Dawn + Eve

Dream insight reminds me of tarot or astrology in a sense, in that it can easily be dismissed in some circles when a lack of deeper connection to the tool, or lack of understanding, is present. Aside from the works of Carl Jung (among other psychologists and practitioners who’ve studied Jung over the years, and who have delved into their own research around dreams), dream analysis (or what I’m calling ‘insight’) still has a lot of unknowns. And while there can be common themes or examples we can find throughout history and studies of the human psyche that provide interesting opportunities for reflection, I find the unknown parts to be the most exciting. Because we don’t have all the answers, it means there’s so much more room to ask what if? 

I’ll speak from my own experience, my dreams have been some of my greatest teachers. But it’s required a lot of me in that I’ve been forced to slow down, get quiet, and create space for those teachings to surface. Dreams aren’t prescriptive and there’s no one meaning that can be derived from a scene or symbol. Our dreams are completely unique to us and we are the ultimate expert of our dreams, which I think is significant because it means that we need to learn how to trust in our own inner knowing. We live in a system where we’re often deferring to others to diagnose, inform, or tell us something about ourselves. There’s a time and place for this, and we all need support and help from others in certain areas. But that doesn’t mean we should overlook or override our own navigation system. I am a firm believer that most of the answers we seek already exist within us, but we won’t be able to receive them if we’re constantly focused outwards.

In order for me to interpret my dreams I need to actually give them my attention. I will often need to write them out, identify the symbology, and then through a process of reflection and quiet meditation I need to just sit and be with them. From there, I am able to receive the subtle but profound wisdom buried in my subconscious. Yes it takes time and commitment, but my dreams have always delivered and provided for me. I’ve been able to ask questions before bed and have consistently been offered some form of an answer (which I believe come from my soul, guides, and a higher consciousness), but easily overlooked without the necessary pause. Some of these answers were to questions related to my health, past lives, and areas where continued healing needs to take place. My dreams have become one of my greatest tools in my self-discovery tool-kit. 

DREAM FAQ

Q: What if I can’t remember my dreams?

A: This happens to all of us at times, and there are two major causes that I believe interfere with our ability to remember dreams. The first one is being abruptly woken up, by either an alarm or some other external interference (dogs, cats, kids, a loud noise, etc). I’ve found that if I’m unable to wake up naturally, I have a harder time remembering my dreams. There’s likely some research around this having to do with where you are in your REM cycle at the point of waking up, but regardless it’s a thing and it’s hard to analyze something you can’t remember. 

Secondly, if you’re unable to dream or remember your dreams, it may signify other areas in your life that need some attention. Is there a busyness or distractedness that is taking you away from being present? If we’re going to bed and waking up with a lot of internal chatter, then there may not be space to retain extra information such as the details of a dream.

If possible, can you give yourself one or two days a week where you’re getting to wake up naturally? Try not setting an alarm, and resist launching into action right when you wake up. Can you slow down enough to be present with your breath and with any residual details of your dreams? If so, write them down while they’re still fresh. Try and tune in to how you feel waking up, are there any emotions or thoughts that have surfaced? Write those down too. It’s ok if details aren’t always available to you, just write down whatever you do remember – there’s usually enough to go off of and sometimes as you start writing more details come back to you. Alternatively, talk about them out loud. Sometimes I prefer to discuss my dreams with my partner (or again, cat) and the process of saying them out loud can have a similar effect as writing them down and details will unfold as I start talking.

We usually have multiple dreams a night (sometimes up to 4 or 5 different dream sequences); if you’re super keen you can keep a journal beside your bed to write your dreams down whenever you wake up throughout the night. There’s no way I’m willing to sacrifice my sleep, so I do my best to remember what I can first thing in the morning. And if I can’t remember or I’m feeling rushed, that’s ok. I trust that whatever it is I need to know will find its way back to me, and I’ll have other opportunities to try again. There’s no perfection in this process, only curiosity and a willingness to keep trying. 

Q: Can certain symbols be universal? Can they mean the same thing to different people?

A: I believe the answer is both yes and no. To an extent, I believe that certain symbology will have fairly similar meanings to most people. For example, dreams that involve elements of fire, water, earth, and air all have deeper universal properties that are consistent with our understanding of the natural world. The element of water generally denotes emotions and also has cleansing properties, so if you dream about water I would pay particular attention to the qualities of the water (deep, shallow, dark, calm, etc.), the circumstances surrounding it, and the areas of your life having to do with processing emotions. Many of my dreams involve water, where I’m often standing on a cliff looking down into the ocean. I’ve come to understand that for me, it usually means I’m resisting an area in my life that requires me to be vulnerable and/or express a certain emotion (fear, overwhelm, trust). Similarly, if you dream about fire it can denote some kind of transformation or purification; air can be communication and involve flying; and earth can represent groundedness, fertility, stability, etc. (among many many other signifiers). Each element will have specific qualities, but the ways in which they apply to you and your life will be unique.

Q: What’s a dream insight session like?

A: A typical session runs about an hour long and is a very gentle process. I’ll usually begin by guiding us both through some grounding breaths, since going inwards and getting quiet is helpful in allowing our own intuition and wisdom to come through. Once we’re both feeling centered and grounded, I’ll invite you to recount your dream. From there, we’ll both agree on some major symbols or themes to explore, and I will guide you through them one-by-one with specific prompts/questions. It’s as simple as that! Afterwards, we’ll review what stood out for you and any key takeaways. 

You can absolutely do this on your own! I do it for myself all of the time, but there is also a benefit to having someone capture the information for you so that you can remain in your meditative state. I also value the opportunity to be guided and witnessed by someone I trust when I do certain types of self-discovery work, and this is one in which having someone hold space for me and these messages is its own form of healing and transformation.

Curious to try it out? Consider booking in for a session!