E.l.e.c.t.r.i.c D.r.e.a.m.s
Subscribe:
electric-dreams-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe:
electric-dreams-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe Online:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electric-dreams
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
E.l.e.c.t.r.i.c D.r.e.a.m.s
Volume #10 Issue #9
September 2003
ISSN# 1089 4284
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
http://www.dreamgate.com/electric-dreams
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
Download a cover for this issue
http://dreamgate.hypermart.net/ed-covers/ed10-9cov.jpg
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
C O N T E N T S
++ Editor's Notes
++ News: ASD Online PsiberDreaming Conference
September 21 through October 5, 2003
ASD Online Auction: September 1, 2003
++ Column: An Excerpt From the Lucid Dream Exchange
20 Questions About Lucid Dreams
Lucy Gillis
++ Article: Falling Dreams
Linda Lane Magallón
++ Column: A View from the Bridge
Hands Around the World
By Jean Campbell
++ Dream: "Wonder Dog"
By Stan Kulikowski II
++ Newsletter: The Waves: 05. Children's Dreams
By Nick Cumbo
++ Article: Dangerous Representations: Abstraction in Dreamwork.
By Richard Wilkerson
++ Research Data: Computer Dreams
January 2002 - December 2002
By Richard Catlett Wilkerson
D E A D L I N E :
September 24 deadline for October 2003 submissions
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Post Dreams and Comments on Dreams to:
http://www.dreamgate.com/dream/temple
Send Dreaming News and Calendar Events to:
Peggy Coats <
web@...>
Send Articles and Subscription concerns to:
Richard Wilkerson: <
rcwilk@...>
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
Editor's Notes
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
Welcome to the September 2003 issue of Electric Dreams, your portal to
dreams and dreaming online.
If you are new to dreams and dreaming, please join us on
dreamchatters@yahoogroups.com and we will guide you to the resources you
need. To join send an e to
dreamchatters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or if you are interested in sharing dreams for world peace, please join the
World Dreams Peace Bridge
http://www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org
The first thing I want to mention is the online ASD PsiberDreaming
Conference September 21 - October 5, 2003. For a minimal charge you can join
some of the world's foremost experts on the subject of Psi dreaming for two
weeks of cutting-edge papers, discussions, workshops, and chats. If you've
ever had a precognitive dream, a lucid dream, or simply an 'unusual dream'
that never quite made sense, this is the place for you.
If you were at last year's conference, I needn't tell you this is a
not-to-be missed set of events. Once you have registered, you can enter the
bulletin board area and participate in the many activities. Each day new
papers and presentations are added, and afterwards there is discussion with
the authors and researchers. Other discussions spontaneously occur as well.
There are chat times and a special dream-inspired art gallery selections.
The event occurs over a two week period and last year brought in fabulous
reviews.
http://www.asdreams.org/psi2003
More below.
Speaking of the Association for the Study of Dreams, the September Auction
is about to start! The proceeds from this auction go to ASD. You can donate
or bid on items such as dream art, signed books by famous dream authors and
much, much more.
http://www.asdreams.org/auction
Lucy Gillis offers Electric Dreams a selection each month from her _Lucid
Dream Exchange_. This month you will be able to read answers about lucid
dreaming from members of the dream community,
including Linda Lane Magallón (Editor), Lucy Gillis, Jill Gregory, Teresa
Magallón, Ruth Sacksteder and Robert Trowbridge.
Thanks to Lucy for this sneak preview of the articles in the Lucid Dream
Exchange #28!
Ever have a falling dream? If you would like to know more about these
dreams and learn to do something creative with them as well, be sure to read
"Falling Dreams." Linda Lane Magallón leads us through the maze of slips
and falls, shows us how to investigate what induces our falling dreams, and
then teachs us what we can do to change the situation. What we do depends on
what is stimulating the sensation.
Jean Campbell brings you up to date on how the projects for using dreams for
peace are coming along. Dreams for Peace? Jean and her friends around the
world believe that together we are creating the world from our dreams, that
we are present in one another's dreams not just as symbols of ourselves, but
as ourselves. And that, if this is true, then we can indeed dream the world
into peace, assuming that is our desire.
Be sure to see how these world wide dream projects are unfolding and how
you can participate by reading The View from the Bridge.
(The World Dreams Peace Bridge)
Stan Kulikowski returns with his unique way of recording his dreams. This
month the journal selection is called "Wonder Dog"
Nick Cumbo newsletter and column reports on the explorations of the Sea Life
community. Sea Life, the main web forum at Dreampeace, aims to bring
together a circle of dreamers from around the globe, collaborating in
dreaming adventures, and 'dreaming with and for the earth itself.'
This month, Nick looks a dreams and their significance to children. He takes
a sweeping approach that includes drawing on the wisdom of dreams in
general, as a model for teaching, for peace training, and for the
development of youth culture.
Be sure to read Waves 05: Children's Dreams.
Recently on the ASD Bulletin Board we were discussing how to use dreams in a
novel with an author interested in such things. I made the comment that
using dreams as representations is dangerous, and the author read this and
wanted to know more, which lead to a fairly long post on the topic that I
revised and am including below. The issue here is not so much about how to
use dreams in a novel, but the depth to which we are all steeped in
abstractions and representations of life rather than being involved with the
thing itself. Dreamwork is a key, I think, to understanding both how
abstract we get and how to play with these abstractions in a way that can
bring us back around to a more vital dreamwork. For more, read my article on
"Dangerous Representations: Abstraction in Dreamwork."
I am including a section called "Computer Dreams" where I am putting out
some of the data from the DreamGate Computer Dreams Survey, which has been
running for about three years. This selection will cover the dreams about
computers sent in for all of the year 2002. I haven't included all the data
on each dreamer, but have given some basics about them and comments when
needed.
Our Global Dreaming News director is on vacation this month and so if you
expected to have something run this month and its missing, you can get that
in next month's news by sending your request to Peggy Coats at
web@...
The dream section returns next month. If you have dreams you want published,
don't send them to Elizabeth directly, but rather enter them in the form at
http://www.dreamgate.com/dream/temple
Or you can put them in the dream flow directly by subscribing to:
dream-flow-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
--------------------
For those of you who are new to dreams and dreaming, be sure to stop by one
of the many resources:
http://www.dreamtree.com
http://www.dreamgate.com/electric-dreams
http://www.dreamgate.com/dream/library
NEW from Nick Cumbo, Electric Dreams in PDF:
http://www.dreamofpeace.net/community/electricdreams/
--------------------
Cover at:
http://dreamgate.hypermart.net/ed-covers/ed10-9cov.jpg
-Richard Wilkerson
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*****************************************************
ASD's 2003
PsiberDreaming Conference
September 21, 2003 - October 5, 2003
http://www.asdreams.org/psi2003
****************************************************
Join some of the world's foremost experts on the subject of Psi-dreaming for
two weeks of cutting-edge papers, discussions, workshops, and chats. If
you've ever had a precognitive dream, a lucid dream, or simply an 'unusual
dream' that never quite made sense, this seems the place for you.
Announcing ASD's Second Online PsiberDreaming Conference, September 21,
2003 - October 5, 2003.
For two weeks participants worldwide will enjoy online experiments, psiber
games with prizes, chats, and discussions on paranormal dreaming in the
shared meeting space of virtual reality. Last years conference ended with
rave reviews:
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Bravo!", "Incredible!", "a wonderful experience," "amazing!", "topnotch",
"I am really thrilled," "great conference," "please, please do this
frequently," "I don't know how many accolades I can give you, too many to
count, I believe. The conference was simply great!! Good presenters, topics,
participants, and great energy."
------------------------------------------------------------------
If you missed the first, make sure you attend the second!
ASD's 2003
PsiberDreaming Conference
September 21, 2003 - October 5, 2003
Features:
1. Online Presentations, including provocative papers and workshops on
popular and cutting edge topics, such as: remote viewing, precognition,
dream telepathy, mutual dreaming, psychopompic dreams, lucid dreaming,
visionary dreaming, prodromal dreams, dream healing, the nature of dream
reality, and dreaming as a spiritual practice. Workshops will provide
resource lists for those who wish to explore topics in greater depth, and
practical instructions for techniques or experiments detailed enough so that
conference participants can try them out at home.
Confirmed Presenters:
Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D., author of The Roots of Consciousness, and host of
Thinking Allowed: Conversations on the Leading Edge of Knowledge; Edward
Bruce Bynum, Ph.D., ABPP , author of The African Unconscious: Roots of
Ancient Mysticism and Modern Psychology; Bob Hoss, MS, author of The
Language of Dreams and current President of the Association for the Study of
Dreams; Robert L. Van de Castle, Ph.D., author of Our Dreaming Mind; Ed
Kellogg, Ph.D., host of ASD's 'Paranormal Phenomena' forum, and the 2002 and
2003 PsiberDreaming Conferences; Robert Moss, author of Conscious Dreaming,
Dreamgates, and The Way of the Dreamer video series; Jean Campbell, author
of Dreams Beyond Dreaming; Dale Graff, author of River Dreams: The Case of
the Missing General and Other Adventures in Psychic Research; Mena Potts,
Ph.D., dream psychologist and psi researcher; Curtiss Hoffman, Ph.D.,
archeologist and author of author of The Seven Story Tower: A Mythic Journey
through Space and Time; Linda Lane Magallón, author of Mutual Dreaming: When
Two or More People Share the Same Dream; Marcia Emery, Ph.D. author of
PowerHunch! , The Intuitive Healer, and Dr. Marcia Emery's Intuition
Workbook; Carol D. Warner, M.A., M.S.W., author of At the Feet of the
Master; Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Ph.D. - author of Dreamwork for the Soul: A
Spiritual Guide to Dream Interpretation, and Dreamspeak: How to Understand
the Messages in Your Dreams; Robert Waggoner, co-editor of The Lucid Dream
Exchange; Beverly (Kedzierski Heart) D'Urso, Ph.D., an internationally known
lucid dreamer, known for her role in Stephen LaBerge's groundbreaking
studies at Stanford; Gloria Sturzenacker, developer of the Inner Guide
Mapping symbol system; Rita Dwyer, former ASD President and PsiDreams
E-group Host.
David Pleasants, M.A., dream researcher and global justice advocate; Alan
Siegel, Ph.D., author of Dream Wisdom: Uncovering Life's Answers in Your
Dreams.
2. Dedicated PsiberDreaming Discussion Boards where participants can discuss
each paper and workshop in depth with authors and other participants, and
can post specific questions, etc. Links to relevant threads would appear
conveniently at the end of each posted presentation, updated daily to show
new threads of interest.
3. Scheduled Chats each week of the conference with presenters and/or other
experts on cutting edge topics.
4. Numerous PsiberDreaming Events and Contests where participants can test
their skills and explore different facets of paranormal dreaming, including
dream telepathy and remote viewing, precognition, and mutual dreaming.
Judges will evaluate how well dreamers tune into the designated targets, or
how well dreamers perform a specific dream task. And ASD will provide prizes
to the winners!
5. A PsiberDreaming Gallery of Dreams and Art. One section of this gallery
will feature the "best of the best", graphic images of dream art selected
from the submissions to past ASD conferences, formatted into a sequential
point and click cyber tour. A second section of the gallery will provide a
place where participants can display their own dream art (with accompanying
dream text or dream poetry), sharing them with other participants.
Event Dates and Costs:
The PsiberDreaming Conference opens Sunday, September 21, 2003 through
Sunday, October 5, 2003. The conference will then become a read only archive
for an additional two weeks for participants (through October 19th, 2003.
Online Participation Costs for both weeks (no one week rate):
General Public $35! (US Dollars)
ASD Members $30!
Students with valid ID $20! (no additional ASD discount)
Participants who register and pay by September 7th will get an additional $5
off their registration fees!
Note: we've deliberately set the price of attending this conference low to
open this conference to interested participants worldwide. Please take
advantage!
Considering joining ASD? Join ASD as a new member anytime from August 10th
through October 5th and as a bonus we'll give you free admission to ASD's
second PsiberDreaming Conference!
Starting August 10, 2003 to Register Go To:
http://www.asdreams.org/psi2003
ASD 2003 PsiberDreaming Conference
From: Sunday, September 21 - Sunday October 5. 2003
Confirmed Presentations
"Manifesto for Psychic Liberation" (keynote) by Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D.,
author of The Roots of Consciousness, and host of Thinking Allowed:
Conversations on the Leading Edge of Knowledge.
"Psi, Dreams and the Family Unconscious: Our Shared Intimate
Innerlandscape", by Edward Bruce Bynum, Ph.D., ABPP , author of The African
Unconscious: Roots of Ancient Mysticism and Modern Psychology.
"Understanding Color in Dreams" , by Bob Hoss, MS, author of The Language of
Dreams and current President of the Association for the Study of Dreams.
"Dreaming of Angels" , by Robert L. Van de Castle, Ph.D., author of Our
Dreaming Mind
"Psi-Perception in Dreams: Next Stop - the Twilight Zone", by Ed Kellogg,
Ph.D., host of ASD's 'Paranormal Phenomena' forum, and the 2002 and 2003
PsiberDreaming Conferences.
"Dreaming with the Departed", a workshop with Robert Moss, author of
Conscious Dreaming, Dreamgates, and The Way of the Dreamer video series.
"The World Dreams Peace Bridge: An Exercise in Psi Dreaming", with Jean
Campbell, author of Dreams Beyond Dreaming.
"Enhancing Artistic Talent through Psi Dreaming", by Dale Graff, author of
River Dreams: The Case of the Missing General and Other Adventures in
Psychic Research.
"Applying the Rules of Evidence to Psi Dream Research", a workshop with Mena
Potts, Ph.D., dream psychologist and psi researcher.
"Lucid Dreams, Nested Dreams", by Curtiss Hoffman, Ph.D., archeologist and
author of author of The Seven Story Tower: A Mythic Journey through Space
and Time.
"The Magical Secret to Flying in Your Dreams", by Linda Lane Magallón,
author of Mutual Dreaming: When Two or More People Share the Same Dream.
"Intuitive Dreamwork for Healing", by Marcia Emery, Ph.D. author of
PowerHunch! , The Intuitive Healer, and Dr. Marcia Emery's Intuition
Workbook.
Galaxy Quest: Dreaming of Aliens and UFOs, Part 1", by Carol D. Warner,
M.A., M.S.W., author of At the Feet of the Master.
"Galaxy Quest: Dreaming of Aliens and UFOs, Part 2", by Rosemary Ellen
Guiley, Ph.D. - author of Dreamwork for the Soul: A Spiritual Guide to Dream
Interpretation, and Dreamspeak: How to Understand the Messages in Your
Dreams.
"The Dream Universe: Fascinating Concepts from the Seth Material (The Early
Sessions)", by Robert Waggoner, co-editor of The Lucid Dream Exchange.
"Living Life as a Lucid Dream", by Beverly (Kedzierski Heart) D'Urso, Ph.D.,
an internationally recognized lucid dreamer, known for her role in Stephen
LaBerge's groundbreaking studies at Stanford.
"Psi Dreams That Point the Way Inward", by Gloria Sturzenacker, developer of
the Inner Guide Mapping symbol system.
"Tuning into Your Dreams for Spiritual Guidance", by Rita Dwyer, former ASD
President and PsiDreams E-group Host.
"Anniversary Dreams: Coping with September 11th and other Traumatic Events",
by Alan Siegel, Ph.D., author of Dream Wisdom: Uncovering Life's Answers in
Your Dreams.
"Precognitive Dreaming and the Physics of Time by David Pleasants, M.A.,
dream researcher and global justice advocate.
Confirmed Events:
1. The PsiberDreaming Art Gallery, hosted by Sao, including a special
selection of Dream Art from past ASD shows, as well as new art submitted by
conference participants.
2. "A Mutual Dreaming Contest", hosted by Ed Kellogg, Ph.D., host of ASD's
'Paranormal Phenomena' forum.
3. Mutual Dreams Chat
4. "The Precognitive Dream Contest", hosted by Cynthia Pearson, author of
The Practical Psychic, and by Robert Waggoner, co-editor of The Lucid Dream
Exchange.
5. Precognitive Dreams Chat
6. "A Remote Viewing Contest", hosted by Dale Graff, author of River Dreams:
The Case of the Missing General and Other Adventures in Psychic Research.
7. Remote Viewing Chat.
Register :
http://www.asdreams.org/psi2003
******************************************************************
-- END CONFERENCE NEWS
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
An Excerpt From the Lucid Dream Exchange
Lucy Gillis
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
An Excerpt From The Lucid Dream Exchange
By Lucy Gillis
Here is a sneak preview of one of the articles in LDE 28!
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
20 Questions About Lucid Dreams
Answered By Members of the Dream Community
(c) 2003 Linda Lane Magallón (Editor), Lucy Gillis, Jill Gregory, Teresa
Magallón, Ruth Sacksteder and Robert Trowbridge
Note: BT=Bob Trowbridge, JG=Jill Gregory, LG=Lucy Gillis, LM=Linda Magallón,
RS=Ruth Sacksteder, TM=Teresa Magallón.
1. What is a lucid dream?
RS: A dream in which the dreamer knows she is dreaming while she is
dreaming.
LM: A dream in which you are aware that you're dreaming. Or: Lucid dreaming
is being aware that we are dreaming while the dream is happening.
2. How common are lucid dreams?
RS: There are no good statistics amongst a cross-section of the American
population. The statistics we have are usually from select college students
taking a particular class (like psychology). And certain select people from
the dreaming community have been polled.
LG: I could only guess at the answer, and it wouldn't even be an educated
guess. In my personal experience, it seems that most people don't have them,
however most of those same people claim not to remember dreams in the first
place. Among those who do recall dreams, it seems that very few experience
lucid dreams, however, I wonder if it is simply because they don't know what
a lucid dream is?
3. Is lucid dreaming the same as dream control?
LM: Lucidity is awareness that you dream; dream control is being proactive
with your dreams. And the two don't necessarily go together.
RS: In a fully lucid dream, the dreamer has a conscious choice either to
alter the scenario or go along with it. Being lucid does not equate with
success in controlling dreams. Control and lucidity are two different
ranges, or axes (on a graph).
LG: I interpret dream control to be the ability to control or direct your
dream environment, characters, events, etc. But you can also be lucid and
just watch the dream unfold without participating in it or directing it.
4. Is controlling a lucid dream dangerous? Does it interfere with "normal"
sleep?
RS: No. Lucid dreams are a natural phenomena-they can happen spontaneously.
The number of times you get lucid is far less frequent than the total number
of dreams you have.
BT: No. I know a dreamer who was once conscious all night long. Lucid
dreaming shows us that we are a multiplicity, so it's not a case of either
lucid dreaming or nonlucid dreaming.
JG: It is not possible in either the waking state or the dreaming state to
step outside of the spectrum of both influencing and being influenced
simultaneously. Trying not to influence your dreams while dreaming is
itself a powerful influence upon both states.
TM: I had a dream of a dragon chasing me in which I was lucid and unable to
intentionally wake myself. Eventually I awoke as the dragon was coming
towards me. I was scared in the dream and a little frightened upon waking.
Although this might be considered to be a "bad" lucid dreaming experience,
it never even occurred to me to be afraid of lucid dreaming as a whole.
Subsequently, I've had many lucid dreams, both pleasant and unpleasant. The
enjoyable lucid dream experiences have more than outweighed the few dreams
that were not.
LG: In my personal experience lucid dreaming has never interfered with my
sleep. Quite the contrary, I usually wake refreshed and energized after a
having a lucid dream. I don't think that lucid dreaming is dangerous for
stable, mentally healthy individuals. I would assume that if you have mental
problems, like severe depression, emotional turmoil, etc., that it may not
be productive to attempt to control your dreams. But on the other side of
the coin, it may help you get over some difficulties, like a form of dream
therapy. I believe it depends on the individual, but for the average person,
no, it isn't dangerous.
LM: I've been clinically diagnosed with depression, and being proactive has
been a god-send. For the first 38 years of my life, my "normal" sleep was
nightmares of the titanic variety. But even if they had been just anxiety or
angst dreams, I'd still want to change to a healthier regime. No, not to
repress my problems (like I could), but to attain better balance. So, yes,
lucid dreaming *did* interfere with my "normal" sleep. Thank goodness. It
was one of the factors in changing my dream content from 100% nightmares to
less than 2%.
5. In what stages of sleep do lucid dreams occur? Are they the same as
"normal" dreams?
RS: They usually, but not invariably, occur in REM sleep.
LM: "Normal" dreams have been reported in all stages of sleep. You can also
be lucid in every stage.
6. If your brain waves are moving at an alpha rate, and you are snoring, is
that considered sleeping?
RS: ???
BT: ZZZ.
LG: I'm with R and L on this: ???ZZZ I simply don't know!
LM: My understanding of the snoring mechanism is that it is engaged as a
result of being very relaxed, but not necessarily asleep.
7. Why would I want to have lucid dreams?
BT: They're trippy. They're fun, especially the short sequences.
RS: To overcome nightmares, rehearse for waking life, enhance creativity,
have fun, interesting adventures, self and spiritual discovery, to
experiment with the dreamscape, to explore, to do dream healings on
yourself, to attempt psi, to dream with other people.
JG: It's an excellent way to learn about yourself and the dreamworld. A
lucid dream manifests things quicker; it's a safe place to practice.
8. Is lucid dreaming a spiritual state?
LG: No. In it's simplest definition, lucid dreaming is being aware of the
dream state while *in* the dreamstate. It is awareness, not spirituality.
RS: Not any more or any less than any other state. The dream state isn't any
more spiritual than the waking. People can have spiritual experiences in
dreams or while awake.
BT: Not always. It can be used for anything. I've done activities far from
spiritual, like eating almonds and hoping that there would be pieces in my
teeth when I woke up. An idiot who has a lucid dream is just an idiot who
knows he's dreaming.
JG: It can be for you, depending on how you like to be with your dreams or
sources of wisdom.
9. What's the difference between lucid dreaming and shamanic dreaming?
RS: Shamanic dreaming is defined so many ways, I'm not sure what state of
consciousness the "dreamer" is in.
LM: Lucid dreaming occurs while you are asleep. With very few exceptions,
shamanic "dreaming" is conscious "dreaming," that is, it takes place while
you're awake.
10. Can anyone learn lucid dreaming?
BT: I think so. For the non-sighted, dreaming doesn't have to mean visual
dreaming.
LG: I believe that anyone can learn to have lucid dreams. I don't know of
anything that could prevent it.
RS: Many people who have never had a lucid dream can learn to have one. It
seem easier for young people to learn but older people have learned lucid
dreaming as well.
11. How can I learn to be a lucid dreamer? What does it take?
RS: You need time, space, energy to make the effort and strong motivation.
JG: Getting to know yourself pretty well as a dreamer and as a person with
varying levels of awareness in various situations both waking and dreaming.
Identifying specific blocks to your lucidity and updating those
arrangements.
Read about dreams and especially sample dreams before going to sleep.
Welcome
all of your dreams!
LG: It takes dedication and a genuine interest in lucid dreaming. However,
don't
try too hard. Be persistent, but also patient and gentle with yourself.
12. Does improving dream recall help induce lucidity?
RS: Yes, but not invariably.
BT: Not likely.
LM: Not by itself. It's just the first step.
JG: Frequent recall helps a lot.
LG: I believe it can help. It certainly can't hurt!
13. What are the best books on lucid dreaming?
BT: LaBerge.
RS: LaBerge, Magallón, Brooks & Vogelsong.
JG: Ken Kelzer, Scott Sparrow, and Mortan Schatzman, Ed
LM: I'd add Oliver Fox and Jane Roberts.
LG: I'd add Celia Green.
(See references at end of article.)
14. What are the lucid dream induction techniques? How can I have a lucid
dream?
RS: Read LaBerge's book. The technique that works the best for me: wake up
when you reach your usual night's amount of sleep, less two hours. Stay up
one hour. Go back to sleep. Other techniques: MILD, reality testing during
the day, reading about lucid dreaming.
BT: My best method is to awaken early, stay up from a few minutes to 2
hours, then go back to sleep.
LM: Read *Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming,* by LaBerge and Rheingold.
I recommend early awakenings, also. However, if my current dreams seem light
years away from lucidity, I find it best to take things in stages. I don't
try to go from zero to sixty in a single night. Instead, I rev up my
consciousness by getting my non-lucid dreaming self more active: I incubate
flying dreams. A couple nights of non-lucid flying means it's oh, so much
easier to go lucid from this new plateau of energy.
LG: The power of suggestion and frequent reality testing works best for me.
I keep telling myself that I will have a lucid dream that night.
15. What does reality testing mean and what are the best methods?
LG: Reality testing means checking to see whether you are dreaming or awake.
Sometimes you can believe that you are awake when you are in fact dreaming.
That's where testing the reality of your situation comes in. In other words,
if you can fly, you're dreaming. Personally, reading and re-reading text
works best for me. Rarely has text ever remained stable in my dreams when
I've attempted to re-read it.
RS: Attempt to read and reread print. Jump up and see if you float, even a
little bit. Generally speaking, if one is questioning one is in a dream, one
is.
BT: Well, don't jump out a window or off a cliff.
LM: I don't like to use reality testing techniques because I've observed
that they encourage the production of false awakenings (where you have to
test because you aren't sure you are lucid). I think it's much more
effective to incubate full lucid dreams (where you're sure from the get-go).
16. How well do lucid dream induction devices work?
LM: I don't know myself. Every time I drifted into sleep, I'd automatically
grab the visor and pull it off!
RS: They work best when people are doing other things as well to enhance
lucidity such as reality testing during the day, LaBerge's MILD techniques,
waking early.
BT: Well, it worked once for one dreamer and never worked for another. n=2.
That's 50%. :-) Ask if they have a money-back guarantee.
LG: Like RS, I think they work well when you are trying other techniques to
induce lucidity as well. I wouldn't want to become dependent on any device
to induce my lucidity. I prefer to do it myself, and not rely totally on
outside means. But a little boost once in a while doesn't hurt.
17. How can I use lucid dreaming for nightmares?
BT: If you're lucid, invite the nightmare character into your dream and beat
the @#$%! out of him. :-)
LG: Some people advise confronting and combating nightmarish characters,
while others suggest making peace or embracing nightmarish characters. I
believe that whether a combative or passive approach works best depends upon
the type of nightmare and the type of person experiencing the nightmare.
RS: The more I developed lucid dreaming, the less nightmares I had.
Regarding scary figures, once you become lucid, fear often disappears.
Otherwise, some people combat. Others make friends or merge and find the
scary figures altered. Perhaps the best way to make scary figures go away is
to ignore them and interest yourself in other aspects of the dream.
LM: I've used lucid dreams to experiment with the intensity of fear.
Sometimes when I've encountered a scary figure, I've stood my ground to see
how much fear I could take before losing the dream. Same with frightening
events like earthquakes or slipping down a hill.
18. How can I keep from waking up right after I become lucid?
BT: Spinning worked once.
LM: Look at your hands. Hold on to something.
RS: Keep active in the dream and try not to get too excited. That can wake
you up.
LG: Remain relatively calm and touch things, or fly, or otherwise engage
directly in the dream environment. Sometimes singing helps too.
19. Is it possible to forget you've had a lucid dream?
BT: Umm, I forget.
RS: Yes.
LG: On one occasion, I recalled many hours after waking that I had been
lucid the night before, so I guess it's quite possible that you could forget
you had a lucid dream.
20. What do people do in lucid dreams?
LG: I think you are limited only by your imagination.
BT: Sex, fly, appear and disappear, play with the dreamscape, get in touch
with guide figures, walk through walls.
RS: Many people enjoy doing things that they can't do in waking life like
flying or walking through walls. Some people try experiments they or others
have devised. Some people like to explore the dreamscape. There are probably
as many different lucid dream activities as there are lucid dreamers.
LM: Geez, how many hours do you have?
Questions Where We Passed, Took the Fifth, Etc.
• How do I control my lucid dreams?
LM: (This was asked by someone who assumed that lucid dreams were
*completely* controllable. The consensus is: they aren't.)
• To what extent can I control my dream?
LM: (Truth is, nobody knows.)
• Where can I find training on lucid dreaming?
LM: (Nobody knows of any training course.)
• Why (physiologically) do we have lucid dreams? How does the brain produce
lucid dreaming?
LM: (Good references: LaBerge and Gachenbach & Bosveld.)
• How do I use the lucid dream states with clients in the psychotherapeutic
setting?
LM: (There are a whole bucket-load of reasons why I think this is a bad
idea. Nobody disagreed with me.)
• Are lucid dreams interpreted differently than non-lucid dreams?
LM: (See the articles by Robert Waggoner and me in LDE No. 23.)
References
• Brooks, Janice E. & Jay A. Vogelsong. The Conscious Exploration of
Dreaming. Bloomington, IN: 1st Books Library (www.1stBooks.com), 2000.
• Fox, Oliver (Hugh Calloway). Astral Projection. Secaucus, NJ: The Citadel
Press, 1980.
• Gachenbach, Jayne, & Jane Bosveld. Control Your Dreams. NY: Harper & Row,
1989.
• Green, Celia. E. Lucid Dreams. Oxford: Institute of Psychophysical
Research, 1968.
• Kelzer, Kenneth. The Sun & The Shadow: My Experiment With Lucid Dreaming.
Virginia Beach, VA: A.R.E. Press, 1987.
• LaBerge, Stephen. Lucid Dreaming. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1985.
• LaBerge, Stephen & Howard Rheingold. Exploring the World of Lucid
Dreaming. NY: Ballantine Books, 1990.
• Magallón, Linda Lane. Mutual Dreaming. NY: Pocket Books 1997.
• Roberts, Jane. Seth, Dreams and Projections of Consciousness. Walpole, NH:
Stillpoint Pub., 1986.
• Schatzman, Mortan (Ed.) Hervey de Saint-Denys: Dreams and How To Guide
Them. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1982.
• Sparrow, Scott. Lucid Dreaming: Dawning of the Clear Light. Virginia
Beach, VA: A.R.E. Press, 1976, 1982.
********************************
The Lucid Dream Exchange is a quarterly newsletter featuring lucid dreams
and lucid dream related articles and interviews. To subscribe to The Lucid
Dream Exchange send a blank email to:
TheLucidDreamExchange-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
You can also check us out as we build our website at www.dreaminglucid.com
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
Falling Dreams
(c) 2003 Linda Lane Magallón
(From "How To Fly")
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
The bottom drops out of your dreams, you start to sink and there's nothing
to hold on to. You're falling, falling, falling. Especially from a great
height, the sensation can be terrifying. Or, it might be quite an exciting
thrill. Even a short fall can be such a surprise that you jerk awake.
I suspect that loss of equilibrium became a critical problem for us, as a
species, when we started to walk upright. Some say that fear of falling is a
remnant of those times long past when remaining high in the trees was
necessary for our survival. We do seem to have a well-developed awareness of
the end of the bed, so that we don't tip over its edge every night. But that
could be learned behavior since infants and toddlers sleep surrounded by
barriers so they won't roll onto the floor. At its best, fear of falling
serves as a very useful system, warning us about lack of balance in waking
life. But if we take that fear into sleep, it can be detrimental to our
desire to fly.
A falling dream can, of course, be put through the interpretation mill to
find symbolic significance. But some falling dreams have no pictures
attached! I think this is a case where it would be advantageous to start,
not with the imagery, but with the feeling. After doing reality checks on
falling dreams, I've concluded that I really can't appreciate the "meaning"
of a particular falling dream unless I first track down whatever stimulated
the sensation.
Falling dreams can be due to a replay of a vivid feeling that occurred
during the day. Because of the sharp sensations involved, the intensity
might not dissipate by the time we go to sleep. It might be a sensation
occurring while we sleep. Or it can be anticipatory or precognitive of a
possible event to come.
Replay of An Actual Fall
Biking, climbing, equestrian and aerial sports have quite intense feelings
attached to them. Your falling sensation might occur if, during the day, you
tumble off your mountain bike when it slips on some loose gravel. The
experience is embedded in your body just like those pebbles are embedded in
your knees.
In some cases, the memory of an actual fall can be so vivid that, when the
experience is called up again, even the sensations come along for a ride.
You fell down the stairs when you were younger. Today, when you find
yourself teetering at the top of the stairway, your warning system turns on
with a vengeance and doesn't turn off before bedtime.
Sometimes it's easy to link your dream with the fall, or its sensational
memory, because the previous day's experience is so vivid. But don't forget
the familiar sinking sensations of controlled falls. Did you ride an
escalator or elevator yesterday? The fall or its recall doesn't have to
impress your conscious mind much. It can be a peripheral event that is
repressed or a subliminal event that is not fully recognized. If your
attention is directed elsewhere when you quickly recover from a minor
stumble, the tactile sensation of falling and your emotional reaction to it
might not be allowed full expression. Until you go to sleep.
Replay of Feeling Due To Loss of Control
If you have an empathetic personality, you experience whatever feelings
would occur if you were in someone else's place. Whether you watch the
movies on TV, read a book, create imaginary tragedies in your mind or listen
to a lecture on a distressing topic, you can conjure up the feelings that
accompany the story.
But most feelings of falling are your own. A teenager dreamt repeatedly that
her car had no brakes. She went over a cliff and started to fall. She
associated the dream with her new drug habit. This was an emotional reaction
to a real experience, but one that had a sensation attached to it. Where
biochemistry is involved, loss of balance can be linked with feelings of
vertigo.
One woman had falling dreams after her husband received a promotion. He was
on the way up, but she didn't have the same feeling of security about the
situation. Quite literally, she "felt" the lack of the familiar sense of
bonding, not as a concept, but as a sensation of being set adrift. A
teenager with a Catholic background had a series of falling dreams after she
started sleeping with her boyfriend. Her conscience bothered her and she
felt uneasy. She was on her own, without the familiar "moral support." When
you're stripped of defenses or secure structure, you really can "feel" like
there's nothing to hold you up.
Often, such loss of self-control is linked with a sinking feeling. For the
child whose parents were in the throes of separation, the sinking sensation
came from feeling rejected. Another boy dreamt of falling down the school
stairs the night after he presented a poor report card to his parents. His
sinking feeling was guilt over past failings plus concurrent loss of
parental love and approval. The sinking feeling can also be associated with
loss of confidence, loss of status or fame, social mishaps, failure to
complete goals, financial and property loss and loss of either faith or
inflated pomposity.
One woman dreamt she was entering her psychotherapist's office. As she
stepped inside, a trap door opened and she was suddenly falling down into
the sewers of Paris. When awake, she described the trap door as a kind of
ambush carefully planned by another person, which put the victim in a
completely different place. These ideas described her feelings about her
analyst and the type of work he was having her do. She wanted to have a
companion and guide to the dream underworld, rather than a person who would
ambush her and take her, without her consent, into scary places, with no
assurance of safety or security.
Concurrent Sensations
Illness, liquor, prescription drugs or changes in diet can induce interior
falling sensations while you slumber. You might react to a dip in blood
pressure, a glitch in the brain, the movement of fluid in the middle ear or
a vague awareness of breathing. Relaxation followed by quick release of
muscular tension, a downpour of previously repressed emotions or an orgasm,
especially just prior to sleep, can provoke a falling dream.
A subliminal sense of external physical movement or lack of gravity can
result in dream falls, too. My husband had a falling dream and awoke to find
his feet dangling over the end of the mattress. I had a falling dream during
an earthquake.
When he was a boy, a dreamer was sleeping in a bunkbed when he had a falling
dream that ended with him bouncing off the ground. He awoke to find it
coming true. He reacted so vigorously to the dream fall that he hit the
bottom of his brother's upper bunk.
Par For The Course
Feelings of falling may occur while you're abruptly shifting your state of
consciousness. Don't be surprised if you experience these sorts of
sensations -- many people do. It's just a bump on the journey. A quick
switch from a lucid dream to the waking state can jolt you. So can a
surprising image that flies towards you while you're watching the hypnogogic
theater. You can come back from an out-of-body experience and land with a
thump. The myoclonic jerk can occur as you sink into slumber. After all,
it's called "falling" asleep!
Worries and Warnings
To fear criticism or failure or loss of status can invoke a sinking
sensation. Your job is in jeopardy or your marriage is in trouble. Because
you had a bad experience in the past, you have little confidence in the
future and the anxiety churns up similar falling sensations. The worry can
also be due to the fear of flying in an actual airplane or fear of falling
down an actual ladder or cliff. Sometimes you'll acknowledge such feelings;
sometimes not. Either way, your body feels it.
Dreamworker Ann Faraday dreamt of falling off the balcony of her new
apartment. After she woke, she examined the guardrails and found them
rickety and in need of repair. She'd seen the guardrails the previous day,
but had been too preoccupied to notice their condition. In this case, the
visual fact and the possible consequence registered on the back of her mind
and was reintroduced in a dream.
Psychic Resonance
Space shuttle tragedies and all manner of airplane disasters have been
dreamt ahead of time; that is, the dreams were precognitive. Most of these
were clairvoyant views, with the dreamer as an observer watching the events
from the ground. I also believe it's possible to dream telepathically, from
the point of view of the terrified victim.
However, not all psi dreams are negative. I dreamt of a tandem hang gliding
flight several years before it came true. So did my sister, who was
responding to an article I wrote about that flying adventure.
When I was younger, I had repeating dreams of being a passenger in a car
that would slide across the road and fall off a cliff. That was the
sensation I felt whenever my parents went out of control. Nobody at the
wheel.
So, I wasn't surprised when, later in life, I dreamt of sliding across 5
lanes of highway. However, this occurred after I'd been doing quite of bit
of psychological work to change parental programming. I'm happy to say that
the dream had nothing to do with past family problems. Instead, the next
day, as I was driving home, a freak storm came up with plenty of driving
wind and torrents of water flooding the road. Because I wanted to get home
quickly, I remained in the fast lane until I rounded a corner and came upon
a place where converging traffic temporarily created 5 lanes of highway. The
memory of the dream came rushing back. Immediately, I put on my blinkers
and, as soon as it was safe, moved over to the right side of the road. And
slowed down.
I consider this to be a precognitive dream. No, it didn't come true. Thank
goodness. I didn't slide across the road, because I acted to change my
future and control the drift. I was at the wheel of my fate.
You can be, too. Once you figure out what induces your falling dreams, you
can act to change the situation. What you do, of course, depends on what is
stimulating the sensation. Here's some suggestions:
1. Shift biochemistry and bedtime habits.
2. Pay attention to literal falling sensation during the course of the day.
3. Prevent imbalance by being proactive. Fix your tires, buy new shoes, get
new glasses, repair your home environment.
4. Practice balance like children do. Walk a straight line on a sidewalk
crack, fall backward into your bed, roll down a grassing slope or splash
into a waterhole.
5. Play with the intensity of emotions and sensations by allowing them to
flow, then stopping, then starting once again. A movie house is a good place
to practice being enspelled by the emotions of the story, then pulling out
of the spell to look around the theater, then allowing yourself to be drawn
into the drama once again.
6. Process falling sensations by allowing yourself full memory of them just
prior to sleep, then letting them dissipate.
7. Change your negative mindset. Think of falling not as a problem, but as
ride in your inner amusement park. Cultivate a sense of humor.
8. Learn to fly by playing a video game.
9. Re-imagine your falling dream with a new ending. Let yourself go and hit
the earth. Convert falling into a delicious flying dream. Fly faster,
slower, lower, higher.
10. Look outward instead of inward. Imagine rescuing others who are falling.
Make it less about you.
11. Rehearse landings in your imagination.
12. Induce lucidity.
13. Use protective psi measures.
14. Incubate a new dream in which you'll face your fears.
The best way to handle falling dreams is to convert fear into fun or prevent
them from happening at all. Before you go to sleep.
References
Crisp, Tony. Dream Dictionary. NY: Dell Publishing, 1990.
Delaney, Gayle. Breakthrough Dreams. NY: Bantum Doubleday Dell, 1991.
Delaney, Gayle. In Your Dreams. NY: HarperCollins, 1997.
Dreams and Dreaming. Editors of Time-Life Books. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life
Books, 1990.
Faraday, Ann. The Dream Game. NY: Harper & Row, 1974.
Hill, Brian, Ed. Such Stuff As Dreams. London: Hart-Davis, 1967.
Hobson, J. Allan. The Dreaming Brain. NY: Basic Books, 1988.
Holzer, Hans. The Psychic Side of Dreams. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1992.
Mavromatis, Andreas. Hypnagogia. NY: Routledge, Chapman and Hall, 1987.
Pearce, Joseph Chilton. The Crack in the Cosmic Egg. NY: Pocket Books, 1971.
Peirce, Penney. Dreams for Dummies. NY: IDG Books Worldwide, 2001.
Russell, Carol D. The Dream Explorer, 3-4.
Stevens, Anthony. Private Myths: dreams and dreaming. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press, 1995.
http://members.aol.com/caseyflyer/flying/dreams.html
(Dream Flights)
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
August 2003
Hands Around the World
Jean Campbell
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
It is difficult to know what to think these days, when suicide bombers are
killing dozens of people, not just "our" people, but "their" people as well.
During much of August, the dreamers of The World Dreams Peace Bridge have
been dealing with this type of violence.
Recently, after the bombing of the UN offices in Baghdad, I wrote this
request to dreamers, not just on the Bridge, but elsewhere as well. You are
welcome to join us:
Dear World Dreamers,
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the response
received from Veronica Avati at UNICEF Headquarters in Baghdad, and to
invite you to join in a World Dreams of Peace Week between August
26 and September 1, 2003.
Veronica and others at the UNICEF Headquarters in Baghdad have been
instrumental in introducing us to Dr. Karzan Jalal Ali who runs a clinic in
northern Iraq, through whose efforts we have attempted to facilitate our Aid
for Children Project. Here is Veronica's touching response to our
condolences about the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad earlier this
week:
Dear Mr. Campbell, many thanks for your sincere thoughts and words.
Unfortunately we lost a dear colleague and friend in Baghdad with so many
others working at the UN.
It is a tremendous shock for all of us, but I truly hope that for Chris,
Jill and so many others that lost their lives, we will be able to continue
and pursue our work for the well-being of the Iraqi children.
Sincerely and with so many thanks from the UNICEF office.
Veronica Avati
_________________________________________
For every child
Health, Education, Equality, Protection
ADVANCE HUMANITY
_________________________________________
Veronica Avati
Child Protection Officer
UNICEF Erbil - Northern Iraq
UNOHCI Int.Line: 001-212-963-4792 (ext.230)
Direct Line: 0041-22-909-5803 (ext.230)
e-mail:
vavati@...
avativeronica@...
Many of you have seen the message from Ralf Penderak in Germany, suggesting
that we dreamers take time to Join Hands Around the World, not physical
hands but our dream hands. We urge you to do this during this World Dreams
of Peace week, by setting your intent for us to together dream of peace and,
quite literally, join hands around the world.
If you would like to record your experience, you can do this by going to the
message board at the World Dreams Peace Bridge Reservoir
http://worlddreamspeacebridge.org/disc1_toc.htm
And actually, if you are feeling in need of healing, you might like to
explore the rest of the Reservoir pages as well.
Can we, together, create a peaceful world? We can most certainly dream.
Thank you,
Jean Campbell, Moderator
The World Dreams Peace Bridge
www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org
This was a difficult letter to write, but even more difficult to receive the
response from those we have come to know in Baghdad, through our work with
the Aid for Children program.
Dr. Ali's clinic is in Northern Iraq, and even though we have not yet been
able to send the first toys to him, we have corresponded quite regularly via
email. Today Ilkin sent a news article to those of us who have been working
on the Aid for Children project, talking about the worsening conditions in
Northern Iraq, due to ethnic conflicts.
Bridge member Jody Grundy sent the following response to the above post:
Dear Jean and all world dreamers,
Yes, I did read about the World Dreams Peace Week and Hands Around the
World. You have my hands and my dreaming mind, conscious and unconscious
joining in. I will offer whatever comes from these states of mind during the
"dream in."
I had read your letter of condolence Jean and am touched by it as well as
the response. Thank you for all of us. I wept when I heard of the bombing of
the UN in Baghdad and cannot stop thinking of those serving there as well as
all their loved ones and colleagues in the UN here. I feel as others do as
well I'm sure particularly poignant and deeply deeply saddened by the chosen
vulnerability of their mission in Baghdad. I do not know if it was wise or
not. Obviously to not have had more security was unwise with hindsight. But
symbolically it was and is important.
As you know my son David who is an ER physician and Captain in the US Army
Reserves is still there in the war theater. He has been serving in Kuwait
and has gone in and out of Iraq on med evacuation missions as well. Though
our communication has been limited we have had a more direct view than many
of what is happening and conditions there via his photos and letters. It is
indeed a living hell for all concerned, our servicemen and women as well as
the Iraqi people. David is hopefully coming out of Kuwait/Iraq sometime
between now and the end of August, returning to GA and then even more
hopefully, home by mid Sept. to Cincinnati.
I am aware that the peace dream in week is just during the period he is most
likely to remove from the war zone. Please keep him and the others removing
from that zone in your prayers and dreaming during this time as well that
they may make it out safely, both physically and psychologically.
I am grateful to you Jean and to all of you on the Bridge for your many and
continued efforts to keep reaching out your hands for peace. I continue to
do so with you in my own context, so know I remain part of this community
even if I don't write very often.
May: I owe you a special letter since I've dreamt of you since the Berkeley
conference. Jeremy:I owe you one too! thanks for your call before you left
the States. I was traveling and so missed the call. I have not forgotten the
idea of doing something here in Cincinnati with children for the Peace
Train.
Also, for everyone's interest I am thinking about a small gathering of
dreamers here in Cincinnati, OH on the theme of Dreams of Peace. I just met
with Phil King of ASD who many of you know lives and teaches in Hawaii.
However, his hometown is Yellow Springs, OH, about an hour north of
Cincinnati and he's on a sabbatical back home here in Ohio. I visited him
there today and spoke about this group and the idea of doing something
together on a gathering of Dreams of Peace.
So far it's just a seed thought, a very small seed of peace. But I'll draw
a little water from the Dream Reservoir and mix it with my own garden's soil
and see what sprouts.
Love to all and may peace that surpasses understanding fill us to
overflowing,
Jody Grundy
Earlier in the month, we celebrated A Day out of Time along with Thanks to
Water. These were some of the enjoyable things we do, and there were lots
of wonderful dreams. Also, World Dreams web master, Liz Diaz created a most
beautiful addition to the Reservoir pages for this event. To view the
healing energy of the Reservoir, go to www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org and
look for the Reservoir pages. We welcome you to join us there.
Many lovely things have been happening with the Peace Train as well this
month. There will be a Peace Conference in Turkey in October, sponsored by
IFLAC. Ilkin Sungu has been asked to assist in opening the conference with
a roundtable discussion about women and peace.
Here's part of a post a post she sent to a number of women dreamers:
I have to write a presentation paper for the IFLAC International Peace
Conference, which will be held in Turkey. I am a journalist and had been
wrote many articles about women issues before. But this time I have to write
an opening paper for a Roundtable Discussion on "Women and Peace; Can Women
Create A Massive International Peace Movement?". It is easy to write about
the history of women movements or what women suffers from the wars. But what
I want to write is what all of you, every one of you think about if it is
possible we can create this and how.
I want to write a song, be your sound of a song written every line from
another woman from around the world. Please write me what you think, what
you feel at least in a single line. I believe those lines will be a song, a
paper written by all of us from the farthest parts of the world and show us
our way for what can we do when we come together, sing a song together and
work for peace together.
At this same conference, Ilkin has also arranged for children from Koc
College to present a peace dance, and many of the Peace Trains created
through the Education Volunteers' summer program in Turkey will be
displayed.
Peace Train creator, Jeremy Seligson, traveled to Ecuador this summer after
attending the ASD Conference in Berkeley. He tells this story about the
Peace Train in Ecuador:
As for Ecuador, on the last day of my visit to the
Andean Highlands. I asked the guide if we could visit
a local school. We arrived at an elementary school in
a small town and were told that the students were
taking final exams and to come back in a half hour. We
returned from a volcano about 40 minutes later and saw
many students leaving from a door - oh, it was too
late! Then, the guide realized that this was a
kindergarten door and the elementary school was a
meter away. The students were still inside. The
principal and a teacher allowed me to address a class
of 30 6th grade, mostly Indian girls in their blue
pinafort school uniforms. They were charming and
serious, too. And sang out brightly as I asked each of
their names. "Jaunita ...!"I spoke in broken Spanish
but they could understand me and what I wanted from
them concerning the Ecuadorean Children's Peace Train.
With the help of Eloisia, who handed out paper and
crayons, they careful drew in margins on their pages
and began to draw pictures of peace in their lives,
sometimes calling out in Spanish, who has Red! Who has
Green ...!
I had hung up a poster from the Korean Chidl;ren's
Peace Train on the white board in front for all to
see, and then as the girls finished the drawings one
by one I substituted their drawings for display.
Afterwards I asked of they wanted their pictures
taken. They got all excited and clustered up around me
their pictures held in hand in front of their bodies.
Unfortunately I only had my daughters throw away
plastic underwater camera and it seem out of order,
not turning as I tried to change the frame. But they
were so eager to have their pictures taken that I just
pretended to do so, arranging them in groups here and
there and requesting them to smile. This was fun for
everybody. I spun the dial of the camera and after a
while it seemed to be moving though there seemed to be
no indication of break between the pictures, and ata
last it read zero frames. If lucky maybe one or half
of once will come out! Que lastima! Right Liz?
Anyway I have enough for a nice little train and some
other people I met in Ecuador may help too.
And finally, on an even cheerier note, several people from the World Dreams
Peace Bridge have been participating for the past month in Harry
Bosma's(Alchera software creator from the Netherlands) More Lucid Dreams
experiment. It appears that they have not forgotten me, even though I could
not participate. Here is a recent post from Kathy Turner (Australia):
Jean - I think you must be popping in to see what is happening at Harry's
Lucid Dream project. THREE of us have dreamed of you in the last two
days!!! JILL dreamed you sent her a cheque for $5 (I think that is the
correct amount). LAURA dreamed you walked through her mansion dream in a
green peace T shirt. I dreamed I returned your photo to you. You were
pleased to have it back because your husband didn't like your lending it
(he'd given it to you initially). I had written a "thank you" note of four
words on the back in blue biro. I hoped that wouldn't cause a problem.
So Jean - what do you think of this??
Kathy.
Of course, one thing I think of it is that it confirms what I believe
already: that together we are creating the world from our dreams, that we
are present in one another's dreams not just as symbols of ourselves, but as
ourselves. And that, if this is true, then we can indeed dream the world
into peace, assuming that is our desire.
http://www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org/monthyupdates.htm
Dreaming of peace and the interesting projects created as dreams come true
happen daily on the Bridge. Join us. To learn more about The World Dreams
Peace Bridge, go to our web site at
http://www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org ,
or join the Peace Bridge discussion group by sending a post to
worlddreams-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
-------------------
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
Dream: "Wonder Dog"
Stan Kulikowski II
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
DATE : 4 aug 2003 07:57
DREAM : wonder dog
=( yesterday, a sunday. i spent most of the morning and afternoon, doing
the final grades for my summer web page design courses. i got done early,
around 18:00. usually it takes me until the wee hours of the weekend to get
done, but there were fewer students this summer than usual. it felt good to
be able to veg all evening with the tedious labor part of teaching done
early. mom and i watched _dr who_ at the end of the evening which is our
custom on sundays. one of my favorite episodes, _the hand of fear_. i went
to bed around midnight and read a novel for a couple hours before turning
off the light at 02:00. went to sleep easily and started dreaming right
off. around 03:00 i woke to take a piss and had been dreaming even by
hen. )=
i have come back to janeen's farm after all these years. i did not know
if she would welcome me or not, but she seems genuinely glad that i am back.
it is often difficult to tell with her what her true feelings are, but she
seems pleased enough with my attentions for now. i devote myself to her
complete satisfaction, going and doing just everything she suggests. i
think we are both hoping to retire upstairs to her bedroom, but as i said,
it is difficult to determine intentions with her.
soon, however, we encounter her father, lester. he is a thin farmer, a
very quiet but competent man. janeen seems pleased that we get along so
well together, so i spend a little time asking him about his crops and the
business of a small farm. after a while, he says "you know, there is some
hullabaloo in the basement that you would be interested in."
i go down the dark rickety wooden stairs into the cellar. i find the place
rather well lighted once i get down there. i stop on the bottom steps and
stoop down to see under the floor rafters. there are the usual collection
of barn cats prowling around, but at first i do not see anything unusual.
it does not take long, however, before i hear the sound of a puppy up near
my head. there is a cat laying in a shelf that connects to the pantry. the
puppy is in the pantry which is on the first floor just slightly above my
head. the cat just lays there, not caring that the puppy wants to get past
it to come investigate me, the stranger here. at first the puppy noses left
and right to get around the cat, but then it steps onto space just above the
recalcitrant feline.
i am startled by this, so i pay close attention. the puppy keeps walking
hunched down between the cat and the top of the shelf, but his paws flatten
out in the air maybe three centimeters above the cat. it is as if there
were an invisible shelf board between them and the puppy is crawling out on
that.
once he gets out at the end, his paws hang over the invisible shelf but by
now his whole body is just suspended a short distance above the cat below.
he then pushes out to jump down. i jerk around in an attempt to catch the
puppy as it is almost a two meter drop from the height of my head to my feet
on the stairs, but his fall stops at about my shoulder with another
invisible shelf that is not there. the puppy walks around me in the air at
that height, franticly wagging its short tail and whining for my attention.
it certainly has my attention. i scratch behind its ears and on its tummy
when it rolls over, behaving in every respect as if it were on some solid
surface. but my hand encounters nothing when i wave it through the plane
where the dog is frolicking.
after a while, in the way of puppies, the young dog loses interest in me
now that i have paid my respects and am no longer a stranger. it jumps down
in a series of steps upon equally invisible surfaces until it reaches the
real stairs and from there onto the cellar floor. there it starts to pester
whatever other cats are in range, who patiently put up with the young
creature.
from out of the further reaches of the basement, comes greg olley, a
psychologist from the university of massachusetts. "ah stan." he greets me.
"i see that you have noticed our wonder dog."
"i certainly have. just what do you make this?"
"well, he seems to have an extraordinary control of gravity." he answers
me.
for a while i watch the puppy jumping up upon invisible surfaces whenever it
suits its purpose.
"you know, it seems that this puppy does seem to obey gravity while defying
it." greg looks at me with puzzlement. "his defiance of what we consider
to be gravity is only in the fall space downward. any movement in lateral
direction is always with normal leg motions as if he were walking on a
surface, and it never levitates in an upward direction. if he had cancelled
gravity, inertia would take his movements in any direction indefinitely far.
this puppy only moves upward by normal jumps onto the invisible steps. the
control is only to stop falling."
greg thinks about this for a moment. "you mean, perhaps he is somehow
generating personal movement surfaces in space, or the air, or ether or
something. a place that only he can benefit from."
i agree. "yes, that would be a more conservative hypothesis. rather than
actually refolding the spacetime continuum which is required to alter
gravity, a surface tension cohesion of air molecules could be strengthened
to account for the localized support he gets."
greg nods his head. "that should be testable." he scoops up the puppy and
we both go upstairs with it to the kitchen.
"whose dog is it?" i ask. i had assumed that it belonged to janeen's
parents, but they never kept any dogs, just barn cats for their traditional
utility in rodent control.
"someone i know from off campus noticed the unusual behavior of this puppy
once it got its eyes open." he tell me. "apparently there was something
peculiar in the way it squirmed around with the other newborns, but the
controlled use of space did not become obvious until it could see. they
then called me at the university to come investigate."
"well, if you need to find an owner for it, and do not want to take it
yourself, i could probably convince my mother that we should keep it." i
tell him. "she has been saying that a small dog might be alright, and
clearly this will not grow to be as large as agamemnon."
after a while a thought occurs to me. "how much video do you have of this
phenomenon?"
greg answers. "none yet. i had thought to wait for a quick action grant
from the dean's office."
"hm, that might be risky." i caution him. "what if the puppy were to die
tonight from some accident."
greg nods his agreement and leaves to find his personal camcorder from his
travel bag in the other room. soon he is taping the puppy's remarkable
antics like a proud father. i notice his camcorder is a little odd. it
looks like a spherical eyeball cam mounted on a leather head strap, i
suppose for hands free taping. an umbilical cord runs down to a waist pack
for batteries and tape mounted on his belt.
uhoh, i catch a glimpse of janeen now outside gathering flowers. through
the window, her look directed toward me is one of exaggerated
disappointment. i wish greg well with his experimental endeavors and hurry
out to catch up with her.
"finally realize where you were?" she says to me coldly while cutting off
an orange tiger lily blossom. janeen only pays attention to gardening when
she is pissed off about something: a recreational therapy she thinks.
otherwise she prefers to buy everything as a mark of civilized conduct.
"oh, come on." i say to her plainly. "that little dog could change our
understanding of how the universe works." but she grants me no leniency.
we walk together quietly, not saying anything. i fear that anything i have
to offer will just make the matter worse, yet she is at least tolerating my
presence with her however badly.
after the next couple of flowers gathered, i can see the pattern of her
arrangement. i scoop her up into my arms and lean forward to fly us over
the tops of the yard, household gardens and nearby weed lots. with
concentration, i am able to stop just above the hollyhocks like we were a
bee visiting the flowers.
even this togetherness does not please her. when i set her down beside a
wild flower patch, she turns from me to cut the blossom. "at least you
could leave on your own this time." she dismisses me coldly.
she is right. i jump into the air and fly hastily away over the farm fields
in anger. the emotion adds a certain speed to my flight control. i wonder
why that puppy's interruption of gravity is seemed so significant when my
own flight capacities might supply just as much evidence. but flying seems
so natural to humans, especially when in some emotional stress. perhaps the
dog's innocent and easy use of space is the real point of it all.
=( awake at 07:44. i sit right up to get as much of this dream into the
computer as i can. there were some lengthy dream segment about conflicted
dating rituals with other women before i got to this part with janeen, but i
do not try to capture them as the end of this dream with the little dog
seemed more interesting and more vivid in recall. many associations here.
the puppy was cute, but i do not know what to make of its unusual behavior.
i usually do not care for little dogs. agamemnon was my great dane, dead
now five years. janeen had a great dane like him, booray, who she gave to
me when she dumped me out of her life. booray died in 1987. janeen did
live on farm in hadley massachusetts when we were a couple for about a year,
but the farm i was seeing belonged to the family of my second wife, janet.
the father farmer, lester, was janet's dad. i hardly ever met janeen's
parents even though they lived next door to her. i do not remember them
very well anyway. greg olley was a psychologist who i knew at umass, but he
left there before i ever met janeen. i have not dreamt of janeen very much
recently, but she was common in my dreams once long ago. she did abruptly
dismiss me from her life with little motivation concerning me it seems.
like this dream, her deepest affections were never very evident, probably
even to herself. she was one of the most beautiful women i was ever
involved with. one of the last things i found out about her was that she
did not even spell her name correctly, preferring the french to the slavic
spelling she was given by her parents. untrue to the heart, straight
through the core. obviously, i miss her but i try to tell myself that i
would consciously avoid being entangled with her again, no matter how much i
might otherwise long for it. )=
stankuli@...
|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
The Waves: 05. Children's Dreams
Cosmic Moon (June 27 to July 24, 2003)
(c) 2003 Nick Cumbo
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
The Waves is a newsletter reporting on the explorations of the Sea Life
community. Sea Life, the main web forum at Dreampeace, aims to bring
together a circle of dreamers from around the globe, collaborating in mutual
dreaming adventures, and 'dreaming with and for the earth itself'
Link:
http://www.dreamofpeace.net/sealife
This moon, we'll be looking at dreams, and their significance to children.
We'll also be drawing on the wisdom of dreams, as a model for teaching,
peace training, and the development of youth culture.
------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
When I think back to when I was about 10 or 12 years old, I am sometimes
reminded of the ancient Macintosh SE, we used as our home computer. It was a
tiny little thing; with a black and white screen. Oh yes, it was a definite
step-up from the typewriter we owned before, but it was nothing compared to
my neighbour's setup.
My neighbour lived up the hill, you see. We'd spend heaps of our spare time
with each other. Down at my house, you could play cricket, build a cubby,
annoy my parents, and generally have fun. His house was very similar when I
think about it, except for one important difference. He had a much better
computer; with a COLOUR screen and many more games than mine. How I enjoyed
playing games like 'Bubble Bobble' together with my friend, seeing what new
levels we could reach. Unfortunately, I always had to go home at the end of
the afternoon. Quite probably, I was a little jealous of my friend and his
computer.
One morning, I was to wake from a particularly beautiful dream. In the
dream, I discovered to my surprise that my computer was no longer limited to
the simple black and white palette of before, but was now capable of
radiating the most immensely real colours.
Not only this, but it now came installed with an incredible game, in which I
was able to take control of a plane, directing it's movement ever so easily
around an astounding desert-like landscape. It was as though, I suddenly
found myself there in the cockpit, exploring the ever-expanding boundaries
of the world. And it was then that I woke!
I woke, desparately holding onto the hope that I might walk into the other
room, to find that my parents really had been able to afford a new computer.
No such luck, it seemed. My computer loaded, and it was still the same old
machine. You can't imagine the sense of disappointment it left me with,
knowing that it would probably be a few years before I could see anything
like what I had just experienced, again.
What if I'd never really needed to wait for the computer in the first place!
If only I'd realised that these opportunities had been awaiting me in the
world of dreams all along. Dreams can not only transcend the limitations of
our daily reality, but they also make great stories to share with our
friends.
Dreamsharing is great fun, and also a fantastic way of building confidence
in ourselves and our story telling ability. Considering we supposedly spend
an average of about 7 years of our lives dreaming, it seems awfully
important that we make time in our lives to experience the benefits of
dreamsharing at a younger age. Given that I wasn't exactly encouraged to
reap the gifts of dreaming as a child, I feel a great desire to share them
with the children of today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TEACH THE CHILDREN
About two years ago, when I was about 18, and just realising the joys of
dreaming once again, I had a quite strange conscious/lucid dream. In it, I
found myself in my bedroom, quite unable to move. My attention was
immediately drawn to the walls, which seemed to be covered in all different
kinds of patterns and words.
I began searching for meaning, in the binary patterns, ancient
hieroglyphics, the photoshop icon, shown on each wall. Confused, I finally
turned to the window. Written above the window, I saw the the words, 'Teach
the Children'. Very clear to the eye, but I couldn't understand why the
message was there. I sat expectantly, wondering what I was to be taught. As
the moments passed, it suddenly occurred to me that this was something I had
been entrusted to do.
There are many varied ways and methods which can be used to teach children
(or anyone else for that matter). I believe this was the message behind the
variety of patterns on each wall in my dreams, and something that's
important for all teachers to remember. As one example, we could look to
Dee's 'Great Dreams' website, which tells the story of a dream, in which she
learnt about the use of dominoes as a way of teaching children to count.
Through dreaming, I believe we can create fun and more worthwhile methods of
teaching which are actually enjoyable for the students.
Thankfully, I've recently reached the point where I've decided to make a big
transition in my chosen career, moving from an 'Internet Technologies'
degree to a degree in Primary School Education. I can't wait to get started.
------------------------------------------------------------------A FUN PARK
I'm also a member of the World Dreams Peace Bridge, the home from which
Jeremy's fantastic Peace Trains dream was initially born. Recently in
discussion, Jean Campbell and others have suggested the idea of 'Kids on the
Bridge'. The basic concept is to give a place for children to share dreams
and peace inspiring discussion online; making room for the advent of
'digital' peace trains between children of various cultures. A web forum
probably being the best way of achieving this.
As a result, a key part of project on Children Dreams, focused on using our
dreams as a source of guidance for the development of the forum. The first
dream that really got us thinking about a possible theme for the Children's
forum came from a member Kat.
"The dream takes place at an amazingly awesome water park. Its no regular 1,
there are huge water slides (a couple of stories tall if I recall
correctly), and all of these other water things that U can enjoy playing in.
The cool thing about this water park is that there are water slides with
water pushing down AnD up. I recall thinking to myself that this must be a 1
of a kind water park..and I was right. Another amazing feature of this water
park is a HUge water slide that eventually turns into a see-through tunnel
that goes underwater. Once you get to that part..you are very amazed at the
sea life that is there. There are all kinds of sea creatures and beautiful
sea plants. This was something that i especially loved! There was something
else that you could do in this water park that i found a bit ..scary. You
could choose to go scuba diving. This might sound fun, but the scary part is
that you only had the snorkle in your mouth. No other breathing apparatus. I
found this weird and unsafe so I decided not to do it."
Given that our forum is called 'Sea Life', it immediately occurred to me
that perhaps the theme of the new forum for children was a water/fun park.
Kat's dream seemed to bridge the two forums together. The sentiments were
echoed soon after by a dream of Jessica's, which seemed to give life to the
notion of a 'Peace Train' travelling around the park.
"For some reason I am back at high school confirming that they have all my
records in order before I go off to college. Then the whole graduating class
is going to an amusement park to celebrate. There is a train going around
the park but it is levitating over the 4" wide track. There is also
something about a pool in the park"
In another of my own dreams, I asked what we could to improve the
tentatively named, Children's Peace Trains Forum. Waking, I retained a clear
image of a ferris wheel in park. What made this interesting, was that it not
only linked in with the concept of a fun park, but I was also instantly
reminded of Dee Finney's Great Dreams website, which I had visited only a
few days earlier.
Great Dreams:
http://www.greatdreams.com/children.htm
What really stood out to me about this page, was a beautiful image of a ring
of faces, which could be seen to be representative of the people of various
races (yellow, red, black, white); retaining their individuality, and also
meeting together in the center as one. The dream seemed to highlight the
importance of encouraging racial equality at the forum; and thus the world
around us.
Interestingly, at the bottom of the Great Dreams site, Dee shares an image
from one of her own visions. In the image, one sees a line of children; the
faces of the children being depicted exactly the same way as those in the
drawing made by Joseph Mason. In the vision from which the image is drawn,
the children are singing joyfully "These are the Changes, These are the
Changes!". Dee reports realising at that moment 'that the Earth Changes are
not just about the changing of the Earth with volcanoes, storms, hurricanes,
horrible accidents, and deaths of a majority of humanity, but the raising of
consciousness of the people themselves". It is my opinion, that we should be
making children more aware of the gifts they can bring to the future of the
Earth, and all that which lives upon it.
Determined to find out more about how I could accomplish this, I ventured
once again into dreaming. The dream turned out to be more like catching a
miniature episode from the twilight zone. In the vision, I'm on a train
passing by a station (familiar to me in dreams as a place of
discovery/opportunity). I see a whole group of young teenagers with their
backpacks on, standing along the platform. The train doesn't stop at the
station.
Waking, I was a bit confused, I wasn't exactly sure if this group made the
cut to be termed 'children'. To be honest, they seemed a bit old. I decided
to put the interpretation of the dream on hold for a moment. A few days
later it's significance became clear through a fantastic example of mutual
dreaming.
That weekend, I went off to stay in a tipi with my friend Alana. As I went
off to sleep, I asked her if she'd join me in a dream, to retrieve a gift
for the children. Over the course of the night, the fire went out, and the
tipi quickly became a rather cold little sleeping area. Sitting up in the
bed, I noticed Alana wake, and decided to tell her about my dreams from the
night. She laughed, as I did this, recalling an earlier event. Apparently,
it was very funny.
"Yeah. You woke me up in the middle of the night, and told me how five
spirits came to you in our sleep".
"What???", I replied, bewildered. "I didn't have a dream like that, and I
certainly didn't tell you about it! Haha. You must have dreamed about the
conversation..."
"Haha. Yeah. You told me that they were 14,15,16,17, and 18" she continues,
considering the possibility a little shyly.
Her response left me in awe. It seemed she'd dreamed the advice, directly
for me, even though I had not mentioned anything to her about age groups
with regards to the Children's Peace Trains forum. Her dream reinforced the
importance of 'children' of all ages, having access to a forum where they
can work together to create peace in our world.
Though it may seem a little separative, I think it's important to recognise
that realistically speaking, there are some significant differences between
how children of these two age-groups may communicate and the topics they are
likely to wish to discuss. Together, I believe that a forum for each group,
would form a great basis for improved peace awareness amongst school
children of all ages.
These forums are currently in development. If you'd like to help out, or
simply register your interest in the concept, please send me an email (the
address is listed at the bottom of the article). Your input or words of
support, really do make a difference.
------------------------------------------------------------------
ABORIGINAL DREAMING
Returning from my little holiday in the tipi, I set off on my walk home from
the train station. Settling, into a relaxed pace, my attention was suddenly
drawn to the window of the fire station. If I were being honest, I might
admit that I couldn't help gazing at my reflection, to check that I wasn't
too messed up and worn out from my travels.
Lucky I did! There, hanging from the clear reflective glass of the fire
station, was a shiny new poster. 'Our Future, Our Children', the theme of
'NAIDOC Week', an event held by the 'National Aboriginal Islander Day
Observance Committee', between the 6th and 13th of July. No stranger to the
subtle chain of synchronicity, I decided there was something more that I
could do for this project.
http://www.naidocvic.com/
As it turned out, one of the key aims of NAIDOC, is "to promote the rich
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and increase the awareness of
this heritage to all people on a regional, National and International
level". Considering that the heart of traditional Aboriginal culture seems
to lie in it's dreamtime creation myth, it seems important to draw on the
wisdom of Aboriginal people in a project on Children's Dreams.
In 'Mysteries of the Dreaming', James Cowan reveals the spiritual life of
Aborigines, that has remained a concealed behind a veil of misunderstanding
and prejudice. "The Aboriginal belief is that before the dreaming or
tjukurrba - that is, before the Primodrial Event had occurred - an
undending, featureless plain represented this pristine landscape.. Not until
the period of the Dreaming and the mysterious appearance of the Sky Heroes,
either from inside the earth itself or from an ill-defined upper region, did
the landscape take on a truly cosmic significance and attain to form. At the
conclusion of the Dreaming period, the Sky Heroes disappeeared from the face
of the earth, leaving in their place their personalised 'signatures' in the
guise of topographic landmarks, contour variations, trees, animals - in
fact, all manifestions of life on earth."
One way in which we can learn from the Aboriginal people, is their
understanding of the animals with which we share the Earth. In my own
childhood, for example, I had a recurring nightmare of being chased around a
desolate landscape by a purple wolf. Sharing this at the forum, it soon
became apparent that I wasn't the only one to have intense experiences with
different animals in childhood dreams. Valter reported a similar recurring
dream, of a wolf which lurked under the garden of his house. Another member,
CCHawk, also experienced the same recurring episodes:
"I was in my house, watching television... and Felix the Cat would always be
on. I'd watch it for a while when all of a sudden there'd be a loud fwoosh
noise, of the house exploding into flames. The flames would start flooding
in on all sides of me and I'd be stuck on the couch scared. I also remember
spiders and snakes flooding in, and they'd surround me just as well. I'd
start crying and screaming for my mom and dad... but it wouldn't help, and
that's when I'd wake up. The dream would always be in third person."
It is my opinion, that it is vital that we do our best to connect with the
animal spirits hunting us in childhood dreams. As a quite experienced
conscious dreamer, I've often found that overcoming one's fear, and
confronting these animals, can bring great gifts. In a similar way, one can
draw on the animal spirits to help us deal with difficult situations in our
day-to-day life. Animal Spirits, is a very handy site with fantastic
interpretations of the qualities and wisdom of particular animals.
Animal Spirits:
http://www.animalspirits.com/
The animal spirits, are no doubt a key part of Aboriginal culture.
"Aborigines identify with animal totems, for a totem is an embodiment of
each individual in his or her primodial state. That is, before the
individual was born into the world. The totem is a sacred link with the
Dreaming, with a man's incarnation as a human being, with the Sky Heroes who
created him. To sever this connection is to destroy a man's spirit and
ultimately his desire to live. Indeed it is impossible for an Aborigine to
'lose' his totem, except by way of cultural disruption, as in the case of
many urban Aborigines unfortuante enough not to have been born within a
totemic environment". (Mysteries of the Dreaming)
While I'm not sure if the animals of our childhood dreams, were necessarily
our totem animals, I do believe that they appeared in our dreams for a
reason, and that at the very least we could have moved from being immensely
scared of them, to finding out more about their qualities and skills of
survival in the wild.
While I didn't get to do as much dreaming with the aboriginal people as I
would have liked, I did manage one interesting adventure.
"I become lucid, and decide to go off in search of 'Young Aboriginal
Dreamers'. I start singing my intention out aloud, and let myself be pulled
off into the astral, with some intensity. I continue singing, asking my
'higher self' to guide me.
I eventually end up in a school classroom, surrounded by a whole group of
young aboriginal boys. They all seem to have pretty short hair, and are
quite young. Their smiles are very beautiful. I smile back, "Is it okay, If
I ask you some questions?". The boys don't seem to mind at all, in fact they
are quite eager to speak to me.
One boy in particular draws my attention. Round faced, and kinda cheeky
looking (in a very friendly way). I ask him what school I'm at. It's really
funny, he doesn't bother answering that question. Instead, he grins,
apparently "there's a girls school down the road". He seems to have his own
priorities"
Upon waking from this dream, I couldn't help but laugh, at his humorous
response. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but certainly it was a great
lesson, about just how similar people are, regardless of race.
------------------------------------------------------------------
THE TREASURE CHEST
This year, saw the beginnings of our first annual 'Treasure Chest Dafumu'
(dream of big good fortune), launched in collaboration with the World Dreams
Peace Bridge, and timed to coincide with the beginning of the new year of
the 13 Moon Calendar, July 26th. By sheer synchronicity, this is also the
date of Jeremy's original Peace Trains dream.
The principle behind this 'Treasure Chest Dafumu' resulted from an earlier
pair of dreams. At the time of the first , I'd just started the site
Dreampeace, and in the dream I was wondering what other people would think
of it. "Immediately, I notice a man on the other side of the street, who
gives me a gift. I 'see' with my minds eye, an image of a treasure chest".
Awakening from the
dream, I knew that this treasure chest, may contain all kinds of gifts for
the site. In the second, the concept evolved somewhat, becoming two
'treasure' islands, which I liken to the websites of Dreampeace and the
World Dreams Peace Bridge.
In my conscious dream, I set out to retrieve a gift from the treasure chest.
"I'm on a train. It pulls up to a station, and I suddenly realise that I'm
dreaming. I pause for a few moments, considering whether or not to pull my
awareness up a notch, and truly become the Dreamer. I do.
I'm about to jump out of the train. It's almost a gut reaction to suddenly
realising I'm in a confined space. Yet, I soon recall my intention to visit
'Treasure Island', why not let the train take me there. It begins to
accelerate, and I look around at the wide mix of people. It's quite busy and
I catch the sight of business people amongst them. It feels like a morning
train, yet I try and focus my attention on running with the feel of the
dream. I don't wanna wake up.
The train starts to accelerate even more. We pass all kinds of different
buildings. I feel like I'm in Melbourne somewhere, and this is soon
confirmed with the sight of the city about 10km away. My body is suddenly
ripped out of it's current situation, and begins being pulled along with
tremendous speed. It feels natural, yet I know it is not me who is choosing
the direction. I am just riding a current of energy.
It's really intense, and as I stream above the road, I hear an outer voice.
The familiar voice of an elder female spiritual guide proclaims, "It's kinda
like the devil" (as though introducing me to where I'm being guided). I
pause, voicing my concern that I'm more guided by love. My guide seems to
agree with my thoughts, but continues with her previous statement ("It's
kinda like the devil"), "except that you'll be doing this to share"
I'm still racing, but I begin to fade. I'm really feeling disappointed. Not
now! Oh no, what can I do. I try alerting my guide with my mind, hoping that
they'll be able to help me out. They must, because I end up back in my room.
Everything is blurry and dark, and I don't have full control over my
movement, yet I do catch the outline of a piece of paper. By focusing my
awareness on it, and gradually strengthening this feeling, I am able to
bring myself into my room, full-bodied.
There's this piece of paper there - especially for me. It's very well
presented, attractive but simple. I begin reading it. Arranged along the
paper are a series of different areas of education in schools. Each area of
teaching outlines a number of specific guidelines, which are obviously
considered important. Some of these guidelines are also highlighted in bold,
as a way of noting that these are absolutely integral. The first area of
teaching shown is very general. The first guideline states that there will
be "state sets of teams". The only other guideline I can remember
specifically is something about 'binders' being arranged in '65 pages'.
Following this, I see a whole series of different areas of teaching. There
must be at least 20-30 different areas, 'History', 'Physical Education',
etc. I notice some of the guidelines are specific suggestions for the
booklist. By this stage, my memory is getting a bit blurry. I'm having
difficulty remembering the items I looked at before.
I turn back to the beginning, and to my surprise, find myself looking at a
map. It's a map of Melbourne. I browse around it, wondering what it's for.
And I notice a large square in the south-western, western suburbs. It must
cover a width of at least 10-15kms. I immediately know this to mean, that
this is where the program must begin. Moments later I wake."
This dream was a great inspiration for me, giving me great confidence in the
Education degree', I am set to begin next semester. After a little thought,
I quickly came to an understanding of what the comment about the devil
actually meant. The devil strikes me as powerful, and I think what my guide
was trying to alert to me was that nothing's more powerful than sharing.
Organising the children into "state sets of teams" seems very important. I
do alot of my dreamwork this way, and thus have a strong recognition of how
helpful this can be. Surely some of the concepts I've learnt through my
experiences with Sea Life, would be of great assistance in this quest.
I was a little shocked to discover that I would be teaching in the Western
side of Melbourne, as I am currently at least 40km from this area, and such
a move was definitely not something I had envisioned. Making the advice,
seem all the more significant. Meditating as to why I'd been directed to
this area, I saw images which reminded me of the higher crime rate in the
area, and the possibility that perhaps I could make a real difference to
education in a lower class area of Melbourne.
The experience itself, and the female guide, who accompanied me on my
journey, reminded me of a previous dream that took place soon after
beginning the Children's Dreams project.
"I am near a building of some kind. A quite young woman, familiar to me
(perhaps as a spirit guide?), is telling me that she is very happy that I am
interested in working with children's dreams and peace trains. She seems
wise, and has a nice aura. I feel she is giving me her seal of approval. She
gives me these small round pots. I think they are to give to the children."
Given that I take a plant, as a symbol of growth, it seems to me that these
pots I was being provided with are a possible educational framework for
children. I am eternally grateful for the assistance of my guides in this
endeavour. Jean Campbell's Treasure Chest dream, seemed to confirm the value
of what is beginning to develop:
"I came into a dining room where you were sitting at a table surrounded by a
bunch of kids, all around six or seven years old. The kids were happy and
having a lot of fun. You were passing out ice cream in bowls, with
different types of topping like chocolate and strawberry.
You and the kids were singing (I don't know if you know this song, but
there's a kid song here in the US that goes, "If you're happy and you know
it, clap your hands...etc." That was the song you were singing, but the
words went, "That tomato soup's too messy, eat ice cream." You sang this as
you put a bowl of ice cream down in the middle of one kid's bowl of tomato
soup.
And that's it. That's the dream. But of course the thing was how much fun
you were having, and how much fun the kids were having, and how much fun I
was having watching it."
It made me laugh too, yet I couldn't help wondering what Jean's personal
interpretation of icecream was, to which she added, "whenever I think about
ice cream, I always hear in my mind the thing I learned when I first learned
about ice cream: "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream."
A friend Victoria, also a member of the World Dreams Peace Bridge, has been
involved with online dreaming communities for a long time. As we're both
from Melbourne, and both very interested in education, we'll be doing our
best to join forces in serving up that icecream. Please do what you can to
join us.
On that note, I'll leave you with a beautiful dream, from Victoria's 6
year-old son Blake.
"There was a magic girl.
She lived in a house that isn't our house.
She lived in a witch house.
She went to magic school.
She had yellow hair.
She pointed her finger [showing me right index finger] and threw magic.
White one. She threw the white magic to our house. She made our clock fly,
and our table.
The magic opened and closed doors.
She can fly with a broom to school."
------------------------------------------------------------------
We'll be back in a condensed form next moon, so stay tuned for the results
of our 'Journey to the Lucid Crossroads'.
Email:
explora@...
Forum:
http://www.dreamofpeace.net/sealife
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
Dangerous Representations: Abstraction in Dreamwork
Richard Catlett Wilkerson
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
* Revised from a post to the ASD Bulletin Board, August 2003
I may have been catastrophizing a bit in suggesting that representing dreams
is dangerous. We have been ~representing~ dreams for millions of years and
getting away with it.
And yet, representing is (can be) an act of abstraction and moving away,
into models and messages and codes of reality rather than connecting with
the particular and unique and singular in reality. Pretty soon we are
dealing and living and thinking in terms of models of reality and codes of
action, abstractions of the real. That is, things are never what they are,
they are models and messages and means to something else. All the while,
that something else becomes more and more distant.
Henri Bergson worked on the problem of abstraction. Bergson identifies the
problem in the spatialization of time and gives the metaphor of the tic-tock
of the clock. These tick-tocks are each uniquely individual, each one sounds
slightly different, each swing of a pendulum a slightly different distance,
yet we tend to see them all the same as abstract equal measures. And then we
begin to think of time itself as an equally measured substance. A geometric
net of equal spaces laid out over time. Bergson begged Einstein not to
abstract time. But for mathematics to work in those days, one had to have
equal, discrete measures. It is powerful to abstract. I can look at an
orchard of fruit and say, "These are oranges, those are all apples." Though
each fruit is unique, I have now abstracted from them a similarity around
which I can group them and collect them and market them. Pretty soon I will
have more money and be spending my day thinking about apples and oranges
while someone I hire does the actual work with them. I will count them on
paper and the actual unique objects will recede into the distance as the
models and abstractions occupy my attention.
What happens in the dreamwork where signs and symbols begin to replace
direct contact? Or is there ever any direct contact anyway? Is human
consciousness itself a process of abstracting?
Immanual Kant noted that for reason to work, it has to have and hold a
measure of a thing in space and time. If the object doesn't have any time,
and duration, it is outside our reason, and if its spacial parameters exceed
our measurements, it is outside all but the most sublime reason. We first
need to get a measure of an object, then reproduce it, then hold up this
object to understanding for conceptual placement. But first we measure. If
we see something, we say, it's about half my size, its twice my size. We
may look at a tree and say its ten-men high. We look at a mountain and say
it's a hundred trees high. We scan the horizon and say it's about 10
mountain ranges wide. If we encounter something that we can't immediately
get a measure of, we will never be able to reproduce it, and thereby never
be able to determine its concept. There are times this happens, times our
perceptions will overwhelm us, like the times we get overwhelmed by the
starry night or the proximity of a volcanic eruption. For a moment there is
nothing to measure it against. If we survive, in the next moment we at least
find some sense of it in our concept of the infinite, and at that moment we
call the event sublime.
However, the point here is that for our reason to operate, it has operate on
something we have already turned into an abstraction. We measure it out in
time-space and reproduce it in our memory and imagination and apply
concepts.
Language too is the use of abstraction, representing and thereby creating
*things* from the plenum.
This is all not to just say that humans don't have anything but abstracted
awareness. Other possibilities of reception and location exist. But the
degree to which we are involved in the process of abstraction is often
diminished. Note that anytime we deal with an object as an object, we are
involved in abstraction. How much of our lives involve recognizing and
working with objects?
Representation involves objects, and objects that take the place of other
objects. This barber's pole is a sign of a barber, but not the barber
himself. Not only is there a level of abstraction needed to perceive the
barber's pole as an object in general, but there is another level of
abstraction occurring in recognizing the pole as a stand-in for another
object. We could also talk about another level of abstraction involving
barber poles where they represent barber's in general, but the point here is
not to lay out all the aspects of abstraction that humans perform, but to
point out the degree to which the process of abstraction is involved in
representation and representing.
The issue of representation is a conflict at the heart of dreamwork and of
civilization. Western civilization anyway. And as far as I can see, now
everybody in the world wants a pair of Nikes. (that is, if they aren't a
Western society now, they will be soon). So without too much exaggeration I
can speculate on a global crisis in representation. Which representational
system is the highest, the best, the one above all others? Or can
anything/one represent us without diminishing our uniqueness? Jean-Francois
Lyotard has noted that there aren't any Grand Narratives left to guide us on
which system of representation to use in interpreting the world. Anyone who
tries to impose a Grand Narrative or system of belief or value system beyond
their own personal sphere will run into argument and conflict.
We might look at this in terms of ~who~ gets to represent? That is, which
perspectives are privileged, and which perspectives are marginalized?
To decide what the best dream interpretive system is, we have to impose
another system by which we can judge this. Values begin to proliferate.
Beauty, Justice, Peace, Honor, Survival. Individuation, actualization,
interpretations that are true to the manifest dream, to the latent dream.
It's quite a stage of competing values from which to pick. But if we don't
pick, there is only nihilism.
Even more deeply, (if there is something now more deep than this struggle
with nihilistic relativism) is the question of representation itself. In
dreamwork, representation is such a part of the game. At one level its
completely necessary and unavoidable. Recalling dreams is a form of
interpretation, writing the dream down, exactly as you recall it is a form
of interpretation, and each telling and discussion, even if its just
clarifying the imagery, is another layer of interpretation. As Nietzsche has
said, there is no data, only interpretation. And each interpretation
connects and object with a system.
In this sense, interpretation is unavoidable, and so we become skilled
and learn to do our best. We go to therapists, we build dreamgroups, we
become eclectic and take on a wide variety of approaches. Or we get lazy
and look up the meaning of a dream in a dictionary. In all this, something
is radically missed. The dream is reduced to being a messenger and becomes,
as Carl Jung noted, about signs rather than symbols. That is, the dream
image becomes an object to be used. And in being a representation, it is an
object for some value that is imposing upon us. It doesn't matter if the
dream image is said to be a messenger from God or the unconscious, or to
prophetically represent the next day of life, or even to be a psychic
representation of a distant thought or object. Once we have moved into the
game of the dream image being a representation, we have stripped it of its
own autonomy and put it in the service of what it is suppose to represent.
Once we know what the dream means, we leave it behind for the message it has
delivered, we run off it search of the author.
How many friends in waking life would we have if we treated them the same
way? If we saw them only as messengers of someone else, as messages about
ourselves and not having autonomous value in themselves?
The danger in treating dream images as representations somewhat reflects the
ecological concerns of the world. We see it (natural objects and processes)
as something to exploit for our advantage without concern for the
consequences. I'm not (just) saying we are polluting our dreamworld with
exploitative adventures in representation just like we exploit the rain
forests for wood, but more that the attitude of representation makes little
room for otherness, for dreams as ends-in-themselves and rather turns them
into means to ends. Any representation is a form of territorialization, an
imposing of a field of constraints. It's a particular organization of
forces upon other forces that constrains the flow of life into objects and
their manipulation.
We are learning that the world rebels when we exploit it, and rather that
we need to tend to the world and cultivate it with a sense of end-in-itself
rather than just means-to-ends. To care for the world for its own sake.
True, there is usually a hidden agenda in all this, to make the earth last,
to conserve it for future generations of humans and so on. Ulterior
motives, personal interpretations, hidden agendas are all part of the game
of life in both its treat-as-object and treat-as-subject form. But in
treat-as-subject form, they are no longer in a ~central~ position like
dictators and rather more in a swarm which rotates around inclusive,
changing relations.
There is a danger either way. If we let the dream image be autonomous, if
we grant it the right of any sentient being, it might not have *any* message
for us and may not be interested in us in the least. When we can't enter the
field of play with the decision about what its going to be, what's going to
happen and what it is all going to mean already decided, then the field is
open and nothing may happen. This is always the risk of allowing something
to be what it most essentially is.
Yet representations are a risk we take. Carl Jung worked and discussed this
in terms of dreamwork under the topic of signs vs. symbols. Signs, he
noted, are when we look at something as directly representing something
else, as in the barber's pole example, or in the red light representing the
agreement to stop. Symbols, on the other hand, were for Jung the best
possible presentation of a yet unknown emergent psychological factor. Or,
taken more from the spiritual canons, the symbol is the concrete and known
manifestation of a spiritual and unknown truth. More mechanically, the
(Jungian) symbol pulls together two or more aspects of the psyche that just
can't normally be understood (or tolerated) by consciousness. The raging
two-headed horse is not a representation of repressed animal emotions, but
~is~ the galloping animality in its best attempt to manifest, to be.
That is, these symbols don't represent the two irreconcilables, but are in
fact a primary synthesis of them in action. However, Jungian symbols don't
completely escape from abstraction and representation. For one thing,
teleology is imposed upon them, and the manifestation of the dream image is
seen as driving the ego towards individuation. This is an imposition on the
image. This creates a kind of theatrical sense that the symbol, living as it
might be, is but an actor upon a stage of a greater play. Hence the notion
of dreaming the dream onward in Jungian psychology. That is, the dreamer
needs to bring the dream into the waking world to complete the project.
Noble and useful as this directive may be, it is an artificial imposition on
the dream image.
As I mentioned previously [see Archetypal Psychology and Dreamwork,
Electric Dreams 10(8)], the post-Jungians have tried to apply a kind of
corrective to Jung and yank that Self archetype out of the middle of the
carousel and place it on the merry go round with all the other archetypes.
The Self still functions in its capacity to integrate, organize,
coordinate... but this is just seen as part of its game and not something
that needs to be in the center of the universe of archetypes. But one has
to have a poetic heart and ear to continually talk about soul and
re-ensouling and re-enchanting the world. Many would like to free the dream
image from being a representative without importing all the mythology and
Romantic terminology that comes with post-Jungian dreamwork.
Aren't representations and abstractions part of the world too? Sure, and
once we acknowledge and understand the dangers of representations, we don't
have to give them up but can rejoice in them. It is similar with thoughts
when learning meditation. In many meditation practices, the point is not the
suppression of thinking and thoughts, but the dis-identification of an
aspect of the meditating self from these thoughts. Once the separation is
achieved, there can be a reunion.
The same for dreamwork. Once we have done enough work subverting the
repressive authority of representationalism, then the representations can
come back and play. The dangers of taking the dreams *only* as a
representation still exist, but we can now flirt with this danger. The
dream images needn't be despotic representations of one value (This snake is
about my reptilian side of myself), they needn't just follow lines of tribal
alliance and filiation (Your dream means its time to marry and have
children). Rather, they are allowed to speak for themselves, to act for
themselves and we can then begin to play with them, both as representations
and as autonomous and semi-autonomous beings.
This allows us entry into the dream flow of the improverse. This is an
improvisational multiverse, that is imp-like and often perverse world where
everything is not just ego, not eaten up by "me" (as in dreamwork where one
practices saying how this dream lamp is me, this dream bunny is me, this
cane I'm using is me....). As mentioned previously, the dream is at play
and creates for the improverse one of its most conspicuous characters in
being playful, in twisting and bending, exaggerating and downplaying, in
simulating other realities and producing its own unique realities. We might
see imagination, dreams, creativity, repetition of difference, mutational
fluidics and other rhizomatic connectivities as activities that blur the
boundaries of the limit between represented and unrepresented space. Here
it is less the world of despotic representation more an improverse of
content and its expression. Contact is close and expression and content may
change places depending on which forces are resisting, which are giving
expression. Words make this sound a little cold and reduced to notions of
force, but everything is here in the dream flow. All the petty
representations, all the subjects, all the people and plants and forests and
their inhabitants. A potter throws on a wheel and the forces that inform
the potter's hands, the institutions of art, the ideas in the mind of the
potter, the genes that shaped the hands, all come into collision with the
clay, and all the geological and biological forces that have entered into
the clay and give it expression. But things may change in a moment. A shape
in the form suggests something to the potter and she stops and begins to
cry. The expression being given the clay now shifts and the potter becomes
the content of an emotional expression suggested by the shape of the clay.
Or more materially, the potter may come across a lump in the clay that
knocks him/her off the seat. Content and its expression shift constantly.
A dreamer dreams and a multitude of forces give the dream its expression.
We may still say the lamp on the table represents me, and the light of
consciousness I can support, but we will also know this game of
representation is part of larger dance that always exceeds it.
Richard Wilkerson
August 30, 2003
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
Computer Dreams
January 2002 - December 2002
Richard Catlett Wilkerson
o|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|o
The Data and Research
The Computer Dream Survey
http://www.dreamgate.com/computers was started
in 1999 and we have been collecting dreams about computers, the Internet and
digital objects ever since. Generally the posts requesting dreams are
pretty simple. Here is a sample:
"Are you having dreams about robots, cyborgs, androids, Borgs, robots or
animated machines? Are you having dreams of computers, programs that take on
a life of their own, dream experiences with keyboards and monitors, printers
or wires? How about dreams of the Internet, surfing, chatting, interacting
with others or online bots?
If so, we would like to have your digital dreams for our research project
examining the shift in culture from man to machine, organic human to
augmented humanoid, analog thinking to digitally mediated virtual reality."
However, some requests have been worked in with more speculative and
analytic papers, which are listed on the above webpage.
Listed below are the collections from January 1, 2002 through Decenber 31,
2002.
Note that I am just listing the dreams here with some extra information
contained in the survey, but not all of it. The raw data is available upon
request, and includes information such as age, sex, political beliefs, how
participants spend time off and on the computer and other information.
- Richard
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = Computer hacked + searching internet
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = This month
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = StormCyko
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = male_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = I once had a dream that my computer was being
hacked, the screen went fuzzy and I was really suprised that someone could
do that!
Also the other night I dreamed I was searching on the internet for a
university in China that would accept me. It was called Oxford-something
When I played games online alot more, I would often dream that I were in the
same situations as those games. (mostly life threatening situations)
-----------------------------------------------------
Computer Dreams Changed life query = After the internet searching dream, I
kept telling myself to remember to search the REAL internet upon awakening,
however I was unable to remember the full name of the university to search
for.
-----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = 1 dream out of a million
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = months ago
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Luice
----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = male_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = In one of my dreams i dreamt that god
told me a long story on evolution
and in it he said he had planed for
us to invent computers.In it he said that some computers hade there own
minds. He said it all had to do with this master plan.
Also I had a dream and i saw some Angel in the form of the computer ask a
man if he wanted to go into the computer and live a fantacy out
The dreams where both within a weeks length and have been the only dreams Iv
had on computers.
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream Title = 1 dream out of a million
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = months ago
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream Title = seth green made of robotic parts
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = soon after developing this love interest
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = molly
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = female_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = many people. dancing. crowded. low ceilings. i am
feeling confined and out of place. across the room i notice seth green (an
actor closely resembling a man i've been longing to be with). i become warm
with a rush of new and exciting feelings. he smiles and crosses through the
crowd. he looks at me smiling, somehow asking me to join him(dancing?). i
look into his mouth and realize that he is made up of robotic parts.
----------------------------------------------------
Computer Dreams Changed life query = i am more hesitant to form a
relationship, feeling that the dream was showing me that my feelings for
this man were based on purely physical/chemical emotions and that i truly
know little of his inner composition.
-----------------------------------------------------
Other comments = i can't remember ever dreaming of computers before this. i
usually dream of past places/people, mostly water-themed and taking place
out side/vast open spaces. this dream was confusing particularly because it
was so unlike the normal element s of my dreams
-----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = IMs
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = few weeks ago
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = female_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = talking to people through IMs
-----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = administering the universe
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = often
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers country = zimbabwe
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = male_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = programming and programming languages and
developing databases of extrem volume behond the human mind can understand ,
also dreaming of controling huge space planetary objects in orbirt which
produce very strange sounds.
Dream Title = Programming via Sleep
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = A few months ago.
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = male_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = I don't remember a whole lot from it, as it was
several months ago that I had this dream. But, I had been having trouble
with a computer science assignment, I just could NOT solve the problem with
my code. Then all I can really remember in my dream was that I was at my
computer at home programming, and I got the solution to the problem. Then I
woke up and thought "Hey! That's an excellent idea! Why didn't I think of
that before?" And so when I got to my CS class I typed in what I had dreamt,
and voila! Problem solved!
----------------------------------------------------
Computer Dreams Changed life query = Well, finished my assignment for me. So
I guess it helped me in school, and perhaps I'll always remember that and
think more broadly about any problems in programming.
-----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = Higher Self Computer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = Over the last few months (5/'02 to present)
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = male_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = Interesting that I should run across your interest
at this time. I have been having computer dreams lately.
In my dreams, I am usually in some light-colored, misty climate sitting
at a computer keyboard. I am aware that there is someone else there with
me, but, can't see who it is.
I "key" in questons of things happening in my life using the keyboard,
and, pictures of answers to my questions appear on the colored monitor.
Generally, the person who is with me tells me to look, be still and
remember.
Upon awakening, I find that I sometime during the day will remember
the answers to my questions and I will usually be able to slove some problem
that had been bothering me.
I am 'heavy' into Spirituality and I suppose this might be an answer
to my asking for more direct contact with my Higher Self. Whatever the
case, I find that since I have started having these dreams, I now have more
assurance and self-esteem. I no longer struggle with problems for days,
weeks, or, even years on end. I simply suggest to myself, upon retiring,
that I will find a solution that evening in my dream state and that I will
remember the answer.
----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = What the ?
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = Recurring dream- twice/month
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Siren
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = female_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = I've had recurring dreams about people (men)
visiting my web page, and signing my guestbook. I am in a library type of
atmosphere, but there are few books, but many computers. I have a hard time
getting all my messages. I get excited when I have messages from 'popular'
online people. I seem to have trouble maintaining my site, and keeping up
with all my online friends lives. Every time I visit my site, it's
changed...does this mean I have no life??? (lol)
-----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = binary dream
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = 1994
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = male_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = I once had a dream in total binary numbers about
eight years ago. Every image of my dream (which I vaguely remember) had a
binary digit assigned to it and I understood it in my dream. It was like a
language or a digital translation from an analog state. The image of all the
numbers may be likened to the movie "Matrix" or scenes from the aliens
spaceship on "Independence Day"
----------------------------------------------------
Computer Dreams Changed life query = After the binary dream, "my"
interpretation of reality was altered in a very peculiar way. I tend to be
as precise as possible when conveying a thought or feeling from my mind or
from my heart. I accomplished a record-breaking $20 million sales goal for
this company that I sell my services to in a three year time frame. I was
able to effectuate my desired outcome from a thought (energy) perspective,
similar unto a crab influencing or controlling the winds and the tides.
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream Title = Opening the door
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = end of april 2002
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = male_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = In my dream I was in a dark but warm room on the
second floor of a house on a computer that was next toa window. It was
night. I remember I was playing a game which was similar to the doom series
of games and I had trouble open a door. I felt like I was actually inside
the game and I was trying to remember how to open the hi tech automatic
sliding door. By trying to remember this I suddenly released I was dreaming.
I was outside the computer now and back in the room in front of the
computer. I stood up and I was very excited because I had not had a lucid
dream for a few months. Then I felt like I was waking up and I attemted to
stay asleep by spinning around at a million miles an hour. This did not work
because at the time of this dream I was camping in a tent which was being
blown over by gale force winds.
-----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = Computer Out-of-Control
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = Each was about a year ago
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = female_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = I have had two distinctly different computer
dreams/nightmares, but the most recent one was maybe a year ago, so details
are fuzzy. Also, I chose not to write either one down because they were so
disturbing to me personally.
Both dreams dealt with my inability to control what was going on on the
computer screen. Each dream dealt with a different computer (my family has
two). The first dream began with me working on the computer (with a Windows
platform), somehow accessing a program that I had no control over. It began
as a game that was reminicent of one I'd played in my early childhood but I
couldn't recall what exactly - it could have been a fabrication of my mind.
At any rate, it appeared like something of an "acid flashback" - pink,
colorful swirls moving around, finally sucking me inside which was rather
disturbing. Anyway, for the rest of the dream it was me fighting my way in
and out of the computer and its control. I could not get away, I could not
control it. I had a few lucid moments which added to the complexity of it,
but again it controlled me - calling to mind things from my past and
situations I did not want to be up against. The second dream I had started
off in the same way, very innocently. I was this time typing something on
my Macintosh when suddenly it froze to MY commands, but continued doing it's
own thing with strange and disturbing pictures moving very slowly across the
screen. I woke up, frightened. It doesn't sound very frightening, I know,
but the images of the dreams really were. I haven't thought about these
dreams in awhile, but they still affect me when I do remember them.
-----------------------------------------------------
Other comments = Even though I am only 17, I have been researching dreams
and their effects for many years. I have had an interest in comparitive
religions and the inner workings of the mind and the sub/unconscious since I
was very young (perhaps beginning with the paradoxes I began to recognize in
my Catholic school / Methodist family upbringing). I think that it is a
very interesting science that has unfortunately become too highly
commercialized in the present to become exceedingly helpful to most. As I
continue to learn I can only hope others will branch out and explore the
many possibilities of the mind and soul as well. Thank you for the
information that you provide to all of us searching for our own answers!
-----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = Wrongful arrest
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = 04h00 GMT Saturday 6 July 2002
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = female_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = Was trying to gain access to a statement I had
made to the police about events of a certain day linked to a crime under
investigation by them. I was under suspicion, although innocent. Could
not retrieve the statement from the computer, so tried searching for a hard
copy, going through desk drawers etc. Felt very frustrated that my
attempts were failing, and also very fearful that the crime would be
'pinned' on me, as I had not been truthful about my name to the police.
This took place in a home that in no ways resembled my own, but which I knew
as my home in the dream. There was an office within the home.
I do use a previous surname for computer/e-mail/internet use. The police
regarded this as a sign of guilt. I kept on telling the police the
accusations were ludicrous as there was DNA evidence that linked the crime
to a male, and I am female.
This was a very vivid, emotional dream and woke me. It was so profound
that I could not sleep again for some time afterwards.
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = Half-Life
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = 1 month ago
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = [NoFX]Berkowitz
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers sex = male_dreamer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers Computer Dream = i have had a couple of computer dreams, one was
where i was playing as Gordon Freeman in half-life and played the whole game
through, and one where i watched the matrix in my sleep, and also have
played the
Half-Life mod Counter-Strike Multiplayer in my head
-----------------------------------------------------
*******c*o*m*p*u*t*e*r***d*r*e*a*m*s*******
Dream Title = computer
-----------------------------------------------------
Dream date = a week ago
-----------------------------------------------------
Dreamers name = BIN
(Message over 64k, truncated.)
Having problems with message search?
Fill out this form to ensure your group is one of the first to be migrated to the new message search system.
Offline 
Send Email