Editors note - although this article does not refer to hypnotherapy
directly we deemed it worthy of inclusion on this site because many
hypnotherapists use dreams for healing - we are very grateful to Zoilita for
allowing us to include it here...
www.selfhealing.com
www.colorado.com
Every night while we
are sleeping, our dreams are having their own secret life.
They are processing and integrating the events of our day
and giving a
rest and
recovery period to the part of our brain that regulates attention, memory and
mood. During this time our moods are cleared and our
memories updated as we
integrate new experiences into our memory banks in an emotionally relevant
way.
The average adult dreams from
three to five times during eight hours of sleep. The dreams occur roughly
every 90 to 100 minutes and last from 5 to 30 minutes each. During the dream
state, the pathways that carry nerve impulses from the brain to the muscles
are blocked. Therefore, the body cannot move while in a dream state. At the
same time, the cerebral cortex—the part of the brain involved in higher
functions—is extremely active. It is known that the cortex is stimulated by
neurons that carry impulses from the brain stem.
There is a lot of
emotional content in our dreams. Unresolved conflicts, concerns about
performance, and feelings about people and situations are played out in the
dream world. Dreaming seems to provide a means of releasing tension and
anxieties that we unconsciously suppress during our waking lives.
It is much healthier to
express the content of the dreams rather than to repress them. In the process
of becoming whole, dreams of violence, murder, even death, are all ways in
which our subconscious is allowing a milieu of thoughts, feelings and
impressions to escape our busy minds. Dreams give us release from our
inner conflicts and insight into our personal potential and promise.
Dreaming is a process and the dream is a creation produced by our minds to
create harmony in our lives.
During our waking life we are
always receiving clues and insights from our Inner Self, but we are usually
too busy to pay attention. We are too busy, too distracted–too caught in our
lives– to hear important messages that come from inside. In our conscious
waking life we are not always open to the messages. We may also be unwilling
to look at what is really happening with our lives. It is during the dream
state that this information is often revealed.
Dreams are also direct routes
into our Higher Consciousness/Inner Selves. Dreams may contain the most
direct spiritual teaching we can receive.
Dreams serve many functions which
support our waking lives: they allow the brain to sort and file data that has
been acquired during the day; they allow the mind to release any emotional
tension that has not been processed during the day; they are doorways to the
subconscious and help us to see how we really feel about our lives. Our dreams
tell us the truth about ourselves.
They are an expression of our
sense of our self.
Every dream we have
relates directly to some facet of our life. In one sense the dream world is as
real as waking, and we are not consciously editing the information. It comes
through whether we like it or not, whether we invite it or not. It is
important to remember our being is more than just a physical body. Our being
contains our spiritual self—our truth, our souls. Our dream world can
frequently reveal this to us better than our waking life. Our lives contain
lessons for our souls and in some senses the dream world provides learning
experiences that more directly involve our souls. It has a lot to do with the
integration of the various aspects of ourselves. Sometimes these parts are cut
off from our objective consciousness. By making the separate parts of
ourselves one, dreams become an essential step in the process of our becoming
whole, healthy people.
Tips for Remembering Dreams…
*Go to bed early… Don’t get overtired before going to
sleep.
*Review and process your day—clear your mind.
*Keep a Dreamwork journal and writing materials by your
bed.
*Stay still when you
first wake up, reviewing your dreams.
*Record everything you remember, including how you felt.
* Use your intuition to relate your dreams to your life.
*Discuss your dreams
with someone else. In talking about the dream you will learn new things.
To link directly to this article use this
link:
http://www.hypnotherapyarticles.com/ArtG/articleg00021.htm
Zoilita Grant MS CCHt has been
studying dreams since she was a child. She has had several dreams that have
been major influences on her own life. Zoilita produces a line of books and
CDs that are designed for personal transformation including an interactive
Dreamwork journal and dream programming CD. You can find more about her work
at
www.selfhealing.com
www.coloradohypnotherapy.com
or 303-776-6103
