Up front, may I make brief mention of the 'Healing Heart' image on our cover, which has little to do with the contents of this issue. It is what begged to be 'said', what is happening now and conveys beautifully and simply how the world feels, on the continuum from personal to the planetary. Oh, Thank You to all the helping hands. See pg. 7 for a statement from artist, Rose McClarren.
One of my deeply valued Advisors and friends, Russell Lockhart, once told me he was in process writing a book which will declare that all dreams are precognitive. He has come to believe after many years as a Jungian therapist that Psyche uses images and stories from our past to construct scenarios that could - or will - take place in the future. That information is priceless.
It was a prophetic/precognitive dream that set my heart firmly on this path. The dream occurred in 1975; it became manifest/'real' - of its own accord - in 1981. I've shared this life-changing event many times; it is recorded in fuller detail here.
That precious dream foretold an event that uplifted the spirits of many people in the form of a very successful community event and is indicative of the nature of many precognitive dreams. I was essentially and gratefully 'used' or chosen by the powers that be to focalize this event, in which each and every detail of the dream just 'happened,' myself being completely innocent and unsuspecting. No one was aware nor more surprised than I and it was as the dream fulfilled itself that my deepest inner being said "This is very important".
That awesome intersection - where dreams and 'reality' meet - is sacred space.
Perhaps the greatest value of precognitive dreams, however, comes when we see undesirable scenarios. Nightmares, for instance. Often, we are being warned that if we stay on the course we are treading, unwanted events, crisis or disaster could occur. Dreams of this nature are incredibly valuable warning signals... to change something; it serves us well to take heed.
To help us more fully comprehend this mysterious function of dreaming, we are honored to present an indepth and scientifically oriented exploration, Dream Theories of Deja Vu by Dr. Art Funkhouser (pg. 15); the mystical, magical experience of prescient dreams is shared by good friend and neighbor, Damian Nash, who was taught by his dream mentor to 'Hear the Echo Before the Sound' (pg. 11). These are but two of the many fine articles presented; I pray you'll be informed and/or confirmed.
I have a friend who recently retired after years of being the editor for the Arts & Culture section of a state-wide daily newspaper here in Utah. She once said to me that she believed the Arts have a much greater influence in politics and culture than do the various 'movements: ' rallies, protests, etc. I believe her. This year, on these pages, we have explored the many ways of working with dreams; a majority of what has been submitted has to do with artistic expression: dance, painting, theatre and poetry. This has evolved as the chosen (by you) 'theme' for 2004 and insists on more expression in our coming issue.
Look forward to an interview with Gabrielle Roth; for those of you not familiar with her extraordinary work, you're in for a treat. We have requested an article from a Russian Dream Theatre group, and will reprint article on the shadow-side of art by Jungian Robert Johnson and more. In addition, we request that you share the processes you engage in making ' Dreaming' a practice and discipline in your life. Let us hear from you!
I'll talk with you again around the Holidays, Many Thanks & Blessed Thanksgiving to you.
