What my dreams revealed to me about violent extremism

Last week, I dreamed of violent extremists infiltrating my home, wearing badges that said “Our Future.” I sensed they weren't specifically looking for me - but would undoubtedly kill anything or anyone who crossed their path. There was no shred of empathy, humanity, or heart within the extremists. Panicked, I attempted to hide from them by entering a hall closet and closing the door. The last scene of the dream I saw was the backside of the closet door, shaking and absolutely terrified of being found. Then I woke up.

Feeling highly unsettled, I wrote down the dream and brought it into a dreamwork session with one of my mentors.

I read the dream to her - and we both paused in dire acknowledgement of this dream as a collective reality for many right now. After some time, she then asked me a variation of a question that is a core tenet in the kind of dreamwork I practice and teach: Is there any way that this dream dynamic reflects your relationship within yourself?

I felt into it and sensed inside … An inner image bubbled up within my consciousness that showed me my artistic, dream-weaving, fairy-communicating self stuffed into a closet, pushed into silence, told to shut up and disappear - to un-exist. 

Tears bubbled up as I acknowledged the inner extremists that live inside of my own consciousness - telling me every single day to shut up, stop talking, don't even try, that anything I create is terrible - and that so many other people can and have done it better. These inner extremists show up to quite literally annihilate my expression. I shared with my mentor how much of a challenge it is for me to write and share anything - how it is an inner battle every single day to create and express.

Through voicing this dynamic, through acknowledging and witnessing how inner extremism operates in me - I am more empowered to actively practice resistance within my own consciousness. I am more able to actively un-seed extremism within my own consciousness by choosing to create and share anyway. Through giving voice to this dream, I feel more emboldened and empowered to show up for my art as an act of resistance to extremism.

I believe outer reality is a collective reflection of our inner worlds - and as 'extreme' as this belief might sound … I believe the macro expression of extremism stems from the seemingly micro inner extremists that criticize and dehumanize from within on a moment-to-moment basis. It is truly a practice actively resisting the parts inside that seek to kill and destroy every impulse to create and express something sincere from within.

Through giving voice to my dream - in a small yet powerful way, I am able to take responsibility for my part in the collective contribution to extremism and consciously choose to change - to make choices and create from a more empowered, courageous, and peaceful place within my consciousness.

Dreams serve like mirrors for our inner world - revealing hidden dynamics that affect our ways of seeing, being, and doing in every area of our life. Through my upcoming live course Dreaming Deeper, I will teach you foundational practices for nourishing your relationship and understanding of your dreams…so that you can decode their messages and reflections and integrate them into your waking life.

We begin on Sunday, December 1st - with all the classes recorded and posted in a private web portal for those unable to attend live, and for those desiring to return to the classes again and again.

You can receive all the details and sign up here.

Whether or not you are called to join Dreaming Deeper, may these words inspire you to pay the currency of attention to the wisdom woven within your dreams.

With love,
Madeline