A few years ago, I had a dream unlike any I’d ever had. I was with a blue being, and it felt like we spent an entire day together. Right as the dream was coming to an end, this being aligned our chakras together, and my entire body began to vibrate. I begged the being not to leave, and then woke up in my bed with vibrations coursing through my body.
I began reading everything I could find about dreams, and from there, I learned how to start a dream practice that took me down so many new paths of self-discovery and non-physical experiences.
I fully believe that dreams are so much more than just the brain releasing steam and processing our daily lives. Dreams give you access to things that are about to occur in your life (pre-cognitive dreams), experiences on the astral plane (out-of-body experiences), and contact with your higher self and spirit guides.
In this article, I’ll explain dreamwork, the benefits of a dream practice, and how to start tonight with one.
What is dreamwork?
“A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read.” – The Talmud
Dreamwork is the practice of intentionally becoming more present and aware of/in your dreams. The purpose behind this practice is varied: personal growth, spiritual development, healing, deeper connection with self/subconscious/higher self/the universe, or simply for the fun and enjoyment of it.
The nature of what dreams even are is hard for anyone to describe. Here are some quotes from philosophers, dream researchers, and psychologists on what they believe dreams to be:
“Dreams are a reservoir of knowledge and experience, yet they are often overlooked as a vehicle for exploring reality.” – Tarthang Tulku, Tibetan Lama and Scholar
“Dreaming is a kind of mental metamorphosis that takes place at night, as the dreamer creates a new narrative that can bring new insights and understanding.” – Rosalind Cartwright, Psychologist and Dream Researcher
“Dreams are a place where the conscious and unconscious mind meet, providing a way to process complex emotions and experiences.” – G. William Domhoff, Dream Researcher and Psychologist
“Dreams are a form of thinking, occurring under conditions of the brain and body that are different from those of waking life.” – J. Allan Hobson, Psychiatrist and Dream Researcher
“Dreams are windows into the mind’s most secret, and often most important, concerns.” – Ernest Hartmann, Psychiatrist and Dream Researcher
“Dreams provide a means by which the mind can explore ideas and emotions that are not readily accessible during waking hours.” – Deirdre Barrett, Psychologist and Dream Researcher
After the experiences I have had over the last few years of recording my dreams daily, I really believe that dreams are so much more than just the mind and soul working out problems. Dreams are a gateway to our higher selves, where we have access to loved ones in non-physical, experiences in other realities, and information about experiences we are about to have in this reality before they happen.
Benefits of a dream practice
There are so many benefits to having a dream practice. Here are just a few:
- increased awareness of self
- solutions to daily issues
- insights into your repressed fears/concerns
- connection to loved ones here and on the other side
- connection to guides, higher self, and loved ones from other realities
- precognitive awareness of upcoming experiences
- psychic development
- out-of-body experiences
- lucid dreaming
- emotional and physical healing
- creative ideas/inspiration
- more presence
- improved memory
- enhanced intuition
A regular dreaming practice can lead to any of the above. The more you become aware of your dream state, the more you are connected to all parts of yourself.
I have found a dream practice to be one of the most tangible spiritual practices I’ve experienced. Meditation for expanded consciousness is a very close second, but my dreams have shown me so much and have opened me in ways I never expected.
Personal development through dreams
Personal development is almost a guaranteed side effect of having a dream practice. I say almost because I have seen other dreamers who tend to see their dreams as a fun virtual reality without much meaning. However, if you have a practice for long enough, even those who see dreams like this eventually realize they are much more than a fun escape, especially when facing a life challenge.
A dream practice naturally causes you to become more present and aware in your waking hours. This alone helps with personal development because most people are going around asleep while awake, going through the motions and lost in their thoughts/mind.
Being present detaches you from the incessant noise and stories the mind creates on a daily basis. Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now is all about being present and the inner peace that comes from it.
When you record your dreams daily, your connection with yourself begins to grow and deepen. Your dreams allow you to explore your subconscious, as well as even give you messages about people and events in your life.
Precognitive dreams are some of the most interesting dreams I’ve had in my dream practice, and they can be common and frequent. I would see people in my dreams before meeting them, or I would see a major event happen–like my 85-year-old grandmother falling down the stairs days before it happened. My dad was going to be doing yard work, and I saw him come across a large snake in a dream. I told him about it, and he actually did almost step on a copperhead a few days later while doing the yard work.
I have improved relationships with loved ones here who haven’t passed but with whom it’s too difficult to converse. In my dreams, they have shown me their love, and I have witnessed my own love for them as if I were a bystander.
The most interesting, beautiful, and healing things can happen in our dreams. I believe they happen every time we go to sleep, but without a dream practice, we aren’t aware of them.
How to start a dream practice
Starting a dream practice is extremely simple, and “the basics” are always the most powerful ways to engage and recall your dreams. Here is what I recommend.
Start a dream journal
The number one practice all dreamers have is recording their dreams daily in a journal. You can record your dream out loud using a recorder or dream app, but it’s most potent to write the dream out later once when you have time.
Writing your dreams down encourages recall, as well as helps you to really decode and understand a dream. Sometimes, as you write a dream down, you will find more and more dreams popping into your mind.
I use my tablet and a writing app called Notability. I like the way I can search the app for a dream and easily find it, which is why I prefer using this journal app versus an actual pen and journal.
But all you need is a journal—it doesn’t really matter if it’s a physical or digital one. Get a journal and start writing down your dreams every time you wake up.
Dream recall methods
There are a few tried and true ways to remember your dreams.
- Tell yourself every time before falling asleep, “I now remember all dreams and experiences.” Say it a few times, and that’s it. This is a very powerful, simple tip I learned from another dreamer who has amazing dream recall.
- When you wake up, don’t move right away. Try to stay still and keep your eyes closed. Start replaying your dreams in your head as you lie there. Then, proceed to write your dreams down in your dream journal.
- Practice being present during the day. The more present and aware you are in your waking life, the more present and aware you’ll be in your dream state as well.
How to interpret dreams
I’ve learned that decoding dreams is extremely subjective, so always go with your intuitive feelings about your dreams versus using a dream dictionary or other general interpretations.
That being said, we do, as a collective, have universal symbols that we’ve assigned certain meanings to. I highly recommend the book “The Secret Language of Signs” by Denise Linn. This book is not a dream dictionary but one of the most accurate books I’ve come across to use for decoding your dreams.
I also encourage you to consider whether a dream could be more than a dream. What I mean by this is that a dream you had could actually have been an out-of-body experience remembered as a dream or an experience you had in another reality.
Not all dreams are experiences that only you have in your private subconscious mind; they can actually be experiences you have in other areas of your consciousness. This is extra evident when you share a dream experience with another person.
Mindfulness and dreamwork
As I’ve mentioned a few times already, becoming more present and mindful during the day will naturally cause you to become that way in your dream state.
I recommend reading Eckhart Tolle’s book because it will teach you how to be present. Another tool that dreamers use is asking themselves throughout the day, “Am I dreaming?” and then actually attempting to decipher whether they’re in a dream or not.
The benefit of doing this is that you will become mindful and present throughout the day. You will also find yourself wondering if you’re dreaming while dreaming, which will allow you to become lucid in your dream.
Development of psychic abilities
Once you begin your dream practice, you might find at some point that your psychic abilities are opening or expanding. This is because, in your dreams, you use your psychic abilities versus your physical ones.
People in your dreams talk to you telepathically, and you intuitively know things without being told. As you become more fluid in your dream state, this translates over into your waking state. Your intuition is enhanced, and a whole host of psychic experiences can occur.
This is all completely normal and part of the personal and spiritual growth that comes from having an active dream practice.
Out-of-body experiences & lucid dreaming
Just like psychic abilities being enhanced by a dream practice, you will likely also begin having lucid dreams and/or possibly out-of-body experiences as well. These are so AWESOME!
Lucid dreams are when you become aware that you’re dreaming within the dream, and you can then control what you do in the dream.
An out-of-body experience is when you realize your consciousness is outside of your physical body. That’s the easiest way to describe it because, really, you could say that an out-of-body experience is going inwards into other dimensions of your consciousness. But it FEELS like you are outside of your body.
You will intuitively know the difference between the two. Out-of-body experiences are very often remembered as dreams, which is why, as you go deeper into your practice, you will begin to notice different types of dreams and which ones were “more than dreams.”
My favorite book to learn more about expanded consciousness within dreams is this one. I also recommend this one, this one, and this one. I also wrote a blog post here on how to have out-of-body experiences, which is essentially everything I learned from the books I just shared that worked for me.
Conclusion
To summarize, starting a dream practice is one sure way to expand, grow, and have some of the coolest experiences that will blow your mind. It can be hard to write down your dreams when you first wake up, but it is always worth it. You will discover so much about yourself, mainly that you are truly a multidimensional being!
EXPLORE FURTHER
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this article and found something to take away with you.
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With love,
Jessica
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Jessica
Love this encouragement to recall dreams! You are noticing some powerful things. I think you will find a very interesting expansion on types of dreams in ‘The Woman’s Book of Dreams -dreaming as a spiritual practice’ & ‘dreams are letters from The Soul’ by Connie Kaplan. If you have dated your dreams you can learn about your lunar cycles (unique to you) that will help you to recognize under what lunar conditions you tend to have prophetic or psychological dreaming. It can really help to know your lunar patterns.
Jessica Dimas
Oh my gosh, thank you, Jessica! I bought that book immediately after reading your comment. I had never thought to check my cycle with my dream patterns 😮😍. I can't wait to devour this book!
Anonymous
I’m excited for you I think you will love it. I have taken Connie’s dreaming classes and been part of her ongoing dream circle since 2017. If you have questions (not that I’m an expert) reach out. There was a dream I had in 2020 where I woke up and thought -‘based on these teachings the moon is aspecting Pluto’ I checked the Lunar calendar sure enough it was! It completely blew my mind that my dreams picked up on such specific cosmic information.
Jessica Dimas
I just want to let you know that I've been devouring this book. It's blowing my mind, and I don't encounter books that do that very often. Thank you again for the recommendation!
Toya
So I've been dream Journaling since I was 15 I'm 40 now. Astro projection has been a fascination for life for me. I also talk to ppl i know, the dead, or dying in my dreams names, date, times. How can stop feeling deep seeded sadness?
Jessica Dimas
Wow, Toya, it's impressive that you've been dream journaling for that long. I would first try tweaking your perception of reality to stop the deep-rooted sadness. I listen to a lot of Abraham-Hicks on YouTube, and one thing they teach is that anytime we feel negative emotions like this, it's because we're looking at something in a way that doesn't align with what our higher self knows to be true. So maybe you're viewing things in a way that your higher self knows to not be true, and therefore, you feel the corresponding "separation." What thoughts are you thinking, or what beliefs do you have, that create this feeling of deep-seeded sadness?