Visualization, Dreaming and Mandalas

 Current notions in the realm of physics have given a huge boost to the concept that we may be co-creators of our own reality, that is, that simply by thinking about what is about to happen, we increase the possibility that it will. The seminal book on the subject was Shakti Gawain’s “Creative Visualization “ published in 1978.   As visualization techniques proved successful, legions of new age thinkers and motivational speakers have followed suit, so that the notion of sitting down, thinking clearly what you want, drawing it, making a collage of it, meditating on it, repeatedly affirming it, reminding yourself of your affirmations by pasting pop-up notes on your mirror, well it has almost become cliché. But just in case you haven’t heard, that’s how you do it. If you want it you’ve got to create a space in your life for it, seriously want it, put some energy in to it and then wait for it to happen because in due time, it will. And it doesn’t hurt to ask around for help: your angels, power animals, spirit guide, God, the universe, who ever you feel is your most supportive guide.

Some utilize dreaming to manifest reality to. Face it, you spend a lot of time sleeping, so if you can harness some of it and some of the intense feelings surrounding dreams, you are ahead of the game when it comes to investing in visualizing.

Most of us have difficulty even remembering our dreams, let alone controlling them. If this is something you are interested in, you can become better at it with practice. Set a notepad by your bed and the moment you wake, even in the middle of the night, jot down what you recall. Don’t get held up by people changing into different people or animals or disappearing. In short, don’t try to make sense of it while you are trying to remember it. Just jot it down.

People of course do different things with these records. In the background section, I think I relayed a dream entry I abandoned, forgot about and found years later. I have recorded other dreams that came true point for point, or perhaps more accurately, symbol for point, almost immediately. It is for this reason that I don’t keep a running record. It kind of freaks me out. Plus I am lazy and would usually rather go to the bathroom and get back to sleep or get up and have a cup of coffee. The point I am trying to make is that with diligent practice you can get better at recalling your dreams so if you want to interpret them or otherwise work with them, you can. Of course dreams have significance, even if it is just the churning and cataloguing of the day’s events. Carl Jung (now I realize that I should include a subsection on mandalas too) said, “Dreaming has meaning like everything else we do.” Why wouldn’t it?

In his book “Dream Alchemy Shaping Our Dreams to Transform Our Lives”, Ted Andrews suggests keeping a dream journal and exploring such notions as “What questions did the dream leave unanswered?” He prescribes herbs that can be burned as incense or stuffed in sachets slipped under the pillow for peaceful sleep, for protection against nightmares or to stimulate precognitive dreams. And he prescribes fragrances, available in essential oils, that can be placed in a bowl of water next to the bed or you can bathe in them. Or flower essences available in drop form. He also suggests using crystal or gem stones with the caveat that these must be purified regularly to remove the buildup of psychic energies and charged with your visualization. He knows the power of ritual and prescribes a rite of dream passage to perform prior to retiring. Suz Anderson’s book “Dreaming the Future” includes a helpful compendium of dream symbols so that you can understand your dreams. Her outlook is that you need to excavate your dreams to truly understand yourself and what you want. One of the most profound methods that Ted Andrews suggests is placing a dream mandala in your bedroom, representing where you want your dream to lead. A mandala is an archetypal symbol that is an integrative symbol enveloping the entire cosmos or an entire concept if you choose. It contains all of the energy participants of the universe have put in to it and thus, when meditated upon, is a very powerful conduit to our deeper subconscious regions. You can make your own mandala, incorporating your own symbols and meditate upon it as you enter the dream realm.