View Dream As Catalyst For Change
Dear Nancy: Even though this dream was awful, it changed my life. My parents were divorced when I was 3 years old and I’ve been on my own since I was 17. Before the dream, I was estranged from my father and afraid to die. Since the dream, I have reestablished my connection with my father and regained my faith in God. - Heather
I’m working at my client’s home when I look out the kitchen window and see a big blue ball of light and a thick smoke-like rainbow. My client says, “This is it! It’s the end of the world.” Then I see a huge mushroom cloud and know that an atomic bomb has exploded. I run, but it catches up with me and I am burned to dust but my spirit is still alive. I hear myself saying, “I should have said good-bye.” I wake up feeling awful.
Dear Heather: Thank-you for sharing this dream with us. Your experience is a great reminder that dreams can change us in an instant!
The atomic bomb has long been a symbol of mankind’s inhumanity to itself and the planet. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, when the world was faced with the threat of nuclear devastation, the bomb became an archetypal symbol and still frequently appears in our dreams, devastating us and our dreamscapes, reminding us of our mortality.
We need to remember that the bomb was developed to liberate and redeem us. As devastating as it was, it was also a tool for freedom. The rainbow, a symbol of hope, may indicate this positive aspect of the bomb.
The announcement in your dream, “This is it! It’s the end of the world.” is signaling a change. On a deep inner level, it is the end of the world as you have known it. By experiencing your own death, you came to understand the value of your life and the people in it. That huge change resulted in your reconnection with your father and God.
As human beings, we often grow and transform the most while in the midst of challenging situations, including illness, divorce and the death of loved ones. This dream served as your catalyst for change and your guide. The bomb is offering both your death and rebirth into a new way of being.
Reader tip: Have you ever become aware that you were dreaming during a dream? This is called “lucid dreaming.” Mostly, the lucidity is fleeting, lasting only for a moment. We realize, “I’m dreaming!” and then fall back into the dream losing that insight.
When we can hold onto the knowledge that we are dreaming and continue the dream, we enter into a domain that can be far beyond the normal dream experience. We can meet with loved ones who have passed on or experience what it is to be an eagle or a bear. We can choose to fly or talk to God. Our power and sense of freedom is limitless.
It’s possible and beneficial to cultivate lucid dreaming. A strong desire to dream lucidly is important. Choose what you would like to experience. If your goal is to fly, then affirm to yourself before going to sleep, “Tonight, in my dreams, I fly!”