The True Power Of Your Worst Nightmares

When I was 24 years old, I was a somewhat disempowered young lady who went to work for the city council. All the girls in the office had an active social life and a boyfriend, except me.

In fact, I was bullied for it and became a bit of a joke around the water cooler, to the extent that I could not properly concentrate on the task at hand and ultimately lost my job. Looking back, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. But, at the time, it did not feel like it.

About a year ago, I started to have a recurring dream that I was 24 again, and sharing an office with the same mean girls, supervised by the same misogynist boss. But this time I had a very different mindset.

In my dream, the boss had criticized my work. So, I pick up the documents he complained about to, walk up to his office, put it on his desk, and tell him politely to type his own letters in future. I was going home now, because I am no longer prepared to put up with his nonsense.

Well, if only I had the same courage back in the old days, I might have suffered far less emotional anguish! I felt really empowered in the dream, and it brought me the realization that I no longer have to suffer fools and that I need to stick up for myself more often. However, the dream also revealed to me that I still had not entirely made peace with the past, otherwise the dream would not be recurring.

The moral of the story is that dreams do not only reflect how we are doing in the present, and how far we have advanced in life, but also what we need to do to work on ourselves to be even better in the future. How powerful and life-enhancing is that!

Another compelling dream I have been having of late is of myself flying a light hovercraft over the estate where I lived as a child.  I faced several challenging, traumatizing things growing up there, including poverty and domestic abuse. However, this liberating dream confirms that I have managed to rise above those childhood setbacks and obstacles, and I am now in control of my own life and destiny.

I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams ~ Jonas Salk

A few years ago, a good friend invited me for dinner and then suggested we watch the classic horror film Poltergeist, as the special effects, she told me, were “amazing.”  This is not the kind of film I would ever watch, but attempting to be the gracious guest I reluctantly agreed.

If you are familiar with this movie, you will know that it features a little blonde girl who is captured by the devil and carried off to hell. At the time, my sister was fostering a little girl who was the absolute spitting image of that little poltergeist girl!

Of course, soon after I had an awful nightmare of my sister’s foster child being carried off by the evil one. I was so appalled at this, that I started to chase him through hell. Snakes wrapped their way around my legs, to stop me from catching up with him, but to no avail. I simply knocked them to one side and pursued my chase.  “Give her back to me right now,” I yelled. But that demon kept on running. Then, suddenly, we were back in a safe place, with her holding my hand.

I woke up in the most terrible sweat, practically shaking from the ordeal. What was that all about, I wondered. Was it just because I had watched the film and decided for no reason at all to write myself into the script? Or was it more far-reaching than that?

Could it be this dream revealed to me that while I may not consider myself the bravest person, I am perhaps much stronger and more courageous than I thought?  I do believe so. The dream also taught me that if we face our fears and negativity, which can take the form of controlling people and bullies, who will turn on their heels and run once we stand up to them!

Of all the things you choose in life, you don’t get to choose what your nightmares are. You don’t pick them; they pick you ~ John Irving

Finally, I had another interesting dream where I found myself walking through a car park in pitch-black darkness towards my car, when a mysterious man approached me from the shadows. “Do you know who I am?” he murmured.  “I am an escaped convict. My prison number is 594831.”

“Is that right? Well, I also have a number,” I informed the man. “It is the number 11, closely associated with Archangel Michael, who defeated Satan in battle!” The ‘convict’  then promptly disappeared.

An unusual dream, and one that I needed to carefully contemplate. Upon deciphering its true meaning, it taught me that some people may think they are in a stronger position in life, and try to intimidate me. But with God and his angels on my side, no matter how menacing they may pretend to be, I am actually the one who is in a stronger position.

Therefore, never let any of your dreams disturb or upset you – no matter how bizarre or nightmarish they may be. Instead, look for their positive messages, inspirations, and validations. Even the scariest dreams carry the most profound insights and wisdom.