women

beyond five senses

~ kimberly mascaro ~ Leave a comment

Not all dreams are mundane or ordinary. Sometimes our dreams can be quite extraordinary. Extraordinary dreaming may include perceptions that occur outside of the five senses. Dreams in which one is clairvoyant, telepathic, precognitive, lucid, miraculously healed, or shown details of a past existence are just some examples of extraordinary dreams. For clarity, let’s define some terms. According to Dean Radin, Clairvoyance is “receiving information from a distance, beyond the reach of the ordinary senses.” Telepathy can be understood as two minds exchanging information, or the transmission of thought to another or knowing the thoughts of another. Precognition includes foreknowledge of an event, and is sometimes called a premonition. Lucidity in a dream state takes place when the dreamer knows that he/she is dreaming.

Extraordinary dreams may also be highly creative and the dreamer may be shown solutions to challenging problems. In contemporary Western societies, it is commonplace that, when one shares these types of dreams, they are not often believed or well received. After all, contemporary Westerners, typically, have been taught that these experiences are not real or rational, yet, extraordinary dreams have been reported across time and place. These episodes may startle or shake some people; however, extraordinary dream occurrences, especially precognitive (or premonition) dreams, have so much to offer humanity. They can prepare us for difficult times ahead and possibly prevent accidents, illnesses, or disasters. For example, precognitive dreams about 9/11 and the twin tower attacks were shared and some reported them to authorities, yet the dreamers were often laughed at. Instead of prompting action, they were dismissed. For those who want to understand more about premonitions, in general, I recommend Premonitions in Daily Life by Jeanne Van Bronkhorst. Van Bronkhorst (2012) dedicates a section to learning to become more aware of premonitions in daily life along with techniques for “finding premonitions” – one of the four techniques is with dreaming. I introduced this book in September 2016, so it may be already familiar to you.

Some precognitive or premonitions dreams may repeat themselves leaving the dreamer to ponder its meaning. Rebecca had such an experience. It has been unforgettable! With regard to her recurring dream, she told me,

“When I was seven or eight, I had a reoccurring dream. I do not remember much of the dream. I know that it was a little different each time, but the ending was always the same. I was in the middle of the desert sitting on cement steps with nothing else around but the desert. I was sitting on the steps and my leg was on the shoulder of a very large man.”

It wasn’t until Rebecca’s adolescence that the dream made sense to her, but it also left some big questions unanswered. She said:

“When I was 16, my parents sent me on a wilderness survival program, one of those tough love things for ‘bad kids.’ I was in Big Ben National Park in Texas, in the desert. I fell within my first few days there. They would not pull me out of the program to take me to see a doctor. I had to hike around for another couple weeks all day, every day. My ankles were the size of grapefruits. I was in a lot of pain. They told me I was a wimp and to quit whining. Finally after nearly 3 weeks, they brought me into base camp. It was just a trailer in the middle of the desert with some cement stairs leading up to the trailer door. There was nothing else around, just desert. There was not even a road. I sat on the cement steps with my leg on the shoulder of one of the workers while he wrapped my ankles in ace bandages. He was a very large man. This experience was just like my dream. The dream I had had about 8 years prior. That really got me thinking. Here I was at a tough love wilderness program for bad kids at 16, I dreamt this around the ago of eight… Was I destined to be a bad kid? ”

To this day, Rebecca asks herself that question – was she destined to be sent away on that program…to be a bad kid? What might these types of dreams imply about destiny, self-determination, one’s fate, and Western concepts of time and space? Could this dream have helped to serve Rebecca as a kind of mental and emotional preparation for what was to come?

Some of these particular types of extraordinary dreams can obviously overlap; thus, they are not easily compartmentalized. In the Dream Laboratory of the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, years of experimental research into dream telepathy was conducted in the 1960s and ‘70s. From those studies, certain telepathic dreams also appeared as precognitive. For details, read Dream Telepathy by Ullman, Krippner & Vaughan (2002). A single dream may contain img_2361elements of telepathy, clairvoyance, or more. Bernard Gittelson reported a case by a woman on a farm in Oregon:

At 3:40 A.M., the woman suddenly awoke by the sound of people screaming. The sound quickly vanished, but she felt a smoky, unpleasant taste in her mouth. She woke her husband, and together they scoured the farm but found nothing irregular. That evening on a television newscast, they heard about a plant explosion that started a huge chemical fire which killed six people. The explosion
had occurred at 3:40 A.M. (as cited on page 92 of The conscious universe: The scientific truth of psychic phenomena by Dean Radin, 1997).

I don’t come across such profound dreams as these often, but when I do, they are not quickly forgotten. When one has an experience like this, I imagine that trust in dream wisdom rises to another level entirely.

 

Until next time,

Kim

 

 

mindful intentions for 2017

~ kimberly mascaro ~ 1 Comment

Happy new year! May 2017 be filled with good health, inner peace, creativity, and prosperity for you and your loved ones. I just now realized that conscious chimera is almost a year old – 2016 flew by – incredible!

Last year I touched on the use of affirmative statements in self-hypnosis (see ‘the application of self-hypnosis’ released on June 1, 2016). Now, as a new year begins, let’s expand on this idea. Our use of language, whether it’s self-talk or something said aloud, can help or hinder. For example, negative self-talk and particular thought patterns are associated with depression and other disorders. As people all over the United States are making new years resolutions, why not resolve to add affirmative and positive language use to our ‘to-do’ list? Speaking to ourselves and others with more positive and affirmative language is not only easier to process and even more kind, but it can carve a path for greater success. This is especially true for young children, who process much slower than adults. Often, children are told “don’t run,” “don’t hit,” or “don’t fall.” Run, Hit and Fall are processed first, and more easily and quickly. If we are to change these directives to affirmative ones, we are more likely to see the results we want. Therefore, they can become, “Walk please,” “Use safe hands,” or “Hold on tight” (or “Pay attention,” for example).

Consider how often we may say or hear something like this: “You’re not dumb.” Or “I’m not stupid, but…” In either case, the ‘not’ is processed afterward, and more importantly, the mind moves the listener (with mental self-talk, that listener is you) in the direction of the dominant thought, no matter if the statement is in the positive or negative. Essentially, we are hearing “You’re dumb” or “I’m stupid” first. Just as was done above, these statements can be changed to “You’re smart,” or “I’m capable, but…” or any other positive and affirmative configuration.

Non-affirmative language dominates the many cultures. Making a change to state what you do want takes a little practice and attention – with time and practice, it will become the norm. Other common examples and how they can be worded differently are:

Don’t worry.  -> It will work out.

Don’t be nervous.  -> Remain calm. Or stay relaxed and breathe.

Don’t hesitate to call/ask for help, etc.  -> Call anytime/I can help.

Don’t forget to _________.  -> Remember to _________.

These are some ideas. Of course, every situation is unique and more appropriate adjustments may be necessary.

Affirmative and positive language takes a leading role in hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis (or any other tool one uses for personal growth and making positive changes). As we think about, describe and list our new years resolutions, we can attain them with much more ease when they are in positive and affirmative language. For the most common resolutions, such as exercise, setting time limits, specific routines, and a daily log can help with motivation, specificity, and accountability. These are examples of particular points one would attend to when doing self-hypnosis, or working with a hypnotherapist. When I was young, I heard many adults talk about starting diets after the new year. They would list off certain foods they would not eat (Cake, French fries, sugary cereal, milk shakes, candy bars). Whether the list was actual or a mentally rehearsed one, the foods to be avoided held a special status and were constantly given attention. A higher success rate could be expected if the list contained healthy alternatives (hard-boiled egg, hearty salad, vegetable juice, fruit smoothie, grilled veggies). In short, the goal is to focus on what we will do and how it will get done in affirmative language.

When it comes to dreamwork, some want to increase dream recall frequency or increase awareness and lucidity. Like hypnotherapy, I work in a similar way here. First, it is understood that all recollections are to be recoded. All value judgments are set aside because often people only write what has been judged as good enough, or worthy of recording. Then, once we recognize that pitfall, mental scripts and exercises for increasing recall and awareness are created. They are worded in affirmative and positive language that is specific and attainable. For example, “As soon as I wake up, I will write down my dream and include every detail” (referring to the journal and pen on the nightstand). By setting intentions in these ways, we directly support the attainment of our most desired goals.

 

All good things in the new year,

Kim

dreaming in arizona

~ kimberly mascaro ~ Leave a comment

With the increase in reported violence and harassment surrounding this election season, many sense a growing tension in the air. For some, it is a time of great fear and uncertainty. It is no surprise that memorable, impactful, and significant dreams are recalled during these turbulent months of 2016. One woman sent in the following for publication, here, via Conscious Chimera.

Arizona resident “G” wrote, “On June 16, 2016, Donald Trump announced he was running for President of the United States. My immediate reaction was, this was of course a joke. Some sick farce Trump had concocted for higher ratings to some new ridiculous reality show coming up in the near future. A few weeks after his announcement, I had one of the worst nightmares I ever had and prayed to God it was not some horrific prediction of days to come.”

With that, “G” reported the following dream:

“In my dream, Trump was president. His nauseatingly racist, xenophobic regime was firmly established and in my nightmare, he was interning all of the Asian Americans in Arizona. Of course, I was in a state of shock and disbelief, but there I was, thinking how could this happen as Asians Americans all of the state were being corralled into buses headed toward internment camps. We were only allowed 1-2 grocery bags full of personal items. For some reason, I was dressed in a traditional red and white flowered Pilipino housedress belonging to my mother. Instead of being allowed the 2 bags of items, I was only allowed one pathetic grocery bag, which only carried a pair of underwear, toothbrush and undershirt. As I was about to embark on the bus, I turned to my house and hoped it would be okay. I was anticipating the Trump regime to confiscate the belongings as well as the house itself, just as it was during the Japanese internment in World War 2. I had a small glimmer of hope that perhaps my parents or brother could take possession of my home as my closest immediate relatives. I wondered if I could allow myself some optimism that they could salvage the equity of the home for the sake of our family’s decades of hard work. I was curious to know if or when they may be interned as Asian Americans in California. In this sickening dream, it was just Arizona that was interning Asians in the U.S. so far.

After exiting the bus, I came upon the interment camp. It was vast wasteland and I was to be interned in a grave. In the grave was a workstation and the walls of the grave where dirt was to surround my body, instead housed shelving filled with items I was to be working on for the workstation. The workstation was a table set up, factory worker style and this was where I was to work all day. I was to eat, sleep and defecate beside the worktable until the day I died. 

As I stood there feeling dejected, I crawled out of the grave and stood up on literal equal footing as the White soldiers around me and decided I was not going to allow this to be my reality and I would move to Canada.

Somewhat hopeful of my decision, I then woke up.”

She continues, “Upon waking, I was disoriented and disturbed. After gaining some composure on what I had just experienced, I decided moving to Canada was not the actual course of action I would take if this repulsive reality would ever take place, I would revolt instead. I would stand my ground on this land and fight as others did before me.

Since that terrible nightmare, Trump did become the President elect. On November 17, 2016, Trump supporter, former Navy Seal, Carl Higbie had a blatantly racist discussion on air, stating the Japanese interment was precedent set for the possibility of interning Muslims in the U.S.

Just as Hitler’s Regime did to those of Jewish descent, Trump’s factions wish to start a registry of Muslims in the U.S.

Peaceful Native Americans are being beaten, gassed and hosed with freezing water in Standing Rock, North Dakota just as peaceful African Americans were at Birmingham in the 60s.

As when I woke up from the nightmare, and the wake of the electoral college selecting Trump as President, I pray this dream was not precognitive. I believe it is an important warning and a call to action.

What happened to the Japanese American in World War 2 can not be repeated and we have a nation of people of color and supporters that will fight for equal rights.”

After reading this dream report (along with the author’s introduction and concluding statements), a wide range of thoughts and feelings arose. How many others may be dreaming like this at this time? What does it say about the future? A dream like this leaves me with more questions than answers.

I considered Carl Jung’s complementary theory and thought ‘how might this dream restore equilibrium or re-establish balance for this dreamer?’ I also wondered if a dream is regarded as a “truth-telling oracle,” as has been in the past, then what can be understood from this experience? Another approach considers the conscious and unconscious to operate as a whole, instead of existing in opposition. Could this frightening dream be a reflection of the dreamers life? Could it serve her by acting as a ‘road sign’ for what she should consider attending to today?

Montague Ullman considered dreams to be a spontaneous expression of one’s life situation. Of course, the dreamer herself would be the one to connect the dots and make the most appropriate interpretations – after all, it is her life, in which she is the expert.

…And your dreams? Does the dream reported here mirror any dream of your own lately? Whether or not that’s the case, we can learn from the dreams of others. We can see a glimpse of our own inner world reflected back. And so, as the Ullman Method of Dream Appreciation begins, “If this were my dream,…”

Happy Holidays,

Kim

visitation dreams

~ kimberly mascaro ~ 3 Comments

This article was written with Samhain, Day of the Dead, and All Soul’s Day in mind. It is truly a special time of year for many of the world’s cultures. Dreams labeled as “visitations” (aka “visitation dreams”) may often include a variety of possible “visitors,” yet I usually think of the deceased when I hear this term. This month’s article will focus on that slice of the visitation dream spectrum. Some dream reports simply include the appearance of a deceased friend or family member (like a snapshot), while other times there is a brief interaction or verbal exchange, sometimes meant to provide information. Some claim that the deceased take the dreamer to another realm in order to show them around the place, or for another reason. Either way, upon awakening, the impact appears to hold great meaning in that the dreamer feels comforted, relieved, reassured, or even propelled toward making a life change. Sometimes, although it’s much more rare, the dreamer feels disturbed, annoyed or bothered. Just like premonition dreams (see September 2016 article), the meaning of a visitation dream may be understood immediately or it may be vague – a second or third dream might be needed for clarity.

Some of my own deceased relatives have appeared in my dreams over the years. This never disturbed or surprised me. I awoke feeling good about it. When a recently deceased neighbor engaged me in a dream, I was a little surprised, yet grateful upon awakening because we had become friends just a few years before his death. He was a friendly and spiritual man, who had basically died of old age. The dream took place during the time I lived in Arizona. In this vivid, colorful dream, I’m in my bedroom looking out the window into the grassy courtyard on a bright and sunny day when he (the recently deceased neighbor) approaches me on foot. I see him walking toward me and notice that he appears younger and easily walks without his cane, practically floating. We make eye contact during our greeting and there is a brief telepathic engagement. I’m happy to see him. He seems full-of-life. When I woke up that morning, my heart was warm and I felt very grateful for this experience, albeit a brief one. Deep in my being, there was a sense of great peace. I knew that he was just fine, and that he was not completely ‘gone’ forever.

Whether it was a ‘visiting’ friend or relative, maybe you have experienced a similar dream. How were you impacted? Did you share the dream with anyone? While I’m almost always fueled by such dreams personally, I’ve rarely shared them outside of close friends and family. In fact, it has really only been a matter of months since I have made my dreams (and other experiences with nonordinary states of consciousness) public. Even as a dream researcher, I felt I could be judged negatively and be labeled as this or that. Moving away from that limitation has been quite the process. One of the reasons I began Conscious Chimera was to allow meaningful, subjective and soulful experiences to be seen and heard. I’d like to hear about your dream! Feel welcome to post your visitation dream here (or on the Conscious Chimera FB page), if you are open to sharing.

By reading about the visitation dream accounts of others, and asking for a visitation to come to us through dream, we are more likely to have such an experience. In addition, creating an altar to the deceased loved ones that come through in dreams, can be a beautiful way to continue the relationship. My largest altar holds photographs and small personal possessions once belonging to deceased members of my family that have visited me in dreams. The altar acts as a sacred space to pray, to speak, and to remember these relatives as they once were (embodied) and as they currently are (as spirit). The alter space is a place that can be approached to ask for their guidance…guidance that can come through in dreamtime.

For more information: The authors named in the last months article (September 2016) have included visitations in dreams in their publications as well, and are wonderful resources. Additional information can also be found in the publications of Kelly Bulkeley, Robert Moss, and many other scholars that research dreams.

 

Blessing to you this Fall Season,

Kim

announcing dreams

~ kimberly mascaro ~ Leave a comment

The voice was crystal clear and he could be seen sitting, just a few feet in the distance. “I’m your baby, and my name is Todd,” said the dream child to the sleeping woman. Upon awakening, she knew that this strikingly vivid dream would be remembered always.

Across time and place, in some form or another, reports of extraordinary experiences, such as vivid, memorable dreams, visions (both in or out of hypnopompic and hypnagogic states), out-of-body experiences or lucid projections, and even near-death experiences, have included communication with, or the announcement of, a future child or a baby-to-be. Such “annunciations” often take place in the dream state and are referred to as announcing dreams. It’s a fairly common phenomenon, even today.

Announcing dreams, similar to fertility or conception dreams, take place during pregnancy or soon before it. Men, women, and grandparents have reported such memorable experiences, which may be visual, sensory or auditory, or a combination. Announcing dreams are usually more vivid than ordinary dreams and often leave the dreamer with the belief that genuine communication has taken place – they are more than just mundane dreams about babies. Fertility and conception dreams refer to something more broad, such as a dream of ripe fruit, or animals, implying that conception has taken place. Tae mong, for example, has a long history – they are conception dreams often reported by expectant mothers and fathers in Korea. One study from the early 1990s found that 57.5% of pregnant women had experienced Tae mong. That percentage increases when expectant men and other family members are included. Such dreams, confirming pregnancy, were reported to Kitzinger during her fieldwork in Jamaica during the 1970s. Some very early examples are found in the bible, but usually involve an angel proclaiming conception has taken place.

Announcing dreams appear to be common and even expected in Aboriginal Australia, especially among men. In the United States, men have reported announcing dreams as well, although few are found in the literature. One Brazilian man living in the U.K. recently dreamt that he was holding his daughter-to-be in his arms, which, upon awakening, enhanced his sense of excitement for the approaching birth. His daughter was born in spring of this year. Some announcing dream reports include future children expressing wishes and desires, asking questions, providing information, or simply watching or looking at the parent. Women often report announcing dreams and these reports are much easier to locate.

Announcing dreams are found among reincarnation cases as well. The father of reincarnation studies, the late Ian Stevenson, found announcing dreams to be present across just about every culture and nation he studied, although, as expected, their content and timing varied. Announcing dreams are among the most common signs of reincarnation in tribal societies and sometimes past-life identifications are made on the basis of them alone (Matlock, 2016). While announcing dreams are most often reported by women within the reincarnation literature, men, too, experience such dreams. The late anthropologist, Jane C. Goodale, spent about 50 years with the Tiwi, Melville Island’s aboriginal people. She asked a mother whether a man ever dreamed of his child before his wife told him she was pregnant. Goodale’s field notes included a unique dream that a mother had shared with her. A pitapitui (spirit child) told his father-to-be in a dream that he had been crippled during a World War II aerial attack and would be born after he was healed. In the meantime, the pitapitui would send his youngest siblings first. “When he was eventually born his father recognized him because of his crooked leg” (Jane C. Goodale’s 1954 Tiwi Island field notes).

For my doctoral dissertation, I conducted a study on the announcing dream experience and their impact. In 2012 and 2013 I solicited pregnant women or those working with them, such as doulas and midwives, to request participation in the study. Dream reports were collected online so the questionnaire was available world-wide, although fluency in English was necessary for inclusion in the study, in addition to other requirements. In the end, 22 participants were included in the study. While a variety of themes were present in the dream reports, after analysis it was evident that some of the dreams had a great impact on some of the pregnant dreamers. This was especially the case for first-time mothers and those with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. Not only that, but these dreams appeared to be responsible for decisions made about the pregnancy. This was the case during my informal pilot study as well. For example, several women reported that contemplating abortion ceased, or plans to terminate the pregnancy were cancelled, as a result of the dream. Another woman made a prenatal medical decision as a result to her dream. Lower level decisions, such as the name of the child, were also influenced by dreams collected during the pilot study. For those uncertain about being pregnant, themes of confidence and affirmation, bonding and connection, emerged. A few years ago, a pregnant Native American woman living in the Southwest shared with me that she had reservations and generalized fears about being pregnant and becoming a mother, until several announcing dreams began. Her announcing dreams were recurrent and visual, instead of auditory. She claimed that during these dreams she always “saw” the same black-haired male toddler. She reported that he would just look at her with a smile, and then a sense of calmness and comfort would come over her. Even after awakening, these feelings lasted throughout the day. This young woman believed that her newly found sense of peace and joy at becoming a mother was the direct result of the dreams. She claimed that her fears and reservations severely diminished. This experience helped her; she decided that she could be a good mother after all. Prediction of fetal sex is common, as well, in announcing dreams. In almost every case that I have come across, the fetal sex in the dream matches the sex of the baby that is later born, just the the cases mentioned above.

In general, annunciations not only focus on the immediate moment, but may point to the past and to the future. This is indicated in reincarnation literature and within announcing dream reports recently collected. How might announcing dreams be of service to humanity? It is possible that announcing dreams support emotional investment, for both parents, and especially during early stages of pregnancy before the baby is felt moving or the woman’s body changes. This emotional investment can be thought of as a protective evolutionary factor because women that feel connected to the fetus are more likely to make healthy choices. Furthermore, pregnancy can be stressful – after all, it is a major life transition. With this in mind, announcing dreams may offer assurance and serve as an adaptive mechanism by helping to cope during such a transition.

 

Warmly,

Kim