Tag: Paulist Press

Awakening to the Power of Dreams

(Excerpts/edits, and reflections from my reading, “Dreams: A Way to Listen to God” by Morton Kelsey, Paulist Press, 1978. ISBN: 0-80911-2046-1)

• 99% of the time when you dream about others, you are really dreaming about some part of yourself (whether positive or negative).

• Dreaming about war or fighting nearly always has to do with inner conflict.

• Certain universal themes/plots like being chased by a shadowy figure, or finding a new area in a house, have to do with reconciling issues of the inner person, or self-discovery.

• Dreams abide in the realm of symbols. Watch for repetition, patterns, and the associations you have to the symbols in waking life to start to better understand them.

• Dreams can carry both personal and universal symbols, and point out places for personal growth, increased harmony, and prosperity (on all levels).

• If you feel your dreams are important, and take care to begin logging them, you will harvest much personal growth, (including interpersonally) and can experience added spiritual awareness.

• Whether we remember them or not, we dream 5-7 times per night. In studies, animals and humans deprived of dreams develop mental health issues.

If you would like to share comments on dreams or share a powerful dream here, go right ahead.

To discuss your dreams and their potential meanings privately, you may contact me through my website.

Grief = loss, separation anxiety

A few insightful excerpts from recent reading:

Grief is the (normal) human emotional response to loss. It is a common part of human experience and may produce growth. We can lose people, places, objects, relationships, and even ideas. Some losses may not be actual, but anticipated, or a perceived loss. (25) Acute grief looks remarkably similar to a classic anxiety attack (same physical symptoms). It is similar to the feelings felt in fear. In grief one fears the loss of self through separation, and experiences separation anxiety. (28)

It is a function of attachment. It can be understood also as our emotions catching up with our reality. (38) The more we can love the more we can grieve. Our abnormal attachments show up (caused by an improper process of  grieving) as permanent emotional detachment or heightened attachment. (30)

R. Scott Sullender, “Grief and Growth: Pastoral Resources for Emotional and Spiritual Growth” Paulist Press, 1985.


Have you lost or grieved anything lately?

Feel free to leave your thoughts or comments about grief or loss.

Interesting reading regarding dreams…

Dreams: A Way to Listen to God, Morton Kelsey, Paulist Press, New York, 1978, ISBN: o-8091-2046-1

(As with every book, one might not agree with everything or find everything helpful, but I found this read quite interesting, especially because not too much is written on the topic from this point of view.)

Have you ever listened to God using your dreams, if so, how?