ritual so that you can succeed in your endeavour. Your movements should be deliberate and slow. All rituals work effectively at certain period of time so you need to monitor and choose the one that works for you. For instance, the dark of the moon has been a traditional choice of time for dreaming. Full moon is also another favourable time to stimulate a powerful dream. After you have chosen your time, you have to place selenite or moonstone under your pillow to initiate the process of dreaming.
It is a good idea to note these dates in advance on your calendar so that you can prepare yourself for a desirable dream. On the night of dreaming, take a long leisurely bath to which you have added clary sage or rose oil. Burn candles and gaze into an appropriate crystal. You can also practice the throat chakra activation while drinking a spicy cup of hot chocolate. Wear clean night dress and place a herb pillow containing lavender or mugwort (mugwort is not suitable for pregnant women) on top of your usual pillows. Place the crystal under this herb pillow with a strong belief that it will help you to dream in a true and wise manner. As you get ready for sleep, imagine yourself entering the dream temple.
You can also incubate a dream and seek answer to a problem that you are facing in your real life. For this, avoid alcohol and drugs on the night of dreaming and contemplate the problem on which you need dream guidance. Try to think of all the solutions and actions that you have taken to resolve the issue and ask yourself if you are ready to solve it immediately in every way. Remind yourself repeatedly that you will remember the answering dream after you wake up the next morning. After preparing yourself mentally, relax and sleep. Once you wake up, write down your dream immediately in your dream journal.
In case, you experience an incomplete dream or your dream breaks due to premature awakening then it is possible to expand your intuitive dream. You can do so by following the method of dream dialogue. For this, you have to close your eyes and go back to the point of dream where it was cut short. Then ask questions about the significance and reason of actions done to the characters in the dream. Try to understand these reasons and actions. Let the dream continue and see how it ends.
Interpreting your intuitive dreams
It is true that the meaning of some of the intuitive dreams will be apparent immediately while others remain shrouded in mystery. In case of doubts, try to contemplate your dream and ask your intuitive mind to clarify them. Keep your mind open for answers and images to arise. At times, you will get answers instantly whereas there will be times when your mind might remain blank. In such a case, stop focusing on the answer too hard, the answer will come to you after a while. Spontaneous interpretation that arises from your intuitive mind is the best way to understand a dream.
Dreams may contain body language, puns, symbolism and colloquialisms. Hence, when you record your dream, it is better to add whatever similarities, connections and word plays that come to your mind at that point of time. Your current situations, themes that link to your previous dream, images from your recent past can also act as a clue to understand and interpret your dream in a smooth way.
Maintain a diary
It is true that dreams come knocking in your sleep every night. However, due to lack of interest or the right means, you tend to forget these dreams in the morning. Dreams reflect certain aspects of your personality and so it is extremely important to understand them. And to do this, you need to keep a tab on your dreams. A genuine effort in this task will make your brain alert which in turn will help you to remember your dreams once you wake up in the morning. Keeping a record of your dreams is essential to utilize them as a preventive measure against unfortunate incidents likely to happen in future. Though there are no rules regarding the manner of recording dreams, it is a good idea to follow certain easy methods to simplify this task.
First, you need to select a diary and a pen exclusively meant for the purpose of recording your dreams. Once you are ready with these materials, your unconscious mind and body will be automatically prepared to work in a way so that you do not lose out on your dreams. You need to keep these things under your pillow while you sleep at night. By doing so, you can immediately start writing down your dream in the diary as soon as you wake up. A delay in the activity will only make sure that you forget the dreams.
Dreams should be maintained chronologically. This helps you to know about the number and type of dreams that you have seen within a particular period of time. It will also help you to relate the changes happening in the dream with the experiences of your real life. It is also advisable to record the time and date ‘tithi’ of your dream. This will help you in future to find out the dreams which turned out to be true in your life. As mentioned above, you should immediately record your dream the moment you wake up. If you practice this regularly then it will turn into a habit and your hands will automatically reach out for the diary as soon as you open your eyes in the morning. If you experience a long dream then you should first write down the theme of the dream so that you do not forget it. However, if you do not remember the dream then you should record the state of your mind after you wake up. A contented and happy mind signals that you have experienced a good dream and you will have a good day ahead.
It is also very important to note down the atmosphere and theme of your dream. You need to concentrate and write the signs and symbols present in your dream. At times, you might also see faces of some unknown people in your dream. These people may actually be signs and may carry a hidden meaning. For instance, an image of a soldier may be a symbol of strength or rights in real life. The image of your mother may indicate towards the motherly feelings in your personality and so on. To see any colour in your dream also holds a special importance in life. Different colours convey different messages to you. Colours suggest a lot regarding your life and so you should never neglect them when you are writing your dream. A conversation taken place in a dream can also indicate towards a particular colour.
At times, there are conversations in the dream which apparently do not make any sense. However, proper concentration and a desire to interpret the meaning of the conversation can make you successful. There are instances when a dreamer experiences past incidents of his life in his dream. There are definite reasons behind such a dream and the dreamer has to make an effort to find these reasons. At times, you might feel a strange similarity between two different kinds of dreams. In all these cases, keeping a record of your dream aids you to solve the mystery of these dreams and their connection with your life.
It is a fact that when you write something it remains etched in your memory forever. Writing down your dream enables you to remain in touch with it forever. At times, you can also take a look at the dreams written in your diary. Hence, it is essential that you should not waste a single minute and note down your dream as soon as you are awake.
Remembering a dream is an art and to master this art all you need is determination and practice. Hence, before you sleep at night make a promise to yourself that you will remember the dreams after you wake up. And surely, dreams will never fade away from your memory and will forever remain a power in your life.
