Dreams in Daily Life: A continuation of 12 basic concepts of Celtic Spirituality

In previous posts, I have discussed thresholds and wandering.

Dreams are both thresholds and wanderings, aren’t they?

Dreams are often messages from the ancestors/ greater powers/gods and goddesses/ the fates. One of the best ways to remember your dreams is to place a journal and pen by your bed at night and then ask the great powers for a dream before sleep. Even if you awaken with only a fragment or a feeling, record that upon waking.

Dreams come when we are in-between waking and deep sleep. Our minds are wandering, cleaning up the experiences of the past day, dealing with anxieties, replenishing enthusiasm, listening to our spirit guides. There we are with the fluttering eyelids in the REM state watching movies in our minds.

Now let us talk about daytime dreams, also known as daydreams.

Yes there are some Psychological Benefits of Daydreaming

• Creativity & problem-solving. When we allow our minds to wander, we can come up with different, new, and innovative ways to do things and solve problems.

• Enhanced memory. ...

• Empathy. ...

• Focus. ...

• Incubation

Our daytime dreams also set the stage for our visions of what our future can be. Daydreams are fertile ground for the imagination. For what is the imagination but the language of the spirits?

Daydreams also increase our ability to tell stories and to receive stories from the great web of life where everything that is happening has already happened . . . AND . . .is always happening.

Have you ever taken a shower or bath and spaced out with the water running over you and suddenly, in that moment of no thought, there is the space for the answer to appear? You let hold of the grip on reality just long enough to relax and go down some winding mental pathways not normally visited. In the space of a second, the problem you thought unsolvable is now . . . solved.

I just Googled “problems solved in the shower” but got a bunch of suggestions on fixing the shower. Oh darn.

My 2nd try was more fruitful: “Problems solved daydreaming shower” (word choice is so important and Google is such a good teacher . . . )

Here are one writer*’s thoughts:

“Studies have found that after a period of mind wandering, the mind makes more creative connections between bits of information you already know. As for the shower? It’s kind of the ideal epiphany incubator. Not only does the warm water elevate your mood, but you also focus your attention inward. “You have some mild sensory deprivation. You can’t see very much. There’s the white noise of the water. The water is warm so you can’t feel the difference between your skin and the air,” says Kounios. “This sensory restriction is like an extended brain blink. You cut out the outside world and ideas bubble up into awareness.” So, next time you’re stuck on a problem, try taking a break and letting your mind wander. Or just take a shower. You never know. An epiphany just might be waiting for you.”

So while nothing is new it IS new in how you bring it forth and share it. Your uniqueness is your gift to the world.

So please, daydream more. Shower more. And I thank you for it!

And you can now call your shower your EPIPHANY INCUBATOR.

*Interesting, this quote is from Headspace.com but no writer is attributed to the article.