The reticular activating system (RAS) plays a vital role in dreaming. From a medical perspective, the RAS resides in the brain stem and acts as a filter between the conscious and subconscious mind, assessing any information that comes in and sets priority for consideration. So what does this have to do with dreams?
To accomplish a dream, it needs to involve all of the senses and have a rich picture in the conscious mind. This information is then passed on to the subconscious mind where it begins to scan for necessary information and blocking out everything else. The RAS is laser focused.
This system is very much at work when you finally decide on the type of car you want. You have never seen one on the road before. Once the decision is made, that is the only type of car you see. Everyone has one; yours will not be a unique as you originally thought. Not so – it is just the RAS eliminating all other makes and models of cars and just showing you the one you want to buy.
To activate the RAS, what you are thinking needs to be just one of the following:
* Have an Emotional quality – You need to be excited about it.
* Have Novelty Value – It needs to be new.
* Is Necessary to your Physical Safety
The RAS will bring you the information, the people, the money, and other aspects of realizing your dream as long as you remember those three items. The RAS cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is in your imagination. It is important to infuse your dream description with emotion and excitement. This is why we write it out and develop a physical picture of the dream, a dream board. Athletes use visualization with emotion. If they can’t visualize finishing the race, making the touchdown, scoring the goal, then the odds of them being a winner are very low.
When you first put the dream board up, it has novelty value as it is new. To keep that novelty value, take your dream board and move it around every two days so it doesn’t become part of the background.
Realizing a dream means charting a course on which to navigate. One step in the course is to take the Dare2Dream Workshop, experience this transformational process and begin to soar up into the atmosphere where your vision is clear. Start now with the introductory videos of four of the steps – Take the Dare.
Something else I have learned as a business woman is to ask for what you want. If you loved what you just read, this content is not for free. As a form of payment, I am asking you simply to comment or share this on Facebook or tweet about it on Twitter.
Linda Patten, MBA, BSN, RN has over 30 years of experience leading women to success in building and achieving their dreams. She turns networking marketing women from product sellers to leaders of highly functioning teams. To learn more about her innovative programs, click on Contact Us.