Dream of a Flood Carrying me off -

[Before you can make things better, you have to stop making them worse...]

Ok, help me out here. I woke up at 4 am talking to my Dad who has been deceased 10 years next week. A large river of water was heading toward me. It was washing out homes behind me and one I remember with two, white pillars fell into the water. I was now floating trying to get home. I did not resist and was on top of the water while calling my Dad that he needed to protect our home from the raging water.

Any help? How do I interrupt this? Could not go back to sleep... . Any ideas?

[downwhim]

Ok, help me out here. I woke up at 4 am talking to my Dad who has been deceased 10 years next week. A large river of water was heading toward me. It was washing out homes behind me and one I remember with two, white pillars fell into the water. I was now floating trying to get home. I did not resist and was on top of the water while calling my Dad that he needed to protect our home from the raging water.

Any help? How do I interrupt this? Could not go back to sleep... . Any ideas?

[Ripped Heart]

Downwhim, that sounds like a pretty intense dream and I can see why you would have difficulty going back to sleep after it 

I couldn't even begin to suggest what your dream might signify as interpretation is quite open and could mean different things to different people.

What I would like to share though is an experience I had just after I left the army. I suffered from PTSD about 6 months after I left the army, due to my final 2 years being spent in war zones where I experienced some horiffic sights. The hardest part for me to deal with was the nightmares because they were so intense, realistic and based on actual events. So it started to become a blurred line between what was real and what was a dream.

I sought out help through CBT and we tackled the nightmares. What I learned is that we are in complete control of our dreams and everything we do within them. We believe that in a dream we are watching a reply and are helpless to do anything about it but in fact we are in control and can change anything we so desire to. Dreams are full of unlimited possibilities. Its our mknda way of processing information, sometimes things we feel we have no control over but just as we can change our thinking and our actions in the real world, in a dream we can do far more than that.

If you want to fly in a dream, you can. If you want to change the outcome of an event, you can too. It takes practice to change a dream but it starts with constantly reminding yourself that you have the power and the ability to change, much like in real life. The key to changing the events in a dream is knowing its a dream. There is that moment when it all feels very real and that's when you let the events unfold. If you allow your subconscious to understand its a dream, that's when you have the power at your disposal to change the things you want to change.

In the case of your dream, it could be something like placing a dam or calming the water down into a steady stream running behind the houses or in front. Placing a meadow with flowers beside it, maybe even a jetty for you to sit and dip your feet into the stream where you can sit and spend time talking to your dad. Maybe add a sunset or a warm summers day. The possibilities are endless and you have complete control over it all 

[downwhim]

Thank you Ripped Heart and thank you for your service! I admire you.

Yes, there is that time when your starting to wake up and you know it is a dream but I never thought of acknowledging it at that time and forcing a different outcome.

When my ex fiancé was in one of his rollercoaster weeks I drove up to the cemetery to talk to my dad. I just did not know what to do. I was afraid to marry the man I was in love with. Fearful of his temper and possible physical abuse in the future. I knew I needed to reach out to him for help and sit there and pray.

What I enjoyed about this dream was floating on top of the water, not resisting and knowing my Dad was there when I got home. Sounds like reverting to my childhood. These relationships really rip you to the core.

Appreciate your insight and help. I hardly ever dream and I hope your nightmares are over... .

[Targeted]

Nice thought-

A large river of water rushing towards you wiping out homes May symbolise your abusive relationship, you floating on top of the water could symbolise you rising above and getting out of your abusive relationship and not being sucked back down into it. A father is a primary protector role is it not? You were calling on the right person for protection and safety as you emerge from the turbulant water.

That's just my interpretation of it, " The white pillars "?  I do not know you well enough But I would guess they may symbolise your ex or something else that was personal in your relationship for you?    happy thought! Your healing! 

[HappyNihilist]

I'm a big believer in dream journaling and interpretation. Our dreams are our brains processing feelings and experiences, creating our memories, and they can be a great insight into what's really going on inside us.

There are definitely certain archetypes and symbols that pervade our collective unconscious -- which is why dream dictionaries are helpful. But the most important thing is what we feel about our dreams... .what sort of questions they make us ask ourselves, what feelings they evoke, what memories they resurrect.

When my ex fiancé was in one of his rollercoaster weeks I drove up to the cemetery to talk to my dad. I just did not know what to do. I was afraid to marry the man I was in love with. Fearful of his temper and possible physical abuse in the future. I knew I needed to reach out to him for help and sit there and pray.

   

What I enjoyed about this dream was floating on top of the water, not resisting and knowing my Dad was there when I got home. Sounds like reverting to my childhood. These relationships really rip you to the core.

They absolutely do. They strip away all of the defenses and projections we've spent our whole lives developing and using... .open up our most deeply-seated wounds... .our inner vulnerable child is exposed to the world and a ton of confusion and pain.

Your father is your lifelong source of comfort, security, and protection. Even though he is sadly no longer physically present, he will always be that source for you, and that is a beautiful gift.   

Like Targeted, I think this is a very nice sign of your healing. You have found a sense of comfort and safety despite the turmoil of your relationship. And that's lovely.

[downwhim]

Targeted and HappyN,

Thanks for responding and giving me your insights and helping me decipher this dream.

I too think that the flood, heavy, rushing waves of water is my relationship. It has changed so much in the last 4 months from what I at least thought it was. Night and day. My Dad was always someone I could share my life with. He always took a personal interest and gave me clarity. I miss him terribly especially now. So, I think you are right with that correlation. The house we grew up in had pillars so I think when I turned around and saw it crashing into the water it was the past, losing a place of comfort for me.

I felt safe most of the time in my exBPDs arms. Now being alone and feeling more insecure than I have in years is a change. Was he perfect, no but being out there again is no cakewalk... . I know I am growing and healing and work everyday on getting through this but I too have bouts of anger, cry or just still would rather stay home...