Messages

2776

General Discussion / Re: A birth story you might enjoy

« on: December 21, 2011, 07:46:50 AM »

What is born this Christmas?
Each moment is born to us.
Opportunity calls us
To respond
With care? With haste?
With awareness of the
Perpetual meeting?

What is born this Christmas?
It is a child -
Any child, anywhere, any day.
You and I were that child.
The son or daughter we
Might have are that child.

What is born this Christmas?
It is life.
It is love
Born this day.
In hovels and palaces
It is born this day.
In malice or wonder
It arrives and walks with us.

What is born this Christmas?
My reaching to you.
I may not be who you
Would me to be.
But I am born
To you
As you are born to me
Today.

Tony

2777

Dream Interpretation / Re: Becoming a whale?

« on: December 19, 2011, 02:12:22 PM »

CL – It means that you had an experience of being a Shape-Shifter. It is something than many ancient people speak about, that they know the different animals they live with, and treat them with holy respect.

In the Once and Future King, Merlin in his training to be a magician or shaman, went through many animals forms. This is also something that happens in the initiation of someone who has found their way to the thing that has many names: the Mother Church; the Eternal Flame; the Great Spirit and so on.

So maybe this is not the only shape you will know.

Tony

2778

Dream Interpretation / Re: Animal With Cloven Hoof

« on: December 19, 2011, 01:27:09 PM »

Christine – I felt I was way off but my intuition seems to have given up recently - maybe it needs to rest for the Christmas holidays.

That was a really good insight you got into your dream and explains it well.

I think our whole view of ourselves and what we are is incredibly screwed up. Our reactions to things like duality are a lot of habitual responses arising from our education and the paradigm we are trapped in. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/archetype-of-the-paradigm/

Habits are a wonderful aid and a terrible support system all at the same time. After three years of living an agony of despair and having searched my unconscious for the sort of childhood trauma that could cause so much pain, I eventually tried another approach that led to a dream. I was in a dream group and they offered me a turn to explore my dream. The result was I saw that I had torn myself apart searching, and there was no ‘cure’ for such pain. This was awful to see but it led me to give up completely and I became so quiet, almost not breathing – and then like an experience of enlightenment I knew I was free. It lasted three days, and in that time I saw that it was habits of judgement that had been put into me through the culture I grew up in – you are either good or bad; you are either a bad father or a good one; you are either a shit poor husband or a really good one; you are either worthy of Gods love or you are not – and if you are not you have to work bloody hard to make amends.

No wonder I and so many of my fellows were living in such misery. We had unwittingly created it by believing all that rubbish. I realised in that wonderful three days that I could change the habits of thought and belief. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYYXq1Ox4sk  It took me years to realise the truth behind a wonderful experience I had in LifeStream in which I had gone through throwing off a world – really, on my shoulders like atlas – of religious beliefs I had inherited that had caused me years of illness, and now stood before a wonderful light. But I still have manacles and chains on my wrists, and said with great passion, “Please take these chains off me!” And the Light replied, “Tony, I love you. I would never put chains on you, you put them on yourself.”

Quoting you, “To not judge others I think I have to choose not to judge myself first and that would require some conscious, deliberate work.”

As for how God sees us, well it is not as an outsider who judges or condemns us. People are so mixed up when considering God. They either totally disown God because they cannot find any proof; or they treat it like something they have to look to outside of them.  “I know God because at the core of my being I am that very mystery of life, sprung from the creation of the Universe. I know God daily because I am aware of myself. I am willing to bathe in the great depths of my experience, the passions and terrors, the hurts and awfulness of my own past deeds. If you don’t know God from direct experience, it’s because you don’t open yourself wide enough to the glory and the shit, the pain and wonder of life. God isn’t an intellectual idea”. Quoted from http://dreamhawk.com/inner-life/i-dont-believe-in-god-i-know-god/

My experience is that Life/God, when we really open to our core, is the very self that we are and we have kept projecting it outside of us. It is something that is beyond description but is Love, without judgement, without blame; and it is there all the time. We do not have to be wonderful paragons of virtue to know it. We are, after all, little life forms struggling to grow. All we have to do is to say, “Life/God, I love you and please help me to know you.”

I feel all this because I am that blissful union of Krishna and Radha. In myself I know the union and the love. I have been and am that sweet love forever joined. That the very creator of the universe can take on flesh, as it does every time a baby is born, brings me to my knees. This is beyond belief. Yet that is what I am seeing and experiencing as the truth. That is what I am experiencing in myself. I know that in this very existence, lost as I am in the sensory experiences of the world, and my feelings of isolation and physicality, I am at the same time, at the same moment, the godhead itself.

Tony

2779

Dream Interpretation / Re: Mutilated animals, repeating dream...

« on: December 19, 2011, 10:24:15 AM »

Lisa - Thank you for your thoughtfulness in replying.

I would like too add that we have a trained therapist built in - our dreams. And working gently with our imagination can do wonders. I know from personal experience because I was suffering from depression which was painful to live with, and in those  days there was no therapist, and my doctor only suggested a form of emotional sedation - I was born in 1937. And when therapy came into fashion it cost more that I could afford anyway. Instead I discovered an old path - LifeStream coupled with exploring dreams. Not the talking about dreams, but actually diving into the unconscious and sorting out the knots.

So my whole work is to stand for self-help. I understand that this way is not what many people seek, but if it is something you can do I recommend it -- but of course you need courage, or a belief that your unconscious is not out to get you.

Tony

2780

Dream Interpretation / Re: chapel perilous theme

« on: December 18, 2011, 11:13:49 AM »

William Lilley is a spiritual healer who goes into a trance to do his work. What he describes is vitally important. As you see it is a form of dream world. I think it clarifies  in a different way what we have been looking at.

When I am going into trance immediately I get a sensation as though I am falling, or being pulled backwards. As this sensation comes to a climax, I seem to be travelling through space at terrific speed. I have opened my eyes many times at this point, but the only vision I have is of passing through a dense fog. Then, quite suddenly, the fog clears and I am at a stile. I climb over this stile and immediately there is a voice speaking to me over my shoulder. This voice is always with me, explaining everything I see and everyone I meet. The stile seems to be on the edge of a large field, which rises gradually to the form of a hill. I walk up the hill, and beyond it I visit many places.

The most interesting and remarkable experience I ever had during these visits into the Spirit, happened before I went into trance. Several people had been speaking of consciousness. They had asked me to describe the Spirit. Was it solid? Did I appear solid? I promised them that if I could, I would find out. I arrived at my stile, the voice came to me, and it evidently knew my desire, because it said "Feel the earth!" I did. It was solid. "Feel the grass beneath your feet!" I did. That was solid too, and even had dew on it. "Smell these flowers!" They were perfectly natural and had the usual perfume. In fact, everything around was natural. Then I was told, "Feel your body". I did so. It was as solid as I am materially.

'The voice then said, "Close your eyes; make your consciousness passive", or as you would do when preparing for a trance state. "Now feel the earth beneath your feet!" There was nothing. "Open your eyes". It wasn't dark, it wasn't light. "Feel at your body". It wasn't there. "Such is Spirit" said the voice. "Just a consciousness holding within it all experiences of your lifetime, all the joys and sorrows, your desires, achievements and failures, whence comes spiritual evolution. In your world of the material, you are able to examine matter; everything is matter. When you think of the spiritual, naturally you build in your consciousness another material world."

Tony

2781

Dream Interpretation / Re: chapel perilous theme

« on: December 18, 2011, 10:17:43 AM »

Mikey – I would like you to remember me saying, “That you are Buddha/Christ/Universe.” Okay so I added to it. 

This dream is another step toward you realising that. I am curious about the knife – magical or not – because in recent years I was shown that I could not progress beyond a certain point if I insisted on killing things in our inner world. Obviously we kill all the time to exist in the body.

The figure priest with the blue bar is saying that he has heavenly consciousness, and is in fact the higher self that dreams lead to.

Eventually you will merge with it and know yourself as male and female in a wonderful marriage – Krishna and Radha – Shiva and Parvati – or like this Tibetan merging, or even like the spiritual marriage in Christ. See http://dreamhawk.com/interesting-people/tibetan-spiritual-marriage

Then you see the crystal river that if you bathe in you will be cleansed – but again you are set upon getting a ‘discarded’ staff to afford you protection. Protection from what? And why do you think they were discarded along that wonderful river?

I feel it is a point of swinging over from body consciousness, which has to be protected, and spiritual consciousness which is everything in union and needs to protection.

It is my humble opinion.

Tony

2782

Dream Interpretation / Re: Shark and Shiva

« on: December 17, 2011, 10:54:22 AM »

Exactly what I said in http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-in-your-dream/.

Tony

2783

Dream Interpretation / Re: Animal With Cloven Hoof

« on: December 16, 2011, 02:53:38 PM »

Christine – Well the only thing I can arrive at, and it sounds crazy, is that you are in the middle of creating a mythical or mystical beast. A cloven footed animal is always a grass eater. It could be something like Aries, Minotaur or Taurus. But as it seems you are creating it and haven’t given it a head yet, I guess it is therefore a composite creature.

What is it your unconscious is saying with this creature? Let me know if you find out.

Tony

2784

Dream Interpretation / Re: first dream post, here we go

« on: December 16, 2011, 08:59:51 AM »

Now you have me laughing by being so sweet.

Tony

2785

Dream Interpretation / Re: Lovingly dismissed

« on: December 15, 2011, 02:02:44 PM »

Lisa – I see this as a play with three main characters – you the watcher, the artistic woman and wife, and the man.

Considering that you are all three characters it produces and interesting result. You are deeply immersed in your creative side and together with you the witnessing objective side you come to some creative solutions. Then the cigarette episode which is about cravings and using a mind altering drug, it can therefore sometimes represent sexual relatedness. This is especially obvious when you are on bed together and handed a lit cigar. You are clothed, saying that you are being careful not to get too close to having new man and expressing your sexual desires. The wife – you and your feelings about marriage and faithfulness are in the background – and only the top of her head is visible, suggesting that it is your thinking that is troubling you.

Then you admit that you want a sexual relationship with a new partner – but your thoughts are ‘I am in a situation I am not supposed to be in, especially with his wife in the room.” This leads to your artistic/wife side, who actually understands your needs and you longing, leading you gently away.

It is confusing to be a human being, and have so many contradictory sides to us. Difficult to balance the artist in you with the values you have absorbed and also your desires as a woman. The art is to see a way that  does not deny any aspect of you and yet do so in a way that is considerate.

Tony

2786

Dream Interpretation / Re: Mutilated animals, repeating dream...

« on: December 15, 2011, 01:16:52 PM »

Randi – Imagination is an awful and wonderful ability. Awful if we let it loose without realising its power, wonderful if we recognise that we can create our world with it.

Like any animal a mother can both support or mutilate our young growing self, as the cat did to the kitten. In India they symbolise this as Kali, the energy that can give birth and destroy. That is just like our imagination. By using your imagination constructively over a period of time you can stop these dreams. I will try to explain how.

Imagine yourself in the dream and continue it as a fantasy or daydream. Consider what it is that troubles you or is not what you want in your dream. Now take time to think how you would alter it and how to have an ending that would satisfy you. Not, in your imagination enter your dream and alter the dream in any way that satisfies. Experiment with it, play with it, until you find a fuller sense of self expression. It is very important to note whether any anger or hostility is in the dream but not fully expressed. If so, let yourself imagine a full expression of the anger. It may be that as this is practised more anger is openly expressed in subsequent dreams. This is healthy, allowing such feelings to be vented and redirected into satisfying ways, individually and socially. In doing this do not ignore any feelings of resistance, pleasure or anxiety. Satisfaction occurs only as we learn to acknowledge and integrate resistances and anxieties into what we express. This is a very important step. It gradually changes those of our habits which trap us in lack of satisfaction, poor creativity or inability to resolve problems.

Tony

2787

Dream Interpretation / Re: first dream post, here we go

« on: December 14, 2011, 11:42:16 AM »

No - I am not laughing. Every little helps. We use all manner of things to help us feel confident in faces troubles and fears. The Bible and Gita, someone saying they love you, even rings given in friendship and marriage are great strengtheners.

Tony

2788

Questions about dreams / Re: Sleep paralysis.

« on: December 13, 2011, 01:28:27 PM »

By the way, the business about the jaw is usually what I call the Life Will trying to take over, but because you are aware  of it your are frightened and block it.

In life and sleep we have two powerful actions working in us. The first is our waking experience based on having a body, its limitations, vulnerabilities and a particular gender. Our second is the power that gave us life and continues to express as dreams.
While we sleep our conscious self is largely or totally unconscious, and while we sleep our voluntary muscles are paralysed – so another will or motivating force moves our body. So we have a Conscious Will, and what I will call a Life Will. The first one we have experience of as we can move our arm or speak; but the second will takes over when we sleep
.
This Life will can move us to speak, to move our body, and in fact do things that we cannot do with our Conscious Will. As Freud pointed out this inner will has full access to our memories. It can do so many other things that are described else where.

This Life Will or motivator has been active for millions of years and we see it working all the time in animals. We are partly split in half because we are often opposed to what our Life Will in us wants. So the only way to express what is good for us is in dreams when our conscious will is largely passive.

Life Will created your body and pre-existed you as a person you know today. It was working in you prior to your ability to speak or know in the way you do now. But of course it has fantastic wisdom and skills, as can be seen in animals.

As the life will causes all the spontaneous movements of your body, so when you are passive and usually asleep it tries to release tensions and heal you. So if you relax and allow it it will start this and you can witness it in a wonderful way. Allowing it consciously is what I call http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/the-lifestream/.

Tony

2789

Dream Interpretation / Re: Father in dream

« on: December 13, 2011, 11:50:13 AM »

Pia – So, “I had a look at the "father" section in the dream dictionary, but remained non the wiser.  ” Me too  .

The difficulty about understanding dream fathers and mothers is that we are so mixed up with them we cannot see them easily as representing something we are carrying with us inside. Also although we have a relationship with an outer parent, we still carry them inside us, and it is imperative to work out what that is to find peace.

I had a hell of a job with my inner father. It had changed the whole direction of my life. The pain involved was enormous. So in your dream it sounds as if you carry with you the habitual feeling that whatever you do is not quite right or getting through, and this could foul up your relationship with any man you get close to, and also to the way you relate to the world.

I would suggest you having a good talk with your dream father – and don’t get it mixed with your real father, as sometimes there is a big difference. You need to imagine yourself back in the dream, and start of being him – literally step into his dream body. Don’t worry, it is you after all, but maybe an aspect of you that you have not fully realised before. So see the following as it may have some hints: http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-in-your-dream/

And then change roles several times till you reach satisfaction. Sometimes it needs a bit of creative thinking to get past the blocks. Here is an example of such a dialogue:

At that time I was exploring a problem of not wanting to be an active part of life. There was I realised a very powerful behaviour that led to repeated destruction of what I had carefully built up - like refusing yoga weekends - being snotty so they will not invite me anyway - writing to cancel it once I had accepted it. Also by making a good start so it looks as if I had tried, then withdrawing effort when it comes to extending into the unknown, insecure area of advancing a cause. I can then look around and say - you see, I really did try, but it’s no good, life, circumstances were against me. Feel sorry for me. Maybe I blamed it on our lack of money, not enough time, psychological pain, but not on my own terror of walking out into the unknown and exposed areas of insecure life.

As i worked on this I felt like an egg, like a chick in the egg. Somehow my shell had been taken away and all I wanted was to curl up and not have to be alive. Events were not offering me what my instinct had led me to expect. Without any certainty of being wanted, I was exposed, alone and vulnerable. There was nothing for me to unfold for or want to live for. Prior to this experience I had watched a documentary on the hatching of turtles on a beach. They were all impelled to run toward the sea, and if they made it they were comparatively safe. But on the way the seagulls swooped and ate many of them. As the baby I had no impulse to run for the sea. I was too aware of the dangers to want to move. I didn’t even want to be without a shell. There was no way the baby me wanted to unfold and participate in the adult life of Tony. So the baby me said “NO” to Tony who was asking me – the baby - to take part in life, because without it I was a failure. But as Tony, observing this part of myself that had decided right at the beginning not to get involved in the difficulties or possibilities of life, I realised I had to find a way to induce it to change. If I did not manage this, a whole spectrum of my energy and potential would be missing.

A dialogue began between my adult self and this curled up ball of feeling deep at the core of me. I tried to convince it that I needed the enthusiasm for life that it had withdrawn through its retreat from experience. Its only response was to curl up tighter and set itself against any possibility of opening. I could see that the baby in me had a great fear of being attacked, because it felt so unprotected due to not having a sense of connection with its mother. But the image of the baby turtles appealed to it, and its response was that it didn’t want to run because it would get eaten. However, I suddenly realised that meeting the risks of life didn’t necessarily heighten vulnerability. So I communicated to my baby self that lying curled up as it was, made it more open to attack than if it ran. At least if it uncurled and ran it would stand a chance. This was so obvious once pointed out that I could sense a swing of feelings in the baby. It was ready to begin being a part of my life now in an active way. And this marked a major turning point in my life.

Tony

2790

Questions about dreams / Re: Sleep paralysis.

« on: December 13, 2011, 09:16:56 AM »

YES!! YES!! YES!!

  Tony

Sorry - I get so excited - I am half Italian, and some times hard to contain it.