Dream Jewelry

Design Idea 009V Dream Catcher

by Dan Day, Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®

The Function of Dreams

Despite many years of scientific study and speculation, the purpose of dreams is still not understood. The explanation from Greek historian Herodotus in 5th century BC seems just as valid today: "The visions that occur to us in dreams are, more often than not, the things we have been concerned about during the day." Sigmund Freud held that dreams were unconscious wishes and desires. It may be that dreams assist in memory formation, problem solving or simply are a product of random brain activation.

Dream Jewelry

Many artists such as painters and songwriters believe that dreams can feed creativity. Their "dream inspired art" is directly based on material from dreams, or which employs dream-like imagery. Surrealist painters of the 20th century focused on the unconscious as a creative tool, using what may have originally seemed to be irrational content resulted in artwork containing significant meaning. Let's move forward with the idea that everything you dream can be applied to a creative effort: visuals, words, emotions, even ideas or sensations.

Dream Recall

The difficult part of using your dreams is remembering them. According to one estimate, at least 95% of all your dreams are not remembered. That's because the brain can't form associations needed to convert short-term memories into long-term ones. Some dreams can be remembered, usually when they are vivid and if one wakes up during or immediately after dreaming, otherwise the content of the dream will not be remembered.

Example: Not too long ago, I dreamed I created a cocktail and gave it the name ''Chifferon.'' I woke up and checked--as far as I know the word didn't exist until now. Instead of a cocktail, I've decided to give a chainmaille necklace with Crystal Passions crystals the name of Chifferon because it is a cocktail of shapes and colors.

Dream Jewelry

How to Remember Dreams So You Can Use Them

Here it is: Write them down as soon as you wake up. You can search the Internet for advice and methods for remembering dreams. These sources typically give a list of things to do, but they all contain one essential ingredient: describing the dream in writing. If no one else will be disturbed by it, you can also dictate your dream description into a recorder such as your smart phone. Personally, I find writing down dream descriptions using a pen or pencil and a notepad next to me on a nightstand is much quicker, easier and more reliable than using an electronic device. You may also want to draw any visual elements that were vivid. You are strongly urged to write down as much detail as you can, this will help reinforce other aspects of the dream.

How to Use Your Dream Notes

If you are fortunate, a complete jewelry design idea will appear in your dream. If you are also able to document what it is in a description or drawing, you've achieved something wonderful. How you were able to harness you dream and turn it into a reality will certainly make a great story to go with your piece. A more likely outcome is you will have certain images, or even words, actions or emotions that suggest a design element, materials, arrangement, color combination or, as we've seen with my example, a title for your design.

Daydreams

In his song "Mr. Tambourine Man," Bob Dylan describes how he is in special zone of awareness--kind of a waking dream state--that brings inspiration.

Dream Jewelry

Daydreaming--or creative visualization--is another method of tapping into your unconscious. You don't have to be taught how to daydream. We all can daydream, children especially, but as adults we may have gotten out of the habit because of work, school and personal responsibilities that call upon us to be here in the now. Unlike dreams, which can be nightmares, daydreams are almost always pleasant. As Eric Klinger in a 1987 issue of Psychology Today put it:

A daydream is a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake.

You are encouraged to give yourself permission to let go and daydream. An advantage of using daydreams, they're easier to remember.

Dream-Related Metaphysical Properties in Gemstones

Finally, as recognition of the metaphysical world, from Fire Mountain Gem and Beads' Gem Notes, here are some metaphysical properties of various gemstones as they relate to dreaming:
  • The gemstone prehnite is believed to enhance intuition and precognition as well as enable lucid dreaming
  • Prehnite beads and components
  • Moonstone, by its very name, has been connected to the moon and to the subconscious and unconscious. It is believed to encourage lucid dreaming and promote emotional openness to new experience.
  • Moonstone
  • If you dream of aquamarine, it is said that you will make new friends, and wearing earrings of aquamarine is thought to bring love and affection into your life
  • Aquamarine
  • Emeralds are thought to promote creativity and restore optimistic hope in dreams and visions
  • Emerald
  • Considered a "dream stone" by ancient cultures, jade is used today to dream solve, access the spiritual realm and encourage creativity
  • Jade
  • Marble or mountain ''jade'' is also known to help recall dreams and is thought to help with serenity, mastery and actualization of one's thoughts. It is also used to help in accessing unused portions of the human brain.
  • Marble
  • Rhyolite is believed to assist in fulfilling one's goals and making one's dreams come true
  • Rhyolite

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