Language of the Subconscious Mind

In 1984, Denise and Dermot met at the School of Metaphysics (SOM) and began a seven-year journey of learning about the mind, consciousness, and dreams. While continuing as dedicated students, both were eventually encouraged to become Teachers of the SOM's extensive curriculum. They progressed from Teachers to Directors, serving schools in several of the organization's 33 locations. Denise and Dermot fell in love with the metaphysical teachings they were learning, practicing, and sharing with others. They became committed to serving as full-time “metaphysical missionaries.”

In 1987, as a young Teacher, Denise founded a SOM in Norman, Oklahoma, home of the University of Oklahoma. Imagine teaching metaphysics in the heart of the Bible Belt nearly four decades ago. Today, the concept of Applied Metaphysics is much better known, increasingly respected, and widely sought after.

One day, the President of the SOM was scheduled to visit Denise's school while touring all 33 locations and providing counsel to Teachers and Directors in each city. At every stop, the local Director was responsible for arranging media appearances to promote the School. The President was highly skilled at lecturing about dreams and appearing on the radio programs that Directors scheduled during her visits.

On this occasion, Denise had scheduled the President to appear on the most popular Rock 'n' Roll morning show in Oklahoma City. Both were excited about the possibility of attracting new students to the School's metaphysical teachings.

The night before the live radio show, the President called from Springfield, Missouri, and said she could not make the appearance.

“Okay, well … then I’ll call the producer in the morning and tell him you can’t make it and that we need to reschedule,” said Denise.

“No, Denise. If no one shows up in the morning, they will never have us back. It is too late to cancel. You will need to do the show,” she said.

“Oh no, Barbara, I'm not ready for that. Absolutely not!” Denise said emphatically. “No way.”

“Denise, you are ready. You can do this. The segment is only 15 minutes, and you will probably have time to interpret only a couple of dreams between the banter of those crazy DJs,” said the President.

At that moment, Denise realized it was probably a grand “setup”—a conspiracy designed by the President, who was not someone you said no to.

Denise accepted her frightening fate. Terrified about the upcoming radio show, she did not sleep a wink that night. She arrived at the station at 5:45 the next morning and was quickly escorted to the studio, where three or four DJs were chatting live on the air. They were a motley crew, filled with raucous behavior, jokes, laughter, playful digs, and other shenanigans customary for a live morning show in the late 1980s. Denise wondered how she could speak seriously about callers' dreams amid so much frivolity.

The dream segment was to begin in two minutes, and a deeper fear set in. The lead DJ introduced Denise to the listeners of Oklahoma City's most renowned morning show. Her heart pounded even faster than it had the night before. Then the DJ opened the phone lines and invited listeners to call with dreams for Denise to interpret.

Suddenly, four phone lines lit up, and Denise immediately regretted her decision to fill in for the President. Intimidated by the DJs, she reminded herself that it was only 15 minutes and that commercial breaks would make the segment pass quickly. She expected to interpret two or three dreams and then be out the door. The “On Air” light came on, and Denise took a deep breath. It was time.

After a quick introduction, the first caller shared a dream, and Denise offered a brief, coherent interpretation. Luckily, it resembled a student's dream she had interpreted in class only a few weeks earlier, so she felt confident in her analysis.

The caller responded, “Oh my God, that is right on. It is exactly what has been happening over the past few days!”

After that interpretation, a fifth phone line lit up. Five lights were now flashing as callers waited to have their dreams interpreted. The DJs were surprised by their listeners' enthusiasm and reactions to Denise's analysis.

After Denise interpreted three dreams live on the air, the DJs seemed excited and impressed. Her confidence began to grow as she realized that public speaking was not as frightening as she had anticipated. Her fear was being replaced by a tentative but growing confidence.

After the third dream, Denise realized that her segment had flown by and had already run five minutes over. The show's Producer and Program Director quietly entered the studio, leaned over, and asked whether she could stay to take calls for another 10 or 15 minutes. Denise agreed and thought, “Oh, they like me. I really can do this!” She knew she was conquering her fear.

All five phone lines continued to light up as dreamers waited to speak with Denise. The next segment brought three more callers seeking interpretations. Then the DJs asked whether she could remain for the rest of the hour with the Breakfast Club Zoo, as the show was called in those days.

When the show ended, everyone—including Denise—was a bit gobsmacked by the popularity of the dream segment. The Producer applauded its success, and before Denise left the station, he took her to his office to schedule an appearance for the following month.

Because the SOM's purpose was to teach students who wanted to understand the “inner secrets” of the mind, Denise was anxious to return to the school and discover whether her segment had inspired listeners to inquire about its classes.

During the 20-minute drive back to the school, Denise felt proud of herself for facing and conquering her fear. When she arrived, she was shocked to find 18 messages waiting on the answering machine. There had been none when she left at five o'clock that morning.

The first one she listened to went like this:

“Hey, this is Joe Blow (not his real name), the Producer from WXRK 92.3 in New Jersey. We want to book that Dream Lady chick for our morning show, so call us back.”

Again and again, each message came from a different station asking to book Denise on its morning show. The callers did not know her name, so they simply referred to her as “The Dream Lady.” Program Directors from Atlanta, Dallas, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Tulsa, San Francisco, Nashville, Honolulu, and 10 other stations wanted her on their shows.

Curious, Denise asked one Program Director how he had heard about her and found her contact information. He explained that the Producer at KATT in Oklahoma City had placed a notice about The Dream Lady on an industry wire service reaching major stations across the country. It operated much like the Associated Press wire service through which newspapers shared stories and resources. Denise asked one of the Producers exactly what the wire-service notice had said.

It read, “You must get The Dream Lady on your morning show. She generates a huge audience and kept five lines lit up for more than an hour. She is fun, quick, and very knowledgeable, and our listeners loved her. Get her on your show immediately. You will not be disappointed. Here is her number.”

And so, “The Dream Lady” was born. For the next 25 years, Denise was a popular guest on Rock 'n' Roll and Adult Pop stations across the country and abroad. She also appeared frequently on talk-radio programs, which were especially popular in those days. In that slower-paced setting, Denise could spend more time teaching, discussing the mind's potential, and interpreting callers' dreams.

Clearly, the President of the SOM had an ulterior motive when she called Denise the night before the KATT appearance. She knew Denise was ready and recognized that this was her next step in building confidence as a Teacher and Director while gaining experience speaking publicly about dreams.

Soon, Denise was promoted to National Field Director of four schools in Oklahoma, where she became responsible for teaching the Teachers and Directors at each location. Her growing experience as a radio personality made her increasingly adept at interpreting dreams. During her SOM radio career, she interpreted hundreds of them.

In 1991, Denise left the SOM for philosophical reasons and returned to Tulsa, where she had already appeared on KMOD 96.5, the state's leading Rock 'n' Roll station. Although she had left the SOM, she was invited to become a regular guest on the third Thursday of every month, a role she continued for approximately eight years.

Denise's radio career unfolded during a period when Clear Channel Communications was acquiring hundreds of stations across the country; the company is now known as iHeartMedia. As radio became increasingly digitized and automated, many programs shifted away from live local broadcasting toward prerecorded and syndicated content. Audiences also began turning to the internet for news and entertainment. Even so, live “drive-time” radio remained popular for many years and continues to thrive in some cities.

About three years into her run with KMOD, and after she had become a recognized local personality, the Producer of Tulsa's CBS-affiliate morning program invited her to appear on the local show that aired before the national broadcast. The Dream Lady segment ran approximately 12 to 15 minutes, during which she interpreted viewers' dreams. She continued appearing during the final four years she lived in Tulsa before moving to Austin. For a short time, Denise also appeared on programs in Austin and Houston before pursuing other interests. Yet she never strayed far from her first love: interpreting dreams for people in classes and on radio and television.

After moving to the Austin area, Denise decided in 2006 that she wanted to experience the other side of the microphone. Rather than appearing as a guest, she became the producer and host of a 16-week internet radio series, “Beyond Your Dreams: Exploring Myth, Meaning, & Metaphor.” Each hour-long program featured a special guest who had either authored a book about dreams or brought expertise in dreaming or altered states of consciousness.

A few years later, Denise and the former President of the SOM developed a plan for an entire weekend devoted to interpreting people's dreams. Called the National Dream Hotline, it was held at all 33 locations and continues as an annual event. The hotline was publicized in USA Today and in newspapers serving cities where SOM schools remained.

Through the experience of being seemingly coerced into her first radio appearance, Denise came to understand that beneath many irrational fears lies a powerful desire. Facing and conquering fear can have a profound and productive impact on the soul's growth. She also learned that confidence and inner strength can emerge when we meet our fears head-on.