Meditation and dreams
Meditation or "Going Home" takes us into a world with much more meaning than we might ever have imagined. We become a conscious participant in our own spiritual development. One of the first things to notice is the images and phrases that appear in our thoughts, in dreams and meditation and even in everyday life. It may seem as though this is something new, but it really is not. We all receive communication, but we seldom take time to pay attention. Going Home helps us to slow down and listen, and to become more adept at recalling our thoughts. This might seem like a lot of work, but paying attention to our thoughts builds self-worth and self-acceptance, along with a healthy new pattern of working toward self-improvement.

In the early stages of practicing Going Home, the guides help us to hear our thoughts so that we can learn what we are creating in our lives. Learning new belief systems that are based in Universal Truth enables us to resolve our inner conflicts, and then release old patterns that keep us stuck repeating negative life experiences, also known as being “lost in the playground'.

How the guides communicate with us
Our guides communicate with us telepathically, with pictures or words, or with physical signals that symbolize the areas of our lives needing attention. Why? For them to simply tell us that we are doing something "wrong" would be judgment on their part. This would violate the spiritual Law of Free Will, with which they are obliged to comply.

The guides have an uncanny way of bringing the right people, places and things to our attention, to inspire us to ask questions. For example, having a dream about our earthly mother might be used to show us that we are acting as she might. Perhaps we have taken on one of her negative behaviours and it is causing turmoil in our lives. Until we recognize it though, we cannot change it. Once we know it is within us, we can find and resolve the underlying issue causing us to repeat the pattern.

Food for thought
My mother would withhold communication completely from me if I did something that annoyed or displeased her (see cold shoulder treatment. This is a very effective form of manipulation as it can cause us to feel guilty. Of course I learned to do it too, and it crippled my ability to have healthy relationships. The pattern hurts others, but it also hurts us. It freezes our thought process, preventing us from saying how we feel. The Universe provided me with several clues in dreams and in meditation to help me see (a) that I was doing it, (b) that it was hurtful, and (c) that change is possible. Changing the pattern meant struggling through the learning curve of healthy self-expression. Easy? No. Worth the effort? Absolutely.

This is how our thoughts can sound when we pay attention to ourselves:

Figure 15: What our thoughts can sound like

The guides use symbolism that can take many forms. Colours, numbers, images of people we know, animals - everything we experience in life - can be used to teach us about ourselves, anytime of day or night. Check out the spiritual meanings of colours, numbers and symbols.

Figure 16: Dream and meditation symbols

Other methods the guides may use to communicate with us
They may make a play on words. For example: A dream might highlight the wallpaper in a room, with the important part being where the wallpaper meets the 'ceiling'. The message? “See (the) link”. A car might be shown - a Lincoln Continental...same message. Both of these ‘link’ dreams are aimed to help us see the link between things that we might not consider to be connected. We may think that our behaviour is not at all like someone else’s, yet in fact we may be doing the exact same thing.

If we are shown the face of someone we know or knew, we can ask our guide what this person is meant to represent. Our earthly mother can represent the old days, the old ways or old-fashioned concepts, or the idea of nurturing. Our earthly father can represent some aspect of the relationship that we have (or had), but might also represent our heavenly Father (Universal Intelligence). The image of a family member might mean that there is a relationship in some area of our life that is unrecognized or misunderstood, or it could mean that we, or someone around us, is behaving in a manner that is like (or unlike) that relative.

The guides often use pictures of books, computers, televisions and telephones to show us that communication is required. Then we would ask what issue needs to be discussed, and with whom. They may repeat a few lines from a song over and over in our thoughts. Although the words may seem self-explanatory, we need to make sure by asking.

Our guide may repeat a person's name or a particular phrase over and over until the correct questions are asked. "What am I doing that is like or unlike this person's behaviour?" is a good place to start. With the vast number of possible interpretations, it is easy to see the importance of asking questions of our guide and listening for the answers.

How can I be sure I'm receiving Universal Truth?
Our guide will tell us exactly what we believe (see Free Will) unless we specifically ask for Universal Truth rather than for what we want, expect or fear to hear, so we must ask questions designed to allow our guide to give us new information. After all, if they tell us what we already know or believe, how can we grow or change?

The more questions we can ask, the better. We must be willing to acknowledge that we may have preconceived ideas or belief systems, even if we do not know exactly what they may be, and we must be willing to set them aside. We must be truly willing to confront a Truth about ourselves, our loved ones or our experiences that may not be agree with what we have been taught or what we may want to believe.

• If the information received is free from ego, control, anger, condemnation, etc., we can be reasonably certain that we are receiving Universal Truth; likewise if the answer is logical, sensible and straightforward
• If our guide tells us something and we have a feeling of, “Aha, I knew it”, that is a big clue that we are in the way and preventing our guide from giving us Universal Truth
• If the information being given is already common knowledge, then we are limiting the possibilities in some way, perhaps due to a belief system. It is well then to acknowledge that a it, and then ask to have it set aside so that new information can be given
• If the information is presented like a grand theatrical performance, it is likely that a belief system is in the way
• If we are trying to decide on the best course of action, but we already know what we want to do (or what we will not do), that will prevent our guide from giving us new options. They will not tell us that we are wrong. Also, if fear is making us want to avoid something, our guide will not tell us to walk through that fear. We must be willing to set our fear aside when our guide provides an opportunity to face it
• If a guide answers a question with, “As you wish”, there may be preconceived ideas in the way, preventing the guide from giving new information. Then we need to state that we are willing to set aside our old beliefs and preconceived ideas so we can receive new options.

Stumbling blocks
Some belief systems can actually prevent our guide from answering us. If we ask a question and no answer comes, there may be a belief system in the way - could be something like:

• "No one will answer me because there's no one there"
• "I'm not worthy to receive communication"
• "I'm not capable of receiving communication"
• "I already know what this means"

Beliefs like this can be worked around by persevering with practicing meditation. After all, what does giving up achieve? Rest assured that there is definitely someone there, you are worthy and you are capable. It just takes practice and determination.

Ask questions
Even if we think we know the meaning of a dream or meditation image, our guide may well have wrapped another, more important message within it. As long as we believe that we understand the symbol fully, our guide has no choice but to agree. We must have the intention to look for it. Ask simple, straightforward questions. It is best not to seek information that would invade anyone's privacy, and it is best not to ask the guides to make a judgment about anyone. If your question does not receive an answer, ask your guide for the reason and listen closely to your thoughts for the answer.

Figure 17: Guidelines for asking questions

Sample questions
Here are a few sample questions to help find the Universal meaning of our dreams. Until our guide says we have gained the necessary understanding, we will know to keep asking questions. Ask one question at a time and pay close attention to your thoughts for at least 10 to 15 seconds for the answer before moving on. (Answers to more complicated questions may come over a period of time, maybe even over the space of a few days.)

• Is this dream meant to show more than one idea?
• Is this a vision of the past, present or future?
• Who (or what) does this person or thing represent?
• Is this the correct direction for me?
• What is my part in my relationship with (name of person)? All too often, we blame the other guy for our troubled relationships and fail to take responsibility for our part
• What is meant by the (colour/number/picture) just given?
• Which of my beliefs prevent me from moving forward in life?
• Do i have complete understanding?

Be alert
By remembering consciously the questions we have asked our guide, we begin to see the answers presented all around us as we go about our lives. This process provides epiphanies and brings spiritual enlightenment. We will find that which we seek. Even if we forget that we have asked to be shown something, our guide can remind us (somehow) to be alert when something important is happening. We can then ask questions to find out what is needed. Awareness of our personal environment can reveal new levels of information. Note that our daily experiences are used to teach us. Television programs, relationships of the people around us - at work, at school, at play - can show us new areas about ourselves to examine.

If our guide communicates with us in a way that seems rude or cruel, it is to help us see how we treat others or ourselves. That which we hate most in others is often within us, but when we are dedicated to improving ourselves, our guides will persist until we get the message. Once we know what we are doing, we can begin to change the pattern.

Since the guides work only with unconditional love, there is no possibility that they are acting out of spite or revenge, or any other negative purpose. They hope that we will begin to ask questions. Try asking:

• Are you communicating this way to reflect my own behaviour to me?
• Are you communicating this way to show me how someone treats me?
• Why are you communicating with me this way?

Food for thought
A friend was out driving in her car when she was guided to, “Turn left here, Turkey”. She told me about it laughing and said, “That’s just what I would say!” That is precisely the point. Her guide was reflecting my friend’s own behaviour for her to see, and, hopefully, modify. Of course, if we see nothing wrong in name-calling, then the first thing to change is our attitude. The Universal Intelligence calls this judgment, criticism, and condemnation though, and if we choose to change the habit, assistance will be given.

Meditation and the fine art of asking questions

Problem
Many people give up on meditating, claiming that they never receive answers to their questions. While that is one possibility, there are others.

Analysis

• We may not be able to tell the difference between our guide’s words and our own
• We may ask a question and then not give our guide a chance to answer
• Our question may not be clearly worded

Solution
Think like a reporter and consider exactly what information you want. The W5&H method - Who, What, When, Where, Why and How - can be helpful. Write out or type your questions beforehand. Use as few words as possible, using simple, clear phrasing. Ask one question at a time and wait for the answer before moving on to the next question.

We often we make statements and then wait for the Universe to agree or disagree with us, so be sure to ask an actual question.

Be sure to Go Home before asking your question. Ask your question out loud and then immediately pay attention to your thoughts - as if you were listening for another person to answer. Epiphanies will come with practice and perseverance. Check out WikiHow's How to ask better questions

Figure 18: Epiphany

Next steps
It is important to gain a basic understanding of colours, numbers and symbols because the guides use them to communicate with us in dreams, in meditation and in everyday life.

Self-test
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Section 4
Section 4-1 - Ground rules     Section 4-2 - Colours     Section 4-3 - Numbers     Section 4-4 - Symbols