Most dreams place the dreamer in a problem situation. It may be simple or complex, life threatening or silly, but failing to resolve the problem keeps you and your dream self stagnant.

In my dream work, I prefer to focus on solutions. Solutions move you forward, bring closure to old choices, and open up new possibilities. Inside the dream it may be hard to see what to do but the solution to the dream problem becomes glaringly obvious when you are awake. You will often find that the answer, which is easy to extract from the dream work, will apply to many of your waking situations.

Shelly’s Dream

I dream that I get into an elevator. We go down but it goes faster and faster and we are hurtling towards the ground.

The problem in this dream was clear: How to avoid death. When I asked Shelly for a solution, she laughed and said, "Don't get on the elevator."

Shelly replayed the dream and this time imagined herself back at the elevator doors. It would seem easy, knowing that the elevator was going to crash, for her to choose to take the stairs. All the same, for Shelly, not getting onto the imaginary elevator was difficult despite knowing the outcome. It took considerable will power to turn her back on the elevator and head to the stairs, taking the slower, more physical way down.

Without much thinking, Shelly immediately saw where this applied in her waking life. She was talented at spotting good investments. She would make large amounts of money as a stock went up, but then, convinced it would move higher, she would lose money as the stock went down. In a more general way, Shelly saw that she often made unwise choices because of her enthusiasm.

Examples of Some Solutions

There's a stranger in my house. I don’t know what to do.

This is a common dream and there are many ways of dealing with the problem: How to make your house secure and protect yourself from intruders.

Focus on the solution. In that dream, were all your windows locked? Would a dog make you safe? Would you call the police? Would you buy a weapon? Keep a heavy flashlight in your bedroom? What else would you do to protect yourself? Or would you confront the stranger in your house?

(I often take this is the kind of dream literally and check my own house to see if it is properly secured and if my loved ones are safe.)

I dream I am walking by the river. Someone is shouting for help; they are drowning.

Would you dive in? Call 911? Find a good swimmer? Throw them a lifeline? Having found the solution, I’d consider whether I needed that kind of help (in which case, the dream tells you what to ask for) or whether someone in my life needs help.

On Your Own

Remember that you are solving the dream problem, not the waking problem. Later you apply that solution to your waking life.

The first step is to decide whether there is a problem. If there are multiple problems, I usually choose the last one in the dream.

Once you have a dream solution, consider where in your life this situation/solution could be applied. Sometimes one particular issue leaps out at you, but it is quite common for there to be many places where this solution is relevant.

Why Dream Solutions Are So Powerful

In many ways dreams are better descriptions of your life than your own waking explanations. Because of that, the solution to your dream problem is often clearer than any solution your waking mind could offer.

Shelly already knew that she needed to get out before her investments went back down. However her waking logic did not resolve the problem. In the logic of the dream, the act of choosing to walk down the stairs showed her the way to actually do this in her future investing.

The beauty of dreams is that they put you in unexpected situations, so you are freer to find creative solutions to their problems. Solutions at the dream level are not bound by the conventional thinking and indecisiveness, which can limit us in waking life. You can chose new paths that you wouldn’t even consider during your waking life. Then from the dream resolution, you can view your waking-life difficulties with a fresh eye and new ideas.

DREAM ANALYSIS BY TELEPHONE
 

A phone consultation is a great way to begin your exploration of dream work. It is also perfect when you don’t have the time to attend a regular class but want to discuss a particular dream.

David is available for dream consultations by phone. The current cost is $100 per hour. A typical dream analysis might consist of a 30-45 minute discussion of the dream and a follow up after the next dream.

David’s hours for telephone consultations are:

To make an appointment, please email him with two or three times when you are available and your phone number. He will e-mail you back with an appointment time, payment information and request a confirmation. David’s e-mail address is davidj@dreamreplay.com

DREAM GROUPS

My dream groups are back again in full swing. The Saturday drop-in group ($20) is from 10 am to noon at 2315 Prince Street in Berkeley. The nearest major cross street is Ashby and Telegraph. Please let me know if you are coming.

A new Thursday group is starting. For those of you who cannot not attend on Saturday mornings, here is another opportunity to have dream work be a regular part of your life. If you are interested please let me know. The group will meet from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. The exact hours are flexible, depending on participant's schedules.

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Best wishes