I thought you might like to know a little more about dreams and their interpretation, so thought I would share some of the information I have read with you. It may also encourage more of you to share, and maybe take note of things in your dreams, like colour,texture, time of day and how the dream made you feel. For example, happy, sad, scared, curious etc. All these things are actually very important when it comes to interpreting dreams.

We spend over a third of our lives asleep and according to scientists enjoy between three and six dreams a night. Dreaming is a universal human activity over which we have little control, and until recently very little concrete knowledge. It is also a proven fact, that dreaming is actually a very important part of our physical health and well being. Sleep deprivation has been shown to also be very detrimental our health over long periods of time.

Scientists have analyzed physical changes in our sleep patterns, but no one can state with any certainty, why we dream or Whether our dreams have any significance. Although both Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud both believed and wrote at great length about the psychology and significance of the dream state.

Dreams are intensely personal experiences known only to the dreamer unless they choose to share it with someone.They are visual experiences and often words simply are not enough to convey the subtle nuances involved. We all have unique dreams woven from the thread of our unconscious, in hopes, fears and memories and imagination.

Should we pay attention to what appear to be messages from within, and the messages they seem to hold. Or are they just the bizarre workings of a brain trying to sort the events of our daily life into some sort of order? I personally believe they offer us a window, into our unconscious mind and even into our souls. Dreams allow us to wrestle with life’s daily problems, at times offering us solutions or a opportunity to view them from a perspective, we might not see in our waking life. A rich source of information and guidance from our higher self and the spiritual realms.

Dreams and dreaming usually raise more questions then solutions, however the first being the perennial cry…”Oh why can’t I remember, my dreams”? The second being prompted by tantalizing glimpses of brilliance and half remembered shafts of pleasure, is it to wonder how and why one’s brain has managed to conjure up tales worthy of a Hollywood movie. And the third, what does it all mean?

Many ancient cultures set great store by their dreams and use them to influence their daily activities. The ancient Chinese regarded dreams as the experiences of the soul, which went wondering while the body slept…rather like an out of body experience. The Taoist philosopher Chuang-Tzu encapsulated the feeling of being unable to differentiate between reality and the dream world one often experiences on waking.

“Once upon a time, I Chuang-Tzu , dreamed I was a Butterfly fluttering hither and thither. To all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was aware only of following my fancy as a butterfly, and unconscious of my human individuality. Suddenly, I awoke and there I lay myself again. Now I do not know Werther I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly or Werther I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man”.

I have several dream books that I like to use, my favourite is The Dream Book, by Betty Bethards. When I do Dream Interpretation, the symbols I use are but a basic structure, onto which I can also use my own intuition. This, is what guides my interpretation, as I walk alongside the dreamer. I always feel that when someone asks me to look at their dream it is a privilege, an invitation to enter into their psyche and explore with them, their personal dream world.

I find this all fascinating stuff and it touches something in me, I hope it does in you. I will share more things about dreaming from time to time. If anyone has any questions or would like to learn more about dream interpretation, please do not hesitate to ask

In life there will always be people, who along with their own problems, shoulder the burdens of others. For some, they appear to have little choice, deposited upon them unasked for. For others, its a choice!

Its the people who choose, the latter, that I would like to talk about. They tell themselves that they are helping. That without their help the person with the problem, would not cope, or are unable to resolve the situation properly for themselves. They will not see it as interference, they will not see it as dis empowering, and they will definitely not see, that it is coming from their ego.

The Ego likes to be in control, if it can also control others, it is even happier. For some, it is just their way and may even be on an unconscious level. There is also the need, to be needed, to feel indispensable. Self growth means addressing this and other negative aspects of the ego and personality. Stripping away the layers the ego covers itself with, to see it for what it truly is.

People need to make their own decisions. If they have made mistakes or errors of judgment, it is only by dealing with the ‘fall out’, or ‘consequences’ of their actions that they will learn, what works for them and what doesn’t. What will cause pain to oneself and to others.

Be an ‘empowerer’ an ‘encourager, but never tell someone what you would do. When we take personal responsibility away from someone, no matter how well meant our intentions are, we are depriving them of the opportunity to grow and mature.

If we continue to keep trying to ‘rescue’ people, who will ‘rescue’ them when we are not around. If you really love and care about someone, show your respect for them and faith, that they have the ability within themselves to make good decisions based on what they need or want in their lives. You can’t know what is right for someone else as no one else can know what you need. By doing this, you will really be helping them, in the best possible way.

Are dreams some strange, mysterious phenomenon  that spontaneously happen on the night shift of life? Or is there some deeper meaning behind this universal experience?

Throughout recorded history, humankind has valued the dream. A source of guidance, inspiration, prophecy, prediction and problem solving. Dreams are a common experience to us all. They know no boundaries, between young and old, rich and poor, races, religions and nationalities. In every culture we find some version of “sleeping on a problem”, before making a decision. The bible, and other ancient texts are filled with examples of how important a role, dreaming has played in people’s lives.

What is this wonderful dimension that is so near and yet so far? To understand the real meaning of dreams we must delve beneath the surface, to the ‘purpose of it all’.

Dreams begin to awaken us to the fact that we are spiritual beings. They are like a letter from the higher self to the conscious mind. They awaken us to higher resources of knowledge within ourselves, giving us information on what is happening in our daily lives and how to meet and move through the problems that face us.

The dream help us to realise that we are here only temporarily on the stage of waking reality. What we call life, is really a school. There are many levels of consciousness in the universe, and earth is one of the most important. During our time here, we are learning that we are infinite creative energy or love energy; and that all of our hurts, disappointments and disillusions come from a failure to recognise this truth of who and what we are.

Dreams and there interpretation has long been a passion of mine. I enjoy helping others to try to understand their dreams and what their unconcious mind is trying to tell them, through the colourful and rich language of dream symbolism and intuitive awareness. If anyone would like to know more about their dreams or a interpretation of a dream, please feel free to ask me.