As the name implies, a recurring dream is a dream which comes along more than once, sometimes reappearing at certain times through the life of the dreamer; sometimes the recurrent dream happens only a handful of times and then simply disappears.
If the dream is a lovely one, then it’s fine to enjoy it. But if it’s disturbing, or even something approaching a nightmare, you’ll probably want to get rid of it. Here are some tips to stopping a recurring dream in its tracks:
- Try to understand the dream; analyze what it means to you, and then use the A to Z entries in this book to learn about the symbolism of some of the objects in your dream.
- Appreciate that your subconscious mind is making great efforts to get you to understand something.
- Talk to that subconscious mind.
- Politely.
- Look for any aspect of the dream that might, if you looked at them in a different way, prove enjoyable or entertaining.
- Make detailed notes of the content of your recurring dream every time you have it. Watch out for subtle changes or nuances.
- Consider whether there are connecting patterns in your waking life that might cause a flare-up of the dream.
- Sometimes recurring dreams—even the nightmare kind—can prove useful in understanding who you are. Enjoy the experience as much as you can.
MOUNTAINS
Traditionally places of spiritual enlightenment where we communicate with the gods, it’s no coincidence that Moses received the Ten Commandments at the top of a mountain. If you are looking at mountains in your dream, then you are aware of the spiritual quest that your life holds. If you are climbing the mountain, then you’re on your way to accomplishing great things, but you know that it’s not always as easy as it seems. If you’re at the top of the mountain in your dream, then you have made a great achievement in your waking life, and your subconscious is telling you to be proud of yourself. If you are lost on a mountain, then your dream is reflecting your jumbled state of mind regarding that spiritual quest. Play with your dreams for a few days to find out how you can “find your way” again.
MULE
Mules are notoriously stubborn, so to dream of one could mean that there is someone or something in your life that is as equally stubborn, something that refuses to go away. However, mules are also strong and useful, and these qualities, as well as that stubbornness, can be used to advantage if you learn how to handle them.
MURDER
If you are the murderer in the dream, then this means you have to effectively “murder” something in your life that you no longer need. This might be represented by an actual person, but don’t worry, it’s likely to be a particular quality embodied by the person that you need to rid from your life—not the actual person. However, murder is also liable to be accompanied by a deal of guilt. This feeling of guilt and/or responsibility might be preventing you from enacting the “murder” in real life. Have a long hard think about which is more important; your own well being and state of mind, or the “thing” which your mind understands has to be eliminated?
FAMOUS FREAKY DREAMERS
THE ROLLING STONE
There are some occasions in which an idea in a dream ejects itself from the subconscious mind straight into the conscious one with no seeming effort required. This happened to Keith Richards. His particular slice of subconscious serendipity became one of the most famous rock and roll songs on the planet, “Satisfaction.”
Here’s how Keith describes the incident in his autobiography, Life:
Then came “Satisfaction,” the track that launched us into global fame. I was between girlfriends at the time…Hence maybe the mood of the song. I wrote “Satisfaction” in my sleep. I had no idea I’d written it, it’s only thank God for the little Phillips cassette player. The miracle being that I looked at the cassette player that morning and I knew I’d put a brand-new tape in the previous night, and I saw it was at the end. Then I pushed “rewind” and there was “Satisfaction”…And forty minutes of me snoring.
MUSEUM
A museum dream is like a “container” dream, in other words, the container (museum, in this case) represents you. A museum houses rare and precious objects, many of them antiques. These precious objects represent your inherent skills and qualities, those you have been born with and those that you have acquired through diligence and hard work. The dream is a reminder that it’s time to open those museum doors and let in the public.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
There are entries listed under specific instruments, but in general, these are all about harmony. If you are playing an instrument solo, then the dream indicates that you need to make your voice heard a little more frequently in your waking life. If you are playing in an orchestra, then you need to concentrate on teamwork. Generally speaking, musical instrument dreams are good dreams to have.
MUSTACHE (See Beard)