Herbs AND PRACTICES FOR DREAMING

“Those who are awake have a single and common world, but in sleep each person turns away from this and enters their own world.”

This is a quote from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus who believed that sleep was an intermediary between life and death. He was not alone with these sentiments as Homer called sleep “death’s little brother”, which is interesting as the brother of the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos, is indeed Thanatos the god of death. In a similar vein, Buddha described sleep as “the small death”. I guess it makes sense - in both circumstances we lose our conscious minds and disconnect from the physical world in which we live. You could probably say that sleep is a daily reminder of death but also a chance to rest our thinking brain and allow our inner guides and sub conscious to take the reins.

There is great insight to be found within our dreams by understanding the symbolism that provides hints to our deepest wants and needs. In some cases people are delivered prophecies and imaginative and creative ideas during slumber. Similarly a rich dream world may aid in emotional detoxification and allow thoughts and worries to be worked through and diluted. Supporting your dream world with ritual, herbs and journaling allows an inner sense cultivation which can allow your imagination to break forth from the confines of your dream world and into the real world. Dream work can allow the line between the real and the imaginary to blur and mental images can become sharper and richer in your day to day life.

And here you thought dreams were just for shits and giggles.

Practices foR enhancing your dreamworld.

Have a good bedtime routine Ditch the devices for a few hours before bed, try not to drink any alcohol and have a warm shower or bath. Make sure your room is not too hot and maybe have a cup of a relaxing tea like chamomile. Instead of reading in bed take a moment to set your dream intentions.

Predetermination or Intention setting When you get into bed, try and think about the setting or the topic of the dream you want prior to sleep. This is similar to the ideas of "dream incubation" in which a person works to induce a dream about something in order to answer a question or resolve a conflict. Similarly you might want to try visualization, meditation, breathwork or tarot to spark your dream cycle. It is important to be realistic about your expectations and for you to be ready to wade through a lot of symbolism to reach a conclusion in your rational life.

Wake Yourself Up Ever noticed that when you wake up you seem to get straight back into a dream. This is based on sleep cycles. The idea is to set an alarm to wake up five hours after you fall asleep. Once you're awake, go back to bed and you'll most likely enter REM ( dreaming) sleep again. By going from being awake to be in REM sleep, you'll be more likely to have stronger, more vivid dreams which may be able to be controlled.

Practice reality checking It is said that when in a dream, you are unable to change the lighting. You may want to turn the light on but either cant find the light switch, or find it and it wont work. If this is noted whilst dreaming it can act as a signal to your dreaming self that you are asleep and from that awareness it is thought that you might be able to control your dream - to become lucid. The best way to create a daytime habit that may influence your ability to control your dreams is to consciously turn lights on and off and say to yourself “I am awake”. Then when you are unable to change the lighting in your dream - you will become lucid and be able to control your subconscious and your dream.

Another reality checker it to look into a mirror, put your hand to your face and then touch the mirror, saying when you touch the mirror “I am awake”. It is said that in the dream world your hand will pass into the mirror and with this realization you may be able to become lucid within your dream and “step through the looking glass”

Keep a dream journal One of the of the most important practices for enhancing your dream landscape is to make sure you have a dream journal right next to your bed so that you can capture the magick. Dream recall can be so fleeting, their symbolism and stories floating away within seconds after waking. That’s why its important to have a journal close by to write down the themes and symbolism you experienced before it disappears. Have a look over what you have written over your morning coffee and see if it was just a brain dump or if there was meaning hidden in there. Sometimes its difficult to see the themes that play out yourself but a close friend or partner might see them if you like to share.

Herbs for enhancing your dream world

There are numerous herbs which have been used traditionally for enhancing the dream world, freeing the spirit and for prophecy. They are called oneirogens from the Greek óneiros meaning "dream”and gen "to create" - substances which produces or enhances dream-like states of consciousness. In fact oneiromancy is the practice of taking specific herbs in order to receive divine messages and prophecies when in the dream state. Below I have listed my favourite of the dream herbs …

Artemesia vulgaris

Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) Is one of the most time honoured herbs in Western Herbal Medicine. It was believed to be a sacred herb by many Ancient civilizations and was even used as the base of beer prior to the use of hops. A beautiful womanly herb, mugwort is used to ward off evil spirits while you are susceptible to psychic attack, to enhance the colour in your dreams, dream lucidity and astral travelling ( which is handy right now while we cant travel!) It enhances your dream recall and is thought to make the prophetic messages in your dreams more easy to decipher and understand. Best used topically and as a tincture or tea. Not for use in pregnancy and lactation

Nymphaea ceruleus

Blue Lotus (Nymphaea ceruleus) also known as the Blue Egyptian water lily or sacred blue lily, is a water-lily in the genus Nymphaea. It has been used since Ancient times in Egypt where it has formed part of the shamanic and dream culture of this era. It was soaked in wine and used for social occasions as well. Blue Lotus creates feelings of relaxation, euphoria, and happiness and is thought to cause prophetic and lucid dreams that are vivid in colour and sound. Best used topically and as a tincture or tea.

Asparagus racemosus

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) Shatavari opens the heart , allowing you to follow the sound of your spirit into the dream realm. Shatavari is also known as The Flying Herb as it is thought to allow you to soar through your dream skies, flying over forests and trees and taking you to faraway places. Many people think that shatavari makes their dreams more colourful and exciting and leaves them waking feeling happy and relaxed. This wouldnt be a surprise as Shatavari has another more well known usage as an adaptogen. Best used as a tincture or as a milk based tonic.

Valerian officinalis

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Legend has it that the infamous Pied Piper used this plant to sedate and charm children and rats alike. I’m not sure about that but it is a very ancient herb, used since the time of Pliny and likely well before. Whilst used for many a malady in ancient times, it is now known mostly as a sleep and relaxation herb. Valerian has a strong sedative action and is thought to enhance the vividness, content and recall of dreams and may even enhance the likelihood of lucid dreaming. It is thought to bring good fortune and peace to those who use it. Best used as a tincture or tea.

Verbena officinalis

Vervain (Verbena officinalis) A truly ancient and witchy herb, vervain was used as a tool for divination by the Druids, may have been a part of witches flying ointment and was highly regarded as a dream weaver by First Nations Americans. In ancient Egypt it was associated with the moon goddess, Isis and was considered a sacred and lucky herb throughout Ancient Greece. As a dreaming herb it is renowned for enhancing awareness in dreams so may be of particular benefit for those wanting to have lucidity and for enhancing recall. It is also thought to keep nightmares at bay. Best used as a tincture, tea or tonic.

Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens) Highly prized as both a food and medicine in Ayurveda, mucuna contains the precursor for dopamine - L-dopa. It is thought that the dopamine network must be engaged for dreaming to occur so mucuna is often used for enhancing dream work. When it comes to lucid dreaming mucuna is thought to enhance your ability to control your dreams and make them more vivid. Best used as a tonic, tincture or tea.

So next time you hit the hay, maybe try a few of these recommendations to kick start your dream world. To enhance your dream journeys make sure to check out my sleep and dream formulas below