Working With Dream Images

All dream images have a symbolic message. The ones that are the most startling are the fear images. We have many fears we have suppressed from childhood on, and these are free to surface in both dream and meditative states. It is important to remember that you are not your fears. Fears are simply negative thought forms which have no reality on their own. When we take away their power, they no longer have any influence over our lives. Although our purpose in life is to meet the self, we spend a lot of time running away. We are afraid of many things, especially those which are unknown to us. We fear that which we do not understand. Each fear represents a block to our true beauty, the inner spiritual being. We should welcome all these frightening images, as they will reveal to us limited thinking and beliefs that thwart our development. Any images that you identify but do not understand can be met and worked with in a "do it yourself" guided imagery or through meditation. This technique is particularly helpful when working with frightening images. If you have a frightening monster creature, or a frightening person, it is a fear blown out of proportion. Upon awakening bring the image back to mind. Imagine this "being" unzipping its monster costume, letting the fearful outer garb fall to the floor. Instead a little part of the self walks out, maybe a tiny little person, who offers you a present. You ask the little being what it has to teach you and imagine it lovingly giving you its message. You can establish a dialogue with any dream image and let it talk back to you. Just do a Disneyland number with it. If it is a tree, imagine it with a face, arms and legs, and ask it questions. If it is a big fence or wall, again, give it a face and let it talk to you. Imagine what it would say. To use this technique effectively, try the following steps:

1. Write down a description of the dream image you do not understand.
2. Relax, enter a meditative state, then picture the image in your mind. If it is inanimate, give it a face and let it talk to you. If it is big and fearful, imagine it unzipping its scary Halloween suit and stepping out as something quite harmless and ordinary. Then strike up a conversation. Remember, the scare tactics are just to get your attention.
3. Now ask: What insight have you brought me? Or, What part of myself do you represent? Allow the image to speak to you; make up what you think it will say if words do not come readily. You may actually hear words or just get a strong sense of what this form really represents.
4. After the conversation, thank the image for appearing to you. If you still feel unclear, ask it to present itself in a different form in your next dream so that you will understand.

When you begin to gain control of the dream state, that is, when you know you are dreaming, then you can stop and meet images while still in the dream. If something is chasing you, you can turn around and say, ''Hey, wait a minute. Let's get this thing settled. Why am I allowing you to chase me, and what part of me do you represent?" When you can confront an image in the dream, you get immediate insight on what it is. And as soon as you face a fear, you have conquered it. Keep a sense of humor and you immediately restore perspective. Also, when you become aware at any time you are dreaming, you can stop a dream and say, "All right, now I am ready to learn." You can ask any question and the answer will be given. This is what we are working to do: to gain complete control of the dream state so that it becomes a vehicle for higher learning and integration of self.