Intentional Dreaming & Your Higher Self

“Every morning dedicate a few moments to breathe in who you truly are.” – Roxana Jones

I dreamt once that I was flying through outer space.

Not like Superman flies, though.

It was less deliberate than that.

Do you know how in the hot summer air, you can blow on dandelions that have gone to seed?

I used to do that as a kid.

I’d make a wish as the tiny seeds disconnected from the stem, and I’d watch them float upward into the warm air. The white canopy of fluff acting like a tiny umbrella.

They would float higher and higher and swirl all around, completely at the mercy of its new surroundings. Going happily wherever the wind chose to take it.

That’s the kind of flying that I dreamt of.

Perhaps floating would be more accurate.

In my dream, I too, happily went wherever I drifted.

Through galaxies and nebulas.

Past stars and planets.

The next thing I knew, I was standing in a white room talking with another person.

Although, we were both just little orbs of white light.

This other worldly being told me that if I wanted to start a new habit, that thing should be the first thing that I do each morning.

A simple yet pertinent piece of advice.

Then, as dreams do, the scenery changed again and I was back to flying through space.

When I awoke, I was able to not only remember the dream, but to use its message as guidance within my waking life.

It was then, that I realized that dreams can be an avenue to help us follow our path of truth.

While our physical bodies are at rest, there is a part of us that is still quite active.

This part is working away at processing everything that our senses picked up that day.

Every image that we saw, every scent that we smelled, every sound that we heard, both conscious and subconscious.

It all has to be sifted through, filed away or discarded.

This function of dreamtime is fairly well known.

But there’s another, lesser known side of dreamtime too.

Our spirit uses this physically dormant period to explore. To test out new directions and scenarios for our life’s path.

That may sound a little weird, but it’s likely that you have even remembered living a moment in waking life that you lived out in dreamtime, first.

Ever had déjà vu?

It’s defined as the feeling of having already experienced the present situation.

It’s a common theory that this phenomenon occurs when we live out a moment in time that we have previously dreamt in dreamtime.

If a part of our subconscious is continually working on testing out new directions, which will ultimately lead us toward our greatest good, then why not tap into that vein of consciousness and use it to fast track our growth?

We can do that through intentional dreaming.

Intentional dreaming occurs when you bring your conscious and subconscious minds together.

When this happens a beautiful stream of awareness blossoms that can be used to guide you throughout your life.

Whenever I feel stuck in a problem, I use this process to help steer me toward the direction that I need, so that I can find the solution that will keep me moving on my path of truth.

Here’s how you can begin to dream intentionally:

• Identify Where You Need Guidance: Do you have a question or a problem that you need insight on? Maybe you feel as if you’re at a crossroads and you need to know which direction to take. Write your question down on a piece of paper before bed. Be mindful of the wording, make sure that you phrase your question in a clear and precise format. Place this piece of paper on your nightstand or even under your pillow while you sleep.

• Set an Intention for Recall: It’s pretty common to not remember dreams in their entirety. Some people think that they don’t dream at all, because they never recall their dreams. But, just because you can’t remember them, doesn’t mean that they aren’t occurring. Humans can have up to 4-5 dreams per night during a normal, healthy sleep cycle. As you are lying in bed before you drift off to sleep, think of your question. Say to yourself aloud or in your mind, that you will remember your dreams upon waking. Specifically, you will remember the answer or guidance to your question.

• Keep Still Upon Waking: This is one of the most important steps in intentional dreaming. When we wake up in the morning, our minds shift from a subconscious back to a conscious state. This means that our minds start cranking away, even before we open our eyes. Instead of allowing yourself to start thinking about your long to-do list for the day, take a few moments to be still. As soon as you are aware of being awake, at any conscious level, keep still. Do not move your body. Think about what you were just dreaming. Maybe you only remember one portion. Concentrate on that. Often times pieces of dreams will come back to your awareness once you start focusing on them. But, if not, that’s ok too. Dream recall can take practice.

• Keep a Dream Journal: Once you have your dream firmly secured in your mind, your very first action should be to write it down. Keep a dream journal and pen right next to your bed. You can go into as much detail as you like. Some days I write in length about a dream I experienced and some days I simply write a few words that I know will jog my memory. Do this as well, if you wake up in the middle of the night, so that you remember the dream when morning comes. If you don’t remember any dreams, write that down too. Over time, you will start to remember and it will be good to be in the habit of writing in your journal first thing each morning.

• Deciphering Metaphor: Our subconscious mind doesn’t always follow the same logic as our conscious mind does, and often times our dreams are full of metaphor and symbolism. When you set your intention for recall, say to yourself that your answer will come to you in a form that you will recognize and understand. Some people dream in heavy metaphor and others dream more literally. If you are someone who dreams in symbolism, take note of the major focus of the dream. What are the main elements at play? You may even want to look up online what those major elements mean in dream interpretation. For example, water often represents inner emotion, mirrors often represent a reflection of truth. Animals that appear in dreams often have specific meanings as well.

• Don’t Get Discouraged: Your higher self recognizes the timing of when receiving the answer to your question will be the most beneficial. So, your answer may come to you the first night you try intentional dreaming, or it may come several days or weeks later. Be patient and allow your subconscious to deliver the message at the appropriate time.

When you practice inner connection in this way, you are tapping directly into your higher self.

You’ll notice that not only are you receiving the answers to your hearts questions, but you’re opening a new level of awareness that transfers out of dreamtime and into your normal waking life as well.

You will start to feel more in line with your truth, and that will ultimately enable you to start living it more fully each and every day.