CHAPTER 1
What's It All About?
"All human beings are also dream beings. Dreaming ties all mankind together." Jack Kerouac.
What are dreams anyway? How do they work? Do they really mean anything? What good are they to me?
These are questions you naturally ask as you approach the dream world. You are curious about the nighttime drama that fills one-third of your life. Dreams can't be just random entertainment, can they?
There are upwards of 7 billion people on this earth. All of these people breathe, eat – and dream. Is this a meaningless coincidence? I don't think so. You are, after all, body, mind, and spirit; these parts of you are intertwined and connected to form a cooperative whole. Leave one of them out and you are incomplete. The dream world speaks to your spirit. The messages it brings are clothed in symbolic language. The subconscious works to bring these messages to you when you are in a sleeping state, when your usual daytime defenses are down, when you can't ignore the information you so desperately need. It is up to you to acknowledge, remember, translate, and use these messages.
So, in answer to your original questions: Dreams are a form of communication – more on that later. They are received via your subconscious while you sleep. Yes, they do mean a lot. They bring messages about your life, relationships, career, creative efforts, and more. These messages, when acted on, can change your life.
You can learn to remember, interpret, and use your dreams. The Talmud tells us, "A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read." It's time to start opening those letters.
THE DREAM PROCESS
"Pay attention to your dreams – God's angels often speak directly to our hearts when we are asleep." Eileen Elias Freeman.
What Are Dreams?
In sleep, our waking thought processes relax; built-in censorship is dropped. The conscious mind is laid aside, and a natural bridge is formed for communication.
It's like having a cell phone with connections to your subconscious, your superconscious, your guardian angels, arch-angels, deceased loved-ones, the Christ Spirit, the Universe. You have unlimited calling, towers are never down, there are no dead spots, and the line is always clear. Best of all, there is no bill – it's all FREE!
You get advice on life, on relationships, on health. You may get a pat on the back. You may get an elbow in the ribs (usually if you're ignoring your dreams). You receive counseling, explanations, clarification, enlightenment, and advice. Your intuition and creativity are accessed and given a power boost.
This is done for you, personally, individually. It is presented on your cell phone, no one else's, for your eyes and ears only. It is available every night. To everyone. And again, it is free.
Well, almost free. You do have to dial, to listen, and to interpret the message. You then have to USE the message, the information, the knowledge. You have to WANT to use the message, the information, the knowledge.
YOU are the Dreamer
You are the architect of your dreams. You set the stage, you write the script, you direct the action. You then play every part. The dream is all for you. You watch the dream unfold as the privileged audience of one.
The dream then spills over into your waking life. You remember some parts clearly; other parts stay wrapped in fog. You feel an urgent need to write the dream down, to remember, to study, to decode the message of the play. You know the message is especially for you. You know it is important. It holds clues to events currently unfolding in your life. It can give you understanding, enlightenment, hope, insight, guidance. You want to KNOW, to use those valuable kernels of knowledge that the Universe has sent to you.
You start the process. You work with your dreams, with your subconscious, your superconscious, your guardian angels, the Universal forces. Your life begins to take on a certain glow, a strength, a purpose. You ask questions, you receive answers, you take action. Things begin to HAPPEN.
Look into this world of dreams. Learn to use this oh-so-wonderful, valuable tool that is always available. It is a gift. It is free of charge. All you need to do is use it.
"Dreams are nature's answering service – don't forget to pick up your messages once in a while." Sarah Crestinn.
How Do I Begin?
Now is the time. Wait no longer. Receive, digest, write down, interpret, and USE your dreams. Reinvent your world. Come alive!
"But I just can't," I hear you crying. "I never remember my dreams. And I'm so busy." Well, you just "couldn't" learn to ride a bike, to play the piano, to swim, to do fractions. But somehow, you did. You tried, you practiced, you succeeded. You perhaps did not become an Olympic swimmer, or a math major, but you did your best, and you enjoyed your efforts and the results. It's the same with dreams.
You start out small, with baby steps. Soon you have a Dream Journal that is three inches thick, full of beautiful letters from the Universe that have been sent to you, and you alone, for your personal enlightenment and development. Wow!
Once you show you are serious, the mail never stops. Need health advice? You get it. Relationship counseling? Tune right in. A new job? Your dreams will point the way.
Allow me to be your companion on this journey. I will provide tips, hints, and techniques to lead you toward the river that is your inner self, your intuitive self. That river will flow through you, become a part of you, and you will meet it in your dreams. You will begin your journey toward a fuller life.
Ready? Let's get started. You don't want to wait another minute because, after all, dreams are real, dreams are personal, and dreams can change your life.
CHAPTER 2
Dreams Throughout History
"History tends to repeat itself." Hegel.
If you think the current preoccupation with dreams is a "New Age" thing, think again. Historical documentation shows that dreams have been prominent in the life of mankind for at least 5,000 years.
Ancient Dream History
Fascination with dreams goes back at least as far as recorded history (approximately 3,500 BC). Dream musings are found from ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece. Aristotle (384-322 BC) believed dreams related to a dreamer's waking experiences. Early Christians saw dreams as a time when the body and spirit were connected.
The practice of dream incubation, or programming (asking for a dream on a particular topic/problem), was active in many ancient cultures, including those of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Greeks. This technique was also used by tribes of Native Americans and peoples in the Himalayas, China, and Japan. Dreamers would...
