Manifest Your Dreams
a dreams interpretation project
Have you awoken from a good night's sleep and asked yourself, 'Did I just dream that?'
Chances are you were lucid dreaming and you were asked to document the dream itself for safe keeping so when it happens again you can understand it along with the next dream. is a type of dream where the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming. During a lucid dream, the dreamer may gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative, or environment; however, this is not actually necessary for a dream to be described as lucid.
Further developments in psychological research have pointed to ways in which this form of dreaming may be utilized as a form of sleep therapy.
The term lucid dream was coined by Dutch author and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in his 1913 article A Study of Dreams, though descriptions of dreamers being aware that they are dreaming predate the article. Van Eeden studied his own dreams between January 20, 1898 and December 26, 1912, recording the ones he deemed most important in a dream diary. 352 of these dreams are categorized as lucid.
Van Eeden created names for seven different types of dreams he experienced based on the data he collected:
- initial dreams
- pathological dreams
- ordinary dreams
- vivid dreams
- demoniacal dreams
- general dream-sensations
- lucid dreams
He said the seventh type, lucid dreaming, is “the most interesting and worthy of the most careful observation and study.”
RISKS of LUCID DREAMING
Though lucid dreaming can be beneficial to a number of aspects of life, some risks have been suggested. Those who have never had a lucid dream may not understand what is happening when they experience it for the first time. This could cause those individuals to feel a variety of different emotions as they are going through a completely new psychological experience. Feelings of stress, worry, or confusion could arise. On the other hand, the feeling of empowerment could also come up as they realize that they are now in control of their dreams. Individuals who experience lucid dreams regularly could begin to feel isolated from others due to the fact that they have different experiences when it comes to dreaming. Someone struggling with certain mental illnesses could find it hard to be able to tell the difference between reality and the actual dream.
Some people may experience sleep paralysis, which is something that can be confused with lucid dreaming. Although from the outside, both of these seem to be quite similar, there are a few distinct differences that can help differentiate them. A person usually experiences sleep paralysis when they partially wake up in REM atonia, a state in which said person is partially paralyzed and cannot move their limbs. When in sleep paralysis, people may also experience hallucinations. Although said hallucinations cannot cause physical damage, they may still be frightening. There are three common types of hallucinations: an intruder in the same room, a crushing feeling on one’s chest or back, and a feeling of flying or levitating. About 7.6% of the general population have experienced sleep paralysis at least once. Exiting sleep paralysis to a waking state can be achieved by intently focusing on a part of the body, such as a finger, and wiggling it, continuing the action of moving to then the hand, the arm, and so on, until the person is fully awake.
Long-term risks with lucid dreaming have not been extensively studied.
Recurring DREAMS
A recurring dream is a dream which is experienced repeatedly over a long period. They can be pleasant or nightmarish and unique to the person and their experiences.
Possible explanations for recurring dreams
- Threat simulation theory – This theory was proposed by Antti Revonsuo and states the biological function of dreaming is to simulate threatening events and then rehearse threatening avoidance behaviors. However, this theory has come with mixed reviews. Zadra et el. found in a study on this theory that 66% of recurrent dreams contained at least one threat. For the most part, these threats involved danger and were aimed at the dreamer themselves. In contrast however, they also found that less than 15% of recurrent dreams involved realistic situations that could prove critical to one’s survival. They also found that the dreamer usually did not succeed at fleeing the threat. These provide mixed support for the theory originally proposed by Revonsuo.
- Gestaltist dream theory – This theory views recurrent dreams as representing the person’s current state of psychic imbalance. By bringing this imbalance to consciousness through the recurrent dream, it is possible for the person to restore their self-balance.
- Freud believed that recurrent traumatic dreams showed expressions of neurotic repetitive compulsions.
- Jung believed that recurrent dreams played an important role in the integration of the psyche.
- Culturalist dream theory, brought to light by Bonime in 1962, holds that recurrent dreams represent that it will most certainly come true, without a lack of positive change or development in a person’s personality.
- Lucid dream theory holds that some people dream in recurrent form and it is a normal phenomenon.
Are you READY to doucment your own dreams?
The Manifest Your Dreams Project is a guided journal tool with instruction for keeping up with your dreams. Keeping a dream journal allows you to document your lucid dreams to see if you are just dreaming or if you are receiving messages from spirit. Since 2014, I have used my dream journal often to document the many themes, stories, and messages that appear to me when I am in REM state. Using my journal helped me to keep track of repeat episodes and specific details that I later learned were actually messages I needed to hear to improve my overall well-being.
When you register for the Manifest Your Dreams Project you will be mailed a Dreams Bundle which includes
- an 80-page Dream Journal
- an instruction book with essential tools for keeping your journal
- a 10mL bottle of Plant Therapy® Meditation Essential Oil Blend
- plus some other items to make your journey even more exciting.
Once your receive your journal use the guide to begin your journey to a better understanding.
I am excited for you to start your dream journal so you can capture the messages you may be overlooking. This process is so helpful in my creative process and I know it will be to yours too! ~Victoria, CircleofQi.com creator
Questions to Ask to Understand the Story of Your Dream
To help you identify these different parts of the dream, you can ask yourself these questions:
- Where did the dream take place?
- What details do I remember about the setting of the dream?
- What characters/people were in the dream?
- What objects stand out to you that may be symbolic?
- What do you think the theme or summary of this dream is?
- How did the dream make you feel? What emotion did it convey?
Answering these questions will improve your ability to identify and be aware of dream elements. This makes it easier for you to put the story together and understand the type of dream and how it may relate to waking life.
Disclaimer:
Manifest Your Dreams Project is a CircleofQi.com self-guided project for seekers who want answers. This projects is not driven my medical solutions or healing, simply entertainment and guidance. Seek a psychologiest if you feel your dreams play a role in your mental state or emotional well-being.
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