dream journal
How To Get More Out Of Your Journaling
I always thought of all journaling as writing one´s thoughts and feelings down on a notepad or in a book- something like a very personal diary. But recently, a very artistic, creative friend posted photos of some exquisite journals she makes. I had simply had to get one.
I even got to choose the colour, together with a sigil my friend will add between the layers of the journal. My choice for a sigil was something I am working on manifesting, so seeing that inscribed symbol will be a constant reminder of my manifestation each time I journal.
I asked my friend what her view is on journaling, because she absolutely loves creating these works of art. She envisions her creations being used as perhaps a gratitude journal, a dream journal, a meditation journal, a poetry notebook, as well as for general journaling or recording one’s favourite quotes.
At the beginning of the year, I began a nightly routine before falling asleep in making a mental note of the big and small things I am grateful for, and also to ponder about what I have managed to achieve during that particular day, be it a small chore I had procrastinated on, or something more important.
My fancy new journal will now be used to write down all the things I am grateful for at the end of each day, as well as recording my achievements. I feel it will have more impact written, and will be good to look back on, because I tend to be my own worst critic when something doesn’t get done.
Journaling is going to help me realize that I have really accomplished much as I could possibly get around to on any given day, and that I have done the best I could with the time and energy available to me.
The Benefits Of Daily Journaling
I have always loved writing, since I was a little girl. However, as I grew older and became a wife, mother and business owner, I found I no longer didn’t have enough time to follow my passion for putting pen to paper. During the pandemic I suddenly had more time on my hands. Not only did I discover the art of journaling during this time, but I also learned a lot about myself in the process.
I am now the proud owner of a fitness journal, a gratitude journal and a well-being journal. No, I do not write in each of them every day, but I do journal at least once every day, usually before bedtime. I have found that the benefits of journaling to be manifold.
First and foremost, I find journaling to be a form of meditation. Let’s face it, traditional meditation, as empowering as it can be for some, is not for everyone.
Journaling, on the other hand, is not only a form of self-expression (which can be very stress-relieving, to say the least), but it also connects you to the deepest parts of your inner being that may otherwise be drowned out by daily life. Journaling allows you the quiet time to reflect, truly express yourself, and look within – where the answers to life’s problems can often be found when one is in a calm state.
Journaling also trains the brain, because you use both hemispheres of your brain simultaneously. Journaling employs the right brain, by expressing our creativity and feelings, as well as a left brain use of analysis and critical thinking. Journaling also helps to improve one’s memory.
Have you ever heard of RAS, otherwise known as the Reticular Activating System? Apparently, when we write by hand, this stimulates RAS cells and whatever we are focusing on at the forefront of our minds becomes processed into its deeper recesses. Therefore, it is imperative that when writing, we remind ourselves of how important the words are that we are writing – even if they are to ourselves!
Journaling can help us learn from past mistakes. When we record a past experience and reflect on the lessons we have learned from it, it moves us forward. Drawing upon these new insights, we can then approach similar issues or problems more effectively and secure a better end result.
Lucid Dreaming
When we experience a lucid dream we are aware that we are dreaming. Dreamers also report that when they are having a lucid dream, they seem to be able to control the dream to some extent and they also tend to remember them better. In my experience it is like being half asleep and half awake. One time, I actually got up for a drink of water in the middle of a lucid dream, went back to bed, and continued my dream right where I left off!
For me lucid dreaming feels like being in the state of hypnosis – a ‘light’ state of hypnosis in which you have some control over how the session goes. You are in the dream state, but still aware of things around you. You are in a have heightened state of awareness.
Everyone I have discussed the subject of lucid dreaming with usually say they enjoy the experience. Some even say they wish they could stay is that frame of mind longer. When you lucid dream, write down your experience. Enjoy the movie of your mind.
The term ‘lucid dream’ was coined in 1913 by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in his article A Study of Dreams. It usually happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. When we sleep cycle through phases of non-REM and REM. REM sleep happens about an hour to 90 minutes after we fall asleep and this is when we tend to have vivid dreams.
It is estimated that at last 50 percent of adults have experienced at least one lucid dream in their lifetime. I have them all the time. The first lucid dream I can remember was when I was about thirteen years old. I was having a lucid dream of talking to my dad. But unlike our normal waking interactions, this conversation went exactly as I wanted it to go. I asked if he would let me go to New York for three weeks, and he said yes!
Since that time, it became increasingly common for me to slip into the lucid dream state. For me it usually happens in the morning, as I am waking up, but then going halfway back to sleep.
The Meaning Of Psychic Dreams
Dreaming is a universal human experience, although we do not fully understand how or why we dream. In a spiritual sense, a dream is our soul interacting with the boundless, greater Universe where things may not always make sense as they do when we’re awake, and where this time-space reality does not exist.
Whether we consciously remember our dreams or not, dreams can add profound depth to our everyday spiritual practice. A clairvoyant dream or precognitive dream, for example, can predict events in the future or make us aware of upcoming life challenges. One might dream of the arrival of a long-lost friend, a financial windfall, or meeting a new romantic partner.
Clairvoyant dreams can sometimes be distressing, especially since these dreams sometimes precede a tragedy. Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Abraham Lincoln, had such dreams before the famous U.S. president’s assassination. Many people also reported clairvoyant dreams of contemporary events like 9/11 and the Challenger disaster.
But don’t think these dreams are all doom and gloom. If you are given such insight in a dream, see if there is any way that you can make use of it for the greater good.
No doubt many of our dreams can be truly intriguing. However, popular culture and movies often create unrealistic expectations of psychic phenomena and the nature of dreams.
The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to precognitive phenomena is timing. What you’ve foreseen in a dream may not necessarily come to pass any time soon, or when you’re expecting it – perhaps not even in this lifetime! The Universe always has perfect timing.
When it comes to psychic phenomena and metaphysics, it is important to keep an open mind. Always be on the lookout for daily clues. Spirit is subtle and it easy to overlook something in plain sight. That ‘Mr. Right’ you foresaw in your dream might just run into you when you least expect it!
Dreamwork With Your Angels
Dreaming is not only the doorway to the unconscious, but also an entrance to other realms. Our dreams connect us with our subconscious mind and the spirit realms, often in the form of strange and mysterious symbolisms.
We should be more grateful for our dreams, because even the difficult ones, that stir up our traumas and worries, help us to deal with any issues we have been resisting.
Dreams are also a portal into the influence of angelic forces. Connecting with the Angels in this way is easy and natural; it happens even when we are not aware of it.
The dream state is an entry point that offers unique advantages for our heavenly companions, for when we sleep, the mind is wide open. The resistances and blockages of our busy minds are suspended for us to access what normally cannot be seen. The fluidity of dreams is closer to the higher dimensions, rather than to the structured, material state in which we exist in our waking hours.
Our Angels often appear to us in dreams, but we seldom remember this, or, if we do, we do not recognize them. They are usually that friendly presence that often accompanies us through a dream. Or they may feature in the dream, as wise, powerful, and influential figures, but not necessarily with wings or other stereotypical symbols of their identity, such as ‘harps and halos.’
Angels are messengers of the Divine, and they come in various manifestations. For example, they sometimes appear in animal form, or make their presence known as an intense, bright light. They also have diverse things to communicate and infinite ways for doing so. But they all have one common purpose, and that is to be of service to humanity.
Most of us have all been brought up to believe that there is a separation between humans and Angels, but in truth we share our world with them! In our dreams, we can overcome the mental barriers that separate us from their higher energies.
Slay Those Demons This Festive Season!
In my many years on God’s earth, I can earnestly say I feel I have ‘slain more dragons’ than St. George, ‘cast out more demons’ than the priest in The Exorcist, and conquered much bigger giants than young Jack when he climbed up that beanstalk. I am not hoping to gain sympathy by saying this, but merely to state that if I can put down my personal demons, with Spirit’s help of course, then I could help you do the same.
The year 2020 has been one of far too many challenges for most of us. Some of us have had to deal with unusual difficulties and challenges we may have never encountered otherwise. For me, it began with a cancer scare, then continued with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ended with me supporting my husband through a bout of deep depression. Indeed, 2020 is a year I will never forget, as much as I may want to!
However, my guides have been reminding me that I have also gained some blessings from this year. For one, I would say that my inner resolve has grown much stronger, and my desire to be of service and help others have reached an all-time high.
I am not suggesting that everyone must have reasons to appreciate the challenges this year brought, but as 2020 draws to a close, I do hope that the following practical strategies may help you to ‘slay some demons’ and end this year on a more positive note, in order to start next year with more optimism, hope and joy.
Find An Inspiring Role-Model
The one person who has always given me a sense of strength is the late Martin Luther King. He famously said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Whenever I am in a difficult, stressful situation, I always ask myself what would Martin Luther King do in my situation? In fact, I even imagine him by my side, giving me all the strength and motivation that I need at any given time. You can do this too by finding yourself a hero or heroine that inspires you.
You And Your Spirit Guides
We are all surrounded by spirit guides and angels. These otherworldly beings have been with us since birth, and it is their mission to protect and guide us. But who are they, exactly?
Depending on your primary energy (feminine, masculine, or non-binary) your guides will likely have similar forms of energies. These guides are loved ones and friends who have passed on and are awaiting rebirth. They may even have been animals or one of your pets in their former life.
Most of us have a main guide, plus others who play a secondary role. Some may be around us for our entire life, while others are temporary, or stay only for a specific purpose or to teach a specific lessons, or point the way to a specific destination or solution. The one thing all of them have in common is unconditional love and acceptance – the kind of caring that we often seek among the living, but only rarely find.
Guides are around us all the time, whether we are aware of them or not. They know us better than we know ourselves, and they are able to anticipate what we need.
How do we know they are there? For the most part, they are invisible to us, but can be sensed in other ways. Sudden flashes of inspiration, a favorite song playing when we turn on the radio, the feeling of a hand on your shoulder. Those are all a sure signs a spirit guide or guardian angel is speaking to you.
So, is it possible to communicate with these invisible spirit beings? Of course! Each time we pray or meditate, we are speaking to them. Silently asking for help will call them to our aid. Even if we engage in something meaningful to us, like our hobby or a creative pursuit, there is a dialogue with spirit guides, since they are the source of all inspiration. For some people, journaling, especially of their dreams, is a good way to listen to what their guides are communicating.