Guest blogger

My fellow writer, Alice Lynn, has offered to share some of her thoughts today.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

I want to thank Roxie for welcoming me to her blog. Inspired by her post of September 10th, I’ve been pondering the subject of ghostly visions or sensations, animal and human. Do our pets survive death? Do we?  I feel hints, if not answers, can appear in dreams. 

My fascination with dreams began in childhood, and continues to be a source of wonder and curiosity. I’ve dreamed stories, three of which inspired my three published novels. One way to sharpen your dream recall is to keep a dream diary, something I did for years. I also studied everything I could find on the subject. I exchanged dreams with my sister and worked at interpretation. Eventually I taught a community school class on the subject.

From dreams of departed loved ones to psychological insights, our dreams entertain, instruct, integrate, and sometimes warn us of health matters or coming events. Their importance cannot be dismissed since it is a known fact that people deprived of REM sleep (the dreaming phase) often become unstable mentally and emotionally. Dreams, like visions, seem to be messages from the unconscious or even the Cosmic.

 After losing my son to a motorcycle accident, I received a dream postcard, the return address written so clearly that I can see it yet. “The Summerland, Heaven,” it read, signed “love, Joe Kelly.”  That made me smile, for he always signed his full name even on birthday cards. That message was a great comfort, for I felt he was letting me know he was all right and not to worry.

Another dream came after the death of a valued employee. The vision presented a cameo-like appearance, without action or dialogue. Miss Claudia sat in a nimbus of light, her red hair and fair complexion glowing with health. In her lap lay a vividly beautiful turquoise shawl. When I shared this experience with her daughter, Ruthie exclaimed in amazement. “Mom was knitting a scarf before she died, and the color is just as you describe.” 

The warning dream was actually a series of three, dreams of dying. I was taking a Jungian class as part of my degree work at the time and finally talked to the professor.  After a discussion, he suggested I might want to check with my doctor. I hadn’t had a mammogram for several years, but decided I might as well book one.  The result was the discovery of a small cancerous lump. Luckily, it hadn’t spread, and after surgery, a dose of chemo, and a month of radiation, I was cured.  That was almost 12 years ago.

The study of dreams and visions goes back as far as our most ancient civilizations and is an honorable one.  Do you pay attention when your “dream master” puts on its nightly show?

***********

A native Oregonian, Alice Lynn spent her formative years in the Willamette Valley. She has pursued interests that range from horseback riding and amateur theatricals, to sculpting, gardening, and sewing. Her mother, who was a great reader, instilled in her a love of books. Writing seemed to flow naturally after that and has always been a part of her life. She graduated with a degree in psychology from Marylhurst University in 1999. Currently she resides in Oregon City with her husband and three cats. Alice just released her third book, Scattered Pieces.

About Scattered Pieces: When Katie’s little brother is snatched in 1946 it tears her family apart. It’s only through her friendship with the irrepressible Marilyn and Marilyn’s handsome brother Tom that she navigates a lonely childhood. In college, studying psychology helps Katie understand her mother’s mental illness and her own fears. And it leads to a client who may know something about her brother’s disappearance.

You can find Scattered pieces at the following online retailers: http://amzn.to/ScatteredPieces, http://bit.ly/BNScatteredPieces

http://bit.ly/SmashwordsSP. Alice is also the author of Wrenn: Egypt House and Volunteer for Glory.

Connect with Alice online:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceRuthLynn

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AliceRLynnAuthor

Blog: http://alicelynn.wordpress.com/