January 3, 2022 - Category: General

How Disney’s “Encanto”​ might hold the key to your happiness (interpreting it as a dream, a dream we all have in life)

dream interpretation of Disneys Encanto

I had been anticipating it for a long time. Especially since “Moana” (“Vaiana” in Europe) has been one of my all-time Disney favorites – with so many ever-relevant truths served in enticing and heart-moving ways. Like; when your SOUL is crying out for you to do something, and you then do so – magic happens.

It is as if the whole universe – in “Moana” the ocean – starts supporting you. I.e. – nothing happens until you yourself start taking REAL action towards fulfilling that dream of yours. But when you then do so; wild things happen.

And note; this only happens when it is something you want from a really deep place (soul deep) – and not just because “everyone else does it”. Or because it “seems like the right thing to do.” Or worse even – because “this is what others expects you to do…”. In Moana this truth is elegantly served alongside a clear illustration of another important truth; listening to the calling of your soul is not going to be an easy “overnight” journey, but is it going to be a deeply meaningful journey; the right journey.

If you haven’t yet watched Moana/Vaiana – hurry up and do so! (And by the way; if you are in doubt as to what your soul is calling you to do; what path you are to follow in life, then please make sure you read this article to the end).

And now back to Encanto. A story of how all members of a Columbian family early in life are being magically equipped with specific supernatural talents (like we all are!). And how the story’s main character Mirabel apparently is not so fortunate (she has yet to discover her talent). On the day of her “talent ceremony” – where she is supposed to discover the talent she is to be equipped with…. alas – nothing happens. Unlike with everyone else in her family;

Her sister Luisa being supernaturally (physically) strong. Her brother Camilo being able to shape-shift into… well, everything! Her other sister Dolores having supernatural hearing. Her uncle Bruno – being able to see in to the future. Her smaller brother Antonio being able to talk to animals. And not to forget; her sister Isabela being “Señorita Perfecta”; a classical Colombian beauty also having the ability to create the most beautiful flowers from nothing.

In all of this the magic of the house that they all live in – “Casita” – the house that has given them all their super powers, is slowly dying. And of course Mirabel plays a crucial role in saving the magic of the house, and of the whole Encanto really (the village they live in). And this is where it is time for a WARNING;

If you haven’t yet watched the movie, and you plan to, I suggest you don’t read on, but instead watch the movie as soon as you can. Because in the following I will be revealing the aspect of the movie that potentially holds the key to your happiness.

Another central figure in “Encanto” is “Alma” (Abuela, grandmother) – the oldest person in the family, and really – the family matriarch. Pedro – her husband – died shortly after she had given birth to their three kids, and ever since Alma has been trying to uphold the family magic (the magic of Casita, and that of the Encanto).

Abuela - our inner control freak - limiting ourselves and others

Problem is, she has been doing this with an enormous focus on staying in control and a unspoken but strong expectation of her family members to always “do their best, and use their gifts for the good of the family and the Encanto”.

As such – nothing wrong with that. And it is of course done with the best of intentions; the belief that this will uphold the magic and strength of everyone living in Casita.

Only – and this is me going straight to the point – when this involves never listening to your own needs, always streeeetching yourself to be at your best, be perfect, not showing any weakness or vulnerability… it eventually will end up in you crumbling. In you becoming stressed out. Potentially break down and depression. Just like the magic that upholds Casita and “the whole world” (the Encanto).

SO… and here comes the million dollar question;

How much of an Alma /Abuela do you (unconsciously) have IN YOURSELF?

In other words; how much of your own internal dialogue is in reality coming straight from your own inner Abuela? I believe we all have a bit of her (what she represents) – in our relations to others (how much have you – truth be told – set yourself and others, your partner, your kids, your employees… FREE?!). It is hard to know exactly how much of an inner Abuela we have however. Unless we have an intelligent tool that can show us exactly that.

A tool I will now introduce you to.

A tool, that when applied and according to scientific research, will increase your personal insight, your self-esteem, your overall level of happiness, and your relations with others.* When doing talks at workplaces and teaching corporations to utilize this tool I label it the best and most direct expression of our vast unconscious intelligence. An intelligence that is typically strongly underutilized.

So what am I talking about then? I am talking about tuning in on, using, your nightly dreams – for higher creativity at work (did you know that Google partly is the result of a recalled nightly dream of founder Larry Page, a dream in which he simply saw the underlying technical solution of Google?). But also – and relevant in this context – for fully understanding what is truly driving you deep deep down (did you know that Barack Obama works with his dreams in this way? Please do read his 2004 biography “Dreams from my father” to understand how). Is it a fear of not being good enough? Or, to quote Marianne Williamson – it is a fear of not daring to be as good as you truly are?

To put it as it is, and despite it maybe seeming pretty wild to you at first, in your dreams you will be able to meet your inner Abuela (or more precisely; what she looks like in your unconscious). You will, by trying to understand the content of your dreams, be able to fully understand what is preventing you from expressing yourself fully, and thus being more happy. And this btw. is not a matter of “living your full potential” (a shadow-side of the personal development industry, and the stress that often comes with – again – being “perfect”) – it is a matter of you becoming whole, and embracing all that you are. The good and the bad. And in the process becoming a whole lot happier about yourself.

So how can you start tuning in on your unconscious intelligence as it is expressed in your nocturnal dreams?

Well. You of course need to first of all be able to recall your dreams – which is a lot more than just writing them down; because what if there is nothing to write down? You can start out by simply saying to yourself (and repeating it several times during the day and especially just before falling asleep); “I want to recall my dreams when I wake up, I want to recall my dreams when I wake up”.

In order to recall your dreams you need to give them a minimum of attention (actually, you were quite good at this as a kid, but as found in dream socialization research: at the age of 10, most of us have indirectly learned through our parents, and their way of responding to us when telling about a dream, to disconnect from our unconscious intelligence. And what a shame that is.

Next thing; how to understand what your dreams are telling you? Start out with this overall question; Despite the dream initially appearing unreal, how might it still be a direct illustration of something highly relevant to you that you are maybe not too conscious about?

As I normally say; when we talk about our dreams we often get to talk about something truly important about ourselves and our relationships that we wouldn’t otherwise talk about.

Here’s me wishing you a wonderful, happy new year – hopefully with a more balanced dance with your inner abuela.

Michael

www.michaelrolsen.com

**E.g. Hill et.al., Dreaming, Volume 23(1), March 2013, 1-45