A few nights ago I had a very profound dream that ended with a complete thud or so I thought when I awoke. Over the days that followed it kept playing over and over in my mind. Last night as I lay in bed and it entered my mind I felt disappointed that it had so much potential at profoundness but ended like most dreams do: a nebular memory. Nonetheless, today I thought a lot about the dream, it’s context, it’s imagery, it’s meaning.
The dream…
Out of nowhere and no information as to why I was there, I appeared standing inside a what I’d say was an operations watch floor. In case you are wondering what an operations watch floor is, think of a secured facility with large plasma screens and real-time data being transmitted across those screens. Surely you’ve seen some of those cool military or NASA-like movies where there are scenes in such a setting.
In any case, I’m standing there looking at this huge screen that dominates the room. There’s a man standing next to me. He’s obviously there as my guide and to show me around. He’s handsome in a clean-cut kind of way, shorter than me, no facial hair, wearing a jacket — he’s very paramilitary — the kind of person I’ve met a thousand times. The kind of power-guy you see in and around Washington DC.
I look at this large screen and displayed is a map of the world. The continents are outlined with proper political boundaries. This place looks legit. The screen is busy. I can see events happening all across the world simultaneously and some regions are busier than others. The color depicting these events and their respective locations is white. It’s all white with flashes here and there and a seemingly steady white glow in other places.
I ask my guide, “What is happening up there. What do those lights mean?”
“Those are prayers going up.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize so many people prayed.”
“Yep. And He hears every one of them.”
“I always knew He existed. Does He hear my prayers?”
“Yup.”
I face my guide, “what did He say?”
“He told me to tell you to get a shovel.”
Puzzled but cognizant even in my dream, I respond “What does that mean?”
He told me, with a smile, which revealed age lines in the corner of his eyes but a set of nice straight teeth (he looked to be 42 or so) “you’ll have to look it up.”
And that’s it. That’s how it ended. I woke up trying to gather my senses and surroundings and admittedly felt disappointed about the ending.
What struck me afterward as I replayed this over and over was the mention of He. Clearly, we were discussing God and He was mentioned in the third person singular. He wasn’t there but I immediately understood where I was and the importance and awe of what I was seeing and hearing. It was like taking a tour of the president’s Situation Room. The president wasn’t there but he didn’t have to be to still be president and operate as the top consumer of all real-time data coming over those screens. It added to the awe and power and omnipresent feelings I felt.
So today I finally searched the meaning of shovels in dreams and I was so struck by what I read that I actually felt a bit uneasy about the whole thing. I’m just not that into this kind of stuff and I’m not that religious to start.
The shovel stands for the need to dig out something from your past and work towards personal forgiveness and happiness. To find peace. On a spiritual level, I’m told the shovel is the tool used towards inner knowledge. Additionally, the tool symbolizes a trustworthy person you can depend on for support or during times of adversities. (Search it if you care to. You’ll read about several meanings but remarkably the same as it relates to various religions and mysticism).
Considering the meaning, maybe the shovel represents Him as that trustworthy person, which explains the setting and the power and awe the dream provoked within me, standing there on that watch floor, and at the same time a message to me that there’s some self-help to do on my part.
I understand this might not mean a lot to a reader but considering the last couple of years of my life, the deep, deep regret I wake up with every day, the turmoil and change, the stress and anxiety, the depression and wrestling with my past, this dream gave me more answers than any friend or family member, any counselor, book, bottle of whiskey, or anything else I’ve tried or have yet to try, possibly could.
That’s not to say I haven’t come a long way over the course of a year or more as time tends to settle things to their new normal. However, this dream and its timing and meaning really propped me up and made me take notice.
It’s time to break out the shovel, friends.
The Mind's Cabin 
I remember Mark Twain using the shovel symbolism once. I don’t remember the exact phrase but it went something like this:
“I handed him a shovel.”
“What’s this for?”
“Your conscience. Go dig for it.”
Twain was being humorous, of course, but the idea of digging deep down to find the spiritual ore is an archetype of the ages. With all the distractions and emotional spin offs in life I have to find a shovel and go excavate from time to time myself…I hit rock periodically and have to get another damn shovel. 🙂 They break easy you see, and so the digging gets tiresome and so I throw the damn shovel in the bushes a lot and storm off.
But, like all of us, I know the digging needs to be done if I’m to right the ship….my soul.
Thanks, Jeff.
Always ready with more insight and references!
It surprises me not in the least Twain would have already tackled this. In fact, it seems many others have as well and as such, I’m not the only person to have a dream about a shovel! haha.
The dream, though. The feeling and imagery and the message and timing I could have never predicted. I’ll tell you, I haven’t stopped considering it. It helped. A friend once told me that our brains are quantum computers connected to a quantum universe. Not to go down that wormhole but you probably understand my point.