That Same Dream Again?
Recurring dreams are a clue that there is an issue we are currently dealing with in our lives that has been there before and has not yet been resolved. The dreams will either cease to return or noticeably change in nature once the main message of the dream has been received and acted upon.
For example, as a teenager I had a recurring dream in which I was in the ocean, terrified, trying to negotiate my way through some huge waves. Through keeping a dream journal, over time I discovered that the dream generally occurred whenever I was experiencing a lot of turmoil in my family. The waves represented my emotions, powerful and out of control, and the parallel theme was having to decide whether to dive into them or ride them out.
Later in life, after resolving earlier conflicts and learning effective ways to deal with my emotions, I stopped having the dreams. Then one night I had this dream theme again but with a twist. In this dream, I was standing knee-deep in the ocean with my back to the wave. Someone called to me to watch out, but I just smiled at him as a wave gently flowed over me. In this dream was the message that I finally was able to trust my ability to deal with my emotions by letting them “flow over” me without feeling threatened by them.
It was quite gratifying to have been able to map my progress through dream journaling, and the treasure I obtained was a renewed sense of confidence that I was making headway on my path toward inner peace and enlightenment.
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I have long trusted dreams as prophetic visions. I do not mean that they foretell the future, only that they illuminate the present, when my eyes are closed, so that I may see clearly.
– Sheldon Kopp, The Hanged Man