In one of his dreams, Barry Claywell is on a bus. He isn’t sitting in one of the seats — he’s standing behind the bus driver.

While that dream may not sound like anything out of the ordinary, it was a life changing dream for Mr. Claywell.

“I worked the dream,” he says.

By doing so, he discovered that the dream was actually a message, his body’s way of trying to tell him something.

Dreams, he says, are “like a message from yourself to yourself.”

And Mr. Claywell wants to help others interpret the messages in their dreams. He will hold a dream workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 19, at the Ramada Inn. The cost is $9.99. Those interested in attending should e-mail Mr. Claywell at claywellbarry@yahoo.com.

Mr. Claywell says he learned the ability to interpret dreams from a psychologist more than 30 years ago. He’s also studied dream interpretation and interpreted hundreds of his own dreams.

“Dreams help you clean out the old baggage you are carrying,” he says.

Mr. Claywell, a retired Light & Power employee and St. Joseph resident for more than 30 years, doesn’t interpret others’ dreams for them. So those attending the workshop shouldn’t expect that he will tell them what their dreams mean. But he has conducted dream workshops through the Continuing Education program at Missouri Western State University and has taught members of his church, relatives and friends how to ferret out the messages in their dreams.

Those planning to attend the dream workshop are asked to write down their dreams. Keeping a dream journal is a helpful tool to understanding the meaning of dreams, Mr. Claywell says.

“The more you do this,” he says, “The more you’ll dream and you’ll easily start remembering your dreams.”

Some may find dreams spooky, but they aren’t, Mr. Claywell says. Rather, dreams are more like problem solvers, he says. It’s your mind’s way of helping itself, he adds.

Mr, Claywell says his dream of being on a bus and standing behind the driver was a message, one that he interpreted as if he didn’t decide what path he’d follow in his life, then others would do it for him.

DREAMERS WANTED

What: Dream Workshop with Barry Claywell

When: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 19 (participants should write down their dreams and bring them to the workshop)

Where: Ramada Inn

Cost: $9.99

Register: claywellbarry@yahoo.com

Lifestyles reporter Cathy Woolridge can be reached at cathyw@npgco.com