Dream Animals

 

Some say that animals are the greatest teachers of the dream world. Why? By simply appearing within our dreams, an animal can convey a huge amount of multi-layered information to our waking self. Say you dream of a deer in a forest. Is there a part of you needing comfort from her gentle, watchful nature? Perhaps she is encouraging you to find a more graceful way of moving in the world? Or, as an animal possessing acute vision and hearing, does deer bring you the gift of heightened senses? What does your dream deer mean to you?

           

Dreams speak to us on many levels simultaneously. On larger, more general levels, dream animals hold mythological meaning and archetypal truths. Deer may bring to mind the tales of King Arthur, for example, or other mythic stories of individuals lured into the woods to face new adventures. Dream animals also reveal totemic qualities – deer’s symbolic traits of innocence, humility and gentleness, for instance. Animals are often the dreaming self’s shorthand, used to convey rich, diverse textures of cultural and collective meaning to our waking mind.

           

But dream animals represent personal qualities as well. That is why my dream deer holds a different message than your dream deer. As messengers from our unconscious, dream animals reveal the secrets, riddles and puzzles that are unique to our own understanding and development. Some dream animals support and encourage us by sharing their talents – a seagull showing us how to ride wind currents or a mouse revealing secret hiding spaces. In waking life, this may translate to our need to meet new challenges by sensing the flow and rising to new perspectives, or to seek out safe, concealed places that cannot be easily discovered.

           

Dream animals may come to teach, heal, or offer us the benefits of their species’ wisdom. For some humans, this is a wonderful introduction to meeting a power animal. Dream animals may also awaken dormant energy, stimulating strengths and skills that we may not even be aware we possess. Some come as “answers” to our problems, offering new views and insights to those areas which confuse or trouble us. Animal dreams also offer a metaphoric mirror of how our inner self sees our waking self. What we do in a dream often reveals our relationship to our own personal evolution.

 

Dolphin Dream by Polly Lazaron

 

I am driving on a bridge surrounded by ocean. I see ocean in front of me and on all sides. I am excited because I am on my way to see dolphins and whales. Suddenly, dolphins appear to my left, leaping and frolicking. I watch them with joy. “Where are the whales?” I wonder. “I really want to be with the whales,” I think, feeling a little disappointed. I realize I have just moved out of the joy and the moment of seeing the dolphins by thinking. Focusing again, I see the dolphins reappear. I greet them and thank them. Looking straight ahead, I see there is no car and there is no bridge. I am consciousness joyously skimming over the surface of the ocean. Yes!

 

 

Because we are often less judgmental and more open to creative possibilities while dreaming, some animal guides make first contact within our dreams. They may use the dream state as a means of teaching us, or as a prelude to meeting us in our waking world. Calling us to attention within our dreams, they invite us deeper into lessons that unfold beneath our conscious awareness.

           

The challenge, then, is to link dream consciousness with waking life. Part of our own discovery rests with how we hold, handle and relate to our personal dream images on waking.

 

Tips For Dream Recall                        

 

Let yourself linger. On waking, keep your eyes closed for a few moments to fully appreciate and recall any fleeting dream images. Enjoy the blurred boundary between sleeping and waking as you review your dream. Important details can often be recalled in this “inbetween” state of consciousness.

 

Finesse the fragments. Sometimes, all we remember is a fragment: a single image, word, or feeling. Although they may be tempting to dismiss, treat these precious bits just as you would any dream – record it, sketch it or speak it aloud. When combined with a little inquisitive attention, even the smallest fragment can become a key to unlock an entire dream.

 

Sleep on it. Some cultures believe that what we sleep on can influence our dreams. Dream pillows (filled with memory-inducing herbs such as lavender, rosemary and catnip) may stimulate your sense of smell to encourage memories. Another method involves placing a gemstone or crystal beneath your pillow as an aid to recall. Or, try using a small animal fetish, photograph, or even the word “remember” written on a piece of paper. It is the act of placing the object under your pillow with the intention of remembering that aids recall.

 

Ask for help. Before going to sleep, state out loud your desire to remember fully and effortlessly all of your dreams. Request assistance from your dream animal, dreaming self or animal guide. The more energy you focus on recalling your dreams, the greater the rewards.

 

      Back to Table of Contents             Read next excerpt

 

 Buy the Book!