Dreamtime: The Waking Dream
by Paul Robear

There are moments when we close our eyes, yet we are not asleep. Instead, we drift into a space that is neither here nor there—where the veil between the ordinary and the extraordinary dissolves. It is a space of images and knowing beyond words. This visionary state is referred to as a Waking Dream—a profound and sacred state of being, a gateway to the subconscious and the vast landscape of spiritual guidance.

At the Cuyamungue Institute, our work with Ritual Postures is key to unlocking this state of consciousness. It connects us to the wisdom carried in the body. In this waking dream state, images arise spontaneously. At times, they come as flashes of insight—fleeting yet potent, like a whisper from an unseen guide. Other times, they unfold in rich, intricate narratives—stories of transformation, messages from ancestors, encounters with the numinous.

What is remarkable is that the body holds memory beyond what the conscious mind can grasp. In the stillness of a posture, the body speaks in symbols, sensations, and archetypal wisdom. A shift in breath, a tingle along the spine, an overwhelming sense of presence—these are the ways in which the deeper self communicates. Through these non-ordinary states, I have received guidance that has shaped my path, answered questions I did not yet know how to ask, and offered a sense of connection that is both humbling and empowering.

This is the power of Dreamtime—not merely as an escape from waking reality, but as an expansion of it. It is a bridge between worlds, between the seen and unseen, between the self I know and the self that is still unfolding. Each journey brings me closer to the realization that reality is not fixed but fluid, and that within us lies an infinite well of wisdom waiting to be tapped.

In practicing Ritual Postures, we do not merely enter Dreamtime—we awaken to the dream that is all around us.