“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” ~ George Santayana, philosopher
Who among us is not governed, to some degree, by the dark secrets of our past? Emotionally based dreams can manifest as daytime life-storms that refuse to remain contained. They have a way of building and blowing our existence to pieces like a clean dress the color of sky ripped from a clothesline and tossed into the mud.
fish-1358427_1280 floede, pixabay.com Public Domain, Free Commercial Use, No Attribution Required
Just when we think bad memories are forgotten, healed by time, and that all is well in our lives, something triggers a thought that manifests in a dream, which leads to an emotional door in our past hidden deep within the bowels of our psyche. The door, although tightly shut and locked, blows open by the sheer force of pent-up past emotions. A real-life nightmare once contained in silent darkness is unleashed into the light of day. Left unchecked it will consume all that is good beneath the clear blue sky.
Here is food for thought: Unchecked memories can grow strong on unhealed emotions.
Memories can begin to run wild through the paths of our lives like a pack of rats bringing life-threatening disease (dis-ease) with them. Research published in Science Daily shows that happy or sad, our emotions and physical health are inextricably linked. Dr. Rollin McCraty of the Institute of HeartMath in the US is studying the link between, emotions, physical health and how they trigger the peptide hormone oxytocin.
Depression, pessimism, and apathy affect our health in several ways.
“Low mood is linked to low levels of serotonin and dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain,’ says London GP Dr. Jane Flemming. “Serotonin plays a role in regulating pain perception and could be the reason why 45 percent of patients with depression also suffer aches and pains.” So, what is a person to do?
How can we cope with a past hell-bent on destroying our future?
Jennifer Irwin is on tour with her book, “A Dress the Color of Sky” which chronicles the up-hill battle of bad past memories. But, you can meet her here, and now, with this VIDEO Interview on the Kat Kanavos Show.
A Dress the Color of Sky
The story-line of A Dress, the Color of Sky, takes you through the difficult life of a woman named Prudence who is entering rehabilitation for sex addiction, and self-loathing, in order to deal with her disturbing past secrets and to save her faltering marriage.
Prudence has lost faith in herself and life. She feels she is blowing in the wind and cannot predict what her future holds.
How important is it to us to feel in control of our future? Research published in an article written by Dr. Art Markman in Psychology Today raises an interesting question.
How do you envision your future?
This question was explored in a paper in the August 2011 issue of Memory and Cognition by Kathleen Arnold, Kathleen McDermott, and Karl Szpunar. The research points out that your ability to envision the future is strongly influenced by your memory for the past. That is, you tend to use memories of past experiences to predict what your life will be like in the near and far future.
It was concluded that it is easier to use your memories when the future you are predicting is close in time, raising the question, do memories from the far past govern your actions without your knowledge.
We are creatures of habit. Therefore, you have already experienced many specific locations and events that are the ones you will encounter again next week. If you are working you will rise in the morning, get dressed and find your way to your workplace. This is experience is such a habit you will hardly remember getting there. As a result, you can do a good job of imagining through simulation what your life will look like next week.
According to the research cited above, it is harder to guess the effect past memories will have for understanding your life in the distant future. Elapsed time makes it more difficult to make specific future predictions.
Consequently, as an adult, if you have suppressed bad memories of an abusive relationship it is more difficult to predict how you will react to a similar relationship now.
There is an important reason to remember and deal with your past before it controls your future. The philosopher George Santayana wisely pointed out that if we don’t take time to reflect on our past behavior, we may unwittingly repeat it in the future. This is not only true for our behavior but true for other people’s actions toward us.
Forgive and forget may not be the best advice. Forgive and remember, so the transgression does not happen again may be a better choice for a healthy future.
Forewarned by memories is forearmed for the future.
Life is a series of lessons. If we do not think about how badly we were treated, come to terms with it, and use that knowledge to make choices about what to do to protect ourselves in the near future, we’re less vulnerable to being treated that way again.
Stumbling beneath the weight of her horrific past, Prudence has taken the first big step toward correcting her course for the future by remembering and healing her past with the help of therapy.
InDreams cover 3 our darkest hours, we often pray for help and guidance but forget, or don’t know how to watch for the answers in our waking world. According to the New York Times, at least 10 studies on the effects of prayers and healing have been carried out in the last 6 years, and this question continues among researchers.
What if… the life-saving answers come to us in dreams, as studies by Duke University Radiologist Dr. Larry Burk have shown? What if… we are guided to seek help in the form of therapy with a therapist chosen by God? What if… you are the answer to that therapist’s dreams which were also heard by the Lord?
The Lord works in mysterious ways.
A producer met Jennifer Irwin in LA. After reading the manuscript, the producer purchased the film rights. Production of the film A Dress, the Color of Sky, is scheduled to begin in early 2018 with some well-known names attached.
Watch as Jennifer introduces you to Prudence who is struggling to emerge from the dark places of her past and step into the light of a new day.
Prudence’s struggle is one many of us live with, and often die from if left unchecked.
Sky Poster 2
YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO7SnT4K2Jg&feature=share
Resources:
Your View Of The Future Is Shaped By The Past | Psychology … (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ulterior-motives/201108/your-view-the-futur https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ulterior-motives/201108/your-view-the-future-is-shaped-the-past
The Link Between Emotions And Health | Psychologies, https://www.psychologies.co.uk/self/the-link-between-emotions-and-health.html (accessed January 13, 2018).
https://www.psychologies.co.uk/self/the-link-between-emotions-and-health.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin
http://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/dreams-and-visions%3A-god-uncensored
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Dreams-That-Can-Save-Your-Life/Larry-Burk/9781844097449
Photo credit:
A-Dress-the-Color-of-Sky.jpg January 13, 2018 used with author’s permission.
Dreams That Can Save Your Life used with author Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos permission
About the Author: Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos is a TV Producer/Host and Author/Lecturer of Dreams That Can Save Your Life which promotes patient advocacy and connecting with Dreams for success in health, wealth, and relationships. Contact –Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos Website – Inner Guide Facebook – Personal Facebook – Surviving Cancerland Facebook – Wicked Housewives TV Facebook – Wicked Housewives Radio Facebook –Dreams That Can Save Your Life Facebook- Google+ – LinkedIn – Pinterest – Twitter – Youtube- Book
