Dealing with New Energy while Asleep, a Different View of Dreams

Understanding Dreams

By Bruce McKeithan

 brucemckeithan@sbcglobal.net

September 7, 2026

In the past, people have thought of dreams as providing direction to their activities. Today different mental processes have come to the forefront. The following explains dreams as representing part of the process of awakening.

Pre-dreaming occurs when energy that arises during sleep flows from the stem of the brain into the central part of the brain, the limbic system. Neuroscience explains this very well.

Actions within the limbic system are seen in our dreams. They generally are as follows: We undertake activities to use the ensuing energy and repair any damage that the disturbance causes. But our personal efforts are not altogether effective. So, the mind activates and extends memories to contain and store the energy. Once the storage reaches a maximum, it must release its energy. To prevent this large amount of energy from harming us the mind further expands energy within the brain, producing consciousness.

There is an interaction between these two approaches. For example, we may find ourselves at a beach, a resort in the mountains, or another region of the country. This, of course, represents the expansion of energy into the limbic system. We wish to return home to an undisturbed state presumably having taken care of the new energy, but this proves impossible. We cannot gather our belongings, our route out of the mountains is unclear, or we are unable to get an airplane flight or to find our room in a hotel that has suddenly become much larger, with many hallways and elevators.

So, we see that the stored energy takes the form of unmoving large objects or groups of objects or people which necessarily dominate and block our personal efforts. Further examples of this are trying to hit a golf ball into a cup, but there are too many trees, hills, or rocks in the way. In tennis, the court is too large to hit a ball satisfactorily, or a crowd of people may watch us lose a tennis match after winning a few points. Another example is driving a car in heavy traffic and getting lost, or we may struggle with a problem at work or school. We may even be trying to escape an enemy. Also, imagine one ship colliding with a larger one at sea.  

Latent desires such as those for food and sex are a primary source of action on our part. They may be used directly or have their energy redirected into other activities. Ultimately, they too are frustrated or negatively affected in some way, and we must wake up.

At times we want to restore old memories that have been damaged or harmed by the new energy. For instance, we may recall affected people and things from the past. This may be a deceased parent who appears to be alive but ill or someone else from the past. Other examples include a formerly compatible couple now getting a divorce, an old car that needs repair, a coal-burning furnace that needs fixing, or an overgrown garden in an old location.

Additional examples of the large images containing energy are a closely packed crowd of people in an auditorium, stadium, bus, diner, or classroom. We may see a large body of water, multiple houses, a large building being built, rows of tables or desks, natural features like forests or hills, or many cars in a parking lot.  A long line of people, a long wall, a long train of container cars, or a long list of items may occur as well.

Occasionally, we may prolong a dream, e.g. by hitting a golf ball up a steep hill and having it fall into the cup. We may repair an item, such as putting out a fire or fixing an overheated computer. A large dog that has died is replaced by a small dog.

While we may persist in our efforts, eventually some hostile action disrupts sleep. Police, military forces, or enemies may even threaten us or our group with death, or a large enemy army may destroy what a friend has built to support sleep.

Ultimately, the energy becomes too much to handle by storing it. The large images then release their energy like a large waterfall spilling over a dam, a stream rushing down a mountain toward a town, water flowing rapidly through a culvert, or a flood.  To avoid considerable disturbance, we must accept a greater expansion of energy. This time the expansion is into the outer layers of the brain, the cortex, which wakes us up.

Consciousness fulfils our inherent design. We can do those things that help us survive and thrive. We can be productive and rational. We can help others and admire others and things. In effect, dreams are a bridge between quietness and wakefulness. Consciousness allows us to exercise our abilities to carry out necessary tasks. It means that we can take thoughtful actions.

 Thanks to Dr. John P. Ralston, Professor of Physics at Kansas University, for helping me to understand some of these issues involved in writing this article. Thanks also to Nancy Hamilton at KU for her views.