John: I think it’s worth continuing this discussion of why we do dream work to begin with (for part one, see The Work of Dreams).
Dream work is for the person who has the audacity to believe that there is more to life than their present condition, no matter what that situation looks like. It’s for the person who wants to take responsibility for their time on this planet.
Dream work is not for the faint hearted, because it requires vigilance about oneself. A person can quickly understand that there is much more to life than meets the eye, but in a very real sense, one has to give up this visible life in order to gain the whole universe.
It has often been said in Eastern religions that “life is an illusion.” How can that be? It’s our perception of it. We tend to feel we are separate from everything, and when we do, all our relationships, whether with a person, a plant, or an animal are viewed in relation to that idea.
But it’s nearer to the truth to see that we are all part of a larger system, or larger life – however you want to say it. The universe is a single life that we are deeply connected into, and we have a role to play within that. And that life exists in the visible realms and the invisible realms – in the outer physical world, and in the inner energetic, vibrational worlds.
To see the world as only physical is to discount the most important aspect of life. And this truth can come to us through our dreams, because there we can access our connections to the invisible worlds. Life is created through a constant exchange between the unseen and the seen.
Ultimately, through dream work, a person will reach a point where the inner and outer must battle for supremacy, in a way, and to proceed one must recognize that the greater experience, and the greater truth, and the greater aliveness is found in the inner life, not in the outer life.
That’s true because the outer world is a reflection of the inner world, so it is the “life” of the outer world. The outer world only exists because of the inner worlds. When a person does dream work, they come to know, more and more, that there is something deep within the essence of each human that is connected to all that there is in life. That is Creation at play, and the Creative at play.
Many people dismiss this aspect as the unconscious, and look no further. But the true seeker, upon realizing that this higher self is knowable and can be brought into life, seeks to regain this “true self.”
Dream work is particularly interesting now, because Mankind is on the cusp of a new age. This new age is for those who choose to be a part of the whole, who choose to step through the door and rise above their cultural conditioning. It requires being in service to something greater than ourselves.
For those who embark on such a path there are obstacles created by our education, life experience, and cultural training. Very few choose to confront these shackles – these limitations – and choose to do the work to awaken the inner light of their being. It can seem daunting, but becoming part of the wholeness of the universe is the only life worth pursuing, because it’s the life that the human being was designed to live.
Jeane, do you want to add anything about why you do dream work?
Jeane: Yes, because it keeps things alive. It keeps opening up.
I think the dream work is part of interacting with all of life. Just as we watch the external signs – what the animals are doing, what the weather is doing – we need to pay the same attention to the inner signs and signals of what is going on.
Ancient peoples knew and were much more conscious of the importance and subtleties of nature and energies. To them, everything meant something. It’s the same with our inner and outer worlds – they’re all intertwined.
John: So in doing dream work, you feel you’re allowing a deeper reflection? In other words, what happens in our outer life is reflected in our dreams, and what is happening in our inner lives can come through in our dreams. It’s like a meeting place, and a reflection, of both worlds?
Jeane: Absolutely.
