As a Spiritual Dream Counselor, I refer to dream work as the Rainbow Bridge, the bridge between the worlds of spirit and matter. While psychologists in the main regard dreams as psychological phenomena, as a metaphysician, I regard dreams primarily as spiritual phenomena. As gifts of spirit, dreams have the ability to bring truth, comfort, guidance, focus, wholeness--in short, healing. Let’s look at the various forms spiritual dreams take, in ascending order of their profundity. Sometimes our dreams take us on journeys into the astral plane, the dimension in which our astral body mingles with discarnate entities. Dreams involving astral travel, while fascinating, tend not to be highly significant in a spiritual sense. There are lower and higher astral realms we can visit, and the quality of those experiences vary accordingly. In the lower plane, we may encounter wandering ones who have passed over, but for whatever reason have yet to enter into the light. They can be pathetic, sometimes frightening, but never uplifting for us to encounter. There are, however, a few individuals whose special mission (unusually unbeknownst to them) is to work with such wanderers on the astral, to offer healing and rescue. This happens quite naturally with these special healers, and is not something one should do deliberately. To do so can become a spiritual “dead end,” or a trap of glamour, not to mention potentially downright dangerous. We can have more enlightening experiences on the astral though, when we are visited by our loved ones who have passed over. It can be healing and extremely reassuring when we find out with certainty that life continues long after the body gives out, and that our loved ones are in a state of peace. There are also opportunities for healing rifts that existed at the time of death, so that those things that should have been said but were not can be comm-unicated back and forth in this dimension. I personally experienced this kind of healing with my father who passed away over five years ago. This kind of communication can scarcely be overrated in its ability to heal the pain of loss. Sometimes we’re delighted to encounter our spirit guides in astral dreams. The astral plane is one in which discarnates dwell, that is, those who have formerly been incarnate. So, the guides we’ll encounter here have been human and as such, they are able to offer (hopefully) wise insights into our human experience. It is important to realize that guidance from our dear departed granny, or from our Indian guide Rainbow Cloud, however well intended, is still filtered through their unique human perspective. It’s our responsibility to discern the wisdom of that guidance for us. There is no escaping our part in our own spiritual development! Our guides don’t make us do anything--it is we who choose to listen to them or not. It’s that simple.
Telepathy is the hallmark of still another kind of spiritual dream. Here we link with others, mind to mind, sharing thoughts in real time. There’s been wonderful research done on these kinds of dreams (see Krippner, Ullman and Vaughan’s Dream Telepathy) which are much more common in women and in the presence of strong emotional ties between the dreamer and subject. These dreams certainly help prove to us that we exist beyond the physical, and that we connect in many ways our senses don’t register. Clairvoyant dreams help us see ahead of time. Here’s where we visit a “space” in which all time is now, so we experience the present, past, and future simultaneously. We may have a conversation or encounter which hasn’t yet occurred in “reality.” Or we may make agreements with people we haven’t met yet (in this dimension anyway!) to come together for various purposes. When we meet them or see these places in the flesh, we’re stunned at the deja vu experience. Clairvoyant dreams frequently offer us opportunities to avoid or manage potential problems, or to offer help to others in difficult situations they may be confronting. We’re also alerted to people and situations coming into our lives which will be significant in some way, so we can pay closer attention to them when they appear. So called “past life” dreams are another very compelling spiritual event. Sometimes they are literal scenes being played out for us, seeming so very real, registering fully with all our senses. More often than not, however, “past life” information comes through in snippets or hints than in actual replay. For example, let’s say you dream of your boss constantly as your brother, and in fact you do have a brotherly feeling about him. And, you frequently dream of him in a Chinese context. Chances are good that you’ve experienced yourselves as siblings in a Chinese culture. (That is if you’re not in fact Chinese siblings in this lifetime!) You may never get a literal recall of that lifetime, but you can be certain you’ve known each other apart from in this one. The reason “past life” information comes through is to highlight areas that need healing in this lifetime. They spotlight opportunities for karmic resolution. For example, if there’s been a past hurt you’ve experienced from someone who now comes to offer amends to you, then it’s good to know this so you can consciously direct your energies to that end. This kind of information always comes through for the same reasons: to enhance spiritual growth and make this lifetime’s experience a better one. It’s important to keep that in mind, and not fall into yet another glamour trap which is a spiritual dead end. “Past life” dramas are just that--past. The present lifetime is, after all, the business at hand. We frequently receive valuable guidance in our dreams which arguably comes from our higher self, spirit guides, or even the Creator directly. Dream guidance can come to us to warn us of health problems and suggest remedies. It can help us to understand the motivations of ourselves and others in difficult relationships. It can encourage us, feeding our hearts in our darkest hours. It can help us gain a more objective look at ourselves so we can grow. It can help us transition through life’s passages, from birth to death. When our highest guidance is followed, it can help us regain focus on our soul’s highest intent in this lifetime. That’s hard to beat! But, in receiving guidance from dreams, as from any spiritual source, it’s critical that the message be evaluated in terms of how right it feels. The more you work with your dreams and your own spiritual processes, the more readily you’ll be able to recognize your highest guidance and respond to it. Under no circumstance does information coming in as guidance bless us abdicating our own responsibility to discern its wisdom! Profound spiritual dreams are ones in which spiritual truths are modeled before us. Here are some interesting examples here. I’ve dreamt interdimensionally, seeing plants living, breathing, moving with a joyful consciousness. I’d grasped this to a minor degree intellectually, but what a delight to actually see it before my eyes! In another dream, a friend experienced herself climbing vast peaks, preparing to parachute to the depths below, all with the able assistance of her guide who had every eventuality planned for. The lesson was all about trusting in divine guidance, being shown that all her needs are provided for, without fail. In another dream, I saw this dimension as a vast film studio, with set after set in place. I knew I was viewing the “ages of man,” and found it all so fascinating. This was a view of the macrocosm beyond the microcosm we experience in our daily lives. The most profound dreams of all are transcendent and visionary. Well documented visions have occurred in varied times and places, under incidental and contrived conditions, and very often, in dreams. St. Ursula had a famous vision in which her vocation, martyrdom and glory were foretold to her. Mohammed’s prophetic vision became the foundation of a new religion which bears his name. And we are all familiar with the Nazarene woman’s vision of her impending motherhood and the grace her child would bring to the world. Amongst native Americans, a powerful vision given to the people was Wovoka’s ghost dance. In our time, Sun Bear’s visions have implications for the entire planet, not just the Chippewa people. Not all of us have visions, in dreams or otherwise, of obvious global significance. It is nonetheless visionary to dream of your own purpose in this dimension, to see it with clarity, and be inspired with the confidence that comes with knowing your true path in life. We are all integral parts of the whole of creation, so whenever anyone is functioning fully in alignment with Highest Good, every living being benefits. How can spiritual dreams be encouraged? First of
all, it’s important to honor them as the gifts they are. This means writing them
down, sharing them, and transmuting their energy into the physical plane. If you dream of
doing something good, wise, or creative for example, do it in your waking life, whether
literally or symbolically. Our spirits really don’t distinguish between symbolic and
literal reality, so manifesting the dream energy in a symbolic way can be very effective
in keeping it alive and working for you. That’s building your own rainbow bridge
between spirit and material worlds and will help you turn your dreams into visions of a
better future for yourself and the planet we share. |
