There is a certain ‘ambience’ that has emerged over recent months, a feeling as though we are collectively reaching the edge of some large precipice. How long will it be until we topple over that edge?

And it seems these changes are not just limited to the physical world. I don’t normally make reference to this sort of thing, as it is very subjective, but it feels as though there are internal changes occurring with many people. A reconfiguring on a certain deep inner level; almost a ’spiritual’ awakening – but combined with somewhat darker energies. A number of people I know have recently came directly face to face with their Shadow self. For some this has happened in the waking world, for others it has manifested in dark fearful dreams.

I have felt this myself during the in-between twilight world, in those moments before sleep. It’s something which is very difficult to explain, because as I said it is very subjective.

Personally I think we are moving into a time where more and more people are going to start questioning the nature of society, and ultimately even the nature of reality itself. I mentioned at the end of last year that 2008 would be the period which would snap people awake in shock – as the old perceived stability noticeably crumbles. Yet again I have to express I believe that this will be for the positive. Every time humanity has gone through a dark period we have emerged from it far stronger and perhaps somewhat wiser.

To put this in another context, there is a certain acceleration which affects everything in modern times. Everything occurs at a faster pace; communication is faster, change happens more rapidly, ideas and knowledge spread at a pace never before conceived. This perhaps is one of the reasons things are starting to fly apart, as the old junk is getting separated from the shear speed. And by the same token, if we are indeed descending into a global crises, it will most likely be over and done with much faster than any other global crisis in history.

Since the explosion of Comet Holmes on 24 October 2007, the gaseous clouds which are a part of the comet have continued to grow by such a magnitude, that Comet Holmes is now the largest object in the Solar System, larger even than the Sun.

Most traditions, metaphysical, spiritual and otherwise have often considered comets to be heralds. The stream of consciousness which permeates everything in the Universe, and of which we are linked – manifests itself in many forms. This is the basis of much of astrology; the comprehension of the influence of consciousness on man and the interstellar bodies. So the question; “What does the arrival of Comet Holmes in this form mean?” has vital relevance from this point of view.

Look at the changes going on around us and it is pretty clear that humanity is moving in two directions. The deadening of the spirit as the fascist states gain increasing momentum. And the raising up of the spirit as an increasing amount of people are awakening to an entirely different level of reality and consciousness. Keep those two points in mind has you go about your day-to-day basis, and you will begin to see many examples of both those aspects.

It is quite possible to carry items into the dream-world with you. Or at the very least allow the symbolism of those items to work of your sub-conscious mind. A friend of mine spent time sleeping with a specific tarot card; from this he learnt special meanings from the cards and formed a deeper relationship with them.

I have often found that I carry anxious thoughts and feelings into my dream world – and they appear in the form of specific symbolisms or people. That is classical dream interpretation at work. Understanding those symbols is vital in coming to terms with ourselves and our life, and indeed we can look for such symbolism in our waking life.

The sub-conscious mind works in a different manner to the conscious mind and it is much better at processing symbolism and symbolical meanings. So carrying items and possessions which have symbolical meaning to us into our dreams potentially will grant us new perspectives on our self and our relationship with those items.

It is especially interesting to understand that such symbolism can consciously be carried from the waking world into the dream world. If you want to try this out – simply take something of personal significance to you and keep it under your pillow or near the bed. I think I am going to try this out with some other items and see what comes of it.

In order for this to work well though it certainly helps to have a reasonable grasp over dream-recall. And some ability with setting intent to remember your dreams or even to dream lucidly is useful. The world of the sub-conscious mind and the conscious mind needn’t have all the barriers we put in place between them, so working in this manner and consciously crossing those barriers can help to integrate us into a more cohesive whole.

To try and regain my ability of lucid dreaming, I needed to become aware inside of my dreams – to consciously dream. Being aware during dreaming can be a bit tricky, but there are a few techniques which can help. The first is to increase your dream recollection so that your mind gets a good grasp of how it feels to dream.

Anyway that done – I followed a practice I have used quite a few times, which is looking for an object within my dreams. In this case it was my hands. Once you realize you are dreaming, looking for something within your dreams helps bring about a degree of lucidity. The surprising thing for me, was that I became lucid on the first night I had started thinking about it. In the blackness of my sleep I became aware that I was sleeping, and thought; “Hey, ok – so I am asleep, let’s look for my hands!”

The odd thing was that a dream didn’t form around me. Instead my hands appeared in the blackness of my sleep-space. Now when first starting out to lucid dream it isn’t a good idea to focus on one thing for too long as the attention begins to fade and you can loose lucidity. So I started to look around for something else to look at, but as it was all blackness there wasn’t really anything much to see. As I looked up from my hands I noticed many twin dull green orbs, all of which appeared to be looking directly at me. I took them to be eyes, there wasn’t anything particularly pleasant about them either. So pretty quickly I decided to look back at my hands again. I didn’t get a whole lot further than that.

In the end there were two things of note about that experience. One; I gained lucidity on the first night of thinking about doing it. Two; the very odd, and somewhat unpleasant eyes that were watching me.

The dream-world certainly offers up some oddities.

Last night I decided to meditated for the first time in a long while. As I often do, I listened to a binaural beat – one called “Ascension” by Hemi-Sync. I went a lot deeper than I have on many occasions, and experienced my awareness floating around my consciousness. This went on for maybe half an hour, the texture of the experience changed from time to time as my awareness expanded and contracted. Then suddenly from out of the right of my “spirit” vision a light appeared, and moved towards the center of my sight.

At first I thought it was the Sun, as it was so bright and pure – but unlike the Sun, it wasn’t blinding. The light was an utterly pure white, unlike anything I have seen before. I only experienced this for a moment as the audio chose that moment to jump and end causing me to start out from the meditative state. I am not at all sure what that light was – but it didn’t look like an object of any type – it didn’t even have the appearance of energy as lamps or the sun does. Rather it looked like a “gateway” within my consciousness, or perhaps it was a gateway into a different level of my consciousness. The experience was very close to that of a vision, I was standing somewhere else looking out onto a metaphysical horizon and seeing the Sun – which wasn’t really the Sun, but an opening which appeared as a light.

There were also many realizations which I directly experienced, I was shown that the physical world, the spiritual world and the body are a Trinity. Our consciousness exists at the same time within both the physical worlds and the spiritual worlds, and it is the body which joins one to the other. Our awareness, is located within the body – but it can experience the full breadth of our consciousness – which exists both inside and outside our body. This was something I just suddenly knew and could feel on a deep level!

I also knew that everything is inside our consciousness…and this one is very tricky to put into words. During this meditative experience, my consciousness became all encompassing – even the things outside of my body were inside my consciousness. Yet my awareness was as a focal point which allowed me to experience consciousness.

All of this occurred within the space of about fourty-five minuets…and it was utterly profound. I was and am very grateful to have received such an experience.

Later, something else happened. During my sleep I kept hearing this most amazing song! It was a female voice singing in words I didn’t recognise, very powerful and similar to Latin. The song was deeply emotional, very sad and expressive, yet so still and focused. It seemed to come from the very center of my being – yet at the same time from somewhere outside of me, as though it was being expressed through me. I awoke a few times in the night, as you do; sometimes getting up for the toilet. But every time I went back to sleep this beautiful song would be there. In the final dream of the morning before I got up, I discovered that I was actually somehow singing the song myself.

This morning I feel far more relaxed, open and peaceful than I have for a very long time. Both experiences were very powerful events. Every so often reality sends something our way which uplifts us to a whole new level of awareness, and I am so thankful for it.

Related Resource:

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The most important factor in effective dream recall is relaxation and sleep. The sleep comment sounds obvious (you need to sleep in order to dream), I mention it for a reason though – you need to ensure you have enough sleep! When your body feels excessively tired you end up in prolonged states of very deep delta sleep. You are far less likely to remember dreams from such deep sleep. So getting enough sleep is essential when you want to discover your dreams. Another vital aspect is to feel relaxed, high-mental activity or stress will reduce your dream recall ability. When your mind is working overtime, there is so much going on within your sub-conscious that it becomes very difficult to interpret it all in a meaningful way. So try as best you can to create a relaxed atmosphere for an hour or so before you go to bed.

Once in bed you can further relax yourself, by simply laying still and paying attention to your thoughts. Rather than spending your time thinking, lay there and just be aware of your thoughts. You don’t need to stop them, just allow them to flow in their own manner and try not to get dragged along with them. This quite closely mirrors how your mind follows dreams. At a certain point of relaxation, the brain will move to a state that is very similar to dreaming. In fact you may have experienced brief flashes of imagery before you drop of to sleep. This is the mind moving into a dream-like state.

You can further assist this process by meditating just before you sleep, or else by listening to relaxing music. Avoid any heavy music as it stimulates the brain rather than relaxes it. You may also want to try brainwave entrainment audio. Binaural beats are very good for relaxing the mind, and you can listen to them on headphones whilst in bed – just before you go to sleep. Specifically an alpha binaural beat is good for relaxation – or better still try a theta binaural beat. Theta is the brainwave state your brain experiences during dreaming, so it can be a great help in exercising dream recall. Another alternative is to listen to an Om Chant, which can assist with putting you into a semi-lucid state – again very similar to sleep and dreaming.

Now it is important to create the correct state of mind for dream recall. Don’t pressure yourself too much, simply set the intention to remeber. Know that it is possible to recall your dreams. After all you can recall your waking memories can’t you? The next step is one you may have heard numerous times – keep a dream journal. Use a notepad or a small book to write down any and all dreams you have. Even if you don’t remember anything more than a few glimpses or random elements – still record them. It is important to get your mind used to the idea of remembering details from dreams, and writing them down will help enforce this. Write down your dreams as soon as you can. The longer you leave it the more likely it is that your recollection of the dream will begin to fade. That doesn’t mean you have to start writing in the middle of the night (although it is good if you can do that), just ensure you keep your journal regularly updated. Perhaps spend a few moments writing your dreams down before you get out of bed in the morning.

We tend to dream all throughout the night, but for the most part the dreams we remember most will be the ones from the early hours of the morning. Usually a few hours, or just before you get up. You may have noticed that in those hours before you get up, you tend to wake for a few moments every so often, and then fall back to sleep again. That is because we tend to awake for a short period between each dream. One method that I have found works for me, is to lay on my back during these hours. When you wake up after a dream, if you can do so, move onto your back. The position you lay in seems to have an effect on how you dream and what you can recall.

Again, when you finally wake up, make sure you write down everything you can recall from your dreams.

You may not experience great memory of your dreams after the first night or two of trying all this, and it is important to not worry about this fact. Slowly you will develop the ability to remember your dreams, and it needs to happen within its own time. Just make sure you keep your practice regular and consistent.

After a while of trying these things, try varying your methods a little to find what suits you personally. Try different ways of relaxing in the evening, listen to different types of music or audio. You could try going out for a nice peaceful walk before bed. Try writing in your dream journal at different times. We are all different as individuals so different variations will be more effective for one person than another. Once you have a good grasp of the basics, with slight modifications you will be able to develop your own personalized dream recall method or system.

If you want to share your dreams or recall development results, I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Alpha Binaural Beats from Brainwave-Sync

 

 

 

 

A powerful range of MP3 Binaural Beats

As part of the Brainwave Entrainment Collection, I am going to write a bit about Binaural Beats and the Alpha frequency. Alpha is a pretty noteworthy frequency of the brain; it is generally the state we experience during relaxation. That is when our mind and thoughts are least active. Alpha Binaural Beats help to induce this state, and when you consciously enter the alpha frequency with awareness, it can be a very pleasant experience.

Alpha is very much about relaxation, not just of the mind, but also of the body. Many people are very familiar with the alpha state, because it is the frequency that TV induces. This is why coming in after a hard days work and sitting in front of the TV helps to calm frayed nerves. The problem with this though, is that whilst our mind has been relaxed by the hypnotic flickering of the TV, we are constantly being bombarded with images and sound. Naturally, being relaxed means we are more open to suggestibility – and that’s where the adverts and news come into play.

So whist TV is often relaxing – due to the induction of the alpha frequency – it generally doesn’t help us sleep better. And our stress levels can switch back on once the TV goes off.

With alpha binaural beats it is somewhat different, because as the audio induces the alpha state, we are not consequently hit with streams of visual information.

As always with entries in the Brainwave Entrainment Collection I have included a free alpha beat mp3 for you to download and try out. Alpha doesn’t usually bring out much in the way of visions or lucid dreaming, but it is good for other experiences. I always listen to binaural beats whilst laying in bed whilst it is dark. But sitting down quietly will also work, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be dark. Once you have your earphones or headphones on and are listening to the audio, simply go with the flow of where it wants to take you.

Alpha binaural beats may make you feel a little ‘spaced out’. But don’t worry too much about this – how many times have you felt dissociated from your body whilst engrossed in something on TV? We tend not to notice too much whilst watching the box, because our attention is elsewhere, so the feeling is a little more pronounced when listening to the alpha audio in a silent environment.

Depending on your mood, you may find that the audio causes you to drift off to sleep. I have also experienced heightened thought processes as my mind moves rapidly of its own will without me giving it much attention. Another aspect of this frequency I have discovered, is that it can help with dream recall. Perhaps this is because whilst in the alpha state, your sub-conscious gets the rare opportunity to process all its junk whilst you are awake. This would mean that when you dream there is less fragmented nonsense for you sub-conscious to throw into your dreamscape.

Although the alpha frequency could be considered to be one of the “weaker” of the binaural beat ranges…I have found that it is often the most instantly rewarding. This maybe because the alpha range is that bit closer to our waking mind than say theta (dream state) or delta (deep-sleep). This seems to make it easier to get into, so would certainly be a good place to start if you are new to brainwave entrainment – or haven’t had much result from other types.

As with all binaural beats, give it a go everyday for a week or two, sometimes it takes a while to get any decisive results.

All in all alpha is one of my favourite forms of audio meditation.

I didn’t appear to be a participant in these dreams, and simply seemed to stand on the sidelines as an observer. The dreams were certainly intense, but not in an overly emotional way – it was more as though I felt etherically compacted and entrenched into a transparent sphere or cube against my will. The surroundings were unclear, distorted as though looking through misshapen glass, everywhere seemed to vibrate in an uncomfortable manner as though I didn’t fit in the dream.

These dreams happened for a few nights in a row, and would occur through-out the night. I never felt as though I got into a true deep sleep state. Now I experienced these dreams whilst staying in Hastings, as soon as I got back the dreams stopped.

I suspect that these dreams had something to do with the energy vibes of the area I was in (if not Hastings itself) – but there was something entirely off about the specific area. And this was either manifesting in my dreams, or else some-part of me was viewing this negative energy an a rather direct manner. Years ago these sorts of dreams would have really bothered me, but over the years I have learnt how to deal with them on both an emotional and energetic level.

A part of me is interested in exploring into what occurred down there, another part of me feels it is all best left alone. I know some of you are sensitive to this sort of phenomena, so I am wondering if you have ever experienced it before in this sort of way?

Now when I say the dreams are vivid – I don’t necessarily mean visually, they can also leave you with a very vivid sensation. In fact this is a distinction between the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ types of visitations. The negative ones tend to leave very vivid imagery and dark sensations filled with fear. Whilst the good ones are very difficult to recall any specific detail, yet they leave a safe, joyous feeling.

A few years ago I went through a period whereby some particularly nasty cretins would sneak into my dreams every night. These weren’t nightmares or night-terrors, as there was something far more tangible about them. A person, or people would come into my room, carrying a very threatening vibe with them. It would fill me with dread and fear, and though my eyes would be closed I would know that they / it was there. This carried on for quite some time, leading to all manner of horrid incidents. Eventually I discovered a weapon (in a very literal sense) to ward them of, and to this day, I still keep this weapon nearby. I also learnt that fear was what these beings thrived off, the more fear I fed them – the stronger they would become. A great parable for daily life if there ever was one.

In many ways the positive visitations are much more interesting. Like I said these type are very difficult to recall, they are like a gentle caress within the dream-scape, a soft and warm presence with a level of caring and love that is hard to relate. It is an energy that always embodies itself in feminine form, yet details other than that are vague. I have searched often to discover more about this particular form of visitation, with little real return.

What I do know is that the first type of dreams have an external source, they come from out there.

The warm positive dreams seem to come from inside the heart-energy. Such a profound loving warmth that is entirely within. These visitions are very enlivening and recharging, I like them. Yet they are much more harder to describe than the other types. But that is also true of all forces that come from within.

I have also had a number of other visitations; most notably this wonderful black guy – who would always carry such a vast confidence. I think he was some form of arbitrator, or some such. He would simply sit there and watch, or sometimes talk about the little things in life. Quite strange indeed. I haven’t seen him for a long time.

There are many types of dream-visitations. What sorts have you experienced?

So, what could be considered thought symbolism? In our dreams much of what we see has a symbolical meaning; for the most part, that meaning is personal and usually specific to the dreamer – but there are also symbols that could be considered somewhat generalistic. For example dreaming of floods or high waters could be a symbol for feeling overwhelmed. Dreaming of a tornado may mean you are in emotional turmoil. I tend to dream a lot about flying – which is generally considered to mean trying to escape your situations, however as mentioned many dream symbols also have specific personal meanings – over the years I have learned that there are many different meanings to my flight dreams – depending upon the rest of the dreams circumstances. It is up to you then, to learn how to view the such symbols. A good source of symbolism interpretation can be found at Dream Moods.

Much of what applies to our dreams can be applied to our waking mind. In some cases this manifests in our behaviour, in others it manifests in the thought loops that we have. This is where conscious thinking becomes absolutely vital, it is very easy to be unaware of our behavior – to not realise the affect of what we say or do. Many of the things we do and say form a part of a complicated chain of cause and effect. Someone says something to someone else which is upsetting, they go away and tell someone else – next thing there are relationship issues. We spend too much money and get into debt after just getting out of debt, leading to anxiety, frustration and despair. Ever wonder why so many people end up in the same sort of situations again and again?

The ego evolves according to the situation it is in, it’s personality – and that of our Shadow – grows dependent upon those circumstances that caused it to evolve. So an ego that developed under oppressive or submissive circumstances will naturally create for itself on going situations that reflect its earlier environment. This is all a part of the sub-conscious mind – which in truth has a great understanding of cause and effect. This is why it prompts irritation that causes arguments which lead to relationship issues. Or why some people are constantly decorating – because such people’s ego can’t find stability within itself.

Once you come to conscious thinking you will see the tell tale signs of the Shadow as it works through the sub-conscious mind. The attraction to expensive products is a symbolism of its need to be in debt – that aspect of ourselves – the Shadow, thrives on such negative circumstances. The girl or guy whom is always attracted to the “wrong person” is a symbolism – of what specifically it would be up to that person to determine. How we present ourselves is also a symbolism, as is the manner in which we conduct ourselves and our lives, along with the circumstances of our lives. When you look at life in this manner – you will see that quite often the symbolism of your waking world is much the same in context, as the symbolism of your dream world.

The importance of conscious thinking is in the fact that it allows you to directly interact with such symbolism as it arises. Therefore you become able to deal with issues before they arise. Feel the need to shout at someone? Pause and consider why that is. Have they genuinely pissed you off, or does a tiny part of you just like creating shitty situations? This is a truth many people willfully choose not to face – the fact that they quite often are responsible for creating their own problems. That is the pitfall of unconscious thinking – the subconscious mind will take you wherever it desires.

Initially it can be very difficult to deal with the feelings that arise when your mind becomes conscious of its own actions. Who wants to admit that they feel bad, because a part of them made them feel that way? Who wants to admit that their despondent circumstances are a reflection of what is going on deep inside? The emotions that come from such understandings can be totally overwhelming.

But the truth is, that such feelings pass. And inch by inch you begin to reclaim your own life, and give it its own direction and meaning. It’s an ongoing process, and one that doesn’t happen over night. It is less glamorous than the ideas portrayed in “The Secret”, but is no less effective for that. Interpreting thought symbolism through the use of conscious thinking opens up an entire new world. It allows you to take incremental steps towards changing your life. Initially it may involve a struggle with your ego, and the unconscious mind – but eventually you will win through. When combined understanding both conscious thinking and thought symbolism will give you a whole new outlook upon the world and reality.