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 "In the ocean of conscious, dreams are swells that rise and pause and break on
the shores of personal consciousness, only to suck back, leaving precious
flotsam and jetsam on the beach of waking awareness. We cannot influence the
tides or currents, but we can ride the crest of the wave into shore and gather
treasures as we walk at dawn."
This is author Jill Mellick's colorful description of the precious, yet
fleeting, moments just after waking. Our sleep begins and ends with dream images
that visit the mind on the boundaries between sleep and wakefulness. One pioneer
of the exploration of the unconscious coined the term "hypnopompic," referring
to the dreams that come just as we are awakening. The French philosopher,
Descartes, frequently experienced the blending of hypnopompic images into his
first moments of waking.
Given the riches to be found in our dreams, it is useful to capture the images
and emotions in the first moments of our waking. Here are a few outside-the-box
approaches for creatively recording our dreams upon awakening.
- Translate Your Dream into Color: Keep a set a colored pencils or chalk
next to your bed. Upon waking from an especially powerful dream, let your
non-dominant hand choose a color and begin to translate the energy of that dream
onto paper. Keep your focus on the feelings and energies of the dream, not on
looking at the page or what it should look like. Coaching Inquiries: What was
the experience staying with the emotion of the dream? Where did it take you?
- Write a Fairy Tale: Like fairy tales, dreams often reside between
fantasy and reality. Record your dream, beginning with, "Once upon a time..."
Name characters, exaggerate the fantasy, create the details and the dialogue. Be
descriptive and creative in a way that would capture the attention of a
wide-eyed 5 year old child. Coaching Inquiries: What are the morals of your
dream story? What do the characters represent?
- Use Poetry for Contemplation: Instead of recording a straightforward
narrative account of your dream, allow yourself to see it from a new perspective
through poetry. Haiku style poetry is often suited for dreams that we might
dismiss as unimportant because they were short or lacked detail. A Haiku, for
example, is written in three lines and can capture feelings and images that
would be otherwise forgotten. Coaching Inquiries: What symbols are you able to
save through your poetry? How does it feel to read your dream?
- Embody the Dream: Our body is able to express what our voices cannot.
Moving our bodies allows us to tap directly into the feelings and movements of
our dreams, expressing ourselves in ways that we are unable to in our waking
state. Close your eyes (to assist in shutting down any conscious criticism) and
act out the exact movements of the being, or beings, you remember from your
dream. Coaching Inquiries: What did you feel in your body? What new images
intersect with the ones from your dream?
- Create a 3D Image: A simple container of Playdough is enough for
capturing the images of your dream. With eyes closed, use both hands to invoke
the dream. Invite your hands to twist, turn and roll and the dough as they
choose. Allow your hands to express the essence of the dream without requiring
them to duplicate exact representations of the symbols. Coaching Inquiries: What
about this form surprises or intrigues you? What holds your attention?
 To reply to this Pathway, use our
Feedback Form. To learn more about our
Creativity Coaching Programs and to
arrange for a complementary Creativity coaching session, use our
Contact Form or
Email Erika.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Erika Jackson
(Erika@LifeTrekCoaching.com)
LifeTrek Coaching International
Columbus, OH
U.S.A.
Telephone: 614-565-9953
Fax: 208-977-7793
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