"Dreams are the guiding words of the soul. Why should I henceforth not love my dreams and not make their riddling images into objects of my daily consideration?" - Carl Gustav Jung
Every night, we go to sleep. Every day, we arise. And in between, our minds enter an enchanted world that no other person will ever be able to fathom or experience: the dream state.
Typically, we cannot control our dreams—we simply experience them. They are, as Jung said, “pure nature,” the instinctive, primordial response of our beings to what is happening to it during our waking state.
And on the path to understanding our purpose and vision for our lives, there is nothing else that can begin to compare with their power. It’s the reason, of course, we have turns of phrases like, “A dream come true,” “in your dreams,” and “living the dream.”
And yet, in spite of their obvious power and insight, most of us don’t consult our dreams for guidance. And for good reason: often, because of our addiction to devices and their blue light, we’re not getting good enough sleep to even reach a dream state. And even when we do sleep deeply and dream vividly, we start our day off by picking up a device again and neglect writing down our dreams immediately upon waking, while we can still recall the details.
But dreams can completely and fundamentally alter the course of our lives, inspiring us to new heights and emboldening us to make big changes. So let’s start chronicling them, and let’s use them as fuel to create a better world.
Here are three ways to begin:
Get great sleep.
You know the drill:
no caffeine after 2pm
no eating two hours before bed
no screen time an hour before bed
in a dark, cold room
asleep by 10pm
aim for 8 total hours of sleep
Need more assistance? Try:
Writing in a journal before sleep
Write to yourself in the second person, “Hey you, you have so much to be grateful for today.”
Supplementing with magnesium threonate, choline, and valerian
Practicing the 4-7-8 breathing technique to slow the mind and drift off
Write them down immediately upon waking
Keep that journal handy, and put anything you can recall about your dream into it. Focus especially on the emotions of the dreams and how they made you feel
Work with a dream interpreter
Many Jungian psychoanalysts specialize in understanding dreams and their deep meanings via symbols and archetypes. Their interpretation can prove pivotal in uncovering sometimes hidden messages and connecting disparate thoughts. I’ve worked with Stefan Mihaljevic (website) and been astounded by how he’s helped me understand life is conveying to me through my dreams. For me, nothing will ever be the same.
On the path to self-understanding and grasping your purpose, dreams are your power source. Tap into them, and there’s no telling what you can become.