A Dream about Walking Barefoot in the Snow

Dreams as a Spiritual Practice Again

Guest Writer Bridget Hyde

“What I have continued to find… is that dreams are sources of wisdom for problem-solving and life enhancement. They put us in touch with dimensions of ourselves that are normally hidden and that we need in order to grow toward our full potential.” — George R. Slater in Bringing Dreams to Life (Paulist Press, 1995).

The first dream I took to spiritual direction was walking barefoot in the snow. When my foot touched the ground in the dream, I became aware that I was dreaming, and then I started to pray. Reflecting on that dream, I see a person becoming conscious of dreams’ divine nature. When my bare foot touched the ground, I became grounded in the grace of the unconscious.

I had been recording my dreams, sharing them with friends, and honoring them with symbol work, but I had not sought discernment from a spiritual director in this work. So when I told a friend about this dream, she begged me to work on the dream with a retired Episcopal priest and spiritual director named Allen Whitman. 

I followed her stern invitation and began a five-year study of my dreams with Allen. From this inward study, I became aware of many different aspects of my character. My work in dreams began to show me how to connect a dream’s symbolic language to my life’s circumstances. For example, when making a big decision, I dreamed that my airline flight was interrupted. The dream plane was grounded, and I was forced to wait before boarding another plane.

When Allen and I worked on the dream, we both realized that I had come to a waiting time in the decision process. Because of this dream, I waited to take decisive action. I am so glad I did. It was a wonder to see my work in dreams as a kind of spiritual direction. Finally, I started to trust my dreams and their divine nature. Looking back, I see how God has guided me through my dreams, and I honor spiritual direction in dreams as a holy gift.

Bridget Hyde

 Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Listening to Dreams as a Spiritual Practice

 Listening to Dreams as a Spiritual Practice

Guest Writer Bridget Hyde

“What I have continued to find… is that dreams are sources of wisdom for problem-solving and life enhancement. They put us in touch with dimensions of ourselves that are normally hidden and that we need to grow toward our full potential.”—George R. Slater in Bringing Dreams to Life (Paulist Press, 1995).

Dreams are a dynamic form of spiritual direction. They come to us in the service of wholeness. A visit from a dream brings unconscious information to our consciousness. Dreams carry a divine desire to make us whole, to integrate the conscious and unconscious worlds, and to find a balance between soul and persona.

There is much talk in spiritual direction about the “ego” and how it keeps us from God, our most authentic self. My experience has taught me that ego is not inherently bad. However, it is an ego out of balance that harms. 

Don’t we all need egos for our basic needs? Our ego drives us to get dressed and go out into the world. My faith tells me that God gave us our egos so that we could have the confidence to put forward our gifts and accomplish necessary daily tasks. Unfortunately, some of us fall into situations here on earth that sap the vitality of our egos and self-esteem. For example, during dark or denigrating times, people often dream of kings and queens. Here, the dream seeks to balance a personal sense of worth by calling forth a regal, powerful archetype.

When an ego is out of balance the other way, it becomes inflated and sees itself above others, immune from harm or wrongdoing. If this happens to a person, the unconscious will sometimes bring a dream of falling from a high place to land on solid ground. The dream will seek to bring the person “back to earth.” Thus, a person may dream that a plane crashes, yet they land safely. Another example is a dream where a car stalls, and the dreamer must get out and walk. The major thrust of such dreams is to help the dreamer feel grounded to avoid the fate of Icarus.

Bridget Hyde

 Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/

What I Learned from a Famous Pediatric Radiologist

What I learned from Dr. Taybi: A life of gratitude

“Before I ventured forth,

even while I was very young,

   I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.” Ecclesiasticus 51:13.

As I pray today for refugees and those trying to immigrate to our country, I came across a note from Dr. Hooshang Taybi from 2006, posted on Daily Something yesterday. Dr. Taybi wrote the letter three weeks before he died, responding to my email after hearing the news of his terminal illness.

If you are a radiologist or pediatrician, you will remember Dr. Taybi, best known for studying children with difficulties that become part of a syndrome. He was acclaimed professionally for his encyclopedic memory of over 100 journals he read, leading to his classic textbook, The Radiology of Syndromes.

 But I most remember his kindness, humbleness, and caring for others, empowering others, never too important to spend time with you.

A colleague shares a phrase from Dr. Taybi’s favorite Persian poem: “The best way to show your gratitude for having a strong arm is to extend a helping hand to the weak.”1

I see the life of a brilliant man who, close to his death, still expresses gratitude for those who helped him over 50 years before. Dr. Taybi still empowers us today by telling stories of children with illnesses, recounting how he was empowered, with gratitude for all who touched his life, even to the end. I continue to see daily the difference gratitude can make in a person’s life.

So today, I will try to remember and give thanks for those who empowered me, and pray that I can pass empowerment and gratitude on to others. I also want to remember Dr. Taybi’s story of the many strangers who helped him in his lifetime. I hope to do the same for those who come to our country, remembering Dr. Taybi’s story, of how he sought a new life.

I also remember that if a travel ban had been in place for Muslim countries such as Iran, Dr. Taybi would never have come to his America. I think of all of us whose lives would not have been touched by his wisdom, especially the children and their parents, who would have missed his medical expertise.

1Ron Cohen, Charles Gooding, “Memorial Hooshang Taybi,” in AJR, 187:1382-1383, 2006.

Joanna   https://www.joannaseibert.com/