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What is deep inside you waiting to come out?
The first and most obvious association of volcanoes in dreams is an indication of “erupting” emotions, often of anger. And while in some cases this may be true, it is more than likely only a small part of the story, and in other cases, may not have these kind of associations with anger at all.
It may be helpful to remember two interesting characteristics of volcanoes: one, that they are a channel for things from deep within the earth to be revealed at a surface level; and two, that the active component of volcanoes – being fire/magma/lava, all share the same qualities of being able to create as well as destroy.
Let\’s consider the first characteristic in relationship to dreams. If volcanoes are a channel for things deep inside to come to the surface, how might this be a reflection of what is going on our lives? While it may indicate deep emotions coming out after being suppressed, volcanoes might also indicate a powerful new knowledge that is becoming clear, an instinct we are becoming conscious of profound new depths of self knowledge. To better understand how this might relate to our own particular dream, it can help to consider how close we are to the volcano, and how active it is. Is it in the distance, something we are trying to get to? This could be a quest for self understanding, a desire see what is deep inside us, but something we are only just beginning. Or maybe we are standing right on top of the crater, looking into the red hot lava bubbling and ready to explode. This may symbolise we are on the cusp of big revelation, a significant change could be about to occur.
The second characteristic, that of fire or lava, can help us understand how change in our life means that some things are destroyed in order to make way for the new. This can be scary and threatening when we don\’t understand it, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. We have to \”destroy\” bad habits before we take up new ones, we have to let go of self limiting beliefs before we can embrace a new perspective of life. However, volcano dreams can also appear when we are anxious or stressed, and indicate the mounting tensions we feel in life. If we feel like the dream is full of fear and anxiety, this may be a reflection of feelings we are having in waking life. When this is the case, we can look to other areas of the dream for signs and hints to help us manage or resolve the causes of this anxiety.
Fire and lava can be cleansing, so volcano dreams can be signs of spiritual or psychological growth. Volcanoes as they erupt can help purge blockages, so volcano dreams may imply a release of tension, or a resolution of a problem. Volcanoes when they have calmed down also change the face of the earth, they can leave islands in the sea where there once were none, they can create mountains and craters and fertile valleys. So volcano dreams can also be symbols of creativity, sometimes in a frighteningly forceful way. But if we can be prepared for the awesome power that is potential within us, when it is unleashed we can be more aware and then be able to direct the power to our own goals, instead of wildly erupting and possibly damaging those around us.
Volcano dreams can be expressions of anxiety and a warning against extreme emotions, but they can also be a powerful symbol of potential and transformation, that if we heed the lessons of our dreams and act wisely, we can harness as an extraordinary creative opportunity.
When the smoke clears what new things will be revealed?
Dreams can take us to amazing new places in our imaginations
Want to improve the vividness, the colour, the interest and excitement of your dreams, and even make them lucid, so you know when you are dreaming? With dreams, like so many other areas of life, it can be a case of what you get out depends very much on what you put in. The subconscious responds well to all our senses, so by enriching our lives, we can expect to enrich our dreams equally. We can effectively plant the seeds of what we want to dream of by focusing on the chosen thing through-out the day, and especially right before bed. We can try to focus on a specific thing, or simply open our minds up and see how far and wide we can reach and to what lengths our imagination can go.
To create more vivid or colourful dreams, we can try looking at art, childrens’ books
How can you feed your imagination to help your dreams fly?
with bright illustrations, watching films with inspiring cinematography, or even magazines with images that get our minds going. Fantasy books are particularly good, as are fashion, costumes,nature (try bizarre deep sea creatures, tropical birds or insects to get your mind going.) Listening to music, focusing on the sounds of individual instruments, bells, wind chimes, the sounds of nature can all help us notice sounds in our dreams. The same goes for the other senses – by touching things and focusing on their texture we can enhance our tactile dreams, although smell and taste can take a concerted effort to start noticing in dreams. But it is well worth the effort when we start smelling beautiful flowers, or tasting delicious nighttime feasts without even waking up!
The key is to stimulate our imaginations. Of course the best thing is always to go to new places, try new things and meet new people, but where we can’t do that, our minds can take us on trips to even more amazing places. If we feed our minds with images, music and words, it is like fertiliser that can help our dreams sprout into fascinating new blooms, and surprise us with the capabilities of our own mind. If we feed out heads, we can be rewarded with an imagination that grows wild and free.
