Vivid Dreams

 Many people experience vivid dreams at various times in their life. When searching the internet for what causes vivid dreams, the majority of websites detail all the physical/environmental factors that can cause vivid dreams and completely exclude the possibility that something very important is taking place within the individual - potentially an Awakening Or Expansion Of Consciousness. Many vivid dreams are vivid and emotionally charged so that the dream can be remembered with as much detail as possible. The remembering then allows us to work through the themes and symbols within the dream so that we can understand its meaning and act upon it.

Common Physical/Environmental Factors That Contribute Towards Vivid Dreams

The most common physical/environmental factors that can induce vivid dreams include: 

· Medications

· Stress And Anxiety

· Certain Sleep Disorders

· Alcohol And Drug Use

· Hallucinogens

· Certain Health Conditions

· Pregnancy

· Computer Gaming

If you experience vivid dreams and the above physical/environmental factors apply to your own life, that does not exclude these dreams from having significant importance for you. As a Dream Interpreter, I will be able to look through the themes and symbols in the dream(s) to help establish their meaning and importance to the individual.

Vivid Dreams Contain Important Messages For The Dreamer

Many people who are not affected by the physical/environmental factors listed above, experience vivid dreams at important times in their lives. Vivid dreams, where the dream itself is often extremely real and clear occur because something significant is occurring within the dreamer’s inner world - this is what we call archetypal activation. The importance of the dream for the dreamer is the actual trigger that makes the dream clearer and more intense. Nightmares are a form of vivid dream, but they contain negative narratives; even so, much can be learned from nightmares as to what the dreamer has either experienced negatively in the past or what they fear in the future.

In dream analysis, we first look for the symbols and themes that occur in the vivid dream. In almost all cases, the symbols in vivid dreams will have archetypal importance. Whether the dream contains a theme of being chased by a sinister enemy, climbing through a portal/window into another dimension, a great flood, accepting a quest of immense importance or leaving people behind, all of these themes can be found in archetypal layers of what Carl Jung called the Collective Unconscious. As a Dream Analyst, I have studied the Collective Unconscious and it symbols for over ten years and this study is vital in finding real meaning in the vivid dreams that people experience. 

Jungian Psychology has been mapping dreams for over a hundred years. There are thousands of recorded dreams available for research, so as Dream Analysts we study the role of vivid dreams and take note when they appear in an individual’s life. Vivid dreams regularly appear in the dreams of the people I have worked with long term. Please see Working With People Who Are Experiencing An Intensive Dreaming Stage for more information.

Positive Vivid Dream Experiences

In my years’ working as a Dream Analyst, the percentage of positive vivid dream experiences compared to negative vivid dream experiences is essentially equal. Often positive vivid dreams have themes involving expansion, revelation, a portal/door of light, higher civilisations/beings etc… Often the dreamer awakes with a feeling of euphoria or numinosity or an intense feeling of interconnectedness with the world/cosmos. These are transcendent themes and symbols and all belong within the scope of the Collective Unconscious.

Positive vivid dream experiences (those without the use of hallucinogens) usually occur from time to time in between nights of normal dreaming states. There is no set rule here or distinct pattern – it is unique to the individual. As a broad average, the people I work with who are in an Intensive Dreaming Stage might have two to three vivid dreams per month amongst their regular dreaming.

Negative Vivid Dream Experiences

Negative vivid dreams unfortunately often happen in waves meaning a dreamer can experience them night after night for weeks or even months. I often receive emails from people who ask ‘why am I having vivid dreams every night?’ or ‘why do I have vivid nightmares all of a sudden?’. Vivid dreams with dark, violent, intensely fearful themes take their toll on the dreamer over time. With the exception of extreme cases, medication is not the answer. Dreams are very accurate mirrors of what is really going on in the mind. Negative dreams reveal that the dreamer has work to do on their inner world, their mind/psyche. This work can involve healing past trauma, reconciling aspects of our lives that have proved challenging, exploring our life perspectives that are possibly harmful or too limiting. This inner-work is all part of my role as a Dream Analyst.

So You Have Experienced One Or More Vivid Dreams – What Next?

Vivid dreams are important, amplified messages from a deeper part of our mind or psyche (see Why Dreams Matter). They are vivid because the content of the dream is significant and needs to be remembered. If you have experienced a positive or negative vivid dream(s) that has impacted deeply upon you, I would encourage you to see it as a real opportunity to understand your own life at a deeper level and the road that is ahead of you. 

If you feel committed to understanding the vivid dream(s) that you have experienced, you are welcome to ask any questions via my Contact Page. Alternatively, I also offer a free, no obligation 30-40 minute Zoom session where we can briefly discuss your vivid dream experiences and you can ask any questions you may have as to how I work with vivid dreams. If you would like to organise this introductory session, please let me know via my Contact Page.