Dream interpretation - Don't slay this dragon!

Many times our physical state will find its way into our dreams.  So, if on a freezing night, a dreamer’s foot works its way out from under the covers, he may well dream that his foot has turned to ice and shattered to pieces.  Today’s dreamer has a similar experience.

Dear Carolyn,

I dreamed I was burning up with fever (which was true; I was down with a bug that made me burn up a bit – 38.1C – or 100.6F!)

I was in the deepest part of my sleep when I was so hot that I could feel heat coming out my mouth!  Then I saw myself as a dragon breathing this hot air out.  This golden yellow white dragon became me until the fever broke.  From that point I still felt ill, but the fever was gone.

What do you think?  I've never had a dragon dream before.  And I love dragons.  I did feel protected.  Anyway I'll leave it with you. 

Thank you!

Signed,

St. George

Dear St. George,

Many times our physical state will influence our dreaming state.  Pregnant women, for example, report dreams of objects, animals as well as themselves changing shape and size, likely reflecting their consciousness and concern about their own changing shape and size. 

Similarly, our dreams can make us aware of problems within our bodies by depicting them before our waking selves are conscious of the issues.  Ernest Hartmann, M.D. writes in detail about these phenomena in his book Dreams and Nightmares.  He cites many examples including one of a man anticipating surgery who dreamed of a side of beef being sliced up in a butcher’s shop though he claimed to have no worries about the impending operation.  

In another case, a man dreamed of an engine with clogged and rusty pipes prior to being diagnosed with cholesterol hardened arteries.

Another noted dream researcher, Patricia Garfield,Ph.D., reported she injured her wrist and believed it to be a sprain and so did not seek medical attention until she dreamed of seeing a man draw a diagram of her own broken arm!  X-rays confirmed the break afterward.

Your dream seems tied to the fever you harbored ~ with one added element:  You say that you love dragons and felt protected in your dream.  That suggests that in addition to your high temperature, for which a fire-breathing dragon would be a metaphor, that same dragon protects you from any untoward impact of the fever.  Who better to usher you through fire than a creature of fire? 

Your dream suggests that even though you've been ill, you are safe from deeper damage from the illness.

Following the tradition of the Senoi tribe of Malaysia, look for dragons in future dreams!  Their appearance will offer that sense of safety, perhaps even serving as guides in your dream adventures.  The Senoi say to ask, or even demand, a gift from such a dream guide.  Once you have the gift, re-create it in your waking world for growth and expanded awareness.

Sweet Dreams to You!

Anticipating the 29th Annual IASD Conference

Dearest Dreamers,

My deadline for Send Me Your Dreams comes up before the end of the 29^th Annual Conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.  So as I write this, I’m gearing up to spend four and half days in Berkeley immersed in a dream world of dreamers. 

In my own brand of nerdiness, I set goals when I registered months ago:  #1 - Meet, no, more than meet, actually converse with Gayle Delaney, Patricia Garfield, and Ernest Hartmann.  All Ph.D.’s.  All pioneers steeped in dream research and education.  All so cool.

I’ll report back later.  But in the short term, here’s my preview:

Gayle Delaney is the founding President of the Association for the Study of Dreams.  She wrote my go-to book for the understanding and practical application of dreams - Living Your Dreams.  She specializes in the pragmatic uses of dreams for problem solving and psychological insight.  My kind of gal.  Maybe you remember seeing her steps for incubating dreams in my columns.

Patricia Garfield is a renowned expert in the study of dreams.  She is the prize-winning author of eleven books on dreams, most notably her first bestseller Creative Dreaming (1974), considered a classic.  Revised in 1995, it's still in print and appears in fifteen languages.  Dr. Garfield is Co-Founder and Past President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

Ernest Hartmann is also a Past President of IASD, and Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine.  He’s the author of eleven books including The Nature and Functions of Dreaming.  Dr. Hartmann writes for non-professionals as well as professionals, making his cutting-edge research accessible and fascinating.

Finally, I am so looking forward to taking a cup of tea with Dr. Marcia Emery, noted psychologist, academician, consultant, and author of Dr. Marcia Emery's Intuition Workbook, The Intuitive Healer and PowerHunch.  She’s been in my column as well, sharing her process for understanding your dreams.  I’ll be attending her session on intuition and dreams.

More than 20 dream workshops offer experiences for putting theory into practice.  It’s hard to decide, but I think I’ll start with lucid dreams.  These are the ones where part of you is aware that the other part is dreaming.  Lots of possibilities here for speeding personal growth.  From there I’ll sample dream themes across cultures, then on to dream maps.

Auxiliary activities provide many opportunities as well.  There’s a dream art exhibition (where I’ll serve as a volunteer monitor), a dream hike, dream cruise with dessert, and … a dream telepathy contest!  I participated in such a contest at a past conference.  It was fun.  And I was pretty good at it!  Perhaps you, Dear Dreamers, would like to try your hand at dream telepathy?  I will offer an opportunity soon.

There’s not much down time in the next five days, but that’s OK.  I’ve dreamed of this for a long time!

Sweet Dreams to You, Dear Dreamer!

SMYD