Everybody has money issues. A bike crash dream couldn’t possibly help resolve them, right? How could a nightmare about failure help resolve money issues? It all depends on the perspective that you take. You can keep listening to yourself, and stay stuck where you are, or you can listen to your own inner overpass or bicycle….
What is a fundamental life issue that you are dealing with now in your life?
Money
Tell me a dream you remember. It can be an old one, a repetitive dream, a nightmare, or one that you’re sure you understand.
I am biking with a lot of people on the bike behind me, like a very long tandem bike. I bike over rough terrain, at night, then fly over a railing on a curve on an overpass, try to steer back on but don’t make it. I’m about to crash when I wake up.
Why do you think that you had this dream?
Money problems leading to basic fears of incompetency and inadequacy, I suppose.
If it were playing at a theater, what name would be on the marquee?
Disastrous Leadership
These are the characters in the dream…
Bicycle, other Riders, night Sky, Bridge, rough Terrain, Railing, Overpass (curve)
If one character had something especially important to tell you, what would it be?
Overpass
Now remember how as a child you liked to pretend you were a teacher or a doctor? It’s easy and fun for you to imagine that you are this or that character in your dream and answer some questions I ask, saying the first thing that comes to your mind. If you wait too long to answer, that’s not the character answering – that’s YOU trying to figure out the right thing to say!
Overpass, would you please tell me about yourself and what you are doing?
I am standing here, as always, doing my job.
What do you like most about yourself? What are your strengths?
I am reliable and dependable. I do my job. I do what I’m expected to do.
What do you dislike most about yourself? Do you have weaknesses? What are they?
None.
Overpass, you are in Joseph’s life experience, correct? He created you, right? Overpass, what aspect of Joseph do you represent or most closely personify?
A reliable and dependable support for getting where he’s going.
Overpass, if you could be anywhere you wanted to be and take any form you desired, would you change? If so, how?
No.
(Continue, answering as the transformed object, if it chose to change.)
Overpass, how would you score yourself 0-10, in confidence, compassion, wisdom, acceptance, peace of mind, and witnessing? Why?
Confidence: 10
Compassion: ?
Wisdom: ?
Acceptance: 10
Inner Peace: 10
Witnessing: 10
(Character,) if you scored tens in all six of these qualities, would you be different? If so, how?
I wouldn’t be different; I would just have qualties that were irrelevant to my role. I don’t need to be compassionate or wise to be an efficient, effective overpass. If I had them, I wouldn’t be an overpass; I’d not only be human, I’d be an unusually healthy human.
How would Joseph’s life be different if he naturally scored like you do in all six of these qualities all the time?
He wouldn’t let compassion and wisdom get in the way of being dependable and responsible.
What do you mean?
I mean that dependability and responsibility don’t necessarily require compassion and wisdom. They are often helpful, but not always. Your wisdom can cause you to think to much instead of relying on your beingness. Your compassion can cause you to care too much instead of simply knowing that who and what you are is enough.
If you could live Joseph’s life for him, how would you live it differently?
Realize that providing concrete support isn’t necessarily a matter of how intuitive you are or how much you know or how compassionate you are; there are times when what is needed are the other qualities.
If you could live Joseph’s waking life for him today, would you handle his life issue differently? If so, how?
I don’t have money or abundance issues.
What three life issues would you focus on if you were in charge of his life?
1. Stability
2. Confidence
3. Equanimity
In what life situations would it be most beneficial for Joseph to imagine that he is you and act as you would?
When he gets going too fast in his mind. When he gets into drama or taking too much responsibility. I don’t take responsibility; I AM responsible.
Character, do you do drama? If not, why not?
No. It’s not my nature.
What is your secret for staying out of drama?
Be myself.
Why do you think that you are in Joseph’s life?
To show what he gets away from, what he sometimes moves too fast to take advantage of.
How is Joseph most likely to ignore what you are saying to him?
Trying too hard to perform, to do too much.
What would you recommend that he do about that?
Slow down. Feel supported. Question what he takes on. He’s carrying way too much of a load in this dream. He’s got all those people he’s pulling along behind him. He’s doing so effortlessly; in fact, he’s going too fast!
I think Joseph had this dream because
He is playing rescuer. He’s exercising too much control in relationship to other aspects of himself. They need to not only help pedal, but help steer and apply the brakes.
I think this dream event happened or (some character) was in the dream because…
The other people are self-aspects that are therre to support him. He doesn’t have to carry them or pull them. He doesn’t have to take responsibility for them.
What have you heard yourself say?
I am not relying on my sangha enough, am making independent decisions that are beyond my waking competency.
If this experience were a wake-up call from the most central part of who you are, what do you think it would be saying to you?
Do what I am doing now: consult with my internal spiritual support community.
This interview felt unfinished. It seemed like there was important stuff I wasn’t yet hearing, so I decided to interview somebody else…
If one character had something especially important to tell you, what would it be?
Bicycle
Bicycle would you please tell me about yourself and what you are doing?
I am carrying twenty or more people. I am built to do so. You wouldn’t think I could carry people over rough terrain, but I can. I can also fly.
Are you shitting me???
I’m in your dream. What did you expect? Why would I want to be an ordinary bike? Look – I was already impossible. There’s no such thing as a bike for twenty or more people. Don’t you think that might be a clue?
What do you like most about yourself? What are your strengths?
I am rather unique, you might say. Can you carry twenty or more people? Can you fly?
What do you dislike most about yourself? Do you have weaknesses? What are they?
Nothing.
Bicycle, you are in Joseph’s life experience, correct? He created you, right? Bicycle, what aspect of Joseph do you represent or most closely personify?
His versatility. His ability to carry and lead effortlessly.
Bicycle, if you could be anywhere you wanted to be and take any form you desired, would you change? If so, how?
No.
(Continue, answering as the transformed object, if it chose to change.)
Bicycle, how would you score yourself 0-10, in confidence, compassion, wisdom, acceptance, peace of mind, and witnessing? Why?
Confidence: 10
Compassion: 10 I’m sorry if Joseph had the shit scared out of him at the end. But otherwise he wouldn’t have remembered this dream.
Wisdom: 10 You are probably thinking I’m arrogant but I’m not. I just know what I’m doing and why.
Acceptance: 10 I accept rough ground. I accept flying off bridges. I accept many passengers. In fact I’m infinitely expandable.
Inner Peace: 10 Why not?
Witnessing: 10 But of course!
How would Joseph’s life be different if he naturally scored like you do in all six of these qualities all the time?
He might not go into crisis mode so easily. Nor would he automatically blame himself for poor judgment. He wouldn’t wonder if he wasn’t rescuing others or not consulting the other bikers or if he was going too fast or trying to go around curves I couldn’t handle. I could have taken that curve just fine; I over-ruled him and wanted to fly! He didn’t make a mistake, so he shouldn’t blame himself.
If you could live Joseph’s life for him, how would you live it differently?
I would make it into a magical experience full of abundance and possibility.
If you could live Joseph’s waking life for him today, would you handle his life issue differently? If so, how?
Money is about abundance and its perceived presence or absence. The perception of abundance is a personal choice. You get to decide whether you are living a life of abundance or scarcity. Guess which is smarter?
What three life issues would you focus on if you were in charge of his life?
1. Suspending disbelief
2. Suspending blame, particularly of himself.
3. Taking on more challenges, more responsibility, more leadership. Thinking of three impossible things both before and after breakfast.
In what life situations would it be most beneficial for Joseph to imagine that he is you and act as you would?
Only when he wants to feel rich, powerful, confident, and effective. Otherwise, I’m not so useful.
Character, do you do drama? If not, why not?
Oh, I rather enjoyed scaring Joseph. It was fun getting his attention. I guess that’s drama!
What is your secret for staying out of drama?
I am too busy creating a reality that can either be seen as a higher level of drama or as one that completely transcends drama. You get to decide which it is, depending on your perspective.
Why do you think that you are in Joseph’s life?
As usual, to wake him up to unseen and unexpected possibilities and potentials he has. Also to show him how jumping to conclusions is a fullproof way to make himself wrong, feel bad, and stop himself.
How is Joseph most likely to ignore what you are saying to him/her?
He’s had many years practice being Joseph. He’s brainwashed himself into actually thinking that’s who he is. How curious!
What would you recommend that he do about that?
Interview more dream characters.
I think Joseph had this dream because
He needs to wake up.
I think this “crash” was in the dream because…
Joseph needed to look at how he tends to assume he is irresponsible, incapable, unreliable, overcommitted, and takes on too much. All of that is crazy thinking and absolutely not the way I see it. I think he’s very responsible, capable, reliable, committed, and needs to take on more. This Overpass, by the way, is not very wise. It gave itself a zero in wisdom – I didn’t. I respect it and its perspective, but it’s wrong about rescuing and taking on too much. Maybe I’d see it the same way if I were an Overpass, but I’m not. I’m a flying bicycle.
What have you heard yourself say?
Hmmmmm….This self-aspect is very different than the Overpass, which was remarkably non-creative but extremely reliable. This bike is audaciously confident and capable. It is both fearless and independent. It has very strong opinions and attitudes. It thinks there was no problem with this dream or with what I did. It thinks I should do more such things.
If this experience were a wake-up call from the most central part of who you are, what do you think it would be saying to you?
Take risks. Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is a matter of perspective and opinion, and this bicycle definitely does not think in those terms.
But Bicycle, all this is easy for you to say. You ‘re not made of flesh and blood. You can’t die, so of course you don’t have anything to be scared of. But I live in a different reality. Bad things can happen to me if I don’t pay bills or drive off overpasses…
So, keep living life your way if that’s what you want to do. If you are happy with the results you are getting, don’t consult me. Don’t look at your dreams. Don’t interview self-aspects. But then don’t complain to me if you experience the world as an unsupportive, scary place, OK?
