Dreams and their meanings are as ancient as story tellers, the first medicine people, and the trance state itself. Dreaming occurs during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) period of the sleep cycle. REM is actually a brain wave cycle that occurs in the alpha range, just below waking consciousness. Alpha states are light trance states. There is still much we do not know about dreams and dreaming. What we do know is that dreaming (the REM cycle) is necessary for good health. Studies have been done that show when a person is not allowed to dream (when they are awakened as soon as REM appears), their sleep is not restful and it is as if they did not sleep at all. Just as if they had been awake the entire time. I believe the timeline for hallucinations is about 72 hours when sleep has not occurred. And interestingly enough, if a person is not allowed to dream, hallucinations also begin to occur after 72 hours.

 

So, even if you do not remember your dreams, you are indeed dreaming.  Every night, several times. A complete sleep cycle (from Beta down through Delta [deep sleep] back up to the REM state [in Alpha range]) takes about 90 minutes to complete.  So, look at how many hours you sleep each night and divide that by 90. That tells you approximately how many dream cycles you experience each night. Generally, the dreams we do remember are those we experience just before waking.

 

Dream Journal
If you wish to remember more of your dreams, you can start by keeping a dream journal and recording your dreams as soon as you wake. A tape recorder may be easier to record dreams that a written journal, but both work well.

 

Another way to help yourself remember your dreams is after you lie down at night in bed, ready to go to sleep, say to yourself (in your head or out loud), "I will remember my dreams tonight" at least 10 times. The repitition and the state you're in as you begin to drift off to sleep (light trance state) help que the subconscious to hold on to your dreams.

 

During one visit on Rick Barber's show, dream interpretation stirred the imagination of many of you. There are  many, many ways to interpret dreams and their meanings:  Sometimes, they are truly, simply dreams and it's just the way our subconscious cleans house; Sometimes, they are indeed messages our subconscious tries desperately to get to us, wanting us to pay attention to something; Sometimes they are precognitive; And sometimes they are "bleed through" from other lives.

 

Often times, this 'bleed through' appears in other areas as well, such as art work, writings, and other creative endeavors. Usually these glimpses of other times and other places are extremely vivid, unlike 'normal' dreams. Another tell-tale characteristic of a snippet that  is bleed through is that it is Sequential, and logical, unlike regular dreams. Whereas most dreams will flow and scenes  will dissolve and follow no logical pattern at all, the bleed-through sequence will remain the same, again and again and again. Always the same sequence of events. Always extremely vivid. And usually an extremely strong emotion is tied to it as well.

 

Speaking from a philosophical  point of view, ideally we're not supposed to remember anything from other times and places during a particular lifetime.  But sometimes 'bleed through' occurrs when a  very strong emotion is tied to a scene. Sometimes these bleed through scenes are the death scene from that time and place; sometimes the bleed through is associated with someone else's death and any death-bed promises made; and sometimes, when we run across that soul in this time and place it can so discombublate us that bleed through will occur then.

 

Now,  I will not present here arguments for or against the existence of our subconscious or soul or spirit outside of this time and space. That is up to you to decide and you to do your own reading and searching and praying and meditating over. YOU are the only one who knows what the right answer for YOU on that question is.  But I have given you a bit of framework above and certainly The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe (by Lynne McTaggart) gives you more hard evidence for the energy field that ties us all together. Other reference books that may interest you are at the bottom of this page.

 

Lucid  Dreams
Lucid Dreams that are so real, so vivid they are nearly surreal. These are the dreams you have where you are completely aware that you're dreaming. That is in fact the definition of a lucid dream: the dreamer is aware that they are inside a dream. Lucid dreams offer the opportunity to take control of your dreams and direct them and face your fears, if you so desire. Lucid dreaming can be learned through practice. If you do not routinely have lucid dreams, the first will make a major impact.

 

Just as most creative things are open to interpretation, including literature and stories, so are dreams. And any time interpretation is involved, YOU have to decide on the best answer for YOU. This part provides you with some framework for basic symbols and their general meanings. There are several excellent dream interpretation dictionaries on the internet as well as in book form. A quick search on Google for "dream interpretation" will turn these up easily and quickly for you.

 

Remember, dream interpretation is extremely dependent on cultural connections. While some things are cross-cultural, such as the Jungian Archetypes, others are not. If your heritage includes those who specialize in dream interpretation, please consult them. Remember above all that these are rough guides only and the only one who can really interpret your dreams in you. What do you think they mean and symbolize?

 

Enjoy.

 

Water
Water is recognized almost universally as the symbol of the subconscious and the emotions. Anytime water is involved, you can bet your subconscious is trying to tell you something about your emotional state.

 

Storms
Storms of all types, especially tornados and hurricanes, indicate huge changes coming your way. It seems that the subconscious knows when your life will be turned upside down, whehter that is by your own actions or by others. If the storm  also involves some type of water, then it will most certainly be some type of emotional storm that presents itself  in your life.

 

Fire is generally accepted as representing an intense emotional state; the key is not to get burned. Fire can symbolize destruction, passion, desire, illumination, transformation, anger, or enlightenment. It suggests that something old is passing away and that something new is entering your life: an ending and a new beginning. 

 

Lightning
Generally, lightning symbolizes a  sudden siginificant awareness; insight; purification; and a connection with spiritual forces. It may also imply a sudden, shocking turn of events, many of which may be out of your control. If you are struck by lightning, this indicates a sudden and irreversible transformation.