Get In Tune With Playfulness
Dear Nancy: My husband is in the Air Force and we were transferred to Spokane from Ohio three years ago. The move was very hard on me because I am so close to my family. My son is almost 2 now and this dream about him really disturbs me. I’ve had it several times. What could it mean? - Amy
I take my son to a trusted family member and leave him there while I go to work. When I come back I find my child has been lost. He is never dead or kidnapped but lost or misplaced. The family member is upset with me when it should be the other way around. I run through the town screaming my son’s name and asking people if they’ve seen him. I wake up crying.
Dear Amy: I can certainly see why you’d be upset by this dream. Although it can be taken as a warning to be careful where you leave your son while you work, I’d like to look at the dream on a deeper level.
Do you feel like a lost or misplaced child? Moving away from your close-knit family of origin could cause you to feel this way. We all long to stay where we will be nurtured and cared for. This is the child within us. But there comes a time when we must, as adults, break free from that need and become our own loving parent.
Dreams of children often address the parts of ourselves that are playful, vulnerable and innocent. Have you forgotten how to be playful and childlike now that you are grown and have your own family? Does it feel like you have set aside or misplaced this part of yourself?
Retrieving and reclaiming your inner child may be the message of this dream. Life can be both playful and serious, Amy. Try nurturing your own childlike nature and see if this dream stops.
Dear Ms. Bloom: It is said that everyone dreams every night. My query to you is, what does it mean if you seldom recall your dreams? I can remember no more than two dreams in the last two years, yet friends relate their dreams to me weekly. Is there any significant meaning for lack of recall? - Ruth
Dear Ruth: The most essential key to dream recall is simple and heartfelt desire. Without this commitment, it is difficult to recall dreams on a regular basis. Having the attitude that each night can be an adventure and a learning experience will help in remembering your dreams.
We spend a third of our lives in sleep. Why waste the dream state, which is probably the most creative time of our lives?
It also helps to look at any negative beliefs we may have toward sleep and dreams. Ask yourself these questions:
Do you feel that dreams will disturb your much-needed sleep?
Are you afraid that information from your unconscious will be distressing and require you to change?
Do you believe dreams are worthless meanderings and bizarre fantasies of the mind?
These are a few of the more common roadblocks to recall. Once you have acknowledged and dislodged these roadblocks, the path will be cleared for you.
The dream journal is an important aspect of remembering your dreams. Pick a notebook that visually appeals to you and has plenty of room for each dream entry. The journal should be kept close to your bed along with a pen for recording dreams should you awaken during the night. Buying the dream journal is the first step, but the action of writing your dreams down will signal your unconscious that “This is important!” This will solidify your commitment to dream work and make dream recall easier.
xxxx