Exhibit Fourteen: Acquired by the Dream Gallery 30 May 1999
'Reflections'~ from Cheryl
O'Connor's Shamanic Healing/Dreaming Web Site. Visit Cheryl's site here
Feeling
The Picture
Your feeling reactions to a dream are keys to its interpretation. These are my feelings. If this were a scene in your dream or life, how would you feel about being there?
This picture gives me a feeling of serenity: of
contemplation and ‘simply being’ following a completion of some sort.
There was first a momentary confusion and mild
anxiety, as my first impression of a man fishing (for I feel it is a man!) gave way to a
man just sitting, watching the water. The mild anxiety was born of the reminder that what
we think we know or see in life can shift and transform in the blink of an eye. The
feeling was then calmed by an acceptance of simply being in the moment, even though
perception of that moment may shift and change again and again. The feeling is ‘go
with the flow and be at peace.’
The Symbols
Symbols in your dreams often relate to your personal memories and associations, so always consider those first. Then let your mind play with other, more general possibilities. They will not all apply! Just open your mind and notice where the symbol seems to fit and make sense of the rest of your dream.
Your feelings may have highlighted other areas of
the picture such as the high, shadowy mountain or the feeling of not being able to see
clearly. In a dream, every aspect of the dream scene (and every impression, not just the
visual images), is symbolically meaningful to the dreamer. If it wasn’t, it
wouldn’t have been there! The Dream Gallery approach centres on interpreting what
jumps out at you from the picture: what stirs up an emotional response. However, the idea
behind the Dream Gallery is also to foster an understanding of how to interpret dreams and
the symbols they contain.
Water tends to symbolise the emotions while the
sea (or ocean) frequently symbolises the unconscious. A boat generally represents how we
journey across or deal with our emotions/unconscious. The type of boat, its style and
state of repair are all significant. This picture shows a man (?) alone in a ‘one
man’ boat. This would appear to be an indivdual or solo journey: or perhaps a lonely
one, or one of necessary solitude. If the boat is a rowing boat, without a motor, then it
may symbolise a dreamer who is putting physical effort into her journey. Asking the right
questions elucidates the true symbolism for the dreamer.
A mountain may symbolise an adventure, something
to climb and ‘get on top of’, a place to gain a ‘higher view’, a task
to be achieved, something which feels too big and so on. Again, the dreamer’s answers
to the questions will reveal the meaning. Finally the shadowy colour or feel of the
mountain may carry symbolism beyond setting the scene as ‘evening’ (or is it
morning?!). What is shadowy in a dream may symbolise a shadowy part of the self: something
disowned or not clearly understood.
The Questions
Here are some questions the dreamer of such a dream picture might ask to work towards a complete understanding of the dream.
Try these yourself: just give your 'gut reaction' answers to the questions - your answers will surprise you in the insights they deliver. The key thing to remember is, "Don't THINK about your answers - give quick gut reaction replies". Your unconscious will deliver.
If this process can work powerfully for this image, consider how infinitely more powerful the insights are when the image comes from one of your own dreams - direct from your unconscious!
* Who is in the boat? Is it a man or a woman? Is it
you or someone else?
* What is this person doing?
* What is this person thinking?
* How is this person feeling?
* Which situation are you in (in your waking life) which reminds you of this feeling?
* What feelings do you usually associate with this time of day?
* How hard/easy was it for this person to manoeuvre the boat away from the shore?
* Can you relate this to a waking life situation you are handling at the moment?
* Where is the person going in the boat?
* Will this be an easy journey?
* How is this experience likely to change this person’s outlook on life?
* Which situation in your waking life is would benefit from a change in outlook?
'Reflections'~ from Cheryl
O'Connor's Shamanic Healing/Dreaming Web Site. Visit Cheryl's site here
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