Instructions for Dreaming
“… we see in our lives that it (daydreaming) is a method of inquiry. We call this method “Focused attention, relaxed awareness.” — William Burroughs
Let’s begin where we are. At times in our lives we may remember dreaming each and every night while at other times it seems as though we did not dream at all. Some of us dream in vivid color, some dream in black and white. Dreams can feel hyper real or like fantasy. We may have dreams that deliver important messages and upon waking we have a sense of this. At times our dreams are nonsensical and light in emotional weight. And of course few escape the dreaded nightmare. Wherever you are in your dreaming life you may find the suggestions below helpful in advancing your dream practice.
Before seeking a dream life it is helpful to recognize that we live one life, whether we’re awake, asleep, or somewhere in between. Let’s begin where we are with our awakened life, and use contemplation to tune ourselves so that when we connect our waking life to our dream life, we do so from a grounded and steady place.
Though a dream is often defined as an experience we have during sleep, we invite you to broaden the experience of dreaming to include awake dreams (daydreaming) and meditation dreams. No matter the state in which you dream, dreaming is best approached from a relaxed mind and with an open heart. Use the following instructions to check in with your waking life and bring forward the awareness you gain so that you may dream well.