--------------------------------------------------------------------- | Electric Dreams | | Volume 1 Issue 16 | | 9 October 1994 | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | Back issues and the FAQ available via anonymous FTP at | | sppc1952.uwsp.edu. Mailing list info, subscriptions, and other | | business: email cbeattie@worf.uwsp.edu | --------------------------------------------------------------------- _____________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Article Line ------- ---- Message Center 37 Dreams and Comments 51 Comments on "The Apparatus" - Richard 53 Comments on "The Material/Immaterial World" - Cathy 99 Comments on "A House Dream" - Cathy 125 Comments on "Room 448B" - Cathy 150 Comments on "Room 448B" - Bob 181 Comments on "Dry Lagoon" and "Man with a Gun" - Bob 249 Comments on "To the Shore" and "At the Mountain" 357 Bizarre Shopping Dream - Cathy 506 Hippie Jesus - Val 519 Man from the French Revolution - Val 528 The Messenger - Val 545 Manipulation - Val 562 Questions and Answers 592 Dream "Into the TV" - Ayvar 599 Dream "The Pit" - Cathy 627 Dream "Moon Mice" - Richard 644 Dream "The Kitchen Parade" - BJ 680 Ye Olde Disclaimer 722 _____________________________________________________________________ Message Center 1. I have moved the FTP site to a new computer. The new address is sppc1952.uwsp.edu. Email me at cbeattie@worf.uwsp.edu if you need instructions on how to get files via FTP. 2. Your current head editor of Electric Dreams has found herself to be over her head in work again, so, if anyone would be willing to take over all the editing responsibilities of the newsletter, either temporarily or permanently, let me know at the usual address (cbeattie@worf.uwsp.edu) and maybe we can work something out. _____________________________________________________________________ Dreams and Comments =====NOTE BY RICHARD (RCWILK@AOL.COM)ON VAL'S DREAM: THE APPARATUS (see VOLUME 1, ISSUE 13)============================================= I've kept this dream in my mental pocket the past week or so to see what would happen. I also question my writing futures [i.e., all of the commentator's future potential experiences as a writer? -- Ed.'s note] and asked of it what it meant for my Val. I first pondered the images in a typically Jungian way, relentlessly herding aspects of the dream to categories of subjective projections, but then set that project aside for one of my own pet theories, that of dream image as imaginal platform. The question of what the dream might be saying about the dream-ego's (Val's) future in writing changed to one of how the dream was already a piece of writing and how this narrative might already be trying to extend and unfold itself. Slap me, oh master, for answering this question, but I can't resist. My technique was quite simple, I just tried to re-enter the image as often as possible, look around and watch what happened. While in the library today the dream image entered me unbeckoned. I was actually surrounded by a pile of books and reading an essay on how we may be unhealthily sustaining an artificial boundary between ourselves and machines, much in the same way we damaged the environment by sustaining the artificial boundary between ourselves as humans and other animals. We've done this with dreams to, but that's another story. Val's dream entered my awareness and I felt that my own "Woman in the Library" could now connect with the technologically capped penis (a connection more related to internet than to individual machinery) and my writer, imagining writing on the net, filled with inspiration. When that inspiration begins to dip, I recall the standing naked before the police and find myself recharged. Thanks Val for your dream, my new writing apparatus. To all others, I recommend reading Val's dream and Donna Haraway's A Manifesto for Cyborgs: Science Technology and Socialist Feminism in the 1980's, an essay in Linda J. Nicholson (ed) (1990). _Feminism/Postmodernism_. New York: Routledge. ======Comments by Cathy on THE MATERIAL/IMMATERIAL WORLD by Chris==== The opening section of the dream in which the dreamer succeeds in going through the glass despite first floating away, seems to indicate confidence in the dreamer's ability to succeed if she works hard. The dream illustrates the old work ethic, you get what you work for. The dreamer starts to lose mental control over the dream world once inside the house. She is unable to carry out her mental decision to explore. The box incident is again an effort to control the dream. The result is partially successful. The dream seems to suggest that even trying as hard as she is able, the dreamer cannot make things come out the way she wants or expects them to. Her power is strong, but not unlimited. Chris asks us "Any ideas on why glass would act as a trigger for me?" One reason might be the long connection of magic, mirrors, and windows. The mirror and the window both divide yet do not divide. They are nature's magic--the solid thing that isn't there, the picture that seems so real but is only a reflection. Also in literature, windows and mirrors have often been used to transport people to magic worlds. Some past reading might trigger this association. ======Comments by Cathy on A HOUSE DREAM BY BLUEJILL================= In the opening section of the dream, all of the dreamer's wishes come true as quickly as she makes them. She has the satisfaction also of valuing that which other people cannot see the value of. The delightful house could be a symbol of good self-esteem. Others don't value her (the house), but she is happy with herself, her mind, her body, all the hidden and complex aspects of herself. The trip down inside the secret door suggests plumbing into the secret workings of her self. The treasures she finds down below suggest that she is happy with who she is at the deepest level. The feeling that the treasures have been prepared for her by others might mean that she feels that genetics and nurturing are partially responsible and also that her relationship with her husband contributes to her happiness and joy in life. An alternative reading would be to see the house as her husband's personality, which she explores, probes, and discovers is a rich treasure trove. The concluding section in which the pool merges with an ocean suggests the spiritual well inside of a person. The spiritual aspect of the person, or the goodness inside, is connected to a larger or more divine, or more universal pool of goodness. The feeling of joy is the feeling of merging with a greater good. ======COMMENTS BY CATHY ON ROOM 448B BY JIM========================== The opening of the dream suggests that the dream is about sexual desire. The medieval-look disguises the sexual content of the dream and makes it safe by having the setting so unworldly, associated with another space and time. The tower is a penis symbol. The missing class on erotic, the missing room, suggests that some dimensions of sexuality in yourself seem inaccessible to you. You are cut off from your full sexual potential or erotic expressionism. The arrival of others suggests that you see this problem as bigger than a personal one, perhaps a cultural inhibition against the erotic is what is at the heart of the dream. You and the others wait for the instructor, or cultural authorities to sanction your sexual desires. You and others seem only to be able to search so far into eroticism. The downhill run associated with CP is a sexual release symbol, an orgasm. You are afraid of letting your body be totally out of control, giving into the physicality of orgasm but you do and "make it." The dragons and fire at the end of the dream may represent some fear of cultural or moral punishment for indulgence in eroticism. Final Note: This is only a dream reading, no accusations or offense is intended, and I hope no one is offended by the sexuality of the commentary. ======COMMENTARY BY BOB ON DREAM ROOM 448B=========================== DREAM: "I was at this medieval-looking place. I found out that a class, probably on erotica or something of that sort, was to be held in classroom 448B. I went outside to go to it, and found that it was in a very tall building, that looked like a castle tower or something. I went to the area of the classroom, and I could not find the classroom. Pretty soon, others arrived and none of us could find it at first. However, I did see something that said 448, so we walked down a corridor or courtyard and find a room called B. There was another class in there." INTERPRETATION: Another name for the medieval ages (or at least the beginning of them) is the dark ages. So the dreamer is literally in the dark looking for a class or education concerning erotica (or sex). He is looking for a place to B or be, so that he can learn, but he has to walk a corridor (straight and narrow?) and/or pass through a "court"yard (is he being judged?) before he finds the place to be. However, the dreamer can't learn anything about erotical at this place because something else is being taught. Therefore, the dreamer will remain in the dark until it's his turn to learn. DREAM: "We figured we would wait for the instructor to turn up. In the meantime we waited in buildings in the area. I was at a place where I wanted to walk down hill to get to somewhere, and a woman, CP, was nearby. I told her I would go down the hard way. I went down a steep embankment. I wound up flying partially the way down. This made me very insecure, and I wondered if I would make it. But I seemed to have made it." INTERPRETATION: The dreamer in a sense is exploring outside the classroom, possibly seeking experiential rather than book learning. He tells the woman CP that he wants to "go down (a hill) the hard way," which may be another way of saying that he wants to "fall hard" (for a woman?) The experience of flying may allude to the act of sex ("getting off"), and the dream is concerned about "making it," which may refer to a fear of not being able to perform should a sexual opportunity present itself. DREAM: "At another time I walked by a fenced off area, and found a dark, fiery monster-filled area that could have been the abode of the devil himself. It was about half the size of a football field, and the fence was about the height of my head. I saw fires and dragons in there. I decided I did not want to go in there, and I stayed outside and watched in until I had to go to classes." INTERPRETATION: If the dreamer enters the abode of the devil, (has a sexual experience) will he be in over his head? The devil's abode is apparently half a football field, in on a such a field "ball games" are played. The dreamer decides against experiential knowledge of sex, and decides to learn about it through book knowledge. The dreamer's conflict may concern his spiritual beliefs versus his sexuality. As always, if the dreamer does not agree with the above interpretation, it is wrong. Only the dreamer knows. ====== INTERPRETATION OF THE DRY LAGOON AND THE MAN WITH A GUN BY BOB================================================================== DREAM: "I went to a place that seemed remote to me, to see some relatives; it seemed the place was in California. When I got there, I went out to see what else was there. All of my relatives and I went to a trip to a building. I was in this building with many artifacts. Eventually I wound up in a chemistry lab with a group of scientists, both male and female. We all went downstairs. There was a party going on in the first floor or basement of this building. The atmosphere was dark, and it looked like a bar, with dark wood decor. It was somewhat larger than After Dark. It also had a cafeteria, which started in the left portion of the building and was somewhat bright, turns to the front and then turns left to an ice cream area and a dark bar-like area with a lot of people, especially men there." INTERPRETATION: The dreamer tries to remain "scientific" in the basement (libido?) area. The reference to the west in this dream may be of personal relevance, or it may refer to "the wild west." It seems that on the top floor (which may refer to 'here and now' consciousness) men and women are objectively (scientifically) similar, but in the basement (libido?) there seems to be a dichotomy between childlike innocence (ice cream area) and adult knowledge ("dark bar-like area with a lot of people, especially men there"). DREAM: "I was in a party of people where two of the women got promotions to Captain, and I remembered as I went by the ice cream bar that we remarked that the two women made the grade. Then we went (the scientist group) went to a corridor to find things. We went down further in the basement to what looked like a river in a jungle. However, it was all dark, and there was no sky, so it was more likely a cave that had access to the bar. The river was lighted, and it seemed clear and sparking light bluish green, and inviting. There was a lagoon at a bend of the river. We all took off our clothes and hopped in. The water felt good on my body, but it also seemed strange. It seemed to have a gelatinous crust on the top, that dented like a black-hole demonstration when you jumped in it. The water did not seem all that wet, although it did seem of reasonable consistency. It seemed almost as if it were made of chemicals. INTERPRETATION: The fact that women are in command or control (promoted to Captain) may indicate the way the dreamer experiences his relationships with women. The dreamer tries to remain "scientific" in the dark cave-like atmosphere of the libido or subconscious, but a cave is primitive and almost the exact opposite of a "scientific" experience. The dreamer takes his clothes off and jumps in the lagoon, but it is not a natural environment for him, it seemed "made of chemicals." The jump into the lagoon may be a sexual reference. If so, this may indicate the dreamer does not feel uninhibited sex is "natural" for him. The reference to a black-hole may also reflect a message from the dream mind that there are some experiences form which there is "no escape." DREAM: "One of the men in my party got out and walked away. He was medium height and stockily built with a beard, and he looked like a big Western guy, although I don't know how a person can seem Western if he were naked. He may have had a hat on. I told him to hop in instead; it's rather unusual. He went back to the cafeteria and bar instead." INTERPRETATION: The hat may be protecting the dreamer's superconsciousness [super-ego?--Ed.'s note] from his "wild west" libido. At this point in the dream, the superconsciousness wins, since the "big Western guy" opts not to jump into the saloon. DREAM: "Then I was back in the cafeteria. I finished getting food in line at the cafeteria, went by the cashier without paying since I wanted ice cream too, and got some ice cream, with the intention of going back and paying. I looked at the crowd of people down in the bar area, and it seemed there was a mild chatter or ruckus going on. Then a tall guy came out; he was about six foot eight or so and thin and wearing a black suit. He held a pistol in his hand. I finished getting my ice cream and then I walked back to the cashier. I saw the guy come towards me. When I saw this, I dropped everything and walked away from the bar area and outside the building. I quickly turned right and looked back to find him walking towards me. I then walked quickly outside the building from the back to the front. Then I turned right again at the front. I looked back and saw him back there still coming after me with the gun in his hand. I then went to the entrance and went in the building again. I sat down in a dark lounge in the front part of the building, like a lobby, with sofas and stuffed chairs. There were some people around and I wanted to figure out what to do and thought of asking people around what to do about this man entering the building. INTERPRETATION: The dreamer feels that if he "goes for" ice cream " (i.e. childlike innocence) he can avoid "paying," at least for a while. The tall guy wearing a black suit and with a pistol in his hand (the epitome of the Western "bad guy") may be the dreamer's adult sexuality. The dreamer runs, but he can't escape the man "entering the building," i.e. he can't escape becoming a man). As with the previous dream (Room 448B) the dreamer's conflict may concern his spiritual beliefs versus his sexuality. As always, if the dreamer disagrees with the above interpretation, then it is wrong. Only the dreamer knows. ======COMMENTS: TO THE SHORE & AT THE MOUNTAIN from Mystery Guest==== Regarding the comments by Bob: Yes, it is true that I was coming to terms at the end of a "close" friendship. This person did not allow me, or, in better words, I did not allow myself to be myself when he was around. At the time of the dream TO THE SHORE it was too late to rebuild what was lost, but I was trying. It's hard to communicate with someone who does not communicate back. It was very sad, but I learned some valuable lessons through it; 1)not to blame myself when things go bad out of my control, 2) people who you admire never turn out to be who you idealize them to be, 3) there is nothing better than self-love, without it you drown, 4) let things go and they will cease to haunt you, 5) never lose yourself in someone else's identity, 6) dream about the future, don't dream about the past, 7) real friends care about each other and stay in touch--if a "friend" is emotionally abusing you (through neglect, blaming, taunting, gossiping, etc) that "friend" is not your friend, he's a bully, 8) and NEVER, EVER GIVE TOO MUCH OF YOURSELF AWAY. As you can see these dreams were very powerful to me. About the silver and gold crabs...that's still sort of a mystery to me, too. I've been taught by therapists that whenever you dream of anything that is "silver and gold" it means that the image has great value. Imagine if any of us ever happened across _real_ crabs made of silver and gold! I also thought it might have something to do with the astrological sign of Cancer, but that is not my sign, nor is it BCP's. Perhaps it's a symbol of the emotional, turbulent aspects of Cancer. Or that something is "Cancer-ous" about turbulent emotions--a warning I should've paid attention to? The symbol of the scales of Libra balancing the crab and the scorpion actually reminded me of "balancing two enemies;" I do not like crabs or scorpions, they give me heebee-jeebees. A crab to me is a symbol of turbulent emotions. Scorpions to me, remind me of viciousness, anger, and jealousy. Keeping these "enemies" in balance keeps me on my feet. In that image I am not allowing myself to "sink" down to my enemies' level. Again, it was a very powerful dream. Thank you for your comments. ======COMMENTS ON TO THE SHORE & AT THE MOUNTAIN by Mystery Guest==== Regarding Jim's comments: I liked what you had to say, but I must warn you, the brunt of my comments on your comments mainly covers what you had to say about Aphrodite--THE GODDESS OF LOVE and (yep, you guessed it) DEATH. Not many people know about the true nature of this goddess. I was not wrong about her. I was _not_ mythologically incorrect! Let me tell you a bit about her and what she has to do with my dreams... Mythologically first, Aphrodite was born from the foam of the sea that had gathered about Uranus' severed genitals (if you know anything about mythology, look this story up, it's, well, interesting...). This image tells us that, when we suffer a wound to our "virility" (by love), the vast array of emotions from the sea of the collective unconscious is brought forth--humility, longing, betrayal, sadness, and the desire to share our lives with another. The emotional tidal waves and unpredictable patterns of the sea teach us to attune ourselves to its rhythms (like I was trying to do through my dream) and be aware of sharks in its depths, to appreciate powers more primordial and more powerful than our own desires. We meet "love" when we let go to the waters of life. I meet Aphrodite just as I am "going to the shore" of the waters of life. Through her, I come face to face with the wound of my heart. As you can very well see, Aphrodite's nature is connected with the wounds of love. In mythology, she commits adultery (her marriage to Hephaestus wasn't that great) and she is associated with vengeance (she turned Hippomenes into a lion when he neglected to thank her for helping him win Atlanta). Her love is possessive and deadly. From Aphrodite comes pleasure and pain, both good and bad; a strange balance, sort of like love itself, yes? When Aphrodite had children, she gave birth to Deimos (Fear), Phobos (Panic), and Harmonia (Harmony). In other stories, she's just the opposite. Aphrodite helps mortals win their beloved (as in the case of Hippomenes and Atlanta) and even the gods seek her aid (she lent Hera her magic belt/garter to win Zeus). The point I'm trying to make her is that Aphrodite contains the dark and light sides of love. She is called ANDROPHONOS "killer of men" and MELAINIS "the black one;" but she is also called CHRUSE "the golden one" or "heavenly love." Out of the pain and challenges she sends us comes growth--as in the story of Eros and Psyche. Aphrodite's appearance (like the one in my dream) is most often described as radiant, shining, and ethereal. She _is_ the goddess of Death, Rebirth, Sex (erotic love), Fertility, and Passion. From these very things come life _and_ death. As we all know, sex is a life-giving _and_ life-taking thing. When we fall in love, we experience its "life-giving" qualities and, when wounded by a love, we experience its "life-taking" qualities (metaphorically, that is; an ending or break up is a deep change, like death, no?). Aphrodite, goddess of love and death, joins us one to another--for her realm is that of relationship and feeling. Often her consort is the dove; the original symbol of love and harmony (peace) with a laurel leaf (an offering of peace and love) in its mouth. Aphrodite's ears are roses; symbols of passionate love whose color represents her fertile, blood-red vulva. Sometimes she carries a conch shell with her; symbol of her womb and a "trumpet" which she uses to call humans to join with one another. Her magic belt/garter represented the mysteries of woman and was a potent symbol of sacred sexual power. In paintings and sculptures throughout history, she is seen with her hand over her genitals-- this was not purposely placed to "cover herself up modestly"--she points to her genitals to remind humans that they came into the world via their mother's vulva and where they will return--the earth; the Universal Mother's Great Womb. In my dream, she was all these things and more. I apologize if I did not make myself clear. As you can see, I am _not_ wrong in stating that Aphrodite is both the goddess of love and death. I am also _not_ wrong in stating that this is not just my personal symbol. Study real ancient mythology and learn the great mysteries our stuffy old schoolmasters didn't teach us. Patriarchal society may have "dethroned" this powerful goddess by trivializing her powers; I refuse to. It seems I stood on a soap box here... Please don't feel that you insulted me. It was interesting that you pointed this out. It gave me the opportunity to tell people why this goddess is so important to me and why she was such an important symbol in my dreams. Thanks for your comments and for hearing an old pagan out. Perhaps we should do a special "Questions and Answers" section on the mythological aspects/symbols in our dreams? I'd be happy to comply. --Mystery Guest ======BIZARRE SHOPPING DREAM BY CATHY================================ I was walking down a street with brick houses along one side, I don't know about the other. Although it appeared to be a residential area, it was a street of shops. I went into a fish store. I stood by a freezer case of fish and watched two Chinese mobsters come in and start harassing the owner. Then John-Claude Von Damm came up a service escalator and the two Chinese men and he fought a high kicking fight. I watched a while then left the store. I went down the block a bit and then went in a fancy Victorian style dress shop. I went up to the balcony level and tried on lots of gorgeous, bright colored evening gowns. ======HIPPIE JESUS(9-9-94)BY VAL,THE DREAM SHAMAN==================== There was a blond hippie man in my bathroom. I asked him who he was and he told me he was Jesus Christ. For some reason, I asked him why and he just said that "because I wanna be, that's why--got a problem with it?" I slammed the door on him when he tried to urinate on my feet. ======MAN FROM THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (9-16-94) BY VAL, THE DREAM SHAMAN=============================================================== I had this dream in the back of Chris' car while on the way to a convention. I slept very light... As I drifted in between sleep and reality, I thought I saw a man dressed in 1780s attire. He was very handsome, but strange. He sat next to me in the car. He put a hand on my left ankle and his touch was dull and cold. There was a red line about his neck...as if someone had drew blood across his jugular, but the blood was drying, not gushing out. He smiled at me and said something I could not hear. Once he noticed I couldn't hear anything he had said, he gave me this desperate look and disappeared. It unnerved me a little. I felt as if this person was truly alive and had wanted to communicate with me. I felt bad as I woke up, but the feeling soon passed. ======THE MESSENGER (9-18-94) BY VAL, THE DREAM SHAMAN=============== I heard a man's voice calling my name. I dreamt I rose up from my bed, but I was "stuck" and couldn't move once I realized I hadn't gotten up from bed. My room was bathed in pinkish-red light and there were faces coming through the walls--they were human faces, but they were ink drawings of faces; like ones you'd see in a comic book. The man's voice told me to "travel the golden road ...become the gold...work on gold...you are gold...gold returning...an image returning to you...be careful." I felt frightened. Suddenly I was lifted up from my bed. It felt like a huge invisible hand had picked me up. Then I woke up. I almost fell out of bed. ======MANIPULATION 9-19-94 BY VAL, THE DREAM SHAMAN================== This is an on-going symbol in my dreams lately. Another male messenger. This time he's just a regular guy that I've never seen before. He has dark hair tied up in a pony tail, wearing blue colored John Lennon glasses, and a white T-shirt with the letter V on it in gold. He teaches me how to move objects with my "mind"--all I have to do is visualize an object moving and it does! Then he tells me that I have to teach others this technique of "manipulation." He also goes on to tell me, "don't be afraid to be dangerous...do what you want when you want and where you want to do it...you have limitations now but soon you won't have any...be careful." Then I get a vision of comic books again...pages and pages flying all around me and I can't focus on a single picture or word. I pass through a heavy steel door and I'm in my kitchen. I'm expecting something to come over but don't remember who it is. I can't wait to show this "person" or "persons" my new "powers of manipulation." But then I wake up and find out that this power I thought I had is unreal and only a dream. I'm disappointed. This "manipulation" dream--being able, then being unable to move objects around with my mind--has occurred several times now throughout the last two months. What do ya think? _____________________________________________________________________ Questions and Answers (I forgot to send these out to our questions and answers editor this week, sorry) Responses to the question: What is the first dream you remember? ======INTO THE TV, BY AYVAR========================================== Geez, the first dream? It may not have been the first dream, but it is one of the first lucid dreams I remember having. I was about 10, and I was standing in the living room of my house with my family and several relatives around the room. Suddenly, this harlequin (bloke dressed in super colourful clothes etc) appeared, and told us that we should all fly into the TV to a wonderful world. I knew he was lying, and tried to get them to stop. A few of my relatives went in, and I knew I had to get them back. At about that point, I knew I was dreaming. I took a few steps back, and then launched myself at the TV screen. I flew into it, and into a world of clashing colours and swirls etc. I was forced out by something, pushed out of the TV, and hit the opposite wall rather hard (yes, I did feel how hard I hit!). After a few more attempts, and a few more hits against the wall, I decided just to fly around the room for a while. The dream ended soon after that. Ayvar--what *is* your name, child? ======THE PIT, BY CATHY============================================== The first dream I remember having is a nightmare. Since we moved from the house I had the dream in when I was seven, I was probably six or so. I dreamed my family was at the church we went to during my childhood. We stood on the back porch of the church, and my father and brother got in a huge fight. Then the dream became fantastic. There was a narrow square pit in the floor of the porch that seemed about a foot by a foot and a mile deep. My father threw my brother into the pit. I looked down the pit, lined by arrow stone columns, about an inch wide. There at the bottom was a small black dot that I knew was my brother. I woke up screaming. Cathy ======MOON MICE, BY RICHARD WILKINSON================================ First Dream (3-4 yrs old) 1958-59 Moon Mice I am dreaming that I can't sleep. I get up and find my mother in the living-room. She is standing in the moonlight beside the sleigh-bed. She is wearing her diaphanous nightgown and matching robe. When I tell her I can't sleep (or did I have to tell her?) she tells me the following story. Once upon a time there were these moon mice that came to earth and lived in the sewer tunnels beneath the ground. To see them from the front one might call them mice, but from the back they looked like the back of a round wind-up alarm clock. They moved on wheels instead of feet and rolled around all day in the sewers. But at night they would come out and gather around in a circle and wait to see the moon (whom they worshipped). But one night if was foggy and the when the mice came out they were sad because they couldn't see the moon. And so, on that night, with all the moon mice gathered in a circle, the moon came down to them. And so the mice were happy again. End dream. Though I remember feeling delighted in the dream by the mice and moon's descent, I woke up from the dream in the middle of the night and was quite terrified. I loved the dream so much as a child that I rehearsed it often and kept it and three others with me like secret friends. Richard Wilkerson ======THE KITCHEN PARADE, BY BJ HIORNS=============================== My first dream--well, the one I remember--hit me quite a few times when I was about 3 or so. The only reason I remember this one is because it recurred for about two weeks. I'm sitting at the formica table in our dining room, looking into the living room with its brown shag carpeting. To my left is a large archway leading into a short hall. Turning right down the hall leads to the kitchen; left goes upstairs. This is how my house was really laid out. I sit in a high folding chair (not a high chair, but you know) and I've got a flyswatter. I hear something in the hall and look toward the archway. To my three-year-old horror, I see various kitchen appliances (the big ones) marching from the kitchen toward the upstairs. All I can do is watch as they parade past the arch. The refrigerator marches past, doors banging open and shut--I can see all the food inside. The kitchen sink, complete with a section of countertop, follows behind the fridge. It knows I'm watching and the faucet starts running. I watch, unable to make a sound or leave the chair. Big hunks of the kitchen have taken life and march back and forth past the archway; all of them know I can see them and that I'm helpless. I start smashing the flyswatter against the table (a real-life pasttime of mine then) with all my strength, trying to get someone's attention, but I'm alone in the house. The fifth time the swatter hits the tabletop, the dark brown formica fades to a tannish colour and thins out, splitting into jigsaw puzzle pieces, some of which fall through to the floor. There was more, but that's all that survived the past 20 years. It always terrified me, and I remember talking about it to my mother, who assured me it was just a bad dream and I'll always wake up. BJH --------------------------------------------------------------------- Electric Dreams is an independent electronic publication not affiliated with any other organization. -------