An odd... side effect??

[m0vingon]

I am not new to the concepts of attraction, higher conscousness, meditation etc. I used them well in the best years of my life, and found that when i let go of these practices, life got pretty...well, scrambled.

I am going through a massive transitional phase in my life- divorce, returning to university, learning to be a single parent, and never in my life have I needed the clarity and focus that comes from mindfulness as much as I do now. Howver, I find that in the past week or so since I have been really putting positive practices to work (with lovely results in my day to day life, I might add) I have been dealing with horrific streams of nightmares at night. It seems like my psyche is trying to "dump" the negativity that I try to avoid during my waking hours into my night hours.

Does that make any sense? Has anyone experienced this sort of thing? More importantly, does anyone have any thoughts on how to combat it?

many thanks

[Angela]

How do you feel immediately upon waking from your nightmares? Relieved, frightened, combative, anxious, etc.? I think your feelings about your dreams are the key to what your unconscious is trying to help you accomplish.

[m0vingon]

Let me start by saying how much I appreciate your help

My nightmares are generally very violent and I am usually witnessing some horrific act or being chased. I come away from them feeling very afraid.

The worrisome thing is that when I'm lucid I can change the mindset, focus on something positive, try to take that into the dream state as I fall asleep, but it doesn't work and I end up in negative, scary dreams again.

I'm sure it will pass, it's just very draining and I can't help but feel that it's no coincidence that this has begun since I've started removing the negativity from my waking hours.

[Mark Lapierre]

Originally Posted by m0vingon

It seems like my psyche is trying to "dump" the negativity that I try to avoid during my waking hours into my night hours.

I added emphasis there. Perhaps I'm looking too much into your choice of words, but could your dreams be a reflection of avoiding, rather than truly changing, negativity in your waking life?

[Wit and Itch]

You have horrific dreams because you are afraid. Your fears are probably due to your divorce. You may se your future as a divorcee and a single parent as uncertain, and that scares you.
Focus on today, and on what you want to accomplish. Believe that you can.
Don’t hide your fears; find a moment when you are alone and think of all scary and worrisome things. Let your fear grow until it can’t grow any more, it will dissolve.

[JHL]

I think your sense about why you're having the dreams is correct. I think they are your minds way of signalling to you that there is emotion that needs to be dealt with.

Its not necessarily "negativity", more likely its simply pain, stress and the normal fears you might be experiencing as a result of the massive change you've gone through. A positive attitude is great, but not to the detriment of experiencing and expressing emotions you are feeling.

Perhaps you should take some time, as wit and itch has suggested, to really go inside yourself and bring the feelings up. Acknowledge them, own them and try to express them. If you're in pain - acknowledge this. If you're afraid - thats ok!

Your dreams are letting you know that there is something just under the surface that needs your attention. All your feelings want is acknowledgement and expression. Give them that, and there will no longer be a need for those dreams.

[m0vingon]

I appreciate all of your responses.

It's true that I have been afraid to look at and deal with a lot of my anger and fear. This is primarily because I find that it is really easy to get swept away in that mindset and it's really destructive. There is always a fair supply of people who are willing to share in the exchange of negative energy and help perpetuate it. It's so funny how when peole ask how I'm doing and I say "Great" they don't believe me, they want to hear something negative. But honestly, I focus on all of my many, many blessings and I do really feel that while things are trying right now, my life is great.

I am coming to terms with the fact that there is a lot of really raw emotion just below the surface that I'm afraid of getting caught up in. I'm trying to parcel time out throughout the day to look at and deal with it and then let it go. My troubles have not come to an end yet, but my dreams do seem to be improving. So, maybe it's a step in the right direction.