Look After Your Mind – May 2025

17th May 2025 | Health

It’s only dreams

Dreams are creations of the subconscious mind, reflecting our conscious thoughts, anxieties and experiences. Sometimes they are endeavours to resolve a problem or deal with unfinished business. Occasionally in my work as a hypnotherapist I’m asked to try and help people who have troubling and / or recurring dreams. One lady who came to see me said that she had a disturbing unpleasant dream. She was driving down a long, straight road at night and all was well. Suddenly the steering failed; the car veered off the road and plunged down a steep bank. To my client’s horror, caught in the headlights was a small child. She almost hit the child and then woke up horrified in a cold sweat.

Recurring dreams

Recurring dreams, or the same theme weaving through different dreams, are sometimes the subconscious trying to solve an issue. Or it’s trying to alert the conscious mind to the reality of the problem. One technique I use is called re-dreaming. With the client in the relaxed state of hypnosis, I ask the subconscious if it is prepared to ‘play’ the dream again so that the conscious mind can notice it. Also, to reveal what the symbolism of the dream means. Once agreement is reached, the client relives the dream. As they are not asleep, they can consciously reflect on the dream imagery.

In the above case, driving along the road symbolised my client’s feeling that she was in control of her life. Veering down the bank represented a loss of control, while hitting the child symbolised her fear that she and her husband wouldn’t be able to have children.

Mind over matter

Realising this, she said that she and her husband had always been anxious that she wouldn’t be able to conceive, but had never sought professional advice, which she now decided she would do. A few months later she rang me to say that her doctor advised her and her partner to have a glass of wine and just to enjoy the experience, without worrying about having children, which they did. Very happily she told me that she was now pregnant. The power of mind over matter!

Steve Bowkett