A nightmare, in my personal lexicon, is not merely a scary dream; it is an UNFINISHED dream. We don’t want to leave anything – least of all ourselves – on the table in a dream of this kind.

So you fled the dream scene. You had to get out because you were terrified. So you woke yourself up and stumbled through the day, telling yourself it was “only” a dream.

Poor strategy. What you left unresolved in the dream space is likely to pursue you in physical life.

What you are fleeing from may be a message that could save your health, your marriage, your job – even your life. The monster you are running away from may be an aspect of your own power that is hunting you. The Greater Self is forever stalking the little self. The alien invader in your broken dream may be a form of what is most alien to many of us: that Greater, star-traveling Self.

What to do when you have fled from a dream scene?

You can try to return to that scene. A dream is also a place. Because you have been there before, you can go there again, just as you can go back to an address you know from any period in your life, a house, an office, a park, a beach. I have given the name dream reentry to the method that is required here, and you can read about it in several of my books, including The Three “Only” Things and Active Dreaming, where you will also find many inspiring examples of how real power and healing and guidance can come from this.

To go back inside a dream, you basically need just three things: (1) a portal, which is your vivid memory of a dream scene; (2) a clear intention and (3) fuel and focus for the journey, for which we use live shamanic drumming in my workshops. I have recorded a CD of shamanic drumming specifically for dream travelers for use at home.

Sure, you may be scared by the idea of going back to face something that scared you in a dream you left unfinished. You can try to gather strength and resources for the assignment, for example, by calling on spiritual allies by any names you believe in, and by calling in the power animals if you have a working connection with them. You can also ask a friend to accompany you on the dream reentry journey. Dreaming can be a social as well as personal activity, and in my books I give many examples of what has been accomplished by two or more dreamers making a journey together.

Key principles to keep in mind:

– Dreams are not on our case. They are on our side.

-We want to learn to confront and resolve our challenges on the ground where they are presented.

– No dream is “only” a dream.

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“Kali Ma” (c) Robert Moss.

Kali Ma drawing (c) Robert Moss