Crystals, Dreams and Reworking Your Nightmares

Nightmares are very common among children and fairly common among adults. Contributing factors to the cause of nightmares include illness, stress, troubled relationships, traumatic experiences, emotional difficulties, drugs or medication. However, some people have frequent nightmares that seem unrelated to their waking lives. Recent studies suggest that these people tend to be more open, sensitive, trusting, and emotional than average.

Reworking Your Nightmares

It has been said that the “power of suggestion” is the power that brings about change. Considered a psychological process, by which a person can guide his or her thoughts, feelings, or behavior in the direction they want them to go. Similar to the power of positive thinking, planting the seed in your mind and repeating the process over and over allows the brain to start believing in the positive outcome. Of course, the suggestions you make can go in a direction that is negative, and that tends to be the mindset of those who constantly walk around worrying, are in fear or only see their “glass half empty.” The power of suggestion works in the same way.

Our nightmares are often the result of traumatic events or embarrassing situations. Often when we are unable to cope with the reality of a particular situation, it gets pushed back deep into the subconscious, where the brain deals with it in a manner that is safer for us to handle… and that tends to come out in our dreams. Severe traumatic events may need to be dealt with by seeking out a professional to help with your nightmares or in some cases night terrors.

BUT, there is much YOU can do on your own. The original neuro-psychological theory of the power of suggestion was based upon the ideo-motor reflex response discovered by James Braid and William Carpenter. Waking suggestions can produce strong changes in perceptual experience during sleep.

When having nightmares, consider these suggestions:

1. Upon waking, write down your nightmare in your dream journal.

2. Now, answer these questions: Look at the main theme of the nightmare. What is it about? Are there any specific symbols or signs that stand out? Is this a reoccurring nightmare? When did this start? How long have you had this particular nightmare?

3. It is time to rewrite this nightmare. Using the gift of your very creative imagination, go back to the beginning of the scenario. Recreate the dream, but now with a positive outcome. Allow yourself to change the nightmare into a powerful and empowering result.

4. Visualize the positive, safe outcome in your mind for several minutes. This “new dream” you have created is your actual reality.

5. Change your expectation! By changing your response expectancies, which are the ways you anticipate your response in various situations, your nightmare picture eventually becomes an empowering dream. It allows you to take a stance against any wrongs brought upon you.

6. It will be important to see this “new dream” at least once a day during your waking hours. It is very important to see it again before you go to peaceful sleep. This pattern must be repeated daily for several weeks.

7. These expectancies will set you up for a new automatic response which will influence how you get to the outcome you expect.

8. By anticipating your “new dream” or a specific outcome, your thoughts and behaviors will actually help to bring that “new dream” to fruition. Allow a few months of this reprogramming to take place. Work only with one nightmare at the time. Give yourself time to see the light and your nightmare will no longer disturb you anymore. This pervasive effect can completely change your way of thinking, dreaming and your life!

Crystals Associated with Dreams

Some of the most amazing tools for healing, are the treasures the earth provides us! Crystals and Gemstones are one of the most beautiful, mystical and profound “energy medicine” tools, which have been used for centuries throughout all cultures, religions, and empires. Andrew suggests these crystals for dreaming:

Agate – is a special protector from bad dreams. Found throughout historic lore, agate was chosen for its bands of different colors and placed at the head of a sleeper to give rich and varied dreams based on the color of the stone. For instance, blue banded agate for tranquility, red banded agate for passion…

Amethyst – This stone, whose color represents the transition from day to night, can also be very helpful in helping one to relax and go to sleep. This is the stone for Dream recall. Stone of spirituality, contentment, meditation. Provides common sense, flexibility in decisions.

Barite – This stone is used by the Native Americans in their ceremonial practices. They used it to go from physical matter to the spiritual plane. In dream therapy, barite is used to promote and stimulate the dream state, allowing one to remember their dreams. Barite has a very strong effect on and is beneficial to the psyche.

Chalcedony – known as a nurturing stone, it encourages the harmony, benevolence, generosity, and humility of its owner. It absorbs negative energy and dissipates it, therefore, decreasing hostility, easing self-doubt and transforming sadness and melancholy into joy! It is one of the best stone for easing bad dreams.

Additional Stones to Rework Nightmares and Dreams

Chrysoprase – is especially helpful for alleviating recurring nightmares, particularly for children. It soothes the energy of the heart and therefore, brings internal peace, harmony, and contentment. This stone symbolizes clarity of thought.

Citrine – has a natural propensity to transform dreams and wishes into tangible form. It’s versatility and strength generate mental and emotional clarity, problem-solving, help with memory issues, will power, optimism, confidence, and self-discipline.

Hematite – is the most grounding and protective stone (Root Chakra.) Condenses scatteredness, fuzziness into mental clarity, concentration, memory, practicality, helps study, bookkeeping, detail work, sound sleep. Helps one regroup after jet lag, stress, birth, anesthesia and rooting our dreams.

Herkimer Diamond – is one of the best crystals for dream recall. Shifts brain powerfully into alpha/deep stillness, opening the Brow and Crown Chakra for a strong, clear channel, psychic readings, meditation. The “Dream stone” – in meditation or pillow, it wonderfully enhances visualization, astral travel into the light and dream recall.

Labradorite – is the stone for daydreaming. This metallic iridescent stone brings forth each person’s strengths to share with the world. Helps one find their originality and shows us our real goals and intentions by stimulating our imagination. This stone brings easier, more restful sleep as it has a very calming effect.

Lepidolite – helps with sleep disturbances and is the stone of rebirth. Useful for transitions in life. Helpful for coping with stress, therefore, creating calm and relaxation. Gently eases the intensity of our emotional feelings bringing unworried sleep.

Malachite – is famous for soothing the heart and therefore, emotionally, it helps to stimulate our inner imagery, increasing our imagination and memories and making them more alive and vivid.

More Stones to Rework Nightmares and Dreams

Moldavite – deepens dreams. As this stone is a psychic cleanser, it may also be very helpful for dreams which help to release psychic toxins. This stone is an excellent amplifying stone and can enhance the properties of other crystals.

Quartz – also has a natural propensity, which supports the amplification, focusing, storage, transfer, and transformation of energy. Quartz stimulates the natural crystal in body tissues and fluids to resonate at the highest healing frequency. The natural tendency for quartz is harmony.

Rhodochrosite – is good if you go to sleep or wake up feeling anxious. Gentle, yet probably the most vibrant loving stone to heal the Heart Chakra, especially for giving/receiving love. “Stone of Love and Balance.” Also for loneliness, loss, heartache, fear, insecurities, inner-child issues, abuse, incest… Helps self-forgiveness, feeling deserving and trust issues, spiritual-and self-love, desire to live, purpose.

About the Author

Learn more about author, Andrew Pacholyk, MS L.Ac, at
http://www.peacefulmind.com
Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit