Dreamwork Options

Alright so I'm not sure where to go at this point with dreams, or if I can even "go" anywhere. Right now I'm at the point where every night I am able to wake up in my dreams, take control, talk... ect. Basically realize what is happening and function like I normally would. I worked to get to this point but now I realize I'm not sure at all where to take it. What are some realistic goals that someone should work with when it comes to dreams? I very much like being able to astral travel but I want to make it clear this is not the same thing at all. I would like to be able to astral travel after waking up in a dream but am not sure how.

Basically when I wake up in a dream I have maybe 10 seconds or so of realistic awareness that I struggle to maintain before I sort of forget and fade back into the dream. What can I do during that time? I keep practicing to lengthen the time but it helps if I'm focusing on something.

Thank you. Okay so I partly understand what you mean by looking for symbols but I partly don't (I think). When I wake up in a dream there are a thousand vivid things that just sort of jump out and scream "look at me!". For an example last night I "woke up" to find myself in the attic of a house which was all bare and worn down, with several room of nothing but boards and spiderwebs, on the side of a murky lake/marsh. After a few seconds (I think a few seconds time is hard to keep track of) of being awake I slipped back into the dream like nothingness. Very soon after though I was in a boat in the pond looking around, like at the house and marsh I was in.

The point is that I don't see anything that really stick out or is special. I think this is because I just don't understand how the unconscious works in reality. I know how it's "supposed" to work from reading but it's very different in reality, or dream reality anyway. I suppose that's what you meant when you said key won't look like key and door won't look like door. I'm missing the underlining pattern by which symbolism works I think.

Thank you. Okay so I partly understand what you mean by looking for symbols but I partly don't (I think). When I wake up in a dream there are a thousand vivid things that just sort of jump out and scream "look at me!". For an example last night I "woke up" to find myself in the attic of a house which was all bare and worn down, with several room of nothing but boards and spiderwebs, on the side of a murky lake/marsh. After a few seconds (I think a few seconds time is hard to keep track of) of being awake I slipped back into the dream like nothingness. Very soon after though I was in a boat in the pond looking around, like at the house and marsh I was in.

The point is that I don't see anything that really stick out or is special. I think this is because I just don't understand how the unconscious works in reality. I know how it's "supposed" to work from reading but it's very different in reality, or dream reality anyway. I suppose that's what you meant when you said key won't look like key and door won't look like door. I'm missing the underlining pattern by which symbolism works I think.

You'll recognize them when you see them, the point of looking for them is, aside from finding them, that drawing down that conscious intention from your waking mind and then maintaining a sense of purpose or intent in the dream will help you remain conscious of it. It takes time and practice, of course, but if your intention is to find a key then you will find something in the dream which will have a significance about it. It will pull your attention like a magnet and if you're looking for a key you'll know with a certainty that you have found one.

The benefit of being in the dream is that everything there relates to your own mind. So when you find what you're looking for, there's no question that you've found it.

The symbolism is something you'll have to learn on your own, all I'm suggesting here is a place to start, or an intention to go in with. We think of symbolism in terms of things like crosses, runes, flags, etc., significant objects or shapes which represent something larger or just different than themselves. But really symbolism is far more involved than this. To the unconscious mind, everything we encounter is a symbol, everything represents other experiences both positive and negative. So a smell is a symbol, a person is a symbol, your computer is a symbol. A priest may be a 'holy man' but if you were molested by a priest when you were six then to your own unconscious mind a priest is a symbol of violation and fear.

Being conscious in the dream is a chance to explore the true symbolism of your unconscious mind that you may not be consciously aware of. The symbol is the key, and the experiences attached to it are on the other side of the door. Dealing with what you find is another endeavor, I suggest keeping a journal if you don't already.

peace

The benefit of being in the dream is that everything there relates to your own mind. So when you find what you're looking for, there's no question that you've found it.

That makes perfect sense, but the strange thing with me is that in the past, I've had a dream of some activity occuring in a place I never seen before, but years down the road after moving to a different state, I eventually come across that same invironment, but without the activity. It's the ultimate deja vu.