Bob Marley Set the Tone

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

Have you ever heard of anyone whose dreams are set to music?  My dreams often have music.  It’s usually some popular song.  Sometimes the only thing I remember of my dreams is the music in my mind when I wake up! 

Recently, I woke up with the lyrics from one of Bob Marley’s songs playing in my mind; “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing.  Every little thing’s gonna be alright.”

Sure enough, all the things I’d been stewing over turned out very well that day.  I think part of the reason is that I went into the situation with a more relaxed attitude thanks to Marley’s laid back lyrics.

Signed,

Lovin’ the Music

Dear Lovin’,

I do know at least one other person who had music in her dreams.  My grandmother told me that she frequently had classical concerts in her sleeping scenarios.  She said she could actually “change the channel” if she wanted to hear something different!

Without more details from your experience, I can only suggest that your dreams are “full service” dreams, engaging your senses beyond the visual.  And why not?  There don’t seem to be any rules in dreaming.  They are not restricted to one area of the brain.  That accounts for the fantastic figures and improbable events that make up the metaphors and emotions that our dreams put together on our behalf.

It seems the lyrics were all you needed to set the tone for addressing a stressful situation in a peaceful and productive way.  Perfect!  

Sweet Dreams!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com               

Don't Miss the 2012 IASD Conference!

Dear Dreamers,

I want to give you plenty of time to consider joining me for the 29^th Annual Conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, June 22 – 26^th, 2012, at the Double Tree Hotel at the Berkeley Marina.

The Conference will be a 4 1/2 day event filled with Workshops, Symposia, Panels, a Poster Session and Special Events featuring three world-renowned keynote speakers and over 150 presenters from around the globe.  

Special Events include an opening reception, the Dream Art Exhibition and reception, the annual Dream Telepathy Contest, the costume Dream Ball, a Dream Hike along the Bay, and a sunset sail on the “sea of dreams” - a special dessert cruise of San Francisco Bay.

This conference represents an excellent opportunity learn about dreams and to experience the creativity and camaraderie of the dreaming community.  I recommend it!

Visit www.asdreams.org for all the details

Dr. Marcia Emery, a fellow member of IASD, is co-hosting the 2012 conference.  She usually gives a workshop on Intuitive Dreamwork.  

Dr. Marcia also hosts an internet radio on the Partnership of Intuition and Dreams Thursday, at 5pm PT or 8pm ET.  The show is archived on the website following the program and also on her website www.drmarciaemery.com

Hope to see you there!

Sweet dreams to you, Dear Dreamer

SMYD

Dream Advice on Target

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

Sometimes my dreams just tell me what to do.  For example, years ago I used to have a recurring dream where I was back at school.  I usually was in a hallway and students all around me were going to class.  I had nowhere to go.

I always woke up from that dream with the thought that I should go back to school.  Finally I did enroll in classes and build my education.  I’ve always been so glad I did.  Guess what else? After I did that, I never had the dream again!

Signed,

I Listen to My Dreams

Dear Listener,

What a great experience!  It’s remarkable how our dreams work for us, and yours is a perfect example.  Sometimes the literal content of a dream, the face value, provides a direct message from your Dreaming Self to your Waking Self – Get back to school!

There may be multiple levels to such a dream, but it never hurts to consider the obvious first:  If you dream that you have a blowout on the freeway, why not check the tires on your car?  Then we can talk about your life in the fast lane and its possible consequences.

Finally, just as in your experience, Dear Dreamer, once insight is gained into a recurring dream, and heeded, it almost always fades away!

Sweet Dreams!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com               

From Dreamer to Dreamer

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

During a very stressful time when I felt extremely concerned for my child, I dreamed of him repeatedly.  The dreams were vague but he seemed to be in trouble or turmoil and I felt powerless to help him. 

Finally, I dreamed he and I spoke on the phone.  He said, “Mom!  Stop worrying about me so much!  Every time you do, my phone rings.”

Could my dreams really bother someone else?

Signed,

Worried About My Boy

Dear Worried,

Some amazing things transpire in dreams!  You may have heard of people who share the same dream experience on the same night.  (Remember that scene in “Field of Dreams” when Kevin Costner and Amy Madigan discover they both dreamed of watching a baseball game at Fenway Park?)

The idea of a shared, collective unconscious underpins the concept.  This suggests that perhaps dreamers can connect on the dream plane, so to speak.  If that is true, perhaps we can accept that your dreams “ring a bell” in your son’s dreams.

A more figurative approach to this dream would suggest that your Dreaming Self is telling you that you convey your worries to your child too often.  This can be upsetting even to an adult child, who may begin to second guess himself, or stress about his mom as a result.

Peaceful Dreams to you, Dear Dreamer!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com               

Too Smart for His Own Good

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

This doesn’t seem like the first time I’ve had this dream.

I dreamed that my co-worker Mary was taking me to a Mensa meeting, you know, where all the geniuses get together. 

When we got there, the meeting seemed to have no purpose.  The members were socializing, but not much more.  I felt frustrated at the waste of time.  I challenged them to define a purpose for their meeting.

I don’t usually hang out with Mary, though I like her well enough.  I see her as working unnecessarily hard, redoing every detail until it’s perfect.  She endangers her mental health.  She has lost her sense of humor and happiness. 

Signed,

Smarter Than Mensa? 

Dear Smarter,

Like it or not, Dear Dreamer, your Dreaming Self may be using your friend Mary as a perfect representation of you!  Think about it:  are you sometimes a perfectionist, and a worrier?  Sometimes a perfectionist becomes a complainer, too.  You may recognize some of Mary’s traits in your own personality!  Be honest with yourself.

Now Mary likely represents the positive side taken to the extreme, that part of you that is intelligent, and always seeking improvement.  But your Dreaming Self says bluntly, there’s no point in being smart (the pointless Mensa meeting) if you lose your mental health, happiness, and sense of humor.

The fact that the Mensa meeting had no purpose is telling.  If you put your brains to a purpose, you can do great things.  But pointless fussing over imperfect minutia is worse than pointless; it’s self-destructive. 

Lighten up a bit, Dear Dreamer!  Enjoy life and your considerable gifts.  Help others to do the same.

Sweet Dreams!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com               

Just Not Herself Today

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

I dreamed that I was someone else.  As her, I went to get my hair dyed.  I was going to get it dyed a clear, bright green, on the ends only.   

That’s how it started.  But soon, my hair was multiple colors including purple and black.  It was splotchy and very unattractive.  My face was green.  I was an unattractive person and I didn’t know what to do about it. 

I have always thought of myself as a happy person, but I sure didn’t feel happy looking like that! 

Signed,

Heading to the Salon 

Dear Heading, 

This dream could be a pretty clear representation of how you’re feeling, or how your thoughts are going.   

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “She’s just not herself today.”  That’s what’s your dream says directly to you.  You are not yourself.  Think about your current circumstances:  are you trying to become different, for some reason?  Or, maybe you feel drawn into a situation that is not your usual. 

I don’t know if you’re the kind of person who might actually dye her hair green, but even if you are, things go awry in your dream.  Your thoughts, (your hair, the stuff coming out of your head/mind) start out a nice clear green, a color with many positive connotations.  But your thoughts and emotions wind up a jumble of not very attractive colors, and you’re clearly unhappy about it. 

Step back and assess the path you’re on Dear Dreamer.  It’s never too late to be true to yourself. 

Sweet Dreams!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com   

Why Would We Go Back?

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

I dreamed that my son and I were standing in our dining room.  The room was returned to its original state when we first bought the house, before our beautiful remodel was completed.  The room was poorly lit and unimproved.  I gestured to the floor and said to my son, “Don’t you remember all the work your dad and I did on this house?  We redid all the floors and everything!” 

Signed,

Why Would We Go Back?

Dear Why Would We,

I don’t think your dream is about the remodeling of your dining room. 

Since you and your son are there, it’s more likely your dream is expressing your dismay at a change in him, probably a regression to the way things were before with him. 

Has he reverted to a previously unacceptable way of doing things?  You don’t mention his age, so this could be anything from leaving a mess in his room to staying out past curfew, or worse.

In your dream you seem to be saying, “Hey, we covered this already.  We improved this place from the floors up.  You were doing so well.  Why have we returned to the unenlightened (“poorly lit”) and unimproved way things were?”

That’s what kids do, by the way.  There is the rare one who hears an admonition and immediately takes it to heart, never making the same mistake twice.  More often though, the ground has to be covered multiple times from several angles.

Don’t be too frustrated.  The light will go on.  He’ll grow up.  They always do!

Sweet Dreams!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com               

He's a Bird in an Open Cage

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

I dreamed that my brother was a parrot in a cage.  I could see his face on the body of the bird.  He looked so sad.  He was sitting on a swing in the cage like birds do, staring through the bars.  The really weird thing was that it was only half a cage!  He could have flown away so easily!

I worry about my brother so much.  He’s in a dead- end job and a lousy relationship.  He has so much to offer, but just can’t seem to get out of his rut.  He listens to my advice, but never makes any changes.  What’s a sister to do?

Signed,

Clipped Wings?

Dear Clipped,

Your dream gives you a beautiful and perfect metaphor for your brother’s state of mind:  He thinks he’s caged when he’s not.  He is sad and restricted by his perceptions.  He only looks at the bars of the cage, not the huge opening available to him!

Each of us makes our own decisions.  Your brother has all the information he needs, and apparently all the qualities it takes to soar.  But he clips his own wings by facing the obstacles instead of taking a leap into the open world of opportunities.  No wonder he looks sad.

You’re a good sister.  It might help to share your dream with him.  Continue to be supportive and encouraging.  Perhaps he’ll turn and take to the wing.

Sweet Dreams to you, Dear Dreamer!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com