Dreamwork has the potential to change our lives from the inside out. It reveals things to us that are hidden. But arguably the most important thing about dreams is this: Recurring dreams point to soul work. Soul work is the sort of integration work that we do to reach inner maturity.
It’s not something that we attend to once or twice. It’s not something we do to reach some idealised destination. It is the work that we attend to over a period of time (years, maybe decades) to become more integrated.
Recurring themes that I have encountered for decades include, rushing, falling, and dirty water dreams. Each of these were major themes in my life. And it took years to fully understand what they meant. The rushing dreams pointed to my perpetual lack of presence. Dirty water pointed to emotional blockages, and falling pointed to a lack of grounding. Yes, it turns out that grounding is that important. So is emotional integration and avoiding rushing.
Rushing Dream
For many years I had a recurring dream where I was rushing to get somewhere. I would be driving a car, wanting to arrive at some destination. Sometimes, I would miss a turn. Other times, I would get distracted by some event. Whatever the case, I never reached my destination. In some of these dreams the car got stolen as I was running towards it. These dreams were not the worst of the worst—but it certainly bothered me.
From a surface level analysis one might think that the dream was showing me that I had a tendency to be tardy. But in reality I am quite punctual. This dream had a much deeper message than simply trying to encourage timeliness. The dream was actually shining a light on my destructive tendency to mindlessly rush towards idealised destinations. The dream is about presence and mindfulness.
Rushing Stands In Contrast To Mindfulness
Haste makes for careless, scattered, and distracted efforts that lead nowhere. That was the message. The more I rushed, the more I would lose my sense of direction. Rushing stands in opposition to the care that is needed to make true progress.
The destination represents some goal. But the frantic driving is showing me that I am not being present for the process. In reality there is no top of the mountain. Presence is the destination. This idea was confirmed one night when I became semi-lucid (present) in one of these rushing dreams. When I became present, the entire scene changed—everything suddenly fell into place.
I’ve written many posts about rushing because it really took me years to integrate that message. It took me years to realise that wherever we are in a particular moment is exactly where we are supposed to be. What matters is our state of consciousness in the moment—not finish lines.
A Major Blind Spot
I’ve not had a rushing dream in years. But it was only when I integrated this message fully that the dreams stopped. It was only when I shifted my focus from idealised destinations to presence.
But this tendency was a major blind spot for me. I misinterpreted the dream for years. My interpretations centred around my own faulty projections of not doing enough, and worries about not getting where I wanted to be.
These ideas are reflected in the dream. But it wasn’t what the dream was attempting to show me. The spiritual message of the dream was actually quite simple: Become Present. We should interpret dreams through the lens of spiritual wisdom—not through the lens of your own perceived failings.