Nightmares/Recurrent Dreams

It is understandable that most of us recoil from exploring the often terrifying and overwhelming  material from our nightmares – in fact we often ‘escape into wakefulness’ with a sense of dread.
But if we accept the premise that, “dreams always come in the service of health and wholeness” this can help us understand that the nightmare has grabbed our attention for that very purpose. Working with nightmares can be extremely healing, and the terrifying images and symbols often become identified  as ‘dream helpers’.
Nightmare work can be challenging and emotional, but my experience has been that it is ultimately rewarding. It usually results in the cessation of the nightmare together with the added bonus of increased awareness and insight.

Recurrent Dreams
These are dreams that happen over and over again, sometimes on a daily or weekly basis, others with months or even years between them. They are sometimes, but not always,  as scary as nightmares, but they are often disturbing and/or puzzling. I like to view these as our healing mind’s ‘kick up the backside’ in order to keep grabbing our attention until we become curious enough to take notice.
Interestingly, once we begin to develop a relationship with these dreams,  investigate and gain understanding, they stop. Mission accomplished!

Spiritual Dreams
Many dreams are to do with everyday life events, reflecting current or unresolved past issues and concerns and working with them can provide solutions. However, most dreams have multiple levels of meaning and if the dreamer is spiritually focussed, dreams can also provide deep, and often divine, spiritually nurturing information. Some dreams have obvious spiritual symbolism, but even if they don’t, a spiritual meaning can surface.
Working as I have been, with people who were traumatised in childhood,  I believe that these early wounds can affect their spiritual self as keenly as other aspects of their lives. They often appear to be ‘soul wounded’ and have dreams that reflect this. Powerful healing can take place when a spiritual focus is included in dream work.