Instructions for Getting Started With the Dreams.

Do You Want to Get focused on your dreams. Are you someone who never had a dream or they are a bit fuzzy? Do the following activities to stimulate the recall of a dream or to increase recall of dreams.

1. Write three times on a piece of paper before going to bed “I am remembering a dream tonight” Repeat verbally three times to your self, the above statement. Put the paper under the pillow. (The unconscious will be attracted by your efforts and may give you a dream as a ‘thank you.’)
2. Place a pen, piece of paper(dream journal) and access to light(phone light, flashlight or lamp) and put the pen and paper near your head on your bed side table.
3. Write on that piece of paper, near you head, beside your bed, “I will wake up in the night and put my dream here.” (Auto suggestion, self hypnosis works very well.)
4. When you wake up with a dream stay still and stay with the dream. Some people drink a large drink of water, to make sure and wake up in the night. If you have to go to the bathroom, stay with the dream images.
5. Let it unfold as much as you can, while still lying in bed, as much as the dream will. Some foggier elements will come back to you, become more stable for you.
6. Now you have pulled the dream from your unconscious into the more conscious frontal brain.“Now I can go back to sleep” you say. “No,” do not do that.
7. This is the time to make use of the pen, paper or phone recording, and light.Recording on your phone can and will work also. Put it on paper next day if you do not want to wake up your partner.
8. Now it is on paper, or recorded on the phone, so you can say “Thank You” and go back to sleep.
9. If at first you do not succeed then try again the next night.
10. Read books on dreams. “Man and his Symbols” is very good with sections on the unconscious and dreams. Inner City books by Jungian analysts can also help. The Way of the Dream is sometimes on u-tube.

During the month, when you can pay attention to dreams in a new way and if you do the above ten things, this is all that is required. (Sharing dreams with others working on dreams or others in general is perfectly ok.)

Drawing the Dream

There is a space to draw some little cameo from your dream on the opposite page, where you write your dream down.

Another dream image – don’t ask.

1. You decide which image. I usually try and squeeze in a few of the images that stick out the most.
2. On the front page of the dream leaflet you see where there is a Right Side of the Brain, Art Activity, to complete. If I am excited about another dream image I will pop it in there.
3. It is ok to close your eyes, strike the page a few times with a crayon in your left hand and then open your eyes to the unconscious patterns and see what you feel like coloring in. This is the Right Side of the Brain Activity.
4. Again no criticism or worry about it. You can laugh here too.
5. Go with the feelings. If this activity annoys you , put in colors that annoy you.
6. Any kind of representation of your dream on paper with color is good.
7. Stick figures, small little cameos, blobs of color are all worthy and acceptable.
8. Please leave your judgments down, and do not be your own critic here. I laugh at what I draw and take it seriously, as it brings in an extra layer of interpretation, consideration.
9. Drawing shifts me out of my conscious, frontal brain and into the right side of the brain. It may make you feel a little uncomfortable, but that is always good.

Inserting Drawing into this Process.

1. A Mandala is a safe place to draw. The unconscious has an impetus toward wholeness. The Mandala is a recognized vehicle for bringing you toward wholeness.
2. It has a containing aspect and is a safe place to put the contents of the unconscious.
3. I am including two mandala sheets for completion during the month, if you feel like doing that.
4. Crayons or oil pastels are perfect for this activity. Layer color in any way you like.
5. Use your feelings to guide you. I feel I want to darken, lighten etc. A pink here and or a navy blue there.
6. Draw inside the circle covering all the paper with color.
7. Draw outside the circle as you wish.
8. It can be abstract or representational.
9. The mandala can be completed while you are talking to someone. Just ignore what is emerging on the paper.
10. Do not fall into the trap of trying to draw a beautiful art piece to begin with. Freedom for the unconscious to express itself outside of your judging frontal brain is the aim. Enjoy the process.

Other things to consider

1. If you start getting night mares you can not handle you can stop. We can talk about it in our workshop or through the bottom of the page offer to contact me. If you feel you can handle your nightmares, then go ahead with your dream recall, see video above.
2. If you get ten dreams each night, write one down. Your unconscious may be getting a little too excited to give you dreams. One to three, if they are short, is perfect.
3. An hour a day or less of attentions on dreams is good, especially at the beginning.
4. You may like to honor the dream by including something from the dream in your day that comes from the dream, e.g. I dream of a certain food and include it in my diet that day. Use your discretion. Do not put aside your discriminating mind. Do not break with normal boundaries, just because you had a dream about something.
5. If dreams go on indefinitely into six pages and are disrupting your life in any way, just stop. Abbreviate and work with a synopsis, or write the first paragraph only. Look for a theme. Write that down.
6. If you have a history of mental illness and/or trauma you should not engage in this activity without the help of a mental health professional that is familiar with the psychoanalytic process.
7. Working with the unconscious material may bring some stress, which can be contained by working with the art process. Drawing within a circle will contain and protect.

Morning Mandala

If you have questions about the dream process or want to work on your dreams, be sure to contact me. I love to work on dreams. I had one last night that disturbed me into realizing that I need to get away from putting blame on others and to accept everything as right and meant for me. A little discomfort is always a good thing. I have stayed with the scarred heart image all day and have a different feeling about this now. Blaming others, will scar the heart. “Others scarred me” phrase came from the dream. Projection of blame onto others comes from our shadow side and will not be beneficial. Once I got this straight, I had a follow up dream of the baby, stretching as I woke up stretching myself.  I do want to move into that higher dimension where love is possible. I hope your dreams can lead you there  too. Love from Rose.

Old mandala art – self portrait

To forget he was one of the chosen ones of the Spirit