The following hypnosis technique is a process to use before bed to incubate or manifest a dream to help you with an issue that is alive in your daily life. This process is for people who regularly remember their dreams and have at least some basic dream work skills. I recommended working with basic dream work tools listed in my previous article “Dream Work and Hypnosis” to get comfortable with the basics of dream work before using this advanced dream work technique. In using this dream incubation hypnosis, you will need to keep your dream journal by your bedside, as you will be writing down your dreams upon awakening. With practice, this advanced dream work techniques will enhance your self-awareness and support your ability to be more self-actualized in your daily life.
In hypnosis you will meet with your dream weaver and ask for help in manifesting a dream that will bring you teaching or healing in response to your specific concern. To be your own hypnotist or guide, record the following hypnosis script in your own voice. When you read and record this script, make sure that you speak slowly and leave time between each suggestion so you have time to access you inner experience and perceptions. Read the words with a soothing voice, the way you would read to a sleepy child. Listen to your recorded hypnosis process nightly before you go to sleep and you will soften the boundaries between your waking and dreaming consciousness so you will receive information to help you live the dream of your WAKING life with more magic, empowerment and self- awareness.
Introduction to Hypnosis to Incubate a Dream
Use this hypnosis process once you are regularly remembering your dreams. The purpose of this hypnosis to incubate a dream is to ask your dream weaver to bring you a dream to help you with a question, decision, relationship, concern or issue in your life to which you want to bring understanding, insight and healing. For instance, you might ask for a dream to help you understand and get direction around a life transition, relationship challenge, or you might ask for dreamweaver’s advice on dealing with a health issue. Perhaps you can ask for a dream that will give you inspiration and insight into moving forward with an art project or feeling blocked in some area of your life. Or possibly, you ask for a dream to activate your spiritual growth and awareness. Before you proceed with this hypnosis have a clear focus and request in mind. Write down your focus and request for the dream in your dream journal. Also write down any thoughts you may have about why manifesting this dream will be important and meaningful to you in your life. If you do not receive a dream the first night after doing this hypnosis, then do this process for at least two more nights. The dream may take some time to be incubated before it comes to you.
The hypnosis process that follows, programs the subconscious to work with your dreamweaver, or transcendent Self, to bring you insights and transformation. Dream manifesting will not necessarily result in a direct answer to a question since dreams are symbolic and are loaded with many possibilities.
After you ask for a gift in a dream and then you have the joy of working with the dream to discover the many possibilities and gifts the dream presents. (My next article will have a process for working with your dream in hypnosis.)
And then, after receiving the wisdom of the dream, you have to opportunity to choose whether to follow any guidance or insight by taking action and living out the healing and teaching of the dream. Do not be over simplistic, or too literal and throw caution out the dream door, by saying, “ This dream told me what to do.” Use Dream work as one touchstone in your decision and choice making process.
Self-Hypnosis Script to Incubate a Healing or Teaching Dream
This self-hypnosis is to be used when in bed and you are ready to sleep. If possible, set up your tape, MP3 or CD player, to turn off after playing this track, so you can move right into sleep.
While lying in bed and ready for sleep, close you eyes. Notice your body. Where in your body are you the most comfortable and relaxed? As you breathe into those comfortable and relaxed areas, imagine the comfort growing and spreading to other areas in your body that want to relax and let go. Imagine the comfort is growing with each in breath, and any discomfort and tension moves out the bottoms of your feet as you exhale. Continue to breathe in relaxation and breathe out the rest as you become more and more still. You become more and more relaxed. The space of comfort and relaxation continues to grow and expand throughout your body. You look forward to sleep and to the guidance, inspiration and healing of the dream that awaits you.
While your body continues to soften and relax, your mind becomes more still and focused. You carry your dream journal with you as you imagine walking on a gentle sloping path down a hillside. The path winds easily through a forest. With each step along the path you take in the beautiful surroundings and move deeper and deeper with in. Your senses come alive as you walk. Look at the colors and textures of nature. Feel the stability of the earth beneath your feet. Hear the sounds of the forest around you. As the light of the late afternoon sun, glows through the trees and ferns, you enjoy many shades of fresh green and rich-colored earth tones. Breath in the moist fresh air… and, as the sun sets, you feel the cooling temperature on your face and arms. You barely hear your footsteps as you walk on the moss-covered path. After walking for some time, you see a small structure through the trees. You are intrigued to discover a dwelling so deep in the forest. As you approach the structure, you have discovered what feels like a very special and sacred place. The structure is a small temple. As you enter the walkway to the door, there is a carved wooden sign that reads: Welcome to Dreamtime. Your dream weaver awaits your arrival. As you enter, you will be between the worlds of wakefulness and sleep, and you are able to communicate with the part of you that orchestrates your dreams.
Tingling with excitement and anticipation, you approach the tall, wooden door. You release the latch, open the door, and step inside. What a wondrous place. Hundreds of twinkling candle flames illuminate the room. In the center of the room is a smiling presence that emanates love and good will. You approach the figure and discover someone who seems very familiar to you. You meet the part of you that creates your dreams, your dream weaver. In this meeting your dream weaver and conscious self learn to communicate, to build trust and an on-going relationship to enhance your dream life and your ability to incubate and remember your dreams. Your dream weaver welcomes you and invites you to look around the room. Your eyes have grown accustom to the candlelight and you are able to see many doorways along the walls. Your dream weaver communicates that each doorway leads to a specific kind of dream. Each door has a symbol, word or picture that represents the kind of dreams to which the door leads. For example, one door leads to dreams that are connected to your growing up and childhood events that want healing and resolve, while another doorway leads to dreams about past lives. The next doorway leads to dreams that connect you to people and animals who have died and wish to communicate with you, and another door leads to problem-solving and life direction dreams.
There are many, many kinds of dreams that you will explore in your dreamtime and many wonderful teachings, discoveries and healings await you through these doors to your dreams. After showing you the doors, your dream weaver takes you lovingly by the hand and guides you to a luxuriously appointed bed. You lie down on a thick comfortable, mattress. Tell the dream weaver about the need behind your current request. Ask for help in manifesting a healing or teaching dream that will inform, teach, inspire, and bring healing to this concern or situation. Show the dream weaver your dream journal and read your intention and request. How does the dream weaver respond? Listen with your ears, eyes, body and heart. Does the dream weaver have any advice or requests for you? Assure the dream weaver that you will work with any dream that comes, working towards more self-awareness and understanding. Take time now for any further dialogue and exchange. You receive what comes in whatever way it comes.
When you are complete with your communications, it is dreamtime. You ask for support from the dreamer in remembering your dreams so that that the dreams may communicate their messages to your conscious self. In this relaxed state, you have more direct access to a focused awareness and you are open to receive these helpful and empowering suggestions:
Your dream weaver stands by your bed while you sleep, supporting you and guiding through the appropriate door and into the dream while you sleep. As soon as you awaken, lie quietly for a while and tune into your feelings, images and any words or impressions that are still with you from dreamtime. Then, reach for your dream journal to record any impressions or details of whatever dreams that you have brought back with you to conscious awareness. Record any emotions, body sensations, words or phrases, and impressions that come out of sleep with you and any details, stories, characters, events or environments you remember. You journal anything, even if it is only a vague memory or impression. You journal with words and drawings. Your regular dream journaling communicates to your unconscious and that you are earnest about wanting to remember and work with your dreams, and your commitment to dream journaling opens the door to remembering your dream. You imagine awakening and reaching for your dream journal. See and feel that you are writing on the paper, recording and honoring each detail or dream fragment that comes. You appreciate your dream weaver’s help as you remember and work with the wisdom of your dream. You are guided to get into a beautifully appointed bed. Lying on the think comfortable mattress and knowing that the preparations for a healing dream are in place, you easily and effortlessly move into sleep. And while you sleep, your dream weaver waits for the appropriate time in your dreamtime to take you to the door of the dream woven to meet your request. In the right moment in dreamtime, you walk through the open door and meet the characters, setting, symbols, messages and feelings that are the guidance of your dream. Sleep, knowing that the unfolding of your dream is guided by the support of your dream weaver, your wise, transcendent Self. You look forward to journaling and then dream working to discover the dream’s gifts and wisdom. You are grateful for dreaming as a tool for living more fully awakened as your whole Self. You sleep well.
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Holly Holmes-Meredith is a Doctor of Ministry and a licensed Marriage family Therapist who trains hypnotherapists at HCH Institute in Lafayette CA. Learn more about hypnosis and its many therapeutic uses by reading her other blogs on Past life Therapy, Spirit Releasement Therapy, Manifesting your dreams and more.
Visit us to learn about HCH Institute and its California state approved and registered certification trainings and classes for personal growth in hypnotherapy, energy therapy and parapsychological studies. And listen to her pod cast and samples of Holly's Hypnosis CDs which are available on-line.