Hello and welcome.
I have always been a dreamer. I know that the idea of a dreamer can have negative connotations for many people. The idea is that dreamers can get lost in the clouds.
In my experience, engaging the dreaming mind has not only been mystical but empowering and practical.
This site focuses on two areas of primary interest to me, the dreaming mind and the mechanics of taking productive action.
On Dreaming: The engagement of the dreaming mind (dreams, lucid dreaming, visualisation, meditation and creative flow states).
On Action: Zen principles of getting the right things done efficiently. Developing simplicity and clarity as the prime drivers of focused execution.
On Dreaming.
My mother was a dreamer, so it was always part of our family dynamic. Dream discussions around the breakfast table were common in our household and were treated as significant insights.
I started experimenting with meditation and breathwork in my early teens. I was taking martial arts lessons at the time and found myself drawn to eastern meditation and philosophy.
As I began a regular meditative practice, it didn’t take long for my nightly dreams to become more vivid and memorable. I started to keep a diary of my dream experiences, and within a few months, I had my first lucid dream ( I was aware I was having a dream while I was dreaming).
This was a turning point in my life. I was thrilled by the experience and the sense of freedom and adventure that it provided.
Interestingly, the development of regular lucid dreams significantly impacted my meditation sessions. I began to have vivid visions and experiences that dovetailed into my nighttime adventures.
The combination of my nighttime dreams and daytime meditations changed me. In truth, I think I became addicted. There was nothing I would rather do.
I had found my obsession, or perhaps it had found me.
This was the mid-1970’s and information about my experiences was relatively scarce. I started reading everything I could find about dreams, lucid dreams and meditation. A lot of it was quite esoteric and didn’t resonate with me, but I persisted and started to experiment with different ideas and techniques.
It became clear to me that dreaming was a way to understand myself. A path into my subconscious that opened up my creativity and helped me find a sense of balance and calm.
It has been over 45 years since I began this journey. Over this time, I developed a practice that suited me, and I am still working on it today.
This journey has been my deepest love, most significant challenge, and persistent partner.
If my experience can bring some validity, knowledge, or comfort to other dreamers, then perhaps it has some greater value.
On Action.
As an active dreamer and meditator, I was confronted with a challenge I saw in other creative and artistic people.
How can we use our dreaming, creative, artistic minds to make a better life for ourselves and our families? How can we become better contributors to our communities? How can we take efficient action on our dreams??
Generally speaking, dreamers face a slightly different set of challenges than other people.
We are often more sensitive, less sure of ourselves, and have a more elastic relationship with time. We also have a never-ending flow of incoming ideas that demand our attention.
This cocktail can get us drunk on distraction.
How do I get organised and productive when I have such an open, elastic dreamer’s perception?
I returned to the classics and discovered that this problem is not new. Ancient philosophers, from zen monks to the stoics, had a lot of guidance to offer.
I was particularly interested in creating an environment and system that would allow me to focus on those things that mattered most to me.
As a dreamer and meditator, simplicity and clarity turned out to be my most significant allies. They created a calm environment that allowed me to focus and minimise distraction.
Meditation also helped me develop my power of concentration which nested neatly into that environment.
This is an ongoing journey for me, but an important one.
Productivity matters. Meaningful productivity matters most.
What’s the point of being a great dreamer, a creative genius, an incredible artist or a talented problem solver if you never get anything done?
We were born with Dreams, and we live to enact them.
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination
If you would like to know a little bit more about me and my personal journey you can find it here.