Dreams, Symbols, and Soulful Solutions...

"How do dreams work? Can they heal me?" These questions were asked by a student interested in the healing potential of dreams. I answered, "They can help you to heal. There are things inside that we all need to face, things we'd rather not. Dreams help us to face them. They give us symbols that bridge the gap between the conscious and unconscious mind. Symbols carry a natural energy that pulls us together, makes us whole." 

C.G. Jung wrote, "Insofar as analytical treatment makes the "shadow" conscious, it causes a cleavage and a tension of the opposites which in their turn seek compensation in unity. The adjustment is achieved through symbols . . . If all goes well, the solution, seemingly of its own accord, appears out of nature." (Memories, Dreams, Reflections 1962, p. 335.)

The student went on to ask, "So it's organic, like natural?" I replied, "It's as natural as natural is. Dream symbols come from within you and help the fractured parts of your mind come together, heal, naturally." He shook his head, quizzically, but satisfied. 

Dreams are an avenue of natural healing. They offer solutions that take time, sometimes a lifetime, but time well spent and hopeful. There is a vast reservoir within us of nightly visitations from nature--dreams, symbols, and soulful solutions.