Periodically clients tell me about their dreams. They may be scary, funny, or just bizarre, but one thing they usually have in common is that they are striking and impactful to the one who is dreaming.
When you are struck by the nature of a dream’s content and/ or the emotional charge it leaves behind, it make sense to try and seek some understanding of what’s going on.
While there is not a set in stone translation of dream images and meanings, often the emotional content of the dream will tell you more than the images themselves. You could probably guess that if you are running away from something in your dream, that is a good indication you are trying to escape a perceived threat in your waking life.
While the monster under the bed or the space alien may be a gross exaggeration of what is really going on, dream images and symbology may put into perspective just how frightened and bothered part of you may feel by something that has happened or something feared yet to come.
If you have had a recent experience that was upsetting or shocking in some way, it also makes sense that your unconscious will try to process it during sleep in an attempt to reduce the emotional charge and overall stress on the system.
If you are repeatedly waking up with a sense of dread, losing hours of sleep, or having re-occurring nightmares or images, most likely you are suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress, which may be from a recent experience but can occur many years after a traumatic event or abuse has passed.
On the up side you can also feel inspired or motivated by your dreams. Beautiful images or creative ideas can be generated when you are able to give your mind space to settle and expand. This is also a reason why meditation can be so powerful in bringing clarity or insight to a problem or creative venture. If you go to sleep with this intention, you might want to have a piece of paper and pen ready by your bedside to record inspiration!
In sum, dreams can be powerful symbols to point us towards seeing more clearly what we are holding inside. If you feel struck by the content of what you’ve seen or felt during your dreamtime, or have an ongoing dream that you can’t make sense of, bringing it to therapy can be a helpful way to gain insight, clarity, and support.
Just like memories, dreams do not have to be realistic nor accurate portrayals of truth in order to be important or to be able to process effectively with EMDR trauma therapy. If you feel a strong emotional response, that is an indication some part of you needs attention and care.
Want to find out more? Contact me for a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation about EMDR dream processing and dreamwork art therapy.
