Time and time again, across cultures, people always say, ‘I had a dream (or a nightmare) and it didn’t make any sense; it was crazy! It was weird!’

Dreams are neither weird, crazy, nor bizarre. In fact dreams enhance learning and memory. And at a deeper level, activate the release of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). That is why regular sleep is so important for our health.

The journey of dreams is like life. We need to Uncover the dream, Discover the message, in order to Recover and Heal in our waking life. Whatever is uppermost in your waking life will always be reflected in your dreams.

Who dreams? Everyone dreams, 5 to 8 times every night, as scientifically proven (unless you’re taking certain medications). We may not remember them, but we still dream. Babies, children and teens dream the most; people with Alzheimer’s and dementia dream the least.

Just as we all dream, everyone has nightmares. They are not to be taken literally because that will keep you stuck in the fear mode.

What is a nightmare: Think of it as your unconscious knocking at your door insistently and loudly to get your attention to make changes in your waking life. After all, all of our life is an expression of God’s intention for the journey of our soul to grow, to heal, to recover, and bring more light to this world.

Example: Running down the street and being chased by a dark figure wielding a knife. Terrified, you wake up breathless, heart racing.

The nightmare exaggerates the theme with drama to get your attention. So you can act on it to make a change in your waking life… Relevance to waking life: what are you running away from, and what are you feeling so threatened about in your waking life?

A dream of hope and transcendence: Flying dreams represent transcending the law of gravity in waking life. You’re getting encouragement from your unconscious to soar above the obstacles that confront you when you are awake.

A 50 year old woman dreams she’s standing on one side of the river, all alone, and the bridge is broken. She begins to feel herself fly and land on the other side in a meadow filled with lavender flowers all around. She wakes up smiling.

Pay attention to the symbols in the dream; the bridge represents crossing over to another phase of your life. Although the bridge is broken, you can transcend by flying! And on the other side you land in the midst of a field of luscious lavender flowers, which symbolizes healing at a physical and a spiritual level.

When we learn the language of the unconscious, we can begin to look at dreams and understand them more gently as a source of information, guidance and help. Go dream, fly, and soar!