Dearest Dreamers,
Ernest Hartmann, M.D., world-renowned authority on sleep and
dreams, writes about the physiological, psychological, and emotional links in
dreams. In his book, Dreams and Nightmares, Hartmann devotes
a large portion of his discussion to the metaphors used by dreams to help
dreamers integrate their feelings of fear, or anticipation, even dread, for a
healthier approach to life’s problems.
Hartmann’s analysis of the state of mind and dreams of those
with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder makes fascinating reading. He also offers several examples of dreams found
to help clarify emotions that may be less dramatic than those accompanying
PTSD, but that nevertheless could be, without discussion and understanding,
debilitating to the dreamer.
One example comes from Al, a retired veteran, hospitalized
because of a vascular blockage requiring surgery to remove the femoral aneurism
causing the problem. Al “created the
impression of being tough…and having little room in his life for fear or
weakness.” He “continually emphasized
that the anticipated surgery did not make him worried, fearful, or anxious in
any way.”
His dreams however, clearly pictured his concerns:
First ~
My daughter and I
[were] talking about a quarter of beef…We were talking about cutting it up…to
preserve it…we were…more or less arguing about how the meat was gonna be
cut. Then it turned into a surgical
[setting]…it turned into an operation….
Then ~
[We were] working on a
stove…We had it all apart to clean…We kinda hammered that hole and…I don’t know
what the heck we [were] going to do with it.
And finally ~
We [were] looking at
this engine…It was a complicated thing.
We got down there and [were] digging things out of the pipes…They hadn’t
used it for years and naturally sand and dust had [gotten] into the pipes and
it was all rusty.
Hartmann concludes that these dreams about cutting up beef ,
about stoves and engines needing fixing, all preceding Al’s surgery, reflect
his emotional concern with having a defect in his body, if and how it can be
repaired, and if he will be further injured or disabled from the surgery.
Al’s worries represent normal human concerns anyone might expect
when facing major surgery. Most of us
agree that we are better able to deal with our fears when we acknowledge them
and confront them. Al’s dreams provide
him with a context for discussion with his family and even his surgeons. Sharing the dream’s story might be an easier
opening for Al than saying plainly, “I’m afraid.”
Hartmann goes on to cite examples from research showing how
dreams alerted dreamers to the presence of a physical anomaly or early symptom
of illness that may have gone unnoticed in waking life.
So I always say, Dear Dreamer, if you dream of having a tire
blowout while driving on the freeway, it’s a good idea to consider the literal
and check your tires. You might also play
out the metaphorical – your Dreaming Self could be using your car as a representation
of your body. Get a physical checkup
from your doctor. Then of course, we can
also talk about how life in the fast lane may be creating enough stress for you
to “blow.”
Sweet Dreams!
SMYD
No comments:
Post a Comment