I’ve been curious about dreaming since I was a little kid. Where do they come from? What do they mean? Why was I in control in some and just watching in others? Why were some realistic and others complete fantasy? These questions are still a mystery to me, but I have discovered that meditation helps me remember my dreams. When my meditations are volatile from a mind full of agitation, my dreams are more volatile and full of agitation. When my meditations are peaceful I usually sleep like a baby.
One trend that I’ve observed over the last few years is that nightmares are becoming less severe. At one of my early courses I had nightmares that would throw me off for the entire morning. My mind would be rolling every angle of the dream. It seemed so real that I couldn’t let it go. As I’ve practiced returning to the present over and over again through meditation, I’ve naturally learned to wake up and observe my breath. I realized that my dream was out of my control, but no matter how scary it was, it was not the reality of my current moment. I breath, meditate for an hour, and I’m excited to seize the day. Over time, these nightmares have become less and less severe. Now they max out at simply confusing.
I’m not a dream doctor, but I’ve definitely observed meditation pull stuff up from my subconscious, project them into my dreams, and eventually release them from my body. The more I’m able to maintain my equanimity, the faster these things pass away. It has taken me some time to trust this process, but watching it repeat itself again and again is helping my confidence grow. Time to meditate.
