The Russian doll effect
“It’s only a very short dream, but it was so vivid, it stayed with me all day, should we interpret that one or will we get more out of a longer dream?” This is a question I’m often asked by clients, students, or podcast guests, and I’m sure, when you think about your own dreams, you’ll see the dilemma. Long dreams seem be packed with more drama, more symbols, and plenty of material to interpret,
According to your dreams
What does your future have in store for you, according to your dreams? Or, to ask a more proactive question, how can you use your dreams to predict the shape of your future and then, if you wish, change it? Rather than predict actual situations, our dreams can help us to understand our likely attitudes and responses to the circumstances we may meet, and it’s our attitudes and responses that can powerfully affect the outcome:
Health and healing through dreams
Can your dreams help alert you to health issues, and can those dreams be used to explore avenues for healing? If you dream that you have cancer, you’re most likely dreaming about something in your life that seems to be growing out of control, or about your fears or feelings that something in your life is terminal, perhaps a relationship or business you’re involved in, or the finite amount of energy you can devote to
Dreaming I was at my funeral
“I have a recurring dream that I’ve died, aged thirty, and I’m at my own funeral, watching. No-one else has turned up,” said Nathan, who called HotFM when I was taking calls about dreams recently on Carly and Ben’s breakfast show. Nathan’s call reminded me of Chris, a man in his twenties who consulted me several years ago about his recurring dream that he would die on his thirtieth birthday. Chris had experienced the dream
Don’t kill the wicked witch
You might wake from a dream of a weapon-wielding alien invader, a murderer in the shadows, a Sabretooth tiger poised to pounce, or a wicked witch casting evil spells, and, knowing a little about dream alchemy and the power of reimagining your dream with a positive ending, decide to kill or vanish the dark force. It seems logical, and it’s what a parent, in less enlightened times, might have advised a child waking from a
The path of resistance
I resisted, I struggled, I thought the task would be too tough, no part of me really wanted to do it, my heart counselled no. I have other creative projects that bring me joy, and shouldn’t we follow our bliss? And, questions of bliss aside, was it really necessary to do this thing? For a couple of days I convinced myself it wasn’t, and my heart felt the relief. Surely this is a good thing?
Lens flare or divine light?
“It’s lens flare,” says the scientist. “It’s synchronicity,” says the mystic. “It’s divine,” says the shaman. “It’s alchemy,” says the alchemist. “It belongs in the fifth chapter,” says the author. “Let’s see what my dreams make of this,” says the dream analyst. That’s me: scientist, mystic, shaman, alchemist, author, and dream analyst, though probably not in that order. And that’s me in picture, taken by a Samsung smartphone, under the lemon tree in our garden
Not just a dream
What’s the best way to comfort a child who wakes up distressed from a nightmare or bad dream? We might be eager to soothe and calm, to say ‘Don’t worry, it was just a dream’, but is there a better approach, one that helps reduce your child’s scary dreams, and strengthen your bond? How do you feel when you wake up from a nightmare? Even though you might tell yourself that it wasn’t real, it
Recent television videos
I’ve had a request to pop some of my recent national television videos up for those of you who haven’t been watching them through social media. So this is a mini between-blogs-blog selection. (Click images to watch.) Channel Seven, The Morning Show Channel Seven, Sunrise Channel Nine, Today Extra These are just a couple of the Today Extra videos that I could find..
Are dreams rehearsals for life?
There’s a widespread theory that our dreams are mental dress rehearsals for life. Might this be true? Do we practice and learn life skills in the safe space of our dreams? Well, yes, and no. The theory is usually put like this: Imagine our ancestors dreaming about being chased by wolves. Imagine them dreaming of running faster than the wolves, or outwitting them in some way, reaching safety, staying alive. The theory is that while