Author

Subject: A question for Jane

andrea

19:34 13/02/2001 

Jane, I've been wondering lately about why we stop dreaming.

Is it possible that - when we notice the symbols and synchronicity in our life - and use it to ponder "what are the 'inner' stirrings this is reflecting", that insights available while awake cause a cessation of dream material? (becausse presumably we were 'open' to messages from the sub conscious)

I rarely remember dreaming these days - in spite of an ongoing committment to the process....

except recently when my 13 year old was travelling without me - when I had one or two..vivid dreams.

Would appreciate your view on this... think?

Jane Anderson

23:01 14/02/2001 

An interesting question Andrea.

(Also see the long reply I've just posted at "Book Travels Two" which addresses issues around this.)

Let's collect people's experiences here to answer this one.

For myself, most of my synchronicities start as dreams: an element from a dream will appear (sometimes the whole dream, in which case it is then both a precognitive dream and a synchronicity*) ... usually in multiple.

[* In "The Shape of Things to Come", I argue that precognition is synchronicity once you remove the blinkers of linear time.]

My belief is that our dreams deal with all issues relevant to the last 24 to 48 hours, but that even 'good recall' dreamers remember only a small portion. As I see a synchronicity as an outer world symbol of inner world change (also see post referred to above), then I believe this change will have been run through in dream prior to the breakthrough insight which manifests as the synchronicity.

[Yes, I know I always suggest analysing a synchronicity, whereas at the same time I'm saying that the deed is done: the breakthrough is complete. The danger, as expressed in The Shape of Things to Come and in the introduction to this forum web page, is that people can forget that a synchronicity, like a dream, is symbolic. The breakthrough insight is fait accompli, but the person may never link the insight with the synchronicity, and remain puzzled. The danger lies in deciding to 'follow' a synchronicity as if it is a 'sign from god' rather than a sign (in symbolic form) that an inner change has occured. For example, my "Book Travels Two" synchronicities might lead me, if I were following 'signs', to take my life and myself back to 1991 .. perhaps to move back to Sydney or to marry someone similar to the man I married then. These actions would be inappropriate. Instead the synchronicities are highlighting new ways of seeing the events of 1991 ... )

So, Andrea, my belief would be that you are dreaming as much as everyone else, but that you are not recalling your dreams, for whatever reasons, during times of high synchronicity. Perhaps you are satisfied with enjoying synchronicity, or busy with the examination of them, so that dream recall is not a high priority for you.

What are other people's experiences here?

Jane Anderson

guest

11:42 15/02/2001 

Jane I shall print this out and consider...

But one thing dreams have taught me - when I DO dream...I know to sit up and take notice!!

JuliA

02:35 20/02/2001 

Mmmmm what an interesting thing to ponder..... Jane like you, my synchronicities tend to start in my dreams and then appear in waking life. I recently had a dream wherein Charles Schwab was in my dream - a huge investment company - I was discussing whether or not I should study investments so I can understand something that is a part of my fiances life. In the dream I reconciled that I'm continuing learning about things in his life but he does little to understand the things that are important to me.

So last night, we had an issue over......... investments. My fiance had not told me a plethora of things regarding money because he didn't think I would find it interesting!?!? so......... the waking life synch was resolved as a result of my dream. I have been dreaming a lot lately. There have been times in my life when I don't dream, those times are usually when I'm doing the most conscious and life changing work, yet its at those times that I really want my dreams to reflect what (if any) changes I'm making.

Having said that, I have just been through some huge events and returned from Australia with the intent of making significant changes, yet my dreams have ceased and the block I'm feeling is manifesting in a lack of connection with anything, including feelings, unsconscious and symbols that would normally knock me over on a daily basis.

So Andrea I understand your question and the frustration of dream material ceasing.

Jane, as always I'm open to the universe and its symbols, they're just not forthcoming. Perhaps its planetary, and mercury retrograde, but I know its me!

JuliA

Jane Anderson

08:55 20/02/2001 

JuliA,

Just a thought: I wonder if your intent on making significant changes (implying that you have consciously decided what these are to be) is causing the block on recall. (Which is also the block on feelings and observation of waking life symbolism.)

In the normal course of intent of change, we would expect our dreams to reflect the conscious and unconscious pros and cons surrounding the decided changes. Assuming that you are still dreaming (as, physiologically, this is a proven necessity for all people), it is recall that is lacking. We don't know what you're dreaming while recall is blocked. [* Also see note at end.]

Is your waking life intent so clear and strong that you have chosen to operate from a clean slate?

In other words, do you feel that the best way to achieve the changes you have decided upon is to go forward and put into action without looking back? (So you block recall temporarily.)

I can see that there are times when this would be advantageous: for example, if you have already watched your dreams and gathered information about yourself in relation to these changes, then it may be appropriate to allow some forward-action time without reflection. A kind of ebb and flow, be and do. The secret of long-term success would be to then tune into the dreams again once the changes are establishing .. and to use the dream reflections to fine-tune the changes.

These are just thoughts and projections as to what could be happening both with you, JuliA, and with Andrea.

Anyone else like to add in to the ideas and suggestions ... and experiences here? In gethering and reflecting we progress.

* It's interesting to note that your recall is blocked, JuliA, at the same time as you say your waking life feelings seem blocked.

I wonder if anyone else can add their personal experiences here.

I'm wondering if one key to dream recall is being in touch with feelings (whether or not we know where the feelings are coming from or what to do with them).

On a commonsense level it seems logical: our dreams reflect information to us about the status of our conscious/unconscious thoughts and beliefs about how life seems to be for us at the moment, and this material is likely to hold some emotional charge. If our feelings are blocked, then perhaps we are also blocked to dream recall. If this were the case, an approach to increasing dream recall would be to work on being more open to feelings in waking life (an opening of vulnerability, risk and acceptance, as well as sensuality and self-knowing.)

Of course much of our dreaming also concerns our emotional conflicts and repression of emotions. It can be argued that someone who represses emotions in waking life therefore 'needs' to dream (or is dreaming, but perhaps not recalling) about the repressed emotions, the damage the repression is doing and the nature of the conditioning, behaviours and deeper emotions underlaying the more obvious ones. But the key is perhaps, 'the more obvious ones'. Okay, trying to make this clearer:

Anger is a common emotion which serves to cover and PROTECT deeper emotions. An emotion too difficult to deal with is covered with another emotion ... and so on. Anger is a common 'top layer' emotion. Anger commonly covers grief, for example. A person cannot deal with grief over a personal loss and so feels and shows anger at their situation instead. This is a simplification - but an example, nonetheless.

The person will be 'in touch', in waking life, with anger, but not with grief. The feeling of anger may be sufficient 'feeling key' to bring about some dream recall. The dream fragments recalled are likely to be about conflict over grief.

Anyone?

Jane Anderson

JuliA

00:30 21/02/2001 

Hi Jane

The conscious changes I want to make are not really set in concrete, having said that, perhaps the amount of changes I'm trying to make are blocking recall and waking life symbolism. My inability to work at the moment (no visa yet), lack of support/ friends network, not having my own money, life path and daily routine are all things I want to change and now! impatient, I know!

So I suppose the block could be trying to change all these things at once but not knowing what to tackle first and if I did, what would I do - so I can see how the block could be reflected in my inability to dream recall.

As you say, I am dreaming but just not recalling. I can certainly understand why I'm not recognising waking life symbolism when I'm not even sure of what I'm looking for or what path I want to take. A lack "feeling" is part of it I'm sure.

I'm in a new place with a clean slate, feeling restless and desperately wanting change but yet have not consciously decided what to do about that. The biggest changes and leaps that are being made are in the realm of communication. The recent "engagement" has prompted such a growth and learning about myself, my partner and my style of communication and more importantly my flaws inherited from parents that don't communicate. So perhaps once I've changed the verbal/ communication skills I can practice my new found freedom in other areas. I also recognise the communication stuff is leading me back to my feelings, which for some reason or another I shut down since my return from Australia.

The changes, real and etheral, that being engaged/ about to be married are bringing, are a whole other subject. Perhaps ironically, I'm surprised at how much freedom my life suddenly possesses.

Anyway, you prompted me to realise that my waking life intent is NOT clear and strong yet I realise I have a clean slate in front of me. Perhaps waking life symbolism and dreams (once I recall!?!?) will lead me to that part of me that knows what my path and intent will be? Interestingly, my desire to change and the thoughts that a washing over me haven't included any conscious thought on looking back. Perhaps that's why I'm blocked or not moving forward......... having not looked back or taken stock.

Perhaps my dreams are having no conscious impact on me because I am lacking in feeling and am not bringing back with me to waking life that "feeling and emotion" that dreams inevitably have. Perhaps I'm just not looking, period. You raised a point about feelings and, I don't feel that I am in touch with feelings at the moment, I'm still exhausted from recent events, perhaps a part of me has shut down to recuperate, take stock or just refill?

I loved.........."an approach to increasing dream recall would be to work on being more open to feelings in waking life (an opening of vulnerability, risk and acceptance, as well as sensuality and self-knowing.)" Thanks Jane, I needed to hear that simple statement about things I'm having difficulty connecting with.

I know this probably sounds niave, but I've never thought before that a lack of feeling would connect to a lack of dream recall. Having said that, I know when there have been times of being really down or depressed that I don't dream recall. When I'm really stressed I still recall but that's probably because I'm so connected to the feelings, even if those feelings are of stress and fear, they're still feelings@!?

Andrea, anyone?

Jane, you're a gem!

JuliA

Geoffrey

11:59 23/02/2001 

Hi JuliA, I guess Sydney & the fantastic five-ring circus must seem a long way away by now...

I can't say much about dream recall because I'm pretty poor at that myself (which is why I'm more interested in synchronicity). All I can add is that I agree that when you're depressed you can be cut off from your feelings. Maybe that's because it's often not recognized that depression is not the same thing as sadness. In the same way that the ecstasy of mania is not the same thing as happiness. The unbalanced moods are out of touch while true emotions are 'emoted', connected appropriately with 'the now in space & time and the now enfolding spacetime'. It's not commonly openly recognized that we feel multiple and mixed emotions like music in the waves of the mind, it tends to be particles 'I'm happy or I'm not'. Hear the waves breaking on the shore, gladness in sadness and mourning in joy.

Then again I don't dream up into memory because I don't sleep enough.

Anyway, I wish you well JuliA where you are now-there.

JuliA

00:14 24/02/2001 

Hi Geoffrey

Yes the five ring circus does seem like a long time ago. But its connection is strong because it led me to where I am now.

Why don't you sleep enough? Work? late to bed, early to rise?

I have been through many waves of feelings over the past two weeks. Things are starting to settle down. As a result of a series of posts in the members, I decided to really heal, take time out and nurture myself (water the new be-leafs arising out of the growth) and its really paying off. I feel much more connected and recalling my dreams again, even if they alternate between dream and nightmare! Its all good - gladness in the sadness and mourning in the joy!!!!!

JuliA

WHAT IS
SYNCHRONICITY?

Jane Teresa's Explanation

Jane Teresa Anderson

WHAT IS SYNCHRONICITY?

________

Synchronicity occurs when you experience a coincidence, or several coincidences, that seem so bizarre that you feel they must be meaningful in some way.

Some people believe that synchronicities are signs to follow, to lead you to where you are 'meant' to be. My understanding, however, is that not all synchronicities are to be followed, because ...

Synchronicities are SYMBOLS of where you're at, not signs to follow.

Synchronicities speak the same symbolic language as dreams.

When you experience a synchronicity, you are witnessing a change within yourself, an insight, a birth of something that has been unconscious bubbling up into consciousness.

At such times of change we see, all around us, symbols that reflect our shift in perception and self-understanding. This is synchronicity.

To understand this fully, and to see why it is not always appropriate to follow synchronicity, you can read my book, THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME. This way you can also discover how to read the synchronicities in your life and how to act on them in positive, life-enhancing ways.

Reality may never feel the same again!

______

P.S.

In Jungian terms all synchronicities begin with a dream.

The dream comes first, then the symbol from the dream appears in waking life in ways that seem incredibly meaningful - though, classically, it is hard to understand, consciously, what that meaning is.

This is because the dream is painted by your unconscious mind in advance of your conscious mind 'catching up'. When the insight (unconscious shift) is big, synchronicities follow.

What happens is that your incredibly powerful unconscious mind (far more powerful than your conscious mind) manifests its insight physically into your waking life. (You have changed - the world, as you experience it, changes in accordance.)

It usually takes up to a couple of weeks before your conscious mind understands the symbolic dream manifesting in your waking life as synchronicity.

Being human, as we all are, we often forget the original dream but still experience the synchronicities.

There are many excellent reference sources on Jungian synchronicity.

My approach is largely Jungian, but slightly shifted.

Again, if you are seriously in-depth interested, I suggest you read my book "THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME" to understand where I am coming from.

Quite simply, synchronicity is a waking dream and interpreting it as such is immensely enriching.

Jane Teresa Anderson