Relief from an Asclepion Temple
Instead of just hoping you will get an inspiring or helpful dream, you proactively intend that what you need will come to you. It may come in the form of metaphor or story or a direct answer that is easily understandable. Early historical references to this kind of dream can be seen in the dream healing practices of the
asclepions of ancient Greece and elsewhere in the Mediterranean. These temples to the healing god Asclepius were forerunners of our modern hospitals in that people went there to eat healthy food, exercise and be treated for diseases and conditions diagnosed through dreams.
Henry Reed, Ph.D., of the Edgar Cayce Institute for Intuitive Studies developed a detailed, methodically and scientifically researched explanation for incubating dreams which can be found at: http://www.henryreed.com/incubation.pdf. Please check it out for an in-depth understanding of incubating a dream.
Basic Instructions for Incubating a Dream
A shorter version of the dream incubation instructions would include doing the following:
- On the evening before you want to have the dream, carefully think about the issue or concern for which you want inspiration or resolution. The more energy and thought you put into this helps with the outcome you will get. It should be something that is of genuine concern either to you or somebody else.
- You may want to light a candle or do a little ritual to add significance to the occasion.
- Write down the issue and the question. Pose a question that is as specific as possible in getting the information or assistance you want.
Example of Concern:
I haven’t had an eye exam in a long time. I am worried because my eyes aren’t quite as sharp as they were before. Do I have an eye problem? I hope I’m not going blind. (Be aware of your feelings abou the issue such as fear. This will add a sense of importance and intensity which, based on my experience, helps for a better outcome.)
- You may want to write down the question and put it under your pillow.
- Just before you drop off to sleep tell yourself again (or pray if that is normal for you) that you want a dream which will give insight, an answer or a resolution to your question.
- Some people have more than one dream during any given night. Take note of the very first dream you get. That is the dream that is the response to your request.
- Before moving and while still in bed, review the dream sequence and give the dream a title. Then note every image, object, person, sound, etc. in the dream.
- On rising or while still in bed, write down the dream in detail in the present tense and give the dream a title.
Example of Dream:
House with Dirty Windows
I am walking around my yard looking at my house. I am pleased to see that it is in pretty good shape. There are no major problems. I do notice, however, the panes in the windows have a film on them. I take a closer look and see that the glass itself is OK. It has not corroded or been scratched. The windows just need cleaning.
- Reflect on the dream in general by making associations. What do the images in the dream remind me of in my life? When I see the house in my dream, it reminds of my body. For the most part, it’s in good shape, but the windows need cleaning.
- Reflect on each association: What do the dirty windows remind me of? My eyes! Windows let light into the house just like my eyes let light into my brain. My dream indicates there is a problem but it can be fixed. Since the windows are basically OK, my eyes are probably also OK. Maybe my eyes just need “cleaning.” Maybe I’m getting cataracts and need to have them removed.
- Act on the dream. Go check the windows of my house. Maybe they are dirty! Dreams have a way of making comments at various levels of meaning. Go see a doctor about my eyes with the confident feeling that whatever my issue is, it can be fixed. Most likely my eyes are basically OK.
Remember that any advice you get in dreams is not a substitute for seeing a professional like a doctor, mechanic, lawyer, etc! With serious issues, it helps to get both inner advice and advice from experts! You will want to touch all the bases and go with what works for you.
An Energy Symbol
As I discovered in my
kundalini experience, and as Asian medicine teaches, the human body is a great receptor and communicator of energy. According to Asian medicine, the total body’s energy field connects and communicates with all its parts to keep itself healthy. It seems to hold within it the overseeing intelligence that tells the pancreas to produce insulin, or lets us know to drink fluids when we are thirsty. What is implied is that each of the organs has an intelligence of its own that can communicate with other organs and parts of the body, and that there is a manager handling all this information.
Dream Images Give Us Pictures of our Energy
Intuitive healing basically uses the body’s capacity to receive and transfer energy through its energy field. The body’s five senses, memory, imagination and the so-called sixth sense, intuition, both hold and convey the energy in messages concerning the body, mind or spirit. Content presented in any of these ways through dream, prayer and intuitive meditation can be viewed as representing or symbolizing a piece of energy or information present in the body’s energy field. Thus, we can get a handle on what the body‘s energy field is telling us about our current health status, a possible diagnosis for an issue, or a potential healing treatment. For example, dream images may be symbols of healing energy in the body, or may symbolize the ailment itself. The same can be said about information coming directly or through symbols in intuitive meditation. This means that the body and its organs and all its parts can communicate with us on an energy level if we have the means to listen and be receptive! Being so interconnected means we can proactively request information and get a response on healing issues through dreams and intuitive insight. This truth has been known since ancient times and was used for hundreds of years in aesclepions, the dream healing centers of Greece.
Our Task is to Learn from the Body and Its Energy Field
However, to connect with our intuitive healing capabilities, it helps to know a something about: 1) how this information gets expressed in dreams and intuitive meditation and 2) how energy works in the body. Our task becomes, then, essentially learning from the body and its energy field to teach us how to heal and stay healthy. In a sense, all of us are already doing this when we listen to the needs of our body such as getting some sleep when we feel tired. This self-care can be done on a much more effective and systematic level by doing ongoing dreamwork. Dreamwork focusing on health is about intentionally learning to tune into the needs of our body, emotions and spirit through energy that gets expressed and symbolized in a variety of ways in dreams, intuitive insight and prayer.
