When Old Energy Shows Up in Dreams
- Katharine Donovan Kane
- May 18
- 3 min read
Tapping into energy or messages or patterns in dreams takes preparation. It’s similar to when we enter our meditation of choice. You set aside time, get the prayer cushion ready, or put on your favorite hiking shoes for a walk in the woods. As you’re doing this your breathing is changing. Your heartbeat slows down. And as a result, your body is calming with anticipation. It’s the same with Dream Circles.
You are sitting in Circle. We’re preparing ourselves by silencing our minds and relaxing our bodies. There’s a deep feeling of relief that in this Circle you are not obligated to fix anything.
At first there are thoughts of uncertainty; do you dare share your dream remnants? They don’t seem as dream-worthy as what others are offering. Yet, you sense the Circle opening up. You feel a wave of belonging and realize you are at home in this place.
It’s happened so quickly that it’s hard to explain. But your over thinking left brain has passed the baton to your right emotional brain.1 In this state you can easily assess the truth and safety of the surroundings. You know this because you can sense the vitality in the present moment. Your curiosity is reaching out to the others to listen to their stories without judgement.
The part of you that so often tries to figure things out has given way. You find yourself “just” listening. Somewhere in your body it’s vibrating – or maybe it’s simply a hum. But you know that your intuitive way of be-ing is awake.
Now, you are ready to hear the old energy in the dream.
Who is Visiting Now
In my dream training with Stephen Aizenstat, he would often ask, “who is visiting now?” I loved this question and use it in my Dream Circles. Before we ask that question though, it helps to pause the dream exploration. Notice what’s happening. Have we slipped back, unawares, into our left thinking brain where we are parsing out details and analyzing. If so, we have the opportunity to take a deep breath and bring ourselves back to the present.
Why is this important? Because it is in the present moment that we can really notice who is visiting.
The beauty of dreams, and why I am so passionate about acknowledging them, is that the “who” can take many forms. It can be an unexpected feeling arising from an old, personal story. There may be an animal who keeps reappearing, and your dream-self has finally taken notice. Or it may be an object or a figure in the background. When prompted by the dream process, you recognize these hidden aspects as a talisman or a companion. They may be waiting for you to notice them as allies to accompany you through dream challenges.
These are all key recognitions. They help us personally build awareness and trust for what our own inner wisdom is trying to communicate.
When Old Energy Shows Up
And then in Dream Circles there are special times when a presence affects everyone. This presence emerges during the dream process when we are imagining how the shared dream has touched us. It happens when we describe how the dream words, images, or emotions have helped us clarify our own journey.
The participant’s reflections begin to speak of an older presence in the dream. The Circle notices a common symbol or figure that seems ancient. Some will say that it feels like an older energy has made itself known. It becomes clear to everyone that the Circle has tapped into the same universal pattern in the dream. An archetype if you will. Again, this is a good time to pause in recognition. Silence and intentional breath is the only thing that seems necessary in a moment like this. We honor the “who” that has stepped forward.
Before jumping too quickly to interpret this presence, however, allow the moment to linger. Notice that we held back before asking this old energy to explain why she is there.
If we are to truly answer the question “who is visiting” then we need to give her some time. We need to listen. Put your hand on your heart. Pay attention to your body’s response. Thank the old energy for helping you and the others to recognize her awe-inspiring simultaneous connection in the Circle.
As the Circle begins to share the take-aways for our time together, you notice we’re using words like grounding, mystery, or healing. This. This may be the whole reason why old energy shows up in dreams. Healing.
Notes:
1 Read the fabulous work of Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. in her book Whole Brain Living, the Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life. I discovered how to name the four characters of my brain.
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