Many dreams are what the experts call “housekeeping.” Perhaps, like computers, our minds need “defragging” on a regular basis. The subconscious mind is dynamic and uncontrolled. Seemingly, this part of ourselves is striving to attain consciousness during the night when our guard is down and we are sawing the zzzzzs.  Meanwhile, symbols and images are the language of the subconscious mind. So, it is within our dream world that we encounter these strange and confusing “plays in the night.”  While sleeping soundly, emotions can arise as if they take on wings. Dreams powerfully trigger emotions—both pleasant and frightful. Without this aspect of our dreams, we might never remember them.

Some people think they don’t dream, but everyone dreams. Remembering our dreams depends on various factors. For one, we are most likely to remember our dream if we wake up while having them. This usually happens while we are within rapid eye movement sleep (REM), during which the brain is most active. If you want to remember a dream, this is the time to get up and write it down.

Sometimes, dreams carry a message that addresses something we need to learn. Dreams can also speak truth that can help us heal hurtful events of the past that exists deep in the subconscious mind.  Through a dream, at times, we can acknowledge and accept something about ourselves that we have been unable or willing to look at.  When this is true, the dream is apt to break into our thoughts during the following day, or maybe a few days later, as the dream is beckoning for attention.  It has something to say.  We can ignore these “flashbacks,” or do some work to glean the message from them.

Through years of working with my dreams, buried grief and anger are allowed to surface. These are emotions I learned early in life to keep hidden deep inside. The price tag for this, however, came in having to deal with ongoing, pervasively felt apprehension, called “free floating anxiety.”

When painful experiences are stuffed down so deep we can’t reach them, we need healing. Dreams can help us reckon with things that are still hurting after many years or decades. Consequently, life does not hold as much enjoyment as it otherwise could.

Sometimes we need a therapist to unravel our tangled experiences. When past experiences are reached, a professional can help you explore and cope with the pain that may arise. Sometimes old traumas need to come to light so healing can begin. I urge people to work with professional help, at least here and there, as they work with their dreams. Still, there is much we can do on our own. I find a book titled, Your Dreams: God’s Neglected Gift by Hermon Riffle very helpful in the quest for utilizing the power of dreams.

Once I began my quest for the healing of my soul, I made it my practice to watch when difficult emotions arose, either through a dream or through daily living.  Now, I can easily see when difficult feelings surface. I acknowledge them and look at what is hurting within a given circumstance. This brings self-understanding as well as self-appreciation. With God’s help, we can release the difficult pain feelings bring and do some needed forgiveness work. This is a method that works powerfully well. 

Dream work has played a major role in learning to honor my emotions, particularly the difficult ones, which were ignored far too long. As I work with dreams, I find journaling helps the process in amazing ways, as I ask the Holy Spirit to help me understand what a dream is telling me. Then, while listening, I write what comes to mind. Payoffs I find in this work include better emotional, mental and spiritual health.