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Awake Within A Dream
AWAKE WITHIN A DREAM
~~Is what we think creating our experiences and what we see in the world? What does dreaming have to do with it?
Sleep is to be unconscious, unaware. Awake is to be consciously aware. Coursing through these two states of mind is a common thread referred to as dreaming. There are aspirations we consciously think of (goals, daydreams) and there are dreams that occur while we unconsciously sleep (automatic) sometimes recalled and other times not. No matter what the dream entails, aware or unaware, scientists have proven waves of energy course through our minds known as thought.
All that exists is created by thought. Nothing would have ever been done, invented, purchased or created had no one had the thought to do so. We know that energy is neither created nor destroyed it merely transforms. Since those principles are true, we can conclude that thought is the energy that transforms each of us – for better or worse, determined by what we choose to think. Dreams are an expression of what we think collectively in a creative form – and this is key!
“Man is the master of thought, the molder of character and the maker and shaper of condition, environment and destiny.” ~ James Allen
Infinite choices are presented to us every second of every day. We can even choose to limit our options or make no decision but even THAT is a choice. It’s is unescapable, inevitable and solely up to us. So how do we make sense out of something or change what seems to be so illusively out of our control? Or is it?
Let us explore how dreams and the creativity of thought are connected. What it means to be awake within a dream. Furthermore, how this piece of truth is of the greatest importance in creating positive change.
What are your hopes and “dreams”?
Each of us has them. Certainly someone has asked you that question before. Whether considered large or small, efforts are made thinking and visualizing a dream (pet, house, car, vacation, position, relationship, health, money, etc.)? The options are as infinite as dreams themselves. These dreams can be a catalyst that inspire us towards those goals creating action and outcomes.
Dreaming while sleeping.
Dreaming while asleep has multiple benefits and it is fundamentally necessary. We require sleep to live. While we can survive some sleep deprivation, though the longer we go without sleep the less we can function and it could become life threatening. During sleep, there are several states we go through. Two of which is when the body is both healing physically and mentally. Physically, this is the time our processes slow down and the inner workings of repair go into action. Still taking directive from the brain, the cells take on “third shift” and do the work while we’re off watching the movie. Mentally, there is an exchange of information from the subconscious mind whereby films are developed and visualized. This is not for entertainment purposes only. Rather it’s when our overall state of mind is put into context as the subconscious (recessed thoughts) attempts to communicate with the conscious mind (awareness). This is our report card or self assessment if you will – an opportunity to know what we truly think and feel about all of the things we are distracted from or overwhelmed by during the day because our focus is limited.
If pictures are worth a thousand words. – how much more does a movie say?
Symbolism and pictures are used everywhere, everyday. They are used to form the very words you’re reading, they are used in art, music, advertising, politics, education, religion, ancient texts and even as a form of status. Literally all things represent something and convey emotion.
Logos, such as that used to represent/identify a company, is a word derived from the Greek legō which means to “tell”, “say”, “speak”, “opinion”, “account”, and “to reason”.
Pictures and symbols evoke thought and emotion by association whether we are aware or not. This alleviates the need to convey concepts and meaning with countless words as well as the time required to do so. Dreams, like movies are a series of moving pictures – we are visualizing people, settings, circumstances, environments in action which provokes and conveys exponentially more information than just one symbol or picture.
What do these symbols mean to you?
As with all of our senses, symbols have an associative meaning. How senses are interpreted has more to do with how you feel when you see, hear, smell, taste or touch something. We have all had experiences in life that formed feelings about all things. The same is true for all symbols – your personal experience influences what you associate with that symbol. For instance, seeing a cat can be a terrifying notion to a person attacked by one but to another it represents comfort and calmness. While a symbol of cat in general has it’s own characteristics (instinctive, aloof, detached, sexy, independent, sneaky, proud, curious, warm, fuzzy and playful) the specific interpretation of characteristics varies by individual. What do YOU think of a cat and how does that make YOU feel? In what scenario did you observe the cat? (In an alley, house, propped on a pillow, inside or outside?) What kind of cat was it and what were it’s characteristics? (Was it a kitten, large, lion, grooming, attacking?) Was it a positive experience or negative? When identifying such detail it lends to discovery of more specific information in the messages trying to be conveyed.
There have been extensive studies of symbols throughout the ages and there is a vast number of resources that can help you identify the general characteristics that ALL things represent. One resource that I highly recommended is a book by Wilda B. Tanner, Mystical, Magical, Marvelous World of Dreams. This book is exceptional. It is quite thorough and explains in simplistic terms how to interpret symbolism while including an extensive dictionary of symbols.
A brief overview of symbols. Remember symbols represent meaning to YOU – by what you think and feel!
Animals – Represent your qualities, traits and tendencies.
Backgrounds – Similar to a backdrop in a play, sets the tone, time and conditions which actors play their role.
Battles/Conflicts/Fights – Represents a conflict between the conscious mind and subconscious mind (subconscious always wins!)
Birds – Symbolize the state of the soul or spiritual side
Body & Parts – Represents definite symbolic meaning associated with the body or part.
Bugs – Represent small annoyances, irritations and frustrations. Distractions.
Buildings & Parts of buildings – Represent varied states of awareness and general belief systems.
I’m busy, why should I bother?
There’s no obligation! That is why there are times we recall dreams and times we do not. However, if we are interested in knowing ourselves fully and in greater truth, we should be willing to consider using this tool to aid in our awareness. We can leave a dream in our subconscious or we can take a look at it and bring it to our state of awareness. This is an open door of opportunity – a self assessment that can encourage us by confirmation that we are on course or likewise, offer an opportunity to see that we are off course.
When you are able to identify what is being communicated symbolically, you become aware of what your subconscious is trying to communicate to you about yourself. At which point, you are better able to make choices that will lead to desired outcomes in life.
Lucid dreaming. Taking it a step further.
Dreams are typically automatic and you’re unaware that the experience is just a dream until you wake up. Lucid dreaming, however, is where you are dreaming and you are aware that you’re dreaming! You as the dreamer, have the ability to control the experience and influence the outcome. What you think and choose within the context of the dream will determine how the dream plays out – you are consciously aware and in control.
Lucid dreams are very realistic and vivid – as if it were real life. So much so, that when you wake up, you’re not sure that what you experienced was a dream versus your awake life.
Subconscious is a collective of what?
Our subconscious mind is that part of what we think and feel but are unaware of. This information in gathered every second, at all times from the moment of birth. All the information gathered from our five senses is stored here along with the emotion associated with that information. It manifests itself in our lives, physically and circumstantially because thought is energy! (I’ll touch on that below.)
According to neuroscientist, Dr. Joe Dispenza, we spend the first 30-45 years of our life being hardwired subconsciously. He explains how the subconscious mind is the primary influence of the decisions we make.
The good news is, we are able to look at what has been going on automatically behind the scenes by honestly examining what we feel, think and why. This shifts the paradigm and brings them to the forefront. This is where we can iron things out and choose a new way of looking at them. This creates the rewire. (See: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself – Lose Your Mind Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza) From there, we are able to make deliberate decisions to advance in favor of our goals.
Building on that , let’s discuss our subconscious and symbolism in our day to day life.
Symbolism as we discussed earlier is used in our day to day life for art, status, advertising, the film industry, etc. And the principles of all things being representative of something within ourselves still applies – even while we are awake! We can conclude that recognizing the symbolism in our day to day life is precisely what programs our subconscious mind! This is why interpretation of symbolism is so important. What we are inwardly unaware of has been in control. Decisions are being made based on reaction to things we didn’t even realize we thought.
“As you think, so shall you become” ~ Bruce Lee
Asleep or awake? – A choice.
This is a tough proposition because it requires you to be infallibly truthful with yourself at all costs. Will you continue to maintain the illusion, proceeding through life asleep? Oblivious to what is really going on within your own mind? Ignoring the subconscious(unrecognized hardwired reactions) like the dreams we pay no attention to? Consequently, dealing with whatever outcomes “happen to us” because we chose to let the messages go without thought or concern?
Or, do you want to “BE the change you wish to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Do you desire to know thyself? Who you REALLY are? If so, then again, it is mandatory you are willing to be infallibly truthful with YOURSELF! Only then can one truly be considered awake! Once you are awakened, you will know what it means to be loved, fulfilled, empowered, confident, healthy, wealthy and wise. You will cause the very change you wish to see in your life and in the world – yes, the whole world!
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” ~ Wayne Dyer
AN AMAZING DISCOVERY
The most amazing discovery about this life is there is a KEY! A key that deciphers and unlocks the door to the unknown. A way to explain what is illusive and not yet understood about ourselves and the world we’re living in. There is a natural order to all things, truths that apply that are irrefutable and we need the key to understand the language.
“If the dream is a translation of waking life, waking life is also a translation of the dream.” ~ Rene Magritte
Just as lucid dreaming is an opportunity while we sleep to not only be aware but consciously decide how we want our outcomes to be, we MUST choose to be lucid (aware) while awake.
“they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ ~ Mark 4:12
WHAT IS THE KEY? How is it applied? By paying deliberate attention to the symbolism in our day to day lives, this gives us the ability to see (perceive) the messages what we need in order to make change within ourselves. Recognize who and what we are – then will we know our purpose! When we know our purpose we realize we are everything imaginable.
Practice a new understanding.
As in the dream state, ALL symbols (people, places, things and circumstances) in daily life have to do with communicating a message. Bringing to our awareness what we need to recognize about ourselves deep within our own subconscious. What we see, experience and feel emotionally is about us specifically whether asleep or awake.
“Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it.” ~ Earnest Holmes
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THE GREATEST QUESTION OF ALL
IS LIFE ITSELF A DREAM?
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How often have you heard great philosophers say that life IS a dream? How often have you heard reference made that all the worlds’ a stage and we are merely actors? How often have you heard this world referred to life as an illusion? Moreover, how often have you heard it said that you can BE whatever you dream of? There are countless references throughout the ages that indicate that our waking life in and of itself is a dream.
“What is life? A madness. What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story.
And the greatest good is little enough; for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams.”
~Pedro Calderon de la Barca
There are times when we dream within dreams while sleeping. We don’t realize we awoke from the first dream until we wake from the other. We have no concept of time until we awaken. Isn’t it possible we could be living a dream within a dream right now and we just didn’t realize it because we’re in the midst of it? Couldn’t our living experience be a longer dream? One that lasts for years versus hours? There is a must see video called Kenshō by Aaron Paradox and Narrated by Alan Watts that puts this into perspective beautifully.
If you only consider the possibility of this for a moment and it’s implications – it is a game changer! You will come to the quick realization that you are not only an individual who dreams while sleeping and daydreams while awake but YOU ARE the dreamer of LIFE itself! Just perhaps, you and I individually, living and breathing are only one aspect of our whole self (the Ultimate Dreamer/Creator of all that is!) Collectively, all individuals are different thoughts that YOU the dreamer/creator brought into being. Each with different characteristics representing various attitudes, traits, personalities, talents, shortcomings, fears, and behaviors reflecting back to YOU, the Ultimate Creator/Dreamer – in our sleeping dreams, our day to day life and the dream of life itself.
“Life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves.” ~ Bill Hicks
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
LIFE IS BUT A DREAM.
SWEET DREAMS!
