In many traditions, spiritual seekers have gone to caves or remote monasteries to be free of the distractions of society. Isolation is a very practical way to concentrate on healing the personal dream; however, most contemporary Toltec teachers encourage their apprentices to remain in the dream of the planet to work on their freedom. They know it is the power of the dream, especially the victim dream, that keeps their apprentices in spiritual bondage. Toltec teachers aim to show you that there is another way to think about life and the events that take place.

When you judge yourself, another person, an event, the government, the weather, or God, you are making yourself a victim. You are saying, “This is not fair, it should not be like this, and I am suffering because it is wrong.” Begin to notice when you are emotionally disturbed by something, and use that awareness to look inside to see what you are thinking.

If you feel outraged and defiant about being diagnosed with a disease, getting in a car accident, or being robbed, ask yourself why. Are you clinging to ideas of luck, curses, and fate? Did you envision things as being much different than they are? If so, why? What reason did you have to believe that you could know exactly how everything was going to turn out?

If your thoughts are being distorted by the victim dream, perhaps you will want to find a different story to tell yourself. When you understand that you are dreaming, you know you can dream whatever you choose. That is the power of the Toltec wisdom, and the path to personal freedom.