The Reiki Cafe 

The posts here are all fascinating, and thank you for sharing!

There is an assumption that most people make: dreaming is something that happens to you, like a movie. You may be doing things in the dream, but the scene and motivation are essentially given to you, and you play it out according to the script of the dream. Then our only meaningful action is to try and interpret the dream's meaning.

Another view is possible: you can act, with purpose, in your dreams. It is your dream, to do with as you see fit, according to your desires and the path you're on. The dream is one very powerful medium in which to pursue your Awakening. Confront your fears, build strength, and move through the challenges.

There are many sources that can help with this, such as dream yoga, and the Casteneda books discuss it. I have to confess, though, I don't follow any of those, nor do I keep a dream journal. My first experience was a deep desire to learn how to fly while dreaming. That desire was rewarded in childhood, and I've learned more and improved skill over the years. For others it may be, bodily awareness, singing, remembering conversations, making friends with scary animals -- whatever your challenge or desire is.

All that's needed is a belief that you can act in your dreams, occasionally take control, make decisions, and then perform dazzling magic.

The one technique, if you can call it that, that seems to work for me, is intent. When I have a dream, say, of fearing or fighting a powerful animal, when I wake up, I form the intent to make peace with it the next time we meet. It can take some time or happen fairly quickly, but sooner or later the next step will come. You can form an intent about anything. So, when you write in your dream journal, also think about how you want it to turn out the next time.

Does this make sense? Have others had similar experiences? Any stories to trade?

Thank you and
Blessings,
Aronaya

Aronaya,

Makes good sense.

I don't keep a journal either, by the time I've recorded the dream I'm to awake to easily go back to sleep.

Those times when I have remembered that I can purposely act in my dreams rather than react to them I have sometimes surprised myself with how effective I could be. You can always rewrite the script. Much the same with waking situations, no? :-)

Life comes to us, our dreams come to us. It is how we percieve what comes to us and how we act on what comes to us that is important.

I like your 'technique'. Intent, is, after all the driving force. (think I've heard that somewhere before :-))

Walk in beauty,
Rebecca

Thank you, Rebecca. And thank you to my ascending father, who was always interested to hear our dreams and took the dreamscape seriously as a plane of action. Helps learning in the daytime world -- still exploring what kind of a dreamscape that is!

Some years ago, I went to a seminar on archetypal dreams given by a Jungian. He said in passing, of course you have no free will in dreams. During the Q&A period, I challenged him on that point. A cordial and interesting exchange ensued. I nevertheless still have the utmost gratitude for Jung's contribution, a real East-West bridge.

If you have no free will in dreaming, then how can you have free will in the daytime dream? I guess you ultimately don't, really, until you awaken from all dreams. But you can work toward free will, both waking and dreaming.

Blessings,
Aronaya