There are times in our lives when we feel we need a little more guidance than usual – often at periods of major transitions, like the end or beginning of a new relationship, changing or losing jobs, moving house, or having a baby. Other times you may be unable to choose between a variety of options available, or perhaps just feel a little lost.
At such times, you may seek the opinion of friends and family, or of experts such as career counselors, psychologists, doctors, lawyers and so on. But sometimes you may feel the need for something a little deeper, and maybe at times like these you have turned to oracle or tarot cards, numerology, runes, the I-Ching or other more spiritual approaches. All of these approaches have their place. One additional method you can use to help gain insight into a particular problem or advice on what to do is to consult your dreams for guidance.
Dreams, springing from our deep subconscious, are imbued with the wisdom of everything we have ever experienced, and can therefore provide a uniquely personal and specific perspective on the problem at hand. Often, you will already know deep down what to do, but getting to this answer, past fears, habits, insecurities and expectations can be a very difficult task! This is where dreams can help. Dreams can bypass the controlling ego and speak directly from the subconscious. Dreams, along with meditation and prayer practices, can help us access a deeper wisdom, to “know thyself.”
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But you do not need to wait passively for dreams to suddenly throw up an answer to your conundrum, you can actively engage them and ask your dreams for help. Known as “dream incubation,” this process has been utilised since ancient times. In ancient Greece, people would travel to temples where they would undergo specific rituals before sleeping in the sacred grounds, all in order to have a divinely inspired dream which would help them solve their worldly problems. Today, we can combine the wisdom of the ancients with the best of modern psychology and medical science to help incubate dreams that will provide answers to questions we seek.
Focusing on the problem while awake and just before going to sleep is a key aspect to incubating dreams. Other methods to prepare the mind (and body) for having a problem solving dream include ritual cleansing, using special objects to “amplify” your concentration, aligning your intention with phases of the moon, seasons and so on.
At first the dreams you have in response to your seeking may be mere fragments, and the messages vague. But as you persist, you should discover that when you ask your deeper self for guidance, it is glad to respond. With time and patience, you will discover a wealth of wisdom available to you when you need it. The answers may sometimes seem difficult to accept, but you will always know, deep down, what is the right thing for you.
For more insight into the meaning of you dreams and how to use them for guidance, please visit The Dream Well.
