The Dream Pillow: A Users Manual

By Theo Huffman

The Dream Pillow: A Users Manual By Theo Huffman Copyright 2005 Donald T. Huffman Cover art 2005 Sascha Mller All rights reserved. The author would like to thank Lovsz Krisztina for her help and support in this project. Many thanks also to Sascha Mller for his generous donation of an original graphic for the cover of this booklet. More of Saschas work can be seen at http://www.budapestart.com/mueller_m.htm and at http://www.saschamueller.info/index.htm.

 (gnothi seauton: Know thyself!)

- Inscription at the portal of the Oracle of Delphi

An unexamined life is not worth living. - Socrates

Prologue

nce upon a time there was a great king who was known for his learning. He had gathered together all the greatest scholars in his court. He had assembled a vast library in many different languages. He studied hard to master all the fields of knowledge he could stuff into his head. But one morning he awoke with a feeling of profound dissatisfaction. He realized that despite years of study, despite hours and hours of discussion with learned men, he had still not developed wisdom. Now in that same kingdom there was a hermit who lived deep in the darkest forest of the land. This hermit was believed to be the wisest man in all the kingdom. The king had the hermit summoned into his presence. Once the hermit was standing before the throne, the king said to him, "I grow weary of my books and my councilors. I wish to find wisdom. Surely you know where wisdom is to be found." The hermit, who was a man of few words, simply nodded his head. "Then take me there!" the king exclaimed. "Follow me," the hermit said.

They left the castle together and journeyed on foot for two days before they passed a monastery. "Is it here," the king asked, "that I can find wisdom?" The hermit shook his head. A few days later they climbed a mountain. When they reached the top, which was windy, and covered with snow, the king asked, "Here? Will I find wisdom here?" The hermit shook his head. After more walking they came to the edge of a desert. "Should I pray in the desert? Is that how I will find wisdom?" the king asked. The hermit shook his head no. Eventually they arrived back at the castle. The hermit walked in and led the king to his own bed chamber, where he stretched out his arm and pointed to the bed. "Here?" the king asked, thoroughly puzzled. "Yes. Here, the hermit replied. I have taken you on this journey to show you that it is always outside of yourself that you expect to find wisdom, and in far away places. But you ignore the raw gems of great value that come from within you, which you are presented every night." "Do you mean my dreams?" the king asked. The hermit nodded. "Yes. I mean your dreams. Take these gems. Work with them. Cut them and polish them. 5

Study their many facets. Arrange them in mosaic patterns. If you do this, you will surely become wise beyond comparison. Having said this, the hermit departed, and returned to his forest abode. The king followed the hermits advice. He began to keep careful records of everything he dreamed. And his dreams advised him on how to give greater service to his country and his people. They gave him new ways to run the affairs of state, to raise his family, and to provide for the future of his land. The kingdom prospered. The king became the wisest man ever born in his country. Well, with the possible exception of the hermit.

Do you dream? There is an amazing amount of ignorance about this in the contemporary world. As long ago as 1952, sleep researchers at the University of Chicago determined that all people dream, every night, several times per night. Yet, in spite of this, an astoundingly large portion of the population will still tell you I dont dream. Well yes you do! The problem is that most people just dont remember their dreams. There are many reasons for this. One is that it is a direct consequence of our materialist society. Contemporary society conditions us to value only those things which either bring us immediate pleasure, or which promise to bring us material acquisitions in the future. Only in exceptional cases do our families, our schools, our employers or our mass media ever encourage us to focus on internal experiences. We dont remember our dreams because we just dont pay attention to them. Another reason is our hectic contemporary lifestyle. Our sleeping habits, and the way we wake up in the morning, are not conducive to dream recall. Ill be addressing how to overcome some of the aspects of this restless lifestyle later in this booklet. What are dreams? The way the majority of people think about dreams nowadays has been heavily influenced by the discipline of 7

psychology. Because of this, they believe that dreams are a phenomenon confined to the brain, and that they are purely the result of biochemical activity in the brain. Youll get none of that from me. Indeed, the discipline of psychology, with its emphasis on empirical proof and mathematical analysis, has brought some interesting perspectives to the study of dreams and dreamers. But the very tools it uses limit the depth to which psychology can penetrate this infinite world. To truly begin to understand what dreams are, one cannot regard human beings from a purely materialistic perspective: you have to accept that human beings are spiritual beings. We all have two selves. Theres the one that deals with daily mundane life: going to work, cleaning house, making meals, paying the bills, etc. And theres the other self thats deep down inside us. In some ways its an intimate and familiar part of us: the real me that nobody else knows. But in other ways its buried so deep that we feel we can barely hear its voice when it speaks to us as the pangs of conscience or the deep longings of suppressed desires. Though many people are uncomfortable with the religious connotations of the word, this Inner Self is none other than your soul. In classical antiquity the soul was called the genius. The word genius, in association with the soul, is interesting when you consider the powerful things that have been brought into this world as the result of someone getting a message from a dream. Mendeleev saw the periodic table of the elements in a dream. Kekule figured out that the benzine molecule is shaped like a ring when he dreamed of a snake holding its tail in its 8

mouth and rolling down the street. Any number of famous literary works (Stevensons Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde, Coleridges Kubla Kahn) were inspired by dreams. These are all works of genius. Dreams are messages from that Inner Self. The conscious, day-to-day person that we and others experience is only a small fraction of our personality. That vast part of us submerged beyond immediate perception is much like the 90% of the iceberg that is hidden underwater. And that other 90% of us knows more and is capable of doing more than we can possibly imagine. At the very deepest levels, this Inner Self is connected to knowledge that transcends time and space. It is also capable of communication with the Inner Selves of all the other people in this vast family known as the human race. This is what Carl Jung called the Collective Unconscious. One of the ways we can access this knowledge and power is through paying attention to our dreams.

Why are dreams important? Ah, poor contemporary modern man! He struggles in such a complicated and confusing world, trying to make sense of it all with no more than the very limited powers of his conscious mind. Little do most people know that this is nearly hopeless. They are trying to solve the puzzle with most of the pieces missing. They are attempting to know the whole world by surveying the room they are in, and neglecting to look out the window. They are trying to go on a long journey with only a fragment of the map. The Inner Self has those puzzle pieces. It knows where 9

the window is (right there! beneath that veil!). And it is in possession of the entire map. Ah, poor contemporary man! As if it werent enough that he struggles with his difficult fate during his fraught days, how unfair it is that he must even contend with nightmares at night. The scenes and characters of his daily life get all mixed up in the cauldron of the imagination, and he is tormented by his worries and fears all over again, but now it is disturbingly surreal, and at times downright monstrous. Hold on a minute! Perhaps its a mistake to regard these visitors in the night as burdens. There is a parable-like joke about a city woman taking a walk in a village. She comes across a farmer who is having difficulty with his donkey. He is yelling and screaming at the donkey, and occasionally striking it with a large stick. The city woman is horrified, and says to the farmer, You uncivilized brute! How can you hurt that poor animal that way? The farmer slowly turns to the city woman and replies, Hurt him? Im just trying to get his attention. Such is the case with what we call nightmares. Our Inner Self has useful advice to help us deal with our difficult lives: keys to unlock some of the on-going mysteries of our existence. But were not paying attention. So the dreams are, shall we say, somewhat dramatic. If you have a nightmare, it is a sure sign you should be paying attention. Your Inner Self is trying to tell you something. Interestingly enough, once you begin to focus more awareness on your dreams, the nightmares go away. What is mugwort? 10

The dream pillow accompanying this booklet is a handmade sachet stuffed with mugwort (artemisia vulgaris in Latin, Beifuss in German, fekete rm in Hungarian), an herb that has been used for various purposes for centuries. One of its main characteristics is that it magnifies psychic consciousness. Although there are many confused and silly ideas these days about what psychic phenomena are, the basic definition of psychic phenomena is: communication with the Inner Self. Considering whats already been said above, it should be obvious why this herb would be useful for recalling and working with dreams. The author has used this herb in dream pillows for over half of his life, and has known many people who have used it in this way. From my and other peoples experience, I can assure you: it works.
Mugwort is most famous for its use as a "Dream" herb. It is known to enhance dreaming, both in sleep and in Shamanic Journeying and other trance work. It is said to enhance whatever level of dreaming one is developed in. For example, if one can not remember ones dreams, Mugwort will enhance and help the individual to develop this. If one is at the next level of dreaming, cognitive dreaming: (being aware one is dreaming and being able to "manipulate" the dream at will) Mugwort will enhance this. The final level is precognitive dreaming; dreaming of future events. No matter what level one is dreaming Mugwort will help you to develop your abilities. But beware, for until you become proficient your dreams may, at first, be difficult to deal with.1

An anecdote: when I was in graduate school, I once told a fellow student and colleague about mugwort. She went to the herb store that very day and bought some. She put some in a scarf, tied it in a knot and put it under her
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Mugwort, By Stephanie (Tephyr) Burgess (http://altnature.com/thegarden/Mugwort.html)

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pillow. The next day I asked her if anything had happened. No, she said, and looked disappointed. The next day I asked again. Nothing. When I asked the third day, her eyes got real wide, and she nodded her head up and down. Nightmare? I asked. She shook her head no. Violence? She shook her head. I thought a moment. Sexual? Slowly she nodded. In a whisper she said, I never thought I was capable of such things. So probably the simplest and clearest thing to say about the herb is that it alters the usual state of sleeping consciousness. Some people find it unpleasant. Sometimes people find all the dreaming to be exhausting. Some people say it gives them nightmares. In response to that, I say: what are nightmares, really? And Ill also repeat that once you spend more time focusing on your dreams, the nightmares go away. And ultimately, if it gets too intense for you, all you have to do is take the pillow out of your bed. How does one use a dream pillow? Essentially, all you have to do is tuck that little cushion into the slip cover of the pillow you sleep on. Simplicity itself. However, it is essential that you put it somewhere where you can smell it. In my experience the scent is a necessary element of the herbs effect. That having been said, there are a few other things that should be mentioned about the actual physical handling of the dream pillow. Be considerate of your spouse or whoever else you sleep with. If the dream pillow is somewhere where they can smell it, they will also be affected by it. They may not like 12

it. If so, put it on the other side of your pillow where its far enough away from them. The pillow will work for a few months, as long as the volatile oils still give off a scent. Every now and then you can take the pillow in your hand and grind it around a little. This will release some of the volatile oils from the herbs and freshen up its scent. If you do not desire the effects of the pillow for a while, wrap it up tightly in a plastic bag and put it in your refrigerator to preserve the volatile oils. Do seal it well, or it might end up smelling more like your refrigerator (yuck!) than like a medicinal herb. When you want to increase your dream awareness again, just get it back out of the refrigerator (remove the plastic bag, of course) and place it under your pillow again. The pillow will eventually lose all its scent. I always try to keep a supply of mugwort when I can. If you ask me nicely, I might make you another pillow. Remembering dreams If youve never made a conscious effort to recall dreams, there are a few tricks you have to learn, plus you have to apply a bit of discipline. You have to develop a habit of recording the dreams. When you wake up, you need to write down whatever you can remember. If you dont, within an hour you forget half of what you recalled when you woke up (if youre lucky!), and two hours later youll forget half of that. A few hours later youll remember even less, until by the 13

next evening all you can remember is I had a dream about a dog or was it a cat? The standard method is a notebook and pen next to the bed. Some people use a micro cassette tape recorder. Nowadays MP3 players often have a recording function. Whatever method one uses, recording dreams as soon as possible in some fashion or another is critical. Dreams are elusive. If you dont record them, they fade like a photograph left out in the sun. Experienced dreamers know that the first moments after you wake up are critical. Its best if you dont move at all, and just lie still while recalling what you can about your dreams. Once you start moving and waking up, its very difficult to recall anything. But, of course, people often have to get up early, and often have to be jolted awake by an alarm clock. Theres a trick that can partially circumvent this: using two alarm clocks. You set one to go off five or ten minutes before the other one. After the first one goes off, you lie still and try to recall what you dreamed. Since there is a second alarm, you dont have to be afraid youll oversleep. Whatever you remember by the time the second alarm goes off, you need to write down, or dictate into a machine. Or else it will be forgotten. Its hard at first. Many mornings you cant recall anything. But after a week one begins to remember dreams more mornings than not. By the end of a month there will be a morning on which you recall more than one dream.

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Now that I remember the dream, what do I do with it? There has been a revolution in the way dreams are used. For a long time there were two paradigms that dominated the way people handled dream material. The first was through the use of a traditional dream lexicon. One would look up the dream in a standard reference work and find that (Im making this up) dreaming of black dogs means youre going to lose money. This is a positively medieval way of viewing internal experience and has a way of killing all meaningful communication with oneself. The other paradigm was the psychoanalytical model, which still has a strong influence on the way people deal with dreams. This approach assumes that the dream has a certain and specific meaning, which an expert in psychoanalysis or some other branch of psychology can interpret. It is definitely an advance from the standard answers found in a dream lexicon, but it has the shortcoming of being dependent on a particular, often rigid, understanding of the human psyche. Plus it tends to put psychologists on a pedestal as experts. And as mentioned before, due to its nature as a modern science, psychology is basically materialistic, and doesnt take the spiritual element of man into account. Beginning with Carl Jung, and developing ever since, is a school of thought which asserts it is counterproductive to simply interpret dreams and then end our involvement with them after that. This has evolved into a methodology called dreamwork. In dreamwork, one forgoes the temptation to interpret right away. Instead, the dream is used as material for creative work. One can paint or draw pictures of the main images in a dream. One can take a dream and rewrite it; adding or editing out characters, 15

changing the outcome of the dream, writing a scene that comes before the dream, or playing the dream like a drama with family and friends. The number of things one can do with a dream are endless. The key is creativity. As one works with the dream, lights come on in the mind, and one has aha! experiences in which the meaning of an element of a dream, or even of the entire dream, suddenly becomes clear. Besides being creative, one has to cultivate the ability to connect with dreams on the level of feelings, and much less on the level of intellect. As one works creatively with the dream material, one has to pay attention to emotional responses. If you have a strong feeling about something in a dream, whether it be a strong feeling of fear, or of attraction, or of regret, or any other strong emotional reaction, thats what you should be paying attention to. The other thing to pay attention to is associations. If an object, a character, or a place or a sequence in a dream makes you think of something in your real life, either past or present, its worth reflecting on to get some answers concerning why your mind makes these associations. Sometimes you will be doing something during the day, and you suddenly think of something in a dream you had recently. It could be something somebody says. It could be something you see while you are walking on the street. It could be a song playing on the radio. For whatever reason, you immediately think of a dream. This association should also be explored. The Inner Self is trying to tell you something. 16

The most basic dreamwork is to simply close ones eyes, relax, and to slowly re-enact a dream from the beginning to end, seeing and feeling everything in the imagination that happened in the dream. One can do it several times. Very often, this is enough to gain valuable insights. Again, the only limit to what you can do is your own creativity. Ive even read of one group that re-enacts group members dreams, but they say all of their dialogue in improvised songs they make up on the spot. Sounds silly, but the people who have done it say that singing instead of speaking bypasses their rational minds, and they say and do interesting things. The key to dreamwork is to stop interpreting dreams, and to begin creating with them. It is also essential to constantly remain open to new insights into a given dream. One dream can have many different meanings; all of them valid. Where this all can lead Anywhere. Once a person starts listening to the voice within, its hard to say what sort of changes will occur in their life. But one thing is certain: it will be an improvement. If any of this is to make any difference in the long run, the knowledge gained from dreamwork should lead to action. If your dreams tell you that you still feel guilty about being unkind to a friend, you shouldnt just sit on that knowledge; you should heal your relationship with your friend. If your dreams make you feel you should find a new job, then find one. 17

Our Inner Self is always prompting us to take action. And now, armed with this text and your mugwort dream pillow, you have the basic tools to set forth on the great inner adventure. Sweet dreams.

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