AUSTIN DEFINITIONS OF DREAMING
By
Robert Moss
On
a recent visit to Austin, Texas, I gave a talk at a wonderful independent bookstore called
Book People. I decided to ask whether anyone in the audience would care to define the word
“dream”. I thought this would be a good jumping-off point for a wide-ranging
discussion of the whole spectrum of dream experience – sleeping, waking, drifting in
the twilight zone or hyper-aware – and of the way different cultures define dreaming.
I
learned that evening that Austin is home to a very lively community of active dreamers and
questing spirits. The first four people in the audience who volunteered to define the word
“dream” took us right to the heart and the depth of the dream adventure.
These
are the four definitions offered by the dreamers at Book People:
- A dream is a beginning.
- A dream is an adventure.
- A dream is a message from
spirit.
- A dream is a mission.
All
these definitions are on the mark, and fly us blissfully free from the dull,
uncomprehending attitude that dreams are things that happen in our sleep and may or may
not have meaning. Let’s explore each statement quickly.
A dream is a beginning. Yes! It is the
shared understanding of creators and explorers of the deeper reality, across time and
cultures, that the events and patterns of our waking lives are initiated in a subtler
reality that I am content to call dreaming. It is entirely possible that “nothing
happens before it is dreamed” and that by learning to go consciously into the
dreamspace, we can be present at the creation of the events that will manifest in our
physical lives.
A dream is an adventure. Dreaming, we can
fly to other lands and other worlds, shapeshift and share learning, romance and healing
with other dreamers and beings who are at home in other dimensions. As we learn to recall
and work with more of our dreams, we may discover that we are leading continuous lives in
other realities, have counterparts in other times – and join them in conscious
exploration.
A dream is a message from spirit. Dreaming,
we have access to the God/Goddess we can talk to. Our authentic spiritual allies and
teachers come looking for us in dreams, and will put on the masks that will help us to
perceive them and receive their messages. Our ancestors and departed loved ones frequently
visit us in dreams, and receive us into their realms.
A dream is a mission. Ah, yes. Dreaming,
we get in touch with soul, remember our soul’s purpose and our sacred contracts.
Dreams require action. Dreams call us to
transform our lives, to give and receive healing, and to re-enchant our world.
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