What are Dreams?
The Sleeping Brain
Divided into two hemispheres, our brains continue to function while we sleep. The left hemisphere is either partially or fully inactive during sleep. It’s offline. Left hemisphere processes logical, rational, analytical linear thinking with words connecting facts and ideas. It deals with our everyday reality, making choices, decisions and reasoning. However, brain function continues during sleep within the right brain hemisphere.
The right hemisphere functions both while we are awake and asleep. It actively processes non-verbal, non-linear, non-logical information. The specifics attributed to the right hemisphere are characterized by face and body language, metaphor, emotion-soaked images, patterns, intuition, context, seeing the whole, and the unconscious. This is the language that forms dreams. Dreams are metaphorical scenes, objects and persons.
What Happens? Why?
Dreams emerge from the right hemisphere and create images and patterns that are informative building blocks. Dreams do not tell the dreamer what he or she already knows. They do not give us specific answers to questions. They point to something we need to realize at this specific time in our lives. They are not judgmental. They seek to make an adjustment in the way we understand things, to address our values, concerns, conflicts, goals, parts of ourselves, emotions and more. They are a source of constant knowledge and surprising gifts. Creatively strange and uniquely yours, they reflect nuanced information from the deeper parts of yourself. Like nature, they are layered and related, swirling with possibilities. You have the capacity to investigate the images and actions, and use them as a resource to grow. I meet you wherever you begin. You can share even the smallest fragment or single image you receive and it will be fruitful. As people continue dreamwork, they recognize the rich creative ways their unconscious serves them.
Photo: Rush of Color, by Nick Zungoli, https://TheExposuresGallery.com
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