Self-help Articles

by Richard Wilkerson, Dream Educator

Being pursued and trapped is very frightening, whether its a dream or in waking reality. With dreams, however, there are many ways to turn these nightmares into our advantage. While the specific meaning of a dream can only be known by the dreamer, there are many approaches to common nightmares available that are effective.

While it is often best to flee from aggressors in waking life, it has been found that confrontation is the key to nightmare pursuers. What, after all, could they really do to you? Ann Wiseman teaches grade school children to cope with monsters and nightmares by drawing the nightmare and then adding an intervention, like drawing a magic circle or cage around the monster. Left on their own, kids often draw guns shooting the monsters, (T.V. influence?) but with a little encouragement will begin to talk with the monsters and confront them. "Why are you scaring me?" asks the child, "I just want to play!" answered the monster in a play drama.

These skills translate into dream land where the children begin to confront the monsters during the dream. And like magic, the monsters transform into more creative relationships.

These techniques work well with adults too and if the Stewart/Senoi anthropological evidence is to be believed, the technique of confronting dream aggression is a skill that has been taught for long time in aboriginal societies.

Jeremey Taylor, a renowned Unitarian dream worker, sees the nightmare as our greatest dream opportunity for growth. It is like a dream with an extra bonus if we can convert that which pursues us into that which creates and produces with us. Jacob, it is said in the Bible, wrestled with a angel all night (a dream?). The struggle broke his leg, but the result was the founding of Israel.

Summary:

1. Write down the nightmare in as much detail as possible.
2. Be creative and magical. Come up with a container to put this genie in, or this wolf in a cage.
3. Ask the nightmare pursuer, "What is it you want?" If the desire is unreasonable, suggest some alternatives for the monster.
4. Ask the nightmare pursuer, "What gift do you have for me?" Jacob would not let go of the angel until it told him his name.
5. Finally, when going to sleep, remind yourself to confront all aggressors in your dreams.

About the Author:

Richard Wilkerson is general editor for The Internet Dream E-zine, Electric Dreams, and director of DreamGate, the Internet Communications and Dream Education Center. He writes the Cyberphile column for the Association for the Study of Dreams Newsletter.

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