Pandemic Dreams: Can Meditation Help?

In recent studies, many researchers have shown that during this pandemic time, people are having more vivid and often more frightening dreams, and nightmares. Some speculate that without having to commute back and forth to work, people also have more time to sleep, and the length of time sleeping will increase one's chances of remembering dreams. Also, due to a sudden change in our daily routines, uncertainty about the future, and having the lines between work and home blurred, anxiety levels are higher. Anxiety causes people to wake up more often out of REM sleep (rapid eye movement), which makes one even more likely to remember their dreams.

So the question is, does meditation help? What we have found is through daily practice of our meditation method, 'throwing away,' people have a chance while they're awake to disconnect from the daily happenings, and to process 'minds' or emotional and mental blockages inside. When we meditate we're better able to 'process' all of the things that we've taken into our mind. As we describe in our meditation, the human body functions like a 'camera' that keeps taking pictures all day long through our five senses, and even since childhood we've been taking pictures. When we sleep, dreams play like movies inside, reflecting our mind, inner thoughts, and feelings.

From what we've seen when one practices our 7 steps of guided meditation, they are able to shed the layers of what has built up over many years, and this will help the person rest on a much deeper level even while awake, but also when it's time to sleep. Even just the start of throwing away recent things that are on your mind, from your daily life, before going to sleep, will help you sleep better through the night. Also less likely to wake up with a sudden feeling of anxiety that rushes in.

We can think of it exactly like eating, if you eat a lot of heavy foods before going to sleep your stomach might feel 'stuck,' and blood flow is blocked, it would be very uncomfortable. In a similar way, we have never properly 'digested' all the things we've taken into the mind. During this pandemic time, when people are experiencing more unrest and taking in a lot of disturbing images on the news, along with managing their daily lives in a completely new way. These conditions are more likely to create unrest and this shows up in one's dreams. Meditation helps to process emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Just like going to the bathroom or taking a shower, at this time we should also be cleaning the mind and heart.

When the mind is clean and clear there is a sense of security in the present moment that opens up, which will gradually allow your mind and body to truly rest. So in light of research being done on 'Covid dreams' we, at the Brooklyn Meditation center, hope to offer a remedy through meditation practice.

Thank you,

Brooklyn Meditation Team