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Night and Day Dreaming

Everyone has dreams although not everyone may recall the full content of their night travels. Images, figures, and other contents are often hazily remembered upon awaking, if at all. Dreams are conveyed through psyche's unique symbolic language and as such may be difficult to hold onto. They almost always cannot be taken literally. Yet they are alive and connect our soul life and our physical body existence. As such, recollecting and working with dream images are significant practices for becoming more conscious of the present living reality of daily life.

There are many ways to work with dreams. The modality I use involves less immediate interpretation and more association and amplification. This ultimately connects us to situations, and patterned themes that over time can provide information from deeper unconscious levels.

Being in nature, any awe-inspiring place, or feeling the evocative sensations of being in love with someone or something can constellate our soul in having daytime fantasies / visions. These may feel like being captivated by something larger than oneself. They represent the vastness of who we are and what the world is. Day dream images can provide a spiritual perspective of being part of and in relationship with all. This waking reverie is our soul's active imagination and it is real.

Dr. Stephen Aizenstat developed a process called Dream Tending which is what I use to connect with the inner and outer processes of dream and waking images. Dr. Aizenstat lists specific benefits of this method which can include:

(Dream Tending: Awakening to the healing power of dreams, 2011).

Becoming more conscious through learning the language of our psyche and interacting with it can be life-changing, especially by providing a greater appreciation for the beauty, joy, and love within life's challenges.