Integration of non-ordinary states of consciousness is a rapidly evolving field that holds immense potential for personal growth and healing. This process involves incorporating the insights gained from psychedelic experiences into one’s daily life, fostering increased self-awareness and transformation. However, one often overlooked aspect of this journey is dreamwork—an invaluable tool in the integration process.
Dreams, much like sacred medicine experiences, can bypass our ego, offering profound insights and revelations. Many have found that substances such as Aya or psilocybin mushrooms, or even drumming and breathwork, induce a state much like a waking dream. These states can provide a unique platform for introspection and problem-solving, which can be further explored through dreamwork.
Though well-regarded by the likes of authors Marc Aixala and Stanislav Grof, dreamwork has been overlooked by many looking at psychedelic medicines as a therapeutic tool. This points to a wider trend of ignoring the deeper aspect of self as a primary source of guidance and forces us on a continual seeker path with little results.
The adage, “the answers lie within,” reminds us that the answers to our questions lie within ourselves, rather than outside of us. It can be a reminder that we have the power to find our own solutions, and that we don’t need to look to others for answers.
With or without medicine, your dreams will show you the way, especially when tended to carefully.
However, it’s worth noting that dreams and Tryptamines occupy the same pathway of your brainwaves, are associated with increased activity in the theta frequency range (4-7 Hz). Theta waves are associated with creativity, imagination, and emotional processing. This makes dreamwork and integration great bedfellows, especially once you’ve started developing an active dreamwork practice.
For instance, active dreamwork done before a medicine journey can help you build your map for energetic clearing, which you can travel to during your journey with that intention and visualization in mind. Afterwards, dreamwork in combination with awareness work can help you map your shifts on both the inner and outer worlds.
In other words, as you change, so shall your dreams.
My dreamwork practice starts with learning how to recall and decode your own dreams, then using them to map out the road ahead. The core method leans on careful observation: paying attention to signs, symbols and messages that appear both in dreaming and waking states.
Want to get started? Learn here about our upcoming Dreamwork for Integration workshop.
