A Story of Two Cancer Warning Dreams

Remember to have fun, even when life is challenging!

Remember to have fun, even when life is challenging!

Here’s a story of a couple of health warning dreams that came true in my life. They’re a reminder of the value of catching your dreams, logging them, and of reviewing your dream journal for good advice from your quite magical dreaming self.

November 1st was my six month anniversary of successful surgery for thyroid cancer. I was diagnosed in March, and I discovered a dream of my surgeon warning me about cancer 3 1/2 years before my surgery, and a dream voice two years later that calmly said “You have cancer”.

In April I gave a talk on Inner Voice Experiences at an International Association for the Study of Dreams regional conference in Santa Cruz. I agreed to give my presentation before I had my diagnosis and already had some great stories to tell, but I felt there was another story waiting to be found in my journals. So I reviewed several journals and found a doozy. I’ve counted at least ten things in this dream that came true years later.

In my dream I’m facilitating a Robert Moss workshop, and I have to leave with a friend from Seattle for a doctor’s appointment before it is finished. After an examination with the doctor I’m in a second doctor’s office with a woman medical clinician wearing a white coat. She is petite, with short brown hair and a very strong and direct personality, very confident and highly capable. She tells me, “If you don’t find a way to reduce your stress, get more rest, and find more balance in your life you’re at risk for developing cancer. It’s not there now, but cancer cells like nooks and crannies and folds in the body and the way you’re living is a formula for developing cancer.”

I tell her she is a great teacher, and has she ever thought of teaching about health? She ignores this, and looks at me closely and says. “You need to take me seriously. Reduce your stress, get more rest, and have more fun!”

My friend and I leave the clinic and now I’m alone in a little motorized tricycle trying to get back to the workshop by driving over a bridge across the Bay. I try to cross the bridge alone in the tricycle, and I’m buffeted about by heavy winds blowing me across lanes. There is no way I can cross this bridge in high winds in this little bike.

Now I’m with my friend again in a little electronic car, very low to the ground, crossing the bridge. It’s very difficult and I feel angry and frustrated, and in a fit of road rage I ram into a big car driven by a rude man who has cut me off. It’s all just so difficult! Finally we get back to the workshop and a woman I know whom I’ve never dreamt about before or since wants to talk to me. Oddly, she has a sunburn and I don’t really want to talk to her. I wake feeling very uncomfortable.

So what came true in the dream?

Yippee for friends in times of need!

Yippee for friends in times of need!

I attended a Robert Moss workshop in Seattle late last year and had a reunion with my close friend, a physician. She noticed a lump on my neck and told me to have it looked at. I probably would not have noticed it for a very long time. We had a sense at the time there was a reason we were supposed to meet in Seattle, but didn’t know why. Now we do. Thank you, Veronique!

The medical warning came true. After meeting with my primary care physician and being diagnosed with thyroid cancer I scheduled my appointment with a surgeon. When she walked into the room wearing her white coat I recognized her from the dream. She was strong, direct, petite with short brown hair just as I had dreamed, a top surgeon and professor at UCSF medical center. I was thrilled to learn later the crew talked about dreams during my surgery because I had shared my dream with them.

I had the dream when I was in the process of starting a new business and was also teaching a graduate course on dreaming. I worked long days and nights, living out of balance. The dream advice was good but I didn't heed it, nor did I remember the dream.

Two days after my surgery I unexpectedly had to ask a friend to drive me to the clinic across the Bay Bridge, in her old car that sits very low to the ground, similar in feeling to the vehicle in my dream. We were buffeted about by the stress of driving to and from San Francisco in heavy Friday traffic, with unavoidable jerky movements from driving a manual transmission. I'm embarrassed to say I had a moment of road rage when a rude man swerved around us, honking.

The presence of thyroid problems is present in the dream by the friend with the sunburn. This friend has had very challenging problems with her thyroid, and with getting her thyroid medication properly balanced. In waking life I was reluctant to talk with her after my diagnosis because I didn't want to think about the challenges of losing my thyroid and of balancing my hormones afterwards. I've chosen to decline the radioactive iodine treatment recommended by my doctor. Radiation burns cells and the sunburn seems to reflect this, too.

Finally, this was a long dream where much of my time was spent trying to get back to the magic of the workshop, and in the dream I was afraid of letting Robert down, similar to how I have felt about not being able to be as fully present with my writing, and my dreamwork, as I wish to be. The dream reflects how illness has interrupted the dreamy life I love.

I'm happy to say I'm well on my way to vibrant good health again, and it's very likely the surgery removed all of the cancer. 

It’s fascinating to see how many elements in one dream may be predictive in both literal and symbolic ways. The challenge is to remember to review your dreams and to pay attention to good advice when you find it. I use this dream now as a tangible reminder to take better care of myself.

All better now! Photo from the movie ”The Girl in White”, 1952

All better now! Photo from the movie ”The Girl in White”, 1952

Dream Telepathy

Once upon a time I wrote my newsletters and blogs more frequently. Two years ago I opened my fine jewelry appraisal business, and (imagine!) it's thriving. Which means I have less time to write. It's a mixed blessing because I love to write these blogs, but the beauty is, with commitment to take action what we dream up will come to pass. 

The busyness of my life and work left me feeling hungry for some fresh dream magic. I was ready for a little effervescence, and in June I attended the International Association for the Study of Dreams Annual Conference, where dream scientists, psychologists, artists, philosophers, and dreamers of all kinds come to gather and share.

A highlight every year is the Dream Telepathy Contest. During one night of the conference, the person chosen as the  "Sender" randomly selected a sealed envelope with an image from four that were previously prepared. During the night she set her alarm to wake every two hours and looked at the image with the intention of telepathically broadcasting it to the sleeping conference attendees, including dancing and singing and embodying the image. (Thank you, Maureen!) And during the night or in the morning the contestants filled out out a form with their dream reports. The next morning the reports were submitted and the one that came closest to the actual image wins first place. There were many “hits” by attendees during the night, including dreaming into the three images that weren’t the selected one.

That night I dreamed a long dream that included two children, a boy and a girl, which I observed at the end of the dream standing with their backs to me, slightly turned to each other, engaged in looking at something. I was watching them from above. As I woke I remembered the contest and kept my eyes closed as I asked to see the image. I then had a vivid image of a large round red sun on the left side with horizontal lines of colors in oranges, yellows and reds, warm sunset colors. 

I was surprised when I saw the selected image the next morning and won the contest! 

Dream a Little Dream: The Dream Telepathy Contest Image

Dream a Little Dream: The Dream Telepathy Contest Image

I missed the Santa Claus, the toys, and the window. What I find interesting is how the two dreams blended into one. The two children in my dream were modern children but were positioned in the same way, and the sun on the left became a fire in the fireplace, with the round form present in the wreath. The warm colors and the horizontal lines were similar. In my dream the children seemed to be looking at an object, perhaps a toy. Not a perfect, exact dream of this image, but enough is present to make it fun.

My predictive dreams are usually like this. They are not typically an exact representation of a waking life experience, but carry elements/symbols and feelings that manifest later, usually within a two week time span. And sometimes they're a blend of more than one waking life experience. I've learned this by reviewing my dream journal, where I find surprises like this. It's one of the fun features of keeping a dream journal and reviewing it periodically, and I'm convinced you'll find similar surprises in yours. 

All dressed up for the dream ball, where we come dressed as a character from a dream. I was Fire.

All dressed up for the dream ball, where we come dressed as a character from a dream. I was Fire.

The International Association for the Study of dreams is a marvelous resource to connect with other deep dreamers. Attending their annual conference is a great way to learn about recent dream research, and to be inspired by participating in lectures, dream groups, art events, and other fun experiences like the Dream Ball and the Dream Telepathy Contest. https://www.asdreams.org

HIP HIP HOORAY: A LITTLE HEALING HELP

Dear Dreamers,

After a long absence, a return…This is my first blog since January. I had some challenging life events to navigate, and now I have new dream stories to tell.

Sometimes surprises come that are more than difficult, but usually a gift shows up in the experience, and if we are alert, dream magic. My hip hurt, and I found myself hobbling around for half a year until I eventually couldn't do the things I love, like hiking, swimming, and walking to my car.  I had severe arthritis in my left hip.

One May evening I went to an arthritis lecture given by skilled and caring Dr. Thomas Peatman, and asked him if driving my beloved Subaru Outback with manual transmission was bad for my hip. Oh yes, depressing the clutch was certainly not helping things, and I really should be driving an automatic! Ugh! I loved my well-cared-for, seventeen-year-old car and couldn't see how I could possibly get a new car soon. Plus, I really like shifting as I drive, especially when listening to upbeat music as I go.

Custer Car 1924, IMage from http://weareelectricity.blogspot.com

Custer Car 1924, IMage from http://weareelectricity.blogspot.com

I limped from the lecture hall to my car, looked at the night sky and asked the Universe to give me a sign. Should I replace my car immediately or try to make it through until the end of the year?

That night I had a dream…I'm driving on a bridge across the Bay and my car is inside a long transparent tunnel. A massive wave hits the bridge, crashing over my car, but I'm safe inside the tunnel. I woke wondering what turbulent times may lie ahead.

That morning I drove over the Richmond bridge to see a friend for a soothing Reiki treatment. I felt a little clunk as I approached the bridge but nothing happened and I made it easily to Mill Valley. Just as I was preparing to drive up a winding road to my destination, my car crunched and died, a block from a nice little independent car repair shop. I was safe, as in my dream. And what died in my car? The clutch! I heard the message. I sold the car to one of the mechanics, and adopted a shiny new champagne-colored Outback with an automatic transmission.

I had hip replacement surgery in June and was able to drive again within two weeks, something I would not have been able to do with my old car. My recovery has been remarkable, and I love my new car and my bionic hip, and I can hike, swim, and walk again. 

Tunnel of Love

Tunnel of Love

One final dream worth mentioning...many months before I had any idea of what was to come, I dreamed I was unafraid as I was wheeled down a hallway to have surgery. I knew all would be well, and had friends there to help me in the dream. They were the same beloved friends who were my angels during my recovery. The dream helped me go into surgery with confidence, and my friends helped me recover.