Dream recall is a powerful tool to receive insight and guidance from the unconscious, that other half of the mind that speaks in pictures and stories, as opposed to words and writing. If we listen to it and pay attention, we can cultivate the recall process. There is reciprocation if we pay attention. From the ancient times and stories in the Old Testament Bible, right until modern psychologists of the 20th century, like Freud and Jung, we hear of dream interpretation as the “royal road to the unconscious”.
Even science geniuses like Einstein, Newton and my favorite – Nikola Tesla – used to receive inspiration and guidance from their dreams. Tesla tells of how he would see the solution or finished product in his mind’s eye, fully formed and complete, like a vision, and would simply copy it down as it is.
This kind of visual imagery or impression in the mind is a symptom of a developed right hemisphere, which is rich in knowledge, if we just have the capacity to perceive it and to translate it into rational and logical description, which entails the left hemisphere of the brain.
In my personal case, I have been focusing on improving my dream recall this month, and for the past two days have been waking up early, around 5.30 am just before sunrise here in summer now, with clear dream recall from the minutes just before waking. That is the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of light sleep where dreams exist.
In yesterday’s dream, I had a fairly well known recurring theme of belong back in my yoga ashram of my youth, a communal residence with numerous people about, where we lived a collective life, in shared rooms with shared bathrooms and dining. This was through my entire twenties for about 10 years of my life in my home town of Cape Town mostly.
In the dream I was in a room with several others, unknown figures, and the striking image that I recall is of a big snake coming in at the window of the room. It was a bit scary for me to see it, and I was in anxiety about how to get it out. Somehow the dream scene moved to outside the building and the window, where a group of us now stood around the snake. Amazingly, in brave fashion, one of the bigger guys in the group scene of this dream, who was also a bit wilder, simply showed his foot down the throat of the snake. His foot got stuck in the mouth of the serpent.
I was worried, of course, that he might get bitten and be killed, but he didn’t seem to worry and appeared to neutralize the danger. Now these are all elements of my own personal unconscious, since all the symbols, people and imagery in the dream are aspects of ourselves as the dreamer. They are archetypes or sub-personality types of our own psyche. The wilder big guy is my shadow who can be an enemy or an ally actually. Here he dealt with the snake better than the ego could.
The snake could be some aspect of myself, perhaps the feminine side – as in the kundalini serpent shakti, or it could be something dangerous like lust or greed, or some quality that is a challenge. I will have to think about it more. The image could be seen from a Freudian perspective as sexual, in that the male penetrated the snake with his foot into the mouth. I prefer Jung’s insights though, since lust is not a problem for me, having lived as a celibate monk for those ten years in my twenties. Now, approaching my mid fifties, I’m totally celibate for the rest of my life, having resumed the path of transcendence in that regard.
The snake appeared to be dangerous with a hood, like a cobra, but the shadow side of my psyche knew how to deal with it and control it, even though his foot was stuck in the mouth, as if he put his foot in it. Anger is one weakness of mine that makes me say too much sometimes and perhaps that is the vulnerability that I’m working on nowadays. Lust, anger and greed have no place in the mind of a sadhu or yogi, so I’m currently working on subduing the anger. Also greed can be a risk for me since I’m passionate about trading cryptocurrency. When focusing on money like this, even as a game, it can fuel my greed, if I’m not careful.
Another symbol that comes to mind is that of St George slaying the dragon. There are medieval pictures of the spiritual warrior piercing the mouth of the dragon with his lance as it lies at his feet. This could be a symbol of subduing the lower instincts that hinder our spiritual process.
So in this way, I’m using my dream recall to advise me and shed some light onto the workings of my psyche, as I move along the path of self-realization and liberation from the conditioned mind. By recording my dreams like this, it’s possible to learn from them and cultivate more recall, because it allows for a capturing of the imagery of the right hemisphere by the rational left, who is recording it. I recommend it and hope that you can also tap into this powerful tool to assist you in your journey of self-discovery and ultimate transcendence.
(image pixabay)
From my point of view, if I had to analyze your dream, I would say that there is an imminent danger, a great gossip (for example), from which you will be well freed, mainly by your accompanying spirits. To my understanding, you have a very powerful protector with you. As you well know, we all have accompanying spirits who are our protectors and detractors of the evil that may haunt us. Fortunately the danger was neutralized. Greetings and blessings.
Desde mi punto de vista, si yo tuviese que analizar tu sueño, diría que existe un peligro inminente, un gran chisme (por ejemplo), del cual te verás bien librado, fundamentalmente por tus espíritus acompañantes. A mi entender, tienes un protector muy poderoso contigo. Como bien sabes, todos tenemos espíritus acompañantes que son nuestros protectores y detractores del mal que nos pueda acechar. Afortunadamente el peligro fue neutralizado. Saludos y bendiciones.
Many thanks Tarot911 I appreciate your insights on the dream. Yes I do feel protected.
Yes i believe dreams are a very important unexplored part of our lives.