Is dream incubation only a vestige of absurd and superstitious rituals that only bears meaning for populations who live at the antipodes of the western world?

Well no! 

Since the sixties dream incubation has been brought back to the forefront by American dream researchers.  It has convinced and conquered those who have practiced it and it is spreading widely among those who are interested in their dreams and seek a dialogue with their interior world, with their unconscious.

 Throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe all researchers recommend its use and recognize its merits. 

Incubation is a very simple and efficient venture.

Here, I ‘m offering a summary of the procedure. ( See below* for more explanations)

All that is needed is that you ask your dream for guidance.

For example, writing a letter to your dream you can ask :

Dear dream:

- Can you give me explanations about my current life situation ?

Or :

- Can you show me how I can better my relationship with my father ?

You can ask whatever you want. Here are the 3 questions Nathalie, one of my friends, asked the dream the first time she made an incubation.

Of course she got an answer ! We will see it an other time.

However, the best is to limit yourself to one question at a time. You can finish your letter by saying, please give me a clear answer.

Slide the envelope under your pillow and sleep tight.

It seems ridiculous?  incredible?  Try it, you’ll be astounded.                         

The next day, you’ll have a dream and you might say: this dream has nothing to do with my question!       

Please don’t put aside your dream because of this reason. In your bed, concentrate on the dream, don’t move your head otherwise the dream will be lost, dreams being so ephemeral.

If you are in a hurry, first note the main points and powerful images and later on you can write your whole dream including all the details since they are all significant. 

Then try to understand your dream in regards to the question you have asked.

Try to train with the interview method to analyze a person in your dream.

Or seek the help of a competent interpreter. You’ll be astonished !              

Countless people have been helped in this way.

Next time we will see quite a story, and discover how the dream answers Irina’s question.

* For more detailed explanations I recommend Ryan Hurd’s excellent booklet : “Enhance your dream life”.

 Just click on the book cover on our blog, and click again on the same book cover on Scott Sparrow’s website. You can  download the booklet for free. Read it, it is easy and efficient.

I thank the artists and photographers whose works permit me to illustrate my blog

As I have told you, from time to time you will find here a short lesson in dream interpretation.

Let us begin today, and first:

Remember :

Most of the time the people in our dreams represent facets of ourselves (We will see later that it is not always the case).

We all, men and women, have two opposite and complementary aspects in our psyche, a masculine and a feminine one.

Thus a man in dreams speaks of masculine aspects of the male dreamer himself or of masculine aspects of the woman herself.

Some general features characterizing a man

Most of people will agree with the following description:

Because of his sexual morphology, the man represents a dynamism of affirmation in the outside, concrete, material world.

 This force manifests itself primarily through creativity.

The man corresponds to the ability to think, to live in the world of thoughts and ideas.

He is at ease with logical thinking, reflections and analysis.

It corresponds to the ability to organize and build projects.

This force manifests itself in action

It represents the capacity to act, to persevere, to defend a project in order to bring it to its realization.

So, generally speaking, the man represents the conscious world.

These general assertions are useful, when the man in the dream is unknown.

However when the man is somebody that the dreamer knows, then it is necessary to also take into consideration the personal features of the man appearing in the dream.

Personal features

 How to understand the image of a particular man in a dream ?

 Following the successive steps of the Interview Technique will help you :

Step 1

 Ask questions

When you have a man in a dream, you always must ask two questions about him :

The first question is: “Who is he ?”

Note down 3 or 4 answers describing him.

The second question is : “How is this man ?” 

Again note 3 or 4 traits describing him.

That way you have gathered the necessary information.

Step 2

Now recapitulate

Reword this information in one or two sentences, using the dreamer’s own words, and then invite the dreamer to think about it.

Note : Give preference to the use of the abstract attributes and explanations :

Example : in Miki’s particular case  I have chosen to say : “someone who has a problem making choices”, rather than an “old buddy”.

Careful ! To recapitulate does not mean to summarize :

Doing the recapitulation, you must use the dreamer’s exact expressions. You must use his words and never add your own.

Step 3

Establish a link between the image of the dream and the dreamer’s life

The appropriate question is :

- At the time, when you had this dream, does this attitude “ problem with making a choice" remind you of a similar situation in your own life, in your external or internal world ?

After a time of reflection the dreamer becomes aware of the link existing between the man in the dream and his own way of being in his everyday life. In this way the dreamer finds the meaning of his image and bridges the unconscious and the conscious

Step 4

Verifications

To verify that the meaning found is exact, you have to ask the dreamer for additional explanations.

For example, Miki must explain in what way she has acted like her buddy. What she ‘s said about him must also correspond to her in detail.Only then can you be sure that the image has been correctly understood.

This verification step is indispensable. Perform it being rigorous and honest.

I wish you much fun. Take time, and enjoy the surprises !

Bibliography:

The interview method used above was developed by the American psychologist Gayle Delaney in her book: All About Dreams (1998).

You can also find explanations on her website: How to conduct a dream interview

On my blog you will find the link and some of her books.

Illustrations

I thank all the artists and photographers whose works permit me to illustrate my blog.

Chris Noth, Big in “ Sex and the City”.

Painting on a hill near Dorchester in England, dated probably before the middle age.

Newton by the English artist William Blake :

Pasteur, a famous scientific French researcher in the 19th century, inventor of pasteurization

George Clooney

Recapitulate : http://thetoltecpath.files. wordpress.com

Summarize : http://www.corporatelandingsms.vbschools.com

The 2000 years old bridge constructed by the Romans in Gard, Southern France, recognized by the UNESCO as World heritage of Humanity Site. http://fr.academic.ru