The Magic of Daydreaming

"Everything you can imagine is real." -Pablo Picasso

Do you believe that? That everything we can imagine is already real?

Because if that's true, then daydreaming might be a very important spiritual practice. If it's true, then our daydreams can actually help us to create the realities we want to experience.

"Allow yourself the luxury of entering a dreamlike state during waking hours, without any objective other than the sheer pleasure of relaxing your mind. Before long you will find you mind wandering to far-off places, conjuring up images that arise from the innermost part of you, the part that houses your true nature." -Alan Epstein, SpiritualityandPractice.com

Daydream Journal

"All you need to do is sit comfortably and allow your mind to roam freely and without restriction, with just a part of your attention taking a step back and consciously noting what comes up as you daydream. You can even start a daydream journal in the same way you might keep a night dream journal."
- Toby Ouvry, TobyOuvry.com

Have you ever explored the meaning of your dreams?

I used to do it quite regularly. I'd put a small notepad and pen on my nightstand and when I woke up in the morning, or in the middle of the night, I'd write down anything I remembered from my dreams. Though I didn't know a lot at the time about how to know what your dreams mean, I believed that they meant something about who I was , or who I was becoming, or what I still struggled with in my life.

Years later, I trained to be an interfaith spiritual director, and learned how to analyze dreams and got very interested again in trying to figure out what my dreams were trying to tell me. But I believe we can learn just as much, and gain just as many insights from taking a closer look at our daydreams.

They can tell us who we are, what matters to us, what disturbs us, what we think should happen in our lives, and how we really feel about what happens to us each day. And if we are willing to pay loving attention, they also can show us the way to come home to ourselves.

Set aside time to daydream each day, while sitting in your cozy place, sipping tea and giving yourself time to relax. Then, grab your journal & write down each story you tell yourself.

Take a moment to remember any daydreams you've had today already. What stories do they tell?

See you next time!

love, Jeanine