Those of you who are tuned into noticing Limiting Fields in dreams will agree with me I’m sure–this is one of the most common dream motifs of all, and one of the most important. Also probably one of the easiest to work with, because once you have identified the presence of a limiting field in a dream the response you’re aiming for is usually pretty similar–help the client consider the possibility of trying to leave the field.
Some of you may have seen this wonderfully clear example of a limiting field dream on video at one of the workshops–“Can’t Leave the Meadow”–the dreamer is a 29-year-old woman:
“I’m in a meadow. A 3 to 5 year old girl is there, a cute little blonde girl. A female dear is there too, bigger than a fawn but not fully grown. All three of us are playing together in the meadow. They lead me to the edge of the meadow, where there’s a forest, and a path leading into the forest. All of a sudden we stop playing. They start walking onto the path. They notice that I’m not coming with them, so they turn around. They’re both looking at me–they say: “C’mon, follow us” I just freeze. I want to follow them but I can’t. I want more than anything to go with them….but it’s like I can’t move…”
Why not?? Why can’t she move onto the path? This is the striking thing about limiting field dreams–within the dream the dream ego has a binding and unquestioned sense that they cannot get out of a certain place…then upon awakening they think “why not?…what’s stopping me?”
Actually nothing is stopping her—nothing except the presence of a limiting belief system, or a limiting way of perceiving reality, that exists within her somewhere–in other words a limiting field. These dreams are a goldmine of information for people who want to change but are having trouble manifesting the changes that they want to make. They point out the desired direction of change (going into the forest with the girl and the deer), and they also show the presence of something that is preventing the change. That something may be intangible and ‘unreal’, but also very persistent and powerful.
How can you pick up the presence of a limiting field motif in a dream? Always be on the lookout for meadows, fields, pastures, and other enclosed outdoor areas; malls, schools, warehouses, and parking garages are also very common…but really these trappings are just the dream maker trying to catch your attention. The key thing is the juxtaposition of these two things–within the dream the dreamer feels they absolutely CANNOT get out of a place, they MUST continue to stay there. Then, later (and they may need your help in catching this) they are struck by the realization that there was actually nothing stopping them from getting out. Therefore they are confronted by the same paradox that is holding them back from making their desired life changes–I want to change but some unseen force is holding me back.
I think we all have this kind of dream quite often, and I also think we should be working with these dreams in a dedicated way, in ourselves and for our clients.
Jump the fence and walk away!
© Christopher Sowton
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