“A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you’re fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches; whatever you wish for, you keep!” Lyrics excerpted from “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes,” sung by Cinderella (voiced by Ilene Woods) from Walt Disney’s film Cinderella (circa 1950).
Well that is a lovely sentiment, princess. From a magical world where puppies eat laughter and poop sunshine! So if a dream is a wish your heart makes… what’s a nightmare — a threat your soul makes? What about those weirdo dreams? Where it’s not really good or bad? Are those random-crap your mind makes? Or what about “water” dreams (not wet ones…we know what makes those) urgent promises your kidneys make?
Good, bad, weird or wet, we all dream. Those who say they haven’t are either lying… or too “tough” to admit it, “Dreams mean feelings and emotions and I ain’t got those either!” Whatever tough guy — keep your heart-wishes to yourself.
When it comes to discussions on dreaming, most dreamers fall into 3 categories:
1. Animated — if the dream was humorous, especially if it involved those present.
2. Grim — if the dream seemed serious or had a potentially darker meaning.
3. Amnesiac — they had a dream but forgot it upon waking… which means they don’t really bring anything to the discussion.
If you look past the composition and focus on the content, most dreams can be deciphered. For the most part you will find they are nothing more than a collaboration of assorted subconscious imagery. People, places and things you’re familiar with, albeit placed in a sporadic, incomprehensible order. At other times dreams can be random scraps of memory strung together or very specific memories replayed through your mind’s eye.
Then there are those that come out of left field with no forwarding address and destination unknown. These subtle, seemingly out-of-place dreams aren’t nightmares, but are truly the stuff they’re made of. Not because they’re scary, but rather leave you wondering what you’re supposed to be scared of. Case in point and the best way to present this case is to point at it and throw you right into it … you dreaming from my perspective.
—: You awaken to total encompassing darkness and complete silence. Despite your lack of visual perception, you have a vague awareness of your situation. Flat on your back, extending arms reveal roughly 3 inches on either side, raised arm gives you about 6 inches of clearance above. Claustrophobia sets in, followed by screaming, DON’T PANIC you’ll run out of air. That’s when you realize… you’re not breathing.
—: Are you dead? Is this a coffin? If you lift up will you be able to turn and see your lifeless body? No, just bump your head on the surface above. Is this some version of personal hell? Lying prone for eternity?
—: Your stretch your legs, point your toes… nothingness meets them. Twisting your arm, reaching up equals the same. Are you trapped in some kind of shaft? Should you try to scooch down… or up? For some reason you feel… no, you know, in the very core of your being, it would be fruitless. And a twinge of fear etches up your spine as your imagination allows you to consider what might pass through this condensed darkened tunnel.
—: An overwhelming feeling of hopelessness… but what’s this? There’s something… in your pocket… a lighter?!? Darkness abates to flickering flame. Enlightening you to what you already know. The darkness above and below you with stained dark brown all around… is this a massive poop chute???
—: Something falls onto and burns your hand… “the ceiling” is melting? S*** brown gives way to stark white… Styrofoam? Dropping the lighter you press against the burned patch. There’s a crack… and without warning your hand breaks through, vanishing into blinding white light. Startled, you withdraw, terrified, pulling back into the shadows. Away from the brightness and promised potential escape? You wake up.
So the shaft is life which is s***y, fragile and entrapping. Visible directions are foreboding… hopeless. Escape requires little effort, but fear of an unknown outcome holds you back. Seems like a pretty straight forward dream analysis… nothing scary here… until you’ve applied it to your waking world.
I welcome almost all questions, comments via FOCUS, or E-mail me at [email protected]. Hope to hear from ya until then try and stay focused! See ya.
