Dialogue With a Dream Character or Object
Every part of a dream, whether an object, person or animal, is alive with our own intelligence. Each part has been created out of ourselves in some way, and depicts some area of our own total being. We can therefore talk with them. Such dialogue is of great importance and very revealing.
As I wrote in my book, Lucid Dreaming:
No computer, however amazing, can yet do what your mind does in creating a dream. It produces a living being such as a dream character that can have a conversation with you, and in doing so draw spontaneously from huge areas of your experience or memories. Behind the image lies enormous data, emotional response and created patterns of behaviour. So the main thing to remember at this level is that you are in a full surround databank of fantastic information. You can tap this information just as you would with any person, by asking questions and prodding for a response. But, even the trees and animals in your dreams are also enormous reservoirs of information, linking back perhaps infinitely with your potential and experience.
To do this, imagine yourself as one of the characters, animals or objects in your dream. It may help at first to have two chairs – one empty and one you are sitting in. The character or object of your dream is in the empty chair. When you are ready to be that character move from your chair, sit in the empty chair and speak as that character. You really need to let that character speak without any editing. So in the case of your dream, if it is a person you cannot see who is a hidden person, you could say, “I don’t really want to be known, because I like to hide my activity of getting you to feel like you might find out my real motives.”
A quick way of understanding your dream is to realise that the images in our dreams are just emotions, thoughts, fears. traumas, ideas and feeling projecting out of you and appearing as images, people or scenes outside you on the screen of your mind. If you draw back the imagews of your dream to make them a part and become them in your imagination, you might then discover what they represent about you. This is so simple that many people fail to try it, and instead try ‘thinking’ about their dream’. I have found that many people feel sqeemish abouit doing this – but your dreams do it all the time.
If it is difficult to get rid of the image, then take the image into you again – after all it was projected out of you, so taking it back into you by imaging you are it introduces you to whatever caused it. Imagine yourself becoming the image. For more information about doing this see Being the Person or Thing
So after you have imagined yourself as the person, care ot thing and felt what was the feeling underneath it, ask yourself, “When have I felt this before – even years ago? What is the feeling about and what part does it play in my life?”
That is only an example so let yourself speak freely.
Be playful and curious in doing this. Question the character, and when you move to that role, let whatever your feelings are as that character motivate what you say and do. Exploring your dream in this way unfolds a great deal of information that would otherwise remain unconscious. It also enables you to make real changes in unconscious attitudes or habits, as you are literally dialoguing with areas of character patterning or programming, and can change them.
Example: When I spoke as the new born baby of my dream I really felt as if this was me, newly born. I had had a difficult birth and my reaction was that I wanted nothing to do with life. I wanted to stay curled up like an egg, not getting involved in the exterior world.
The adult observing me could see how this aspect of my inner life had led me to be withdrawn from social activity all my life, so I explained this to the baby me, saying – I need you to be ready to meet the world. You are a part of me and if you continue to withdraw I lack the enthusiasm to get involved with other people.
Back as the baby I felt totally vulnerable and didn’t want to take any risks – No I don’t want to come out of the egg.
As the adult again I said – Look, if you remain curled up this is more of a gamble than actually getting out and taking risks in life. Just lying there anything can get you. I had watched a documentary of baby turtles hurry to the sea, and some of them got eaten by seagulls.
The view of the seagulls really really got to me as the baby. I could see that simply lying there was more dangerous than being still. I felt a change in me and a readiness to begin the journey of meeting life outside the womb.
This change really made a difference to my everyday activities. A lifelong habit of being introverted gradually dropped away. Trevor P.
Obviously it is important to use this a few times to really feel confident in it. Also do not feel as if you have to be guarded or careful about saying what is important or ‘true’. None of that matters because only what really connects with you is of any use, the rest you can let go of. In the example of the new born baby, it was what was really felt in the role, and what made a difference that was important.
Comments
You are an amazing in depth person Tony. You have helped me so much with your articles!
I had a dream..Me and some of my family members went to a strange place … Firstly there was very few houses..Then we discovered more..And also we discovered that tiger resides to this place like normal beings..You will find them anywhere you go.. I saw the tigers only resting,calm and composed..Then we visited a temple..There we’re also tiger and tiger cubs. We listened to the voices of people being chased by tiger cubs or tiger. And after sometime we all were afraid that the tiger might Chase us.. some people were calm.and the idea was those who stayed calm, tiger would never chase them..And then another moment appears a tiger cub chase people..The people get anxious and start screaming and running in groups.Thr tiger cub came inside the group of people very fast and everyone was. Trying to protect herself and started pushing each other.In this scenario the tiger cub bite onto my leg.but somehow I backed off and protected myself. Then the chase continued.I decided to go inside the temple and I stood there.now there were less people.yhe tiger cub came inside very calmly .He was was very small..But in my mind it was like he was searching for me..He looked on me and started staring with the kiddish eyes .Inside my heart I knew I will run if he will attack on me… Wandering around he sat on a box..I advised the priest of the temple to cover the box so that it could not chase anyone.it happened we all were relieved.then after this me and my family thought to go further.it was raining..And it was some Forest like place.and I don’t remember further what happened
I had a repetitive dream about my stepfather who passed away of lung cancer. It was always the same dream and continued for many years after his passing. I am a Christian and do believe his soul is with God in Heaven. The dream was as follows: my mother, my sister, and I would all be together in my mother’s house. We would be talking and carrying on as usual. Then, suddenly, my stepfather would come in…still bald from chemo, thin, emaciated from the cancer (the way I last saw him). We all would be extatic and overjoyed that he was back. We were crying and laughing and hugging him. However, each time he would stand there like a statue, never reciprocating the affection, he never spoke a single word or made a sound, but wore a smile…just as I remember. I told my sister about this dream and she said that she has the same exact dream. What does this mean? There were unresolved issues, could that be all that it is or does it mean more?
Hillary – A dream such as yours is a communication between what has no recognised form as far as our personality or reasoning mind is concerned. So to do this it uses images of people, things and animals, as well as scenes that we might understand if we explore what we associate with the dream images.
So the images in your dream are not the actual person but are a creation enabling you to have some awareness of what is being communicated. Remember a few well-known facts about how you encounter the so-called ‘real’ world of waking life. Firstly, when you look at an object such as an orange or apple, remember that although you have the sense of seeing what colour and texture the fruit has, in fact all you are seeing is reflected light. You never see the actual colour of the object. Also you receive light which is then translated into nerve impulses along the optical nerve. Those are then translated into brain images that your brain feeds to you – you never have a direct link with what you see but you live in a virtual world your brain creates.
Now translate that into realising that the dream world is also a virtual reality. Your dream is caused by so many factors – your beliefs and what view you have of death. Also what you believe the world your father is in – for instance, you probably believe he looks the same as the body he inhabited while alive, but it also involves what he was trying to communicate.
You might not realise that the after death world has the same features as the dream world- so paralysed might mean that he is frightened of what he is experiencing, or he is resisting the changes that the after death state offers – for to having left the world behind you need to be able to adjust to the universal life, to great love and immense freedom.
So you can help him by praying for him and surrounding him with your love and support. Tell him that he should give himself fully to God – which means letting go of any self-control and trusting the Lord.
Tony
I have had two very vivid dreams that my soon to be ex husband is seeking intimacy with me – I wanted this outcome for a long time but he chose his mistress. She is there, or close by, distraught or angry but I do not feel like a winner. I feel full of doubt. In the last dream my new man was there too and he stood up to my ex who seemed to be drunk. We both seem to be dragging our divorce out after a marriage of 30+ years.
I’ve sent a message on your Facebook site.. Asking for help on how to interpret my dreams… Can you please read and please reply thank you..
Hello,
I learned Dream Dialogue in 1990. I have been helping others using this process ever since! I am would like to discuss this process more in-depth, if possible. Please email me if you are interested.
Thank you,
Ledaire