Dreams As Part Of A Spiritual Awakening

 As a Dream Analyst who has interpreted thousands of dreams, it becomes increasingly evident that our dreams are created from a spiritual/transcendent source. In Jungian Dream Interpretation, we call that spiritual source the Self. For those of you who are familiar with the Hindu teachings on Kundalini, the Self has commonalities with the understanding of the Atman.

The goal or telos of Dream Psychology is to allow over the course of our lives for the ego (the conscious aspect of ourselves) to move ever closer to the deeper centre of our minds/psyches – the Self. We call this process "individuation”. Working and coming to understand our dreams greatly helps bridge the gap between ego and Self. Bridging this gap allows for the possibility of an authentic spiritual awakening.

What Is A Spiritual Awakening?

In an ever more chaotic and distracting world, many of us try to make sense of our lives by exclusively looking outwards – thereby neglecting the inner world, the inner journey. By beginning to focus more on the inner world, we allow for the possibility of connecting more deeply with our transcendent, spiritual Self. Creating a daily habit/ritual of meditation and also working with our dreams which arise from the Self, are two very effective practices to help move us towards a spiritual awakening.

Achieving a deeper connection to Self allows for:

· A deeper experience of life

· A deeper connection to the world/cosmos

· A raising/evolution of our own consciousness

· A healing of the fragmentation within us which then allows for a more unified mind/psyche/soul

The Vital Role Of Dreams In Spiritual Awakening

Every night on average we experience between three to five dreams, even if we have no memory of them. It is quite common for people who are are entering into a stage of conscious expansion or spiritual awakening to enter into an Intensive Dreaming Stage where they begin to dream more frequently and often experience more Vivid Dreams. In the modern western world, we have come to devalue dreams and most people pay little or no attention to them. It is interesting to discover that most ancient cultures & religions, including early Christianity took dreams seriously and within these cultures and religions, there were people charged with the responsibility of interpreting dreams for their community. 

Dreams are created when we surrender to sleep each night. It is then that the ego or waking part of our mind switches off and the subliminal-ego wakes and rather than look outward for learning and experience, the subliminal-ego looks inward for learning and experience from our dreams. But what is the purpose of these highly personalised stories? The Transcendent Self, the centre of our mind/psyche, produces dreams as a natural process which describes what is going on in our inner world according to who we are as unique human beings and what we are experiencing in the outer world. If we commit to the work of understanding dream symbolism which is its own unique language, and we work with our dreams regularly as a form of spiritual practice, we can achieve a greater understanding and connection with the Self. From that connection, a greater sense of who we are and our purpose for being here can be achieved. The union of ego and Self creates more harmony within us, and this in turn can lead to an authentic spiritual awakening.

Kundalini Awakening

The Eastern tradition of kundalini and kundalini awakening has captivated many in the Western World seeking a path on conscious waking or evolution. In broad terms, a kundalini awakening describes activating the dormant primal life force that resides at the base of the spine where the root chakra is located.

If this kundalini energy is awakened either by an intentional practice or unexpectedly, the kundalini begins rising up over time from the base or root chakra, through the chakras/spinal column and with the goal of eventually rising and activating the crown chakra.

A kundalini awakening has much in common with what can be called the western esoteric tradition of spiritual awakening. I will be writing a blog on these commonalities in the near future. Carl Jung, the founder of Jungian Psychology discovered immense value in the wisdom of kundalini, so much so that he wrote a book titled The Psychology Of Kundalini Yoga. At the core of the principle of kundalini energy is the metaphor of a coiled snake or serpent at rest within the root chakra, the base of the spine. In a striking connection to kundalini awakening, in Jungian Dream Interpretation we place great importance when snakes appear in our dreams. When snakes in dreams occur, it is then very likely that the dreamer is going through or will soon go through a very significant stage in their life. As a dream interpreter, snakes in dreams are one of the most important dream symbols we encounter.

Dreamwork As Spiritual Practice

Working with our dreams as a form of spiritual practice has a long tradition spanning over many cultures and religions. But the spiritual practice of working with our dreams has largely disappeared from the modern world. In part this is because of we have moved to a more materialistic view of life and also because modern psychology which does not acknowledge the existence of a deeper, Transcendent Self, dismisses the value of dreams as a gateway towards spiritual awakening and conscious evolution.

Jungian Psychology acknowledges the existence of a deeper Self and places great importance in dreams. That is why Jungian Dream Interpretation is the foundation of my work as a dream analyst and interpreter. Dream meanings are often challenging to discover, but whenever we are able to reveal a dream’s true meaning, we close the gap between ego-consciousness and the transcendent-consciousness of the Self, the source of our dreams. In a very real way, dreams are a direct communication with our spiritual Self. This is why I strongly recommend working with your dreams regularly as part of your spiritual practice.

So what does dreamwork look like as a spiritual practice? Like most spiritual practices, there is much to learn and I gradually explain this with the people I work with over multiple sessions. But here I will explain a great place to start with dreamwork and as simple as this practice is, it will very likely have an immediate and noticeable effect on your relationship with the Self and your future dreams.

The First Step To Working With Your Dreams As Part Of Your Spiritual Practice

• I recommend recording all dreams on a digital recording device, most mobile phones usually have a good voice memo application for recording. If you wish to write your dreams in a journal as well, that will be beneficial.
• Record your dreams with as much detail as possible and label your dreams with words/tags that include all the important symbols that appeared in your dream.
• Each day or whenever you have time, while doing some gentle yoga, stretching or just sitting still in a quiet environment, listen to your most recent dreams (with a blue tooth speaker if possible), once within 24 hours of the dream experience and again within the next two or three days. Do your best to focus on your voice and note the narratives and symbols that appear in your dreams.

What Dream Symbols And Themes To Look For In A Spiritual Awakening

A spiritual awakening or self-realisation is an inner experience, an opportunity for ego consciousness to expand and evolve, to Self realise. The opportunity for a spiritual awakening is only made possible through the Transcendent Self and it is the Transcendent Self that creates our dreams. With this understanding in Jungian Psychology, the Self will release certain dream symbols over the course of an awakening/conscious expansion. We call dreams containing these symbols spiritual awakening dreams / kundalini awakening dreams. As part of Jungian Dream Analysis, we map dream symbols, paying attention to when they appear in the various stages of life.

Below is a list of dreams symbols that are often experienced early into a new stage of psychological/spiritual awakening and development. It is not an exhaustive list because every human being is unique, but it is common for people to experience one or more of these symbols when the possibility of a spiritual awakening or an expansion of consciousness is initiated by the Self. You may be surprised at some of the dream symbols and themes below. Some of these symbols have thousands of years of history in human culture. Others are more modern symbols that have started appearing in people’s dream around the world. Dream symbols in a very real way are not bound to time, so we regularly see awakening dream symbols both in more traditional and modern form.

Snake Symbolism

A snake biting you.

A snake wrapping itself around you.

A single white snake.

Many snakes within an area.

Jesus Christ/Angel Symbolism

Witnessing Jesus Christ

Being Visited By An Angel

Fish Symbolism

Witnessing two fish swimming together.

Being swallowed or approached by a large fish.

Catching a particularly small or large fish.

Dolphin And Whale Symbolism

Witnessing a dolphin or whale in the ocean.

Pregnancy/Giving Birth Symbolism

Either you or someone else giving birth.

Either you or someone else is pregnant.

Child Symbolism

An unknown child begins appearing in your dreams.

Alien And UFO Symbolism

Threat of alien/higher civilisation invasion.

Encounter/Meeting with an alien/higher civilisation.

Encounter/Witnessing a UFO.

Flood Symbolism

Witnessing a vast flood.

Water flooding into a house or room.

Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic And Simulation Symbolism

Witnessing apocalyptic events or living in a post-apocalyptic world.

Sensing in the dream that you are living in a simulation.

Maze Symbolism

Being within a maze-like structure.

Searching and/or arriving at the centre of a maze.

Do You Have Any Questions Regarding Your Dreams And Spiritual Awakening?

If you have any questions regarding your own dreams and spiritual awakening, please feel free to ask them via my Contact Page. Alternatively, I also offer a free, no obligation 30-40 minute Zoom session where we can briefly discuss your dream experiences and you can ask any questions that you may have as to how I work with dreams and spiritual awakenings. If you would like to organise this introductory session, please let me know via my Contact Page.