Thank you Tony, I read through the link. Thanks for drawing attention to the energy of fear.
..this was also very helpful from your site. 'To feel fear in a dream means that you have not yet developed abilities to cope with what is symbolised as causing the fear. One of the wonderful things about dreams if you work with them, is that they gradually show you how to deal with the parts of your nature that need to grow or to be healed. They show how to meet the parts of yourself that need release, or to be understood or healed. If it takes courage to meet these buried or painful parts of yourself, then your dreams will gradually take you on a journey that helps you to unfold your resources of courage. You will be enabled to face your fears, and in fact gain power and instruction from them.'
In Nightmares, Isn't the power of the dream the fact I don't know it's a dream? That way I can truly work with my fear. If I were to say,'oh it's just a dream' I lose that opportunity.
Emm, but on the other hand I guess fear, is actually the feeling of powerlessness. And if you can feel 'power' in the dream over what causes fear, such as being able to recognise it's a dream, I guess that's growth of a kind.
A lot of fearseems to me to be lack of nurturance/support/safety and as you say above, not having developed the abilities to deal with the source of the fear. So now in all areas of fear - instead of feel the fear and do it anyway, or raw courage, I'm trying to give myself what I need and build up to a moment of readiness, natural and unforced, I believe it's a sea change.
John Donne
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
Dream: This morning I woke with a tiny snippet of a dream. I am standing beside a tall dark skinned man, possibly Indian, I am positioning his hands on a rifle teaching him how to shoot it, I'm also telling him he has to have a more aggressive facial expression for it to work. He is rather soft and unsure and I'm thinking it will take a bit leap for him to embody the necessary energy.. Seems not even my 'shadow' (?) side is very agresssive!