Dreams open us up to a path of mystery, pulling us in the direction of our life’s purpose. Every dream has a message, a wound that needs healing, guiding incite, a spark that is necessary for true personal evolution. If at all possible, we in our relationship to the dream, discover the hidden meanings, giving us a sense of understanding, excitement and responsibility.
“Our innate skill to dream and interpret this mysterious realm of our subconscious we find ourselves being nourished and in servitude to harmony of mind body and soul.“
There is so much we are capable of as human beings and the dream-scape can be an important facet in the positive progress of who we are as individuals and even collectively. And what better way to facilitate these valuable experiences by communing with nature as a tool. Certain plants are known throughout history to help one engage in accessing our birth right to the dream world. In this article we will be discussing plant medicine for dreaming!
What are Oneirogens?
Oneirogens are herbs, supplements or substances that help the user produce a dream like state. From the greek oneiros “to dream” and “gen”create. Essentially the word means “to create a dream”. These various substances safely help induce, increase and enhance your innate ability to have out of body experiences, lucid dreams, prophetic divinations and better dream recall!
Throughout history there are certain herbs that have been discovered and used by our ancestors as tools for divination, initiation and ritual. In modern days our culture is much different, so the question is how do these magical plants play a role in our lives. Well it all comes down to the fundamentals. These herbs can help you access parts of your brain during sleep that can help you get over fears, doubts, worry, even heal past traumas and much more. Many of these sacred plants can help you get a foothold on flying through the sky and literally soar like an eagle, explore your subconscious and get valuable advice from your dreams that you can take into everyday life and implement. In fact most indigenous cultures regard dreams with high esteem and benefit greatly from their understanding and interpretations.
I know there’s a ton of vitamins, herbs and supplements out there for you to choose from. So we’re going to focus on the herbs to keep it simple for you, since these herbs are some of the the safest, most well known and well… my personal favorite! We’ll cover the other supplements in future articles. So stay tuned.
Whether you’re an avid lucid dreamer or a newbie to controlling your dreams Herbal Oneirogens are an amazing tool that can catapult you into the most amazing experiences. You can find yourself doing almost anything you wish! From adventuring, problem solving, sexual fantasies, healing past traumas to almost anything you set your mind to.
Herbal oneirogens are otherwise known as “dream herbs“. These herbs are known throughout history to be used for just that.. dreams! Whether in the form of divination, prophecy, shamanic ceremony, to help the tribe or shamanic initiation these herbs have been used in a sacred manner for thousands of years.
Here are two different examples of Dream Herbs!
Here are two different examples of Dream Herbs!
One of the most common herbs for dreaming is called Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris). This herb has been used since ancient times for dreaming and for its medicinal benefits. It can be used as a mild sedative, for intense menstrual cramps and much more. The deep history behind Mugwort as a dream herb is quite extensive. Many whom use Mugwort in this way may experience increased lucidity during dreaming. It may at times also bring up darker shadow-self dreams in order to bring these things to light in order for you to engage in understanding yourself better and evolving emotionally.
Another less commonly known dream herb is Xhosa Dream Root (Silene capensis). This plant has been used by the Xhosa people from South Africa for thousands of years to divine worship and heal. There form of shamanic dream work involves what they call Ubulawu or white ways/paths. This process of initiation is used to help a person learn what their calling is. Whether it be a herder, hunter, dancer or many more vocations a tribe person may feel called to. Among westerners this root has been to help people dream more vividness and clarity. This can sometimes bring about prophetic symbols and guidance in one’s everyday life.
There are actually a large number of dream herbs or Herbal Oneirogens found across the globe. Many in which have deep cultural significance for the peoples whom use them. I’d love to share all of them within this post but there are far too many to cover in one article. So If you’d like to learn more about the vast array of herbs for dreaming.
Keep in mind not every herb is for everyone. Be sure to do your research and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, take pharmaceutical drugs or have a medical condition talk with your doctor or certified practitioner before using. It’s always best to be safe!
Now that you have some supplemental knowledge(No pun intended), it’s time to put it to the dreaming test. There is some much you can learn from your self with the assistance of these sacred botanicals. I recommend using these herbs as dream tonics. So taking them for 5-7 days at a time, giving yourself a few days break or more depending on your intentions is best, plus they have other healing benefits aside from being used for dreams!
Many dream herbs have a cumulative effect in the body. Some take a few days to build up in the body so as you experiment with these herbs, you’ll find ones that work better for you than others, if you try one for one night and it doesn’t work, don’t dash your efforts, you can always go for longer or try another. We all work differently and have different preferences.
Dream Well, Stay Awesome, Live Better!
Aaron Weis CH
