Did you have any dreams last night?

Last night, I dreamed that I was upset because I forgot to bake my sister's wedding cake and the wedding was taking place that day. I was overwrought with frustration and anxiety...so mad at myself. I tried to come up with last minute solutions to providing a nice wedding cake but nothing was workable.

Then, someone told me that the wedding was the next day so I still had time overnight to bake and decorate the cake.

My interpretation:

In my waking life, I have been worried about my sister's marriage. She's been married for a very long time now but it's been hard from the start, and she's not very motivated to save it. In any case, I told her that I wanted to help her save her marriage and we planned to talk about it over the summer. But things keep coming up and the summer is half past.

But according to my dream, there's still a little bit of time left.

What a relief!

One of my friends died the other day, and since then I have been dreaming about meeting a lot of my friends that I haven't seen for ages. Sometimes over 20 years. Whether this is astral projection, compensation, or a weird mix of the two, only time will tell.

Oh, Ian. I'm so sorry to hear that your friend is no longer in the physical here with you.

Upon first glance, it would seem that your dreams about old friends sprung from your recent loss. Your subconscious mind could be prompting to see your friends before they depart this life. According to Freud, dreams like this are wish fulfillment dreams.

But knowing you, you could have astral traveled to visit with them in spirit.

Hey Lori, I have read your dream and enjoyed it but after reading about your sister�s wedding I can say that there is still a little bit of time left..

Well I did pop over to visit when my Dad died, and then had it confirmed at a meduimship demonstration. Much to the surprise of the medium who clearly thought that you couldn't do that sort of thing. I was very impressed by the way he didn't allow his beliefs to block what he was receiving from my Dad at the time.

Hopefully this is the same sort of thing.

Yes, it probably was. Especially if you felt it was. And I, too, am impressed that the medium didn't allow his own prejudices or beliefs to block the incoming message.

Our deceased loved ones do visit us in the dream realm. You meet them halfway when you visit that space during dreams.

Question for you Ian: Do you think that everyone is astral traveling during their dream state or is astral traveling while sleeping different from merely dreaming?

I have had a few experiences where it was as real as real is here when I spent time with the deceased.

Loving this thread right now.

I dreamt about being inappropriately barefoot, and of having only one shoe on.

What is that??

Hey, Jilly. This dream seems to reflect where you feel you are right now in your waking life.

Being barefoot *can* indicate a child-like state but in your case because you felt "inappropriately" barefoot, it more likely is a symbol of poverty or lack, feelings or worries of financial vulnerability. Also, your self-esteem is taking a hit in your waking life.

The fact that you have one shoe on has both positive and negative connotations: The bad news is that without both shoes, you are feeling off balance, off your game. Physically, emotionally and mentally.

However, the good news is that you still have on one shoe so at your core, you have what it takes to make great progress once again.

Do a little bit of dream therapy by using creative visualization. During meditation or just before you drift off to sleep, imagine yourself wearing the newest, strongest, most amazing shoes ever made and see yourself doing a dance, leaping over hurdles, running through beautiful terrain. Feel the wind blowing through your hair as you run and climb effortlessly to higher places to view stunning vistas. Conquer your mountain and feel your reward of being balanced and exhilarated! Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Then, dream a little joyful dream...

I talked about the practice of turning dreams into astral projection in this article. . I think that for most people the change in consciousness is so radical as to not be recalled on waking, or in the form of a dream.

The theory that the etheric body separates slightly from the physical during sleep to absorb universal energy (chi?) makes sense to me. It also explains why some people can have out of the body experiences during the deep relaxation and pranayama exercises associated with Yoga.