My dear friend D sent me an email describing a beautiful dream he'd had, and this is the letter I wrote back to him. I did not yet get his permission to post his description of his dream, so I didn't post that, and I didn't really edit up the response letter much. It's not here to be an example of great writing, but rather to create discussion. Please post your thoughts. :)
Hi D!
I wish I had cool dreams like that more often. My dreams are usually just weird. Funny how sometimes you don't remember what happened in a dream, but it leaves you with a very specific feeling when you wake up. I think it goes to show you that at our core, we are emotional creatures.
Any more thoughts on what the dream may mean to you? You might have to sleep on it a bit longer (if you’ll pardon the pun) to get some perspective. K gave me an interesting book about dreams, and each item/thing/idea/concept is explained in both its psychological terms (what Freud or Jung or other psychologists thought it meant) and its mystical terms (what the ancient Greeks or other spiritualists thought it meant). I think it can be interesting to read about, but really I think it's pretty relative to each person. Different things have different significances to different people. I tend to have recurring dreams about elevators, parking garages and escalators. The escalator/elevator dreams are usually about me not being able to get off the escalator, or about the elevator refusing to go to the floor I push the button for. Maybe it’s about feeling out of control of my life? Or like my life is going in a direction I’m not ready for.
Are you able to do lucid dreaming? I used to be able to do it when I was a kid, and then again recently, but only when I try. I can teach you how if you're interested. It's pretty simple – it just takes practice. Oh my gosh, have you seen the film The Waking Life??? It is so amazing! Definitely in my top ten. I don't think you can get it on Netflix, but I have it (borrowed it from a friend). We should watch it sometime. Did I ever tell you about the psychic (precognizant is the technical term, I believe) dream I had when I was in 5th grade?
Funny you should mention that your dream started off with reading The Hobbit, because I was just listening to a podcast yesterday (see more below) wherein one of the hosts was saying that if she falls asleep reading, she sometimes has cool dreams about being in the story.
The podcast I was listening to is called Dial-A-Stranger. The hosts call up strangers and have conversations with them and record them. You can sign up at their website dialastranger.com to submit questions to be asked to the people they call, or to be one of the strangers they call. I love listening to podcasts. I discover most of them through other podcasts! Some of my favorites are: This American Life, Dial-A-Stranger, The New Yorker Fiction Podcast, The Moth, Risk, Snap Judgment (those three are story-telling podcasts), Transom, and some podcasts about sex education stuff. (Did I tell you I’m considering becoming a sex educator once I get my Master’s?)
Wow, this is quite a long email, and I have to finish up some stuff before leaving work today, so I’d better go!!
One more thing: I have the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” stuck in my head. J What is/are your favorite Christmas song(s)? You know, I’m not really religious, but during Christmas time I just love all the music – the religious music included! There is something so beautiful about it that unites people and makes us feel light and warm and happy toward humanity in the middle of winter! J Are you attending any Christmas concerts this year? Probably you get to hear and make great music at church all the time!
Have a fabulous evening, and happy dreams to you tonight!
