Dreaming with the Earth
Dreaming is often underrated for its power to inspire or guide our unfolding lives. This lack of honour for our inner experience is relatively new for humanity; where we once gave great value to insights revealed in dream-time.
Most wisdom traditions from around the world will tell you just how valuable your dreams really are, life-saving even!
Whilst science is still far from understanding the full potential of dreams. There are now many studies that highlight how important dreams are for emotional and mental wellbeing.
A study at University California, Berkeley has shown how dreams help people recover from depression after a challenging life event, like divorce or loss. The study showed those who dreamt about the difficult life event in the months that followed, recovered much quicker from depression than those who did not.
“REM sleep is the only time when our brain is completely devoid of the anxiety-triggering molecule noradrenaline.
At the same time, key emotional and memory-related structures of the brain are reactivated during REM sleep as we dream. This means that emotional memory reactivation is occurring in a brain free of a key stress chemical, which allows us to re-process upsetting memories in a safer, calmer environment.”
Professor Matthew Walker, University of California, Berkeley.
Many more ‘supernatural’ experiences are well documented in the astral/dream realm; from prophetic experiences of what is to come, meeting loved ones who have passed, learning from master teachers, to flying and breathing under water!
One of my favourite pathways of exploration as I lay asleep in bed is connecting with the Earth; with trees, plants and the mountains.
Connection with the Earth in dream-time has been life-saving for indigenous people from around the world, perhaps since homosapiens first walked the planet.
For the early Iroquois tribes of North America, dreams were considered the most important source of practical and spiritual knowledge. The first business of the day was to share dreams, to reveal insights for the individual's path and the whole community. In winter they relied upon gifted dreamers to locate game and find sustenance for the people.
For Aboriginal people of Australia ‘The Dreaming’ explains the origin of the universe and the workings of nature and humanity from ‘Everywhen’. It shapes and structures life through the regulation and understanding of family life, the relations between the people, land and spirits.
The Sonenekuiñaji are an Ese Eja group who live in the tributary area of the Madre de Dios River in Peru and Bolivia. They are said to receive the names of their future children through an interaction with an animal in their dreams. They too dream of plants to cure sickness and where they may find food.
Long ago, Druid’s from across Europe would send gifted dreamers from their tribe on a pilgrimage to Mona in Wales (now known as Angelsea) to study the great mysteries of dreaming. Sacred tree groves would hold wisdom like cosmic libraries and the dreamers were held in great reverence for their ability to receive guidance for the community.
Interestingly, any culture that has this relationship with dreaming appears to have a harmonious relationship with nature. Reciprocity with the earth and All that exists is deeply understood, where giving and taking finds a natural balance. This is known as ‘Ayni’ in the Andean Quechua language, a living and breathing philosophy of mutuality.
Some years ago my friend Kim from @hedgerowmedicine introduced me to wild rose (Rosa Canina, or Dog Rose) in a hedgerow in England. Kim guided us in meditation to meet the spirit of the rose after foraging that day.
I was nursing a broken heart at the time and after an intimate connection with the rose in the meditation, I was visited regularly by this spirit in my dreams. Over a period of 6 months Rose would teach me the ways of love and gently encourage my heart to open and blossom like a flower once again..
A few years before this I was incredibly fortunate to study and meditate with a Mystery School in Guatemala called Las Piramides. It was here where I began to realise the full potential of conscious dreaming; how we can learn, evolve and heal through lucid dreams and astral travel. For which I am eternally grateful!
Towards the end of a 40 day silent retreat with the school, I began to dream of setting up community gardens back in the town I grew up in. The dreams were detailed, showing the people I would be gardening and enjoying the fruits with in this area of deprivation. I was very resistant to returning to the town I had left 9 years ago, but the dream kept coming each night.
Over the years I have learnt that the worst thing you can do with intuition, is ignore it! So I returned to Luton (once voted ‘worst place to live in England’) and slowly everything I had dreamt came to be. All the right people came together to create beautiful abundant vegetable gardens, sanctuaries in the midst of an industrial town.
The dreams kept coming, with reassurance to keep going when I felt overwhelmed, plants showing where they would like to live, and herbs revealing themselves as medicines when I needed them most.
Dreams have been the guiding force for many incredible things throughout history. From the inception of Steiner Schooling and Biodynamic farming through Rudolf Steiner, to Larry Page’s dream revealing the blueprint for Google. Other realisations inspired by dreams include: the periodic table, Einstein's theory of relativity, the double helix spiral structure, the structure of the atom and the invention of the sewing machine (to name but a few!).
The wonderful news is, this inspiration is available to everyone! We all sleep and dream each night, a unique and precious doorway to profound realisations, healing and wisdom.
I believe the more each of us remembers to value our dreams again, the more beauty we will create upon the planet. The more you listen to your dreams, the less you live someone else's!
The world wants people to follow their dreams like never before, to create a place we would love our children's children to live in.
If you are ready to remember how to dream, to dream lucidly and explore the full potential of bedtime - join the next Lucid Dream Course coming up.
The three month dream circle is the perfect container to help you to dream big and to begin living them.
”I have just finished the lucid dreaming course and I feel it has been a catalyst for profound healing & awakening in my life. I learned practices that deepen my connection to my body and the elements that will stay with me forever.
My whole perspective has changed as I lean into the magic I forgot about since being a child. I appreciate James and his way of teaching that brings a pure joy to the practices. He reminded me that it's ok to have fun with it. So now I am enjoying relating to the world outside me and my inner dream world in a new, curious way. I am so grateful for the healing space James held for the course and would highly recommend!” - Kaitlyn
“I recently embarked on a 3 month lucid dream journey with James. I had such a profound experience of healing and cultivating a deeper connection with myself. I have been both blown away and in awe, by the insight, guidance and experiences shared by all.
James warms your soul with his heart, good humour and story-telling. He brings deep wisdom and experience to the course. I feel honored to have had this magical door opened with a variety of practices to continue on the dreaming journey... it has only just started :-)” -Samantha