Programming Dreams

In Chapter 32 of The Great Pain Deception, Steve references the work of Clancy McKenzie, MD, and the extraordinary work he's done in the area of programming dreams to tap into our inner wisdom.

I wanted to learn more and I'll pass along what I found - a How-to on programming dreams from Dr. McKenzie's website.

I'm curious to know if any of you have used these techniques and if so, what was your experience?

I've been paying a lot more attention to my dreams since embarking on my healing journey but I haven't been intentional in programming them. (Though I do remember times where I went to bed telling myself a good night's sleep would reveal the answer…and voila! it does. But that's always been more of a fluke.)

What about you?

 

Hi, North Star. I know about reprogrammed dreams but haven't yet tried it.
Let me know if you try it and what happened.

I've written about it in the book Herbie and I are writing:



Reprogrammed Dreams


Reprogrammed dreams is another “power therapy” like NLP switching. Steve Ozanich writes in his book The Great Pain Deception that power therapies are alternatives to standard behavioral psychological techniques for TMS healing. They work by taking attention away from pains caused by stress and trauma by reducing fear. This is done by reconditioning habits. They are called “power therapies” because they often work fast to redirect pain from the mind, lowering the fear and anger from past trauma, or ridding the mind of them entirely.

An example of reprogrammed dreams is the case of a woman who was suffering severe chronic pain. When a psychiatrist, Dr. Clancy McKenzie, asked about her mother who had died ten years before, the woman burst out in tears. She had felt unconscious guilt about her mother’s death. McKenzie then had the woman program herself to dream about her mother in a pleasant way, and it worked: the pleasant dream resolved all upset feelings the woman had regarding her mother. She said she dreamed that she and her mother had gone shopping together, and all her upset feelings left her.

McKenzie says that programmed dreams have always worked for his patients and that The therapy goes back at least as far as Biblical times and David interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s disturbing dreams. He likens the therapy to a prayer. The programming, or asking before sleep, may provoke a “visit from the higher source during the night with the answers at will.”

Another of McKenzie’s patients was a woman who dreamed of a winding highway. She was given a physical examination and found to have an intestinal obstruction which would require surgery. Instead he programmed the woman to dream getting rid of the obstruction and it was suddenly gone.

 

Interesting ..... I'm going to give this a try!

 

Walt, very glad you're referencing it in your book! I've written down a handful of things I need wisdom on and have them written out in a notebook on my nightstand. I'll let you know what happens.

One thing I find interesting is the doctor says is to start writing the dream even before you open your eyes. He says he once wrote 40 pages this way and it ended up being the basis for one of his seminars.

Being one who's always seeking/reading I have sensed I need to shut the books for a while and tap into the inner wisdom which I know is there. So, I'm eager to explore this technique.

LindaRK, please be sure to report your results too!

 

I have always been interested in this too. I read that some people who are good at this can actually request dreams that solve problems in their life or are purely informational. I also read about something called "lucid dreaming" in which you can consciously influence the direction and content of your dreams, sort of dreaming and being conscious at the same time. Interesting stuff.

 

My son was telling me about lucid dreaming not too long ago; I don't think I had heard about it before then. Fascinating stuff.

 

North Star, I can't believe you have created this thread! Dr. McKenzie's "Programmed dreaming" was discussed on this evening's Tuesday TMS Discussion, and I really, really want to know more.

I read this once "... when thou art in perfect fragrance and spirituality, wash thy hands and face, clothe thyself in clean robes, turn toward the court of the Peerless One, offer prayer to Him and lay thy head upon the pillow. When sleep cometh, the doors of revelation shall be opened..." 'Abdu'l Baha

I haven't tried to follow this up because I am never in "perfect fragrance and spirituality" so didn't think it would work for me. But maybe it will!

 

Thanks for posting this link to Dr. McKenzie's website because it answers the very question I posed at this evening's book discussion Fuze meeting about exactly how to formulate a programmed dream. It's almost uncanny in fact!

 

Hi everybody,
I highly recommend working with dreams. Some of my greatest insights (even the lottery numbers which, unfortunately, I forgot after waking up ) came to me via dreams and, as I tend to be overly intellectual and led most of the time by my head (hello, TMS!) it's a great source of tapping into my "inner wisdom" for me. And even a proof that I'm not as uncreative and un-emotional as I thought. In fact, it's all about blocked emotions.
I even had some experiences with lucid dreaming but this happened accidentally and not by forcing it. It really was a weird experience and I was not sure if it was an advantage that I was even able to directly take action in my own dreams because I am a very controlling person and my drams are the only field I am normally not able to influence. But I guess that depends on the person and even on the kind of dream. Influencing some reoccuring nightmares can probably really change things for the better and integrate some traumatic material, using the special state the brain is in while dreaming.
It's also a great chance to access some of the inner parts (IFS) as different persons and symbols in our dreams not only stand for the "real persons" outside but also and maybe for some inner parts inside!
I will check out the given link, too.

 

Yes indeedy, it is uncanny and thanks from me too.

What was I doing at the weekend? While I was knitting I decided to listen to one of the podcasts on Shrink Rap Radio (www.shrinkrapradio.com). I searched through the guests that Dr Dave had interviewed over the last months and happened upon an interview with Steven G. Fox PhD (podcast no. 381) - Dreams As Guides to the Soul. During the interview Dr Fox spoke about dream incubation, i.e. programming your dreams, dream interpretation and lucid dreams. He's written a book about dreams so mentioned several case studies from the book. I later looked up dream incubation and came across a website (www.dreammoods.com) and ended up downloading their free app where I can type in a subject or symbol from my dream for a basic interpretation.

I have been recording my dreams for several months so I can discuss them with a TMS psychotherapist. She has cautioned me about focusing too much on someone else's general interpretations rather than coming up with my own but curiosity gets the better of me and I just want a clue now and then.

So Sunday night I wrote out a question concerning my healing from TMS. The next few nights I dreamt, remembered and recorded what I could. The answer is in there somewhere. I just can't see the whole picture at the moment. Dr Fox mentions that if we don't 'get it' the first time using one dream, our subconscious will keep trying to get a point across using different symbols and different dreams. The most common element in my dreams is driving. I can be either the driver or the passenger but at some point every night you can put money on it that I will be travelling in a car or bus. I can take it quite literally and say that I am on a journey but I seem to think there is more to it. The directory on the Dream Moods site has given me some ideas but I am still puzzled. Perhaps my next question to my subconscious is "why do I keep dreaming about driving or being driven?"

Also an interesting point was Dr Fox was quite debilitated at one point after being diagnosed with MS. He speaks about his experiences in the podcast too.

 

Wow! A girl steps out of the room for moment and look at the great conversation that unfolds! And cue to the Twilight Zone music, eh?

I had intended to be on last night's call, especially after seeing the chapters being discussed, but between computer issues and exhaustion from a long day it just didn't happen.

YB, that's interesting about your dreams. And thanks for posting that website, it looks like a fun and helpful tool.

I had an interesting dream this morning that provided an "AHA!" for me. I can't say it's a programmed dream per se but it was insightful to me in that I think it explained to me the IFS. (Your brief explanation no doubt helped, Njoy.)

In my dream I was tending to our small flock of chickens. (We keep laying hens. They are delightful little creatures that we just love.) A young, short fat boy sporting a crew cut - the stereotypical bully - was chasing my favorite chicken with a board trying to hit her. I was furious and began yelling at him and telling him to knock it off. And as a bully will do, my protestations only encouraged him more.

I grabbed hold of the little brat and began educating him about chickens and what sweet little creatures they are and how easily he could kill one. My whole toned changed to him from yelling to patiently explaining. I don't know that I convinced him to stop bullying, but it was clear he softened. And then he faded away and my favorite little birds snuggled up to me. (Not something a chicken is known to do! Unless you have food and then it's more of a snatch and grab mission for the scraps. )

Another interesting aspect of the dream was the fact that it took place on a church lawn. A rather imposing building. Thankfully, my early religious upbringing was void of priestly abuse but I've been steeped in years of "you are a sinner" theology. To say nothing of the capricious nation of a God who's just waiting for the opportunity for you to screw up so he can whack me. Religion can be a terrible bully.

The dream is lingering with me and has opened my eyes to how harshly I speak to myself. And how the negative talk only enrages the inner bully even more.

An interesting aside: I've had a lingering infection from a skin abscess. Last year, it got horribly bad and required several doctor visits and a round of antibiotics to clear it up. It's never healed fully and the doctor said, "this might be as good as it gets." (I have since rejected that pronouncement.)

It will wax and wane and there's been a constant worry in the back of my mind that it will require more medical attention. (The cost of that darn thing!!!) Just the last few days I decided I was going to start applying a heat pack to it…but not with a mind to "Treat" it but simply as a way to SOOTHE. (And besides, heat packs feel nice when it's freezing outside!)

Anyhoo. This morning, it looked as good as I've ever seen it. I see glimpses of normalcy. The skin wasn't red.

So, from chickens to abscesses….the TMS journey continues. My heart feels lighter this morning. Now if only the myriad of conditioned aches and pains would subside…

Thanks for listening!

 

I always end my yoga classes with Salutation Seal. In this pose, you sit comfortably (cross legged, half lotus, or heel-to-heel-to groin), and press your palms together in Anjuli Mudra (prayer hands). As you breath in, and broaden your heart, you also breath in a positive affirmation about yourself ... I am perfect how I am, I am beautiful, I am warm and loving, I am .....

As you exhale, you fold forward, taking the brow towards the Earth (and head below the heart) in the deepest sign of respect to yourself and to others. This is 'sealing in' the affirmation. On any of your inhales, you lift upwards, completing the circle of the Seal.

Whenever you speak harshly to yourself, just envisioning this action can change your state of mind.

That is one of the wonderful things of this practice .... you can gain benefits simply through the visualization.

Thus, another example of the sheer power of our minds.

with grace and gratitude,
^_^

 

That is just beautiful, Lily Rose! And it does sound familiar - I've been to just a few yoga classes but I think my brief exposure helped me visualize precisely what you're describing.

Thanks again!

 

This has turned into a fascinating thread. I intend to do more research on reprogramming dreams
and also look up lucid dreaming and try them both.

I'd like to dream about some happy times I've had.

Hope everyone keeps adding their thoughts and experiences on this topic.

Lily Rose, your yoga meditation sound great. I'll try it.

 

I have experimented with lucid dreaming in the past but never got very far because I had untreated sleep apnea and woke up every hour or so. It seems like a really interesting idea.

 

Wouldn't it be great if we could reprogram our dreams into lovely experiences with those we love?
Maybe we could also reach our unconscious mind to tell it we believe in TMS and our repressed emotions
causing our pain.

 

That would indeed be wonderful, Walt. Some of my favorite dreams are those in which I see my beloved parents again. Especially my mom; we were very close.

 

Check out this study guys and read this article on lucid dreaming. A man with a 22 year history of chronic pain had it vanish overnight and actually returned all his medication cause he no longer needed it!
he said it was like his brain had rebooted > is this TMS on steroids?

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/inside-lucid-dreaming-2014-8

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24398162

 

Irish Septic, that's an interesting web site. I'll have to look into lucid dreaming.

 

Very interesting article. Last night I would up dreaming of being stabbed…and realized TMS symptoms were showing up in my leg. Again. I would much prefer to wake up pain free. Good reminder to give dream programming more attention.