Jon,

Are you asking me since I was the one talking about the "look at hands" thing?

Just curious,

Venus

Jon

It may be worth thinking about the 'non-useful behaviours' as useful behaviours that have a positive intention but they come with some negative or non-useful side effects.

Dealing with a problem behaviour can sometimes be quite easy as you pick through the layers of motives behind the reasons for acting in the non-useful way. More often than not you will be left with a managable problem which when delt with will cancel the uge to act in the non-useful way.

Thanks

Matt

I suggest you look st the wonderful book Human Givens: An approach to emotional health and clear thinking.

They have a strong theory that answers many questions about dreaming, more specifically the evolutionary purposes of dreaming. They demonstrate that dreams are our brains way of dealing with things that we have been ruminating on but have not acted upon that day.

In other words when we think about something, feel something and act upon it that is a nice completed loop. When we think, feel and do not act our brain has to essentially repeat the rpocess and uses the metaphoric imagery of dreaming to do so. Think of this as the brain/mind resetting itself or recuperating in the same way the body does in deep sleep.

If you are having a recurring dream, the chances are you are having a recurring rumination. Change your thinking style and you find that very night you spend less time caught up in this REM loop.

Anthony Jacquin
- Anthony Jacquin - A True Talent In The World Of Hypnosis And Personal Development.

venus_brown wrote:

Jon,

Are you asking me since I was the one talking about the "look at hands" thing?

Just curious,

Venus

Sorry Venus, lot on my mind today....

best regards,
Jon

Jon,

I'm sorry you're having to think about so much today. I'm kind of feeling buried under the wait of lots to do and not being able to sort it all out myself in an orderly fachion right now.

At any rate, while I haven't had any repeating nightmares or dreams for some time now, since I made that suggestion yesterday about looking at your hands in your dreams (and prompted by your question) I recall that I did, indeed see my hands in my dream last night.

I was looking in a morrer and touching my face. I can't say it was a lucid dream, though, because I wasn't realizing while I was dreaming that I was looking at my hands.

Hope your day getts better,

Venus

Hi Venus,

I wasn't the one with reoccurring nightmares, I just commented on lucid dreaming. I felt different when in a dream which prompted me to wonder if I was dreaming.

Regards,
Jon

Dante,

I wanted to add some things. Dreams only happen for about three or four main reasons IMO/studies. As already pointed out this is definitely something your unconscious is trying to bring to your attention so let's take a different look at deciphering it.

1) First, remember that the mind at its most basic language speaks in images (my opinion). Therefore, it will USE images and almost always EXAGGERATE them to get your attention. Otherwise, it wouldn't get remembered and be washed away with the other dreams.

2) The entity is nothing to worry about in this dream. Running through houses, alleys, stairwells with monsters chasing them is actually pretty common. Strangely enough, people seem to see HUGE spiders or pigs the most in my experience. This is the "problem" itself. Now, because these images are usually unfriendly so we will remember them in your waking life we tend to think there must be something negative about them. As you can see, not necessarily and the metaphor may not be easily relatable to anything in real life due to its exaggeration.

Deciphering the dream:
This is just a guess based on similar dream interpretations but it's worth a shot.

Many rooms often represent options (choices). Trying to make the right decision. Here are a few examples that can trigger this:

exploring new talents/skillsets and those related possibilities
possibility of going back to school
old flame
recurring experiences from your marriage in the past
choices for children
Perhaps you want to do something else with your life?


You mentioned studying hypnosis recently. Are you thinking of dedicating more time to the potential that those particular studies can bring? Will it cause you to readjust your current schedule? gotta figure out huh?

You also said:
"and yet although I can be conscious in my dream, and recognise I've done this dream before, I am unaware of how to change the content."

You may not be able to in this situation but in general, keep trying. It takes a while to get it. Eventually you will be able to take actions in the dream for a short spill just before you wake up. The trick is just getting used to knowing you ARE about to wake up and then trying to "do something". Say words, stop, pull some cheetos out of your pocket to feed the monster, etc.. It's like that first action is ssooo difficult, then next one is a little easier and then each action after that gets easier. My problem is that once I start doing things I get excited and wake myself up. I just don't have the patience to keep practicing.

HTH

Jon wrote:

I went upto my image to ask myself a few questions hoping I could get some answers from my unconcious mind. Unfortunately nothing came. Though I did fly in my dream and that was fun, I was able to realise I was in the dream by thinking should I usually be here?


Regards,
Jon

Hi Jon,

Maybe the flying in your dream was the answer. Flying in dreams are often symbolic of something very positive, especially when you had 'fun'. Depends on whether you flew after you asked the questions or before.

Nina

I flew because I thought to myself "if I were to expand my arms out I would like to fly like superman"... it was deliberate.

This is so not NLP - however I have had great success in stopping recurring dreams (nightmares specifically) through Dream Interpretation (and there is no way to write that phrase without sounding like I'm spouting frou frou hippy crap). Once I was able to work out what I was ACTUALLY concerned about I was able to put changes into effect at that got rid of the dreams.

Oh I just thought of a more NLPy way to put it.

I treat the dream like a Deep/or Shallow Metaphor and get my unconscious mind to co-operate with letting my conscious mind have some behavioural soltions....

Can anyone here hold awareness while going to sleep and stop yourself before you are asleep?

[quote=jacob600;40826]Dante,
As already pointed out this is definitely something your unconscious is trying to bring to your attention so let's take a different look at deciphering it.[quote=jacob600;40826]Dante,

I beg to differ. Why do you think the unconscious is definately trying to bring something to your attention. If it wanted to do that it would do it in a way that you could understand, rather than a dream that is mostly fogotten. Dreaming has a function but it is not metaphorical communication. Believing it is will lead you to waste much time trying to analyze and decipher your dreams. People have been wasting time for thousands of years doing so and got nowhere.

Anthony Jacquin

I've really enjoyed watching this thread evolve in the last couple of days. I think the differences in the prevailing opinions of dreams reflects the ability of dreams to serve different purposes. In my opinion, there is no 'hard and fast' rule for decoding, interpreting or giving importance to dreams.

Someone once told me that it's not so much the content of the dream that's important, but how we feel about the dream on waking. This piece of advice has served me well. If a dream leaves us feeling uneasy, concerned, shaken up etc... it suggests we should either pay attention to the contents of the dream or explore the feelings that we have around it. Some quiet and honest reflection at this time often provides insights.

Just my opinion.

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Yes I totally agree with that. Some dreams I like to gain insights from by working consciously with the feelings around my dreams - particularly the stronger impacting ones that linger long after waking - and using NLP methods to ask what I need to pay attention to - often the insights do show themselves in a flash, where connections are made and it really does make sense to me. This way I have a choice to then work with changes in my responses to old situations.

Nice post thanks
Nina

Hi Anthony,

We just have different beliefs about what dreams do. My experience comes from origially deciphering my own dreams yours ago and then helping others. I used the Cayce readings extensively as my original "study guides" and they were great. After that my intuition became a big helper as well. I can't explain why, it just did. I'm a big fan of Cayce as well as people like Blavatsky, Stiener and the like so you can see where my early influences come from. Now...

you said:
[Why do you think the unconscious is definately trying to bring something [to your attention. If it wanted to do that it would do it in a way that you [could understand, rather than a dream that is mostly fogotten.

For one, isn't the mind/body always working 24/7 to heal and regenerate itself? So, when you're sleeping it wants to keep helping you, hence the recurring dreams. It wants so resolve what ails you.
Second, what better way then exaggerated images since that is the way the mind thinks to remind you and give direction to what ails you. It makes sense to me. Of course, it could just speak to you in plain old english which would be an easier format, as you are suggesting, right?
The only problem, once again, is that you probably wouldn't remember it when you woke up because it would get mixed in with other dreams and that wouldn't do you any good, now would it. Most people don't remember much about their dreams unless they consciously work at it.

[Dreaming has a function but it is not metaphorical communication. [Believing it is will lead you to waste much time trying to analyze and [decipher your dreams. People have been wasting time for thousands of [years doing so and got nowhere.

Analyze the dreams? Isn't that what you're previous posting is doing anyway, just giving answers from a different viewpoint. I'm speaking of the first paragraph. It seems to be that the blatant dream interpretation bothers you the most. It is not unsual to see this attitude when it comes to things like dream interpretation, palm reading, astrology and the like. Just because science has officially put a stamp on it then it can't have value, right?

To be fair, I will read the book you mentioned, since it seems to have a similar theme with what I am saying anyway and the more knowledge the better. In turn, I invite you to write down your dreams upon awaking for 30 days, hell even 14 days, every morning and then tell me if you got any value out of it. I can tell you from experience, that three things will happen.

1) You will remember more of your dreams in detail.
2) Your intution will increase and somewhat psychic style warning signs/predictions will show up in them
3) Outstanding problems will get resolved

Don't forget to tell yourself right before you go to sleep, "I will remember my dreams when I wake up.". Keep a notebook on your nightstand. Are you willing to try this little test before passing judgement? If so, you will see that dreams have multiple functions, all of which are beneficial.

The End.

[QUOTE]

jacob600 wrote:

Hi Anthony,

We just have different beliefs about what dreams do. My experience comes from origially deciphering my own dreams yours ago and then helping others. I used the Cayce readings extensively as my original "study guides" and they were great. After that my intuition became a big helper as well. I can't explain why, it just did. I'm a big fan of Cayce as well as people like Blavatsky, Stiener and the like so you can see where my early influences come from. Now...

It is good to hear you have come to this conclusion through experience rather than just falling for the trap most do that they must be significant.

you said:
[Why do you think the unconscious is definately trying to bring something [to your attention. If it wanted to do that it would do it in a way that you [could understand, rather than a dream that is mostly fogotten.

Second, what better way then exaggerated images since that is the way the mind thinks to remind you and give direction to what ails you. Most people don't remember much about their dreams unless they consciously work at it.

What is that last sentence telling you? It suggest to me that we have evolved to not have a need to remember and analyse our dreams.

Analyze the dreams? Isn't that what you're previous posting is doing anyway, just giving answers from a different viewpoint. I'm speaking of the first paragraph. It seems to be that the blatant dream interpretation bothers you the most. It is not unsual to see this attitude when it comes to things like dream interpretation, palm reading, astrology and the like. Just because science has officially put a stamp on it then it can't have value, right?

I am absolutely not suggesting we analyse our dreams. I do believe it will point to unresolved emotional ruminations of the previous day if you do. Dreaming has a purpose yes. Analysing their content is not required.

To be fair, I will read the book you mentioned, since it seems to have a similar theme with what I am saying anyway and the more knowledge the better. In turn, I invite you to write down your dreams upon awaking for 30 days, hell even 14 days, every morning and then tell me if you got any value out of it. I can tell you from experience, that three things will happen.

I am really glad to hear it as I think anyone with a passing interest in NLP and more specifically hypnosis and certainly in psychotherapy of any kind will benefit. The dreaming stuff is central to the book. It is the clue they followed that has led them to a fresh theory of hypnosis, the purpose of the REM state and the lynchpin that allows depression to cling.

If you just want to read the dream stuff
http://www.humangivens.com/publications/dreaming-reality.html

Don't forget to tell yourself right before you go to sleep, "I will remember my dreams when I wake up.". Keep a notebook on your nightstand. Are you willing to try this little test before passing judgement? If so, you will see that dreams have multiple functions, all of which are beneficial.

I did this years ago and inevitably chased the patterns and symbology toward meaningful interpretation. However I could have done the same thing with any poetic object be it runes, rice grains, or tea leaves.

Anthony

Jon wrote:

Can anyone here hold awareness while going to sleep and stop yourself before you are asleep?

HI Johnno,

The closest I got to that was during my first NLP practitioner, somewhere past the middle of 21 days, I listened to the "Attitude Activator" and I fell asleep to the multiple voices from each headphone and awoke to find my body snoring... as I was semi-awake... that was a very new experience and showed how deeply the body can relax, while the mind can be alert and conscious...