It’s about me when I first got here. I was in the infirmary, a segregated cell, with a glass door. They bring the phone right to you. I’m on a phone in the cell, on the phone with my girl. She’s crying and I’m wondering what’s going on. She told me she was pulled over by the local regional police on the way to drop the kids off at daycare. As she pulled up about three blocks away a cruiser pulls her over. She gets her ID ready, goes to hand him the driver’s license. He says, “that won’t be necessary Linda.” Okay, this dream is her telling me all this. Then the cop looks in the back at our daughter and says, “Oh Caroline, this must be Adam’s precious little girl.” She wonders how he knows their names and she asks. He tells her he knows their whole routine. He knows they are home alone every night. He says they know everything about her and the family. The cop says for her to tell Adam that he doesn’t remember what happened the day of the shooting. Then as she tells this to me she’s crying and bawling saying this cop threatened to kill me and the kids and our bodies would never be found if you reported what really happened. She’s crying. I’m telling her everything will be alright, that I’ll tell them I don’t remember what happened. Then we get off the phone and after that a correction officer comes to the door and says I have a visit. Then I find out it’s a professional visit meaning it’s not the regular public. It’s someone professional. When I walk in I see the cop that shot me was sitting in the room wanting to talk to me. He says he’ll get right to the point: Did you speak to Linda? Did you get our message? I say, “Yes, I’ll say whatever you want me to say just don’t hurt my family.” He says, “You’re not playing with a bunch of street gang kids anymore.” He gets mad and slams his hands on the table and then I wake up.

When I received this dream from a prisoner I thought it was just so awesome because this dream captures some of the best metaphors to explain the goal of this book. The goal of this book is to present a step-by-step process for transformation. (It’s like the next step to the 19-Day Transformation Pgm … but even if you haven’t read that book this one will still make sense and be helpful.) The good news is that everyone on the planet is in need of transformation.  The even better news is that the very best opportunity for growth and change comes when something in life goes differently than we planned. When we are planning something and our vision doesn’t manifest itself we get a range of negative emotions like fear, anger or disappointment. Everyone on the planet experiences these emotions to one degree or another. It’s what makes us human. However some people can become so entrapped in their negative emotions it’s like they create a cage around themselves, a barrier, a wall, and they feel safe within that protection and they can convince themselves that they didn’t want what they were going for afterall. They didn’t want that job, or that relationship, or that house. Or maybe they tell themselves that it doesn’t matter ~ that they wanted it before but they don’t care anymore.

These strong negative conditions such as anger and fear come from a lower part of the human nature. Some call it ego. It is the animal-like nature which is a natural part of the human condition. Unlike animals though, humanity also has the potential for rational thought, for inspiration and for expressions of the Higher Nature, the True Self. The highest potential for humanity is to attain qualities which free it’s Self from those lower conditions. To experience Patience, to practice Courage, to demonstrate Enthusiasm ~ these are some of the highest aspirations a human can strive for.

Every single human being on the planet has the potential to acquire more and more of these virtues and qualities which bring Joy to themselves and to others around them. The natural skills we are born with, combined with those we learn throughout our lives give us the tools and equipment necessary in order to build and construct the type of lives we want for ourselves.

Going for what we want and experiencing pain or trauma instead because of actions of others, or because of rules or laws, or because of our own shortcomings we can become imprisoned within our own disappointment or grief. We can give up on ourselves, on our hopes, our dreams for our lives, or for our children’s lives. We can succumb to the pain of loss and weighted down by the metaphorical chains of despair or anger can give up altogether.

Any human being can become imprisoned within their own Self. Every human being makes mistakes. Every human being falls short of their truest potential. No one is perfect. No one knows all the answers. Not only that but the culture we live in is not perfect either. There are very old systems in place which are outdated, antiquated, and erroneous. Many of these old systems are falling and crumbling around us, day by day and at the same time new systems are taking root in the society around us. Families are coming together in unity. Communities are taking ownership of themselves and empowering one another to thrive. And cities are transforming, becoming more reflective of the equality which is inherant to every human being. (fix this part somehow) Humanity is waking up to its potentialities. Casting off the shackles of the past and forging forward as an ever-advancing civilization.

Listening to dreams from people who are imprisoned and offering interpretations for transformation not only helps release the dreamer from their unconscious fears and anxieties but in sharing these dreams & interpretations we can get a glimpse of key elements which would help free those who many physically live in conditions of so-called “Freedom” but who are imprisoned within their own fears.

The reason Adam’s dream is so great is that it shows that where he and his partner want to go in life is having a safe and comfortable family. This shows up in the dream when his wife is driving their daughter to daycare and he is saying he’d be willing to do anything to keep his family safe. These are the highest aspirations of the dreamer’s True Self. These are noble and honourable wishes. The role of a father is to support and protect their children so the dream shows he aspires to fulfill this role.

What stops him in the dream will be explored in this book. The things which stop him are the very same things which stop everyone. No one is exempt or free from this test in life. When we face a challenge, we can either give up or we can embrace it. This dream shows that when the dreamer sets his intentions to overcoming challenges he has a tremendous capacity to be able to achieve amazing things. He has the ability to take authority over the fears & anxieties which limit him and he has the capacity to be a loving and supportive father. His dream so perfectly shows the double challenge which prisoners have in real life. They have the nightmare they are living within the prison walls and they have the inner nightmare of facing some pretty difficult things to face, like cops shouting and slamming their hands on tables.

This book will go deeper into the metaphor of police officers, cop cars, prison cells and at the same time will explore how the dreams are bringing messages to the dreamers about the positive qualities they have within themselves which they can discover and use in their real life as they deal with the day-to-day challenges of prison life. As challenges are overcome and strengths are developed the fear of other people’s anger can be dissolved and no longer cause distress. We will look at a dream from the box which has the dreamer in their mother’s home trying to rescue all the treasures and gems she collected throughout the years and we’ll explore how this is a metaphor for the gifts, skills & talents of the dreamer and how he can start using these more and more now to fix issues with what used to bring up anger in the past. We will look at how bringing out our hidden skills can be so fulfilling and can really change everything.

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DREAMWORK WITH PRISONERS is an initiative which enables prisoners to share their dreams, receive interpretations for transformation, and walk through steps which can change their lives for the better. For more information or to pre-order the new book contact rperrydreamwork@gmail.com