I believe, as dream expert Jeremy Taylor teaches, that all dreams come for the purpose of our wholeness and healing. However, there are some dreams that are more obviously directed toward our own physical, emotional, and spiritual well being. And it’s especially important to take note of them.
Hundreds of books, blogs, and articles have been published about the topic of Healing Dreams. A seminal book on the subject is called just that, Healing Dreams, by Marc Barasch. When I first read that book I must have used at least fifty post-it notes to mark my favorite parts. Wanda Easter Burch, in the book She Who Dreams, also writes about dreams and how important they were in her fight against breast cancer.
I’m sure many of you also have dreams to share on this topic. Here is one of mine:
A beautiful white deer comes to me in a barn. She lays herself down at my feet. She is clearly injured and she appears to trust me, so I gently stroke her body and allow energy to emanate from my hands. She also appears hungry and so I offer her my banana, which she eats. Then I perceive that she is thirsty, so I chip ice off of her body and give her the ice that her thirst may be quenched. After a short while, she makes an effort to stand. I watch with sadness as she leaves. I’m glad she is better and I feel sad to see her leave.
I had this dream a few months after a diagnosis of early breast cancer and a subsequent lumpectomy. I was shaken by this diagnosis and I found I needed to remove myself from the workaday world for a while so that I could do some deeper healing work.
I was so touched and honored by this beautiful dream. The white deer felt so sacred. I just couldn’t get the dream out of my mind. I found myself sharing the dream that morning with a dear friend during the few hectic moments before she dashed off to work. She remarked that maybe the deer was me and perhaps I was hungry and thirsty and in need of some healing touch.
I felt so stupid that I hadn’t seen such an obvious message. She and the dream were right on target. I was living in very humble circumstances at the time with no running water close by, and the kitchen which was at my disposal was in another building. During this period of time I didn’t always have enough water on hand to keep me hydrated and I was so hungry for time alone, that I chose to stay away from the kitchen at dinner time. In addition, the ice may have indicated that I was not keeping physically warm enough. (Being encased in ice can obviously mean many things, and I’m sure I was metaphorically a bit frozen at the time as well.) And certainly, I was hungry for healing touch and good healing energy.
I hope you learn from me that sometimes it really does help to share your dreams with a wise friend, therapist, or dream circle! Sometimes we are too close to see the messages. Other people may see themes and messages that we have completely missed. A note of caution, however: Be sure to choose people who are sensitive. Dreams are special and we don’t want them trammeled by the wrong people.
If you have had any healing dreams, I would be honored to hear them.
May you be blessed.