A MAN IN his early thirties could not decide whether to pursue his interest in psychology, or to accept a traditional job that would "pay the bills." Just as he was about to settle for that "practical" job, he had this dream:

There is a thunderstorm in the air. I am in a lonely place in the mountains. At my feet a calm lake is inviting me to bathe. But the water is too cold and too pure. On the water I see the reflection of my dark figure surrounded by a glimmering, flickering aura. I should like to remain here in this quiet of nature. But the family-chorus calls: "Come back, we need you!" And with heavy heart I decide to cross the mountain, following one of the dangerous passways that leads through the dark, gloomy woods and past craggy rocks.

The "family chorus" calls the dreamer back from his "natural" world. Sometimes, turning our backs to our own potential happens by default; old programming takes over and our ideas and inspirations self-destruct before they ever see the light of day.

One of my clients, to whom I will refer as Margaret, felt very passionate about exploring a new approach to teaching dance and movement. She had this dream in the midst of her struggle to get rid of self-defeating, negative criticisms:

I'm in a science classroom. The teacher hands back exams. I got mine and it was a "D," or an "E." I had studied for the test and knew all the answers. I wanted to take it over again.

"I'm about formulas; my job is to subject people to certain sets of information - defined sets of rules. The stuff comes in and I apply the rules," she said, imagining herself as the "class." Then I asked Margaret how those formulas would work in her waking life. "It's doubt - that's a big one. Somewhere in my head there's this dark cloud of gloom that immediately labels my ideas as pointless; I constantly question whether something is reasonable or unreasonable," she explained, adding, "No creative idea gets past the test, the formula - it squelches everything!"

Margaret's dream has zeroed in like a laser on a self-destructive pattern, a way of thinking that, like a serial killer, methodically smothers each creative idea. Moreover, her dream explains that the "formula" originates in a "science classroom," a structure that represents a specific approach to life. The word, "science" derives from the present participle of scìre, meaning to know. Margaret's scientific formula approach to her creative life was based on the need "to know" in advance the outcomes and the consequences of her ideas, to make her creative life into an exact science.

She applied her new dream insight in her waking life to change the old formulas, and develop new ways to support her creativity and intuition. She removed conditions and expectations from her creative ideas. As she extricated her creative spirit from that science classroom with its pass-or-fail exams, she suddenly had more options, more ideas and possibilities began to blossom. Margaret could feel the excitement, the passion welling up of being free to go with her ideas, join her own creative process instead of mentally poisoning everything.

When we pay attention, our dreams are relentless in their support of creative ideas. I am convinced that dreams and the imagination are fundamental evolutionary dynamics we all have access to. To ignore our dreams is to ignore our own creative potential, our innate ability to create a life that has meaning, purpose and impact.

© John D. Goldhammer, Ph. D., 2006

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Goldhammer Ph. D., is a psychotherapist, dream researcher, and author of three books. This article is adapted from his most recent book, Radical Dreaming: Use Your Dreams to Change Your Life (Kensington Publishing / Citadel Press). He lives in Seattle, Washington.

You may visit John's website at www.radicaldreaming.com, or email him at jgoldhammer@mindspring.com.