The Massage and the Monkey

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Guest Post by Riley Carson

Sometimes Waking Dreams and Synchronicities combine forces to deliver a powerful message. This story is about such a message and how a strange inner vision facilitated a healing.

At one point in my life, I suffered from a chronic muscle knot in my back. Several massage therapists had tried to help me, but without success. One day a friend told me of a certain massage therapist who had a reputation for being especially skilled at relieving such a muscle issue. 

I booked an appointment and a few days later was lying on the therapist’s massage table, explaining my problem. He lightly probed the sore spot, and surprised me by saying confidently that he could probably resolve this long-lasting issue in one session. Then he went to work. 

After about fifteen minutes into the massage, a Waking Dream image suddenly popped into my head: A sad little monkey had been taken from its mother shortly after birth, and was being raised by itself in a cage. I vividly felt the suffering of that monkey. 

After the massage was finished, I shared my vision with the therapist. He replied, “Yes, sometimes chronic pain is rooted in past psychological traumas. This vision might be a clue about it.”

I walked out of his office free of pain for the first time in years!

When I arrived home, I pondered on what the therapist had said. Though I was familiar with Waking Dreams, for some reason, I was a bit skeptical about this one. Shortly after this, I turned on the television. 

I was astonished to see I had landed on a program about researchers studying the effects on baby monkeys who were removed from their mothers at an early age and raised alone in cages! Apparently the Universe decided I had needed a strong Synchronicity (the double appearance of the monkey theme) added to the Waking Dream to bring home the point. 

As I thought more about the image, a popular old saying came to mind, which is, “I have a monkey on my back”. Maybe my unconscious mind had chosen this image as a literal expression of my situation. 

I believe in reincarnation, and I didn’t think the monkey image pertained to an experience in this lifetime. In any case, the issue was resolved, and I didn’t feel a need to dig up the past to try to pinpoint its origin. Sometimes it’s just best to accept the gifts of healing and be grateful. 

Considering my connection with the monkey, I suspect that my healing also means that he is free from his cage and back in the arms of his mother.