=========================================
Electric Dreams
Volume 2 Issue #7
30 April 1995
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=========================================
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:
Editors' Notes & Day Residue
Core Group Invitation Still Open!
Questions & Answers Person Position Open!
Electric Dreams Recall Contest Entries
Dream Recall by Marton
Dream Recall by Keelin
Article: Women Better Dream Recallers by Henry Reed
Commentary: on 'yellow gun' by Marton
Commentary: on "Frisbee and House For Sale" by Bob K.
Commentary: on Priscilla's "SNOW BLINDED ACCIDENT"
by Bob K.
Commentary on "control and yellow gun" by First Submitter
Dreamer's Response by Jay
Dream: "Road race with Bill" (4/12/95) By First Submitter
Commentary: on "road race with bill" by jay
Commentary: on "road race with bill" by Richard
Dream: "C's anger and change for Frisbee" (4/18/95)
by First Submitter
Commentary on "C's anger and change for Frisbee" by jay
Commentary on "C's anger and change for Frisbee" by Richard
Dream: "a morphinomenal dream" by Flare
Commentary: on "a morphinomenal dream" by the Dreamer
Commentary: on "a morphinomenal dream" by Richard
Dream: "The Aquarium Room Gift" by Richard
Commentaries: on "The Aquarium Gift" by Flare
Dream: "Russian Class and Governor Check" by Henry
Commentary: on "Russian Class and Governor Check"
by Richard
Dream Resources
Special places to see Electric Dreams! Thanks Matthew!
Send in books you have written to ASD 95
See the new gopher dream center before anyone else!
============================================
EDITORS' NOTES AND DAY RESIDUE
============================================
Welcome to Issue #7 of Electric Dreams! Our contest for
recall methods is still on and we are printing the
suggestions as they come in. The article by Henry Reed
indicates that its easier for women to recall than men.
What do you think? By the way, Electric Dreams now has a
variety of ways to be seen on internet, see the info in
Dream Resources. And of course we have dreams.
"I'd like to do a dream
Yes, Yes,
Right between the sound machine..."(Steppenwolf)
======================
Core Group Invitation!
While anyone who wishes may comment on dreams, we do
circulate the dreams before publication among a core group
who simply send their comments in to Cathy sometime before
publication. As we move deeper into this project of
multiple comments on dreams, the need for multiple comments
becomes more important. And so we are offering an
invitation this month to join our core group. Anyone
interested may contact Cathy.
Question & Answer position still open!
Though Matthew has taken a few moments from his studies to
build us a beautiful Web page (see resources) he really
doesn't have the time right now to answer questions about
dreams and dreaming.
This leaves the Q&A position open for someone who is
either knowledgeable about dreaming or/and has good
research skills. You will be paid Six times what Cathy and
I make (lets see 0 x 6 = hmmm, feel good about yourself?)
but even better, you are free to expand and create the
column as you wish. As a matter of fact, if anyone has a
regular column they would like to experiment with, feel
free imagine, experiment, to dream.
--Richard
==============================
DREAM RECALL CONTEST ENTRIES:
==============================
From Marton:
How did I start remembering dreams?
-----------------------------------
It was two years ago when I started to keep a dream diary. First I could remember only few of my dreams and they lacked colour. Everything was drawn with blue lines and lacked depths as well. By going through what I dreamt each morning I could remember more and more easily.
I systematically went through my dream. First I recalled the action of the dream. Secondly, I concentrated on symbols one by one. I wrote down their description. Then I paid attention to the background, that is ,the venue of
each dream situation.
I noticed that recalling a sequence of events of my daily
life repeatedly in a row had improved my dream recall as
well. Of course, consistency was vital in good dream
recalls. Also, when I could not remember a dream but I knew
it was there I did not despair, I waited.
Semi-consciously, I let my mind work on it and the dreams often came into my mind when I was showering or bathing. The common denominator of the situations of remembering dreams was that I did not concentrate anything specific at that time allowing my mind to come up with the solution which
was my dream.
Also, when I partly remembered my dream it was helpful to
keep recalling the known part of the dream which often
resulted in knowing the whole dream.
I think the fact that I was in an expectant mood made it
possible to remember. If I gave up remembering, it would
have given a negative command to my mind :'stop getting the
info.'
As I mentioned in the beginning, my dreams were colourless. I fixed that in couple of days. I 'intended' to have colourful dreams and in the next night my dream had colour. After that, I had some colourless dreams but mostly
with colour because I was interested in colour.
One day recalling the feeling of being in the wind resulted in a dream with 'touch' : I could feel wind. I did not reinforce that any more so this perception died out in my dreams but I find it possible to restore all perceptions in dreams. I have not extended my perception beyond visual one
because I think that it is perfectly satisfactory to
interpret my dreams.
In summary, the most important thing is intention. To
decide by saying loudly anytime that one will recall dreams
and it will be carried out sooner or later.
It may not happen immediately but it will happen.
Marton
==================================================
From Keelin:
Here are two suggestions I offer in my workshops:
1) "Dream Hooks" - This is basically a mental list of
friends/family members, activities, body parts, actions,
moods, places, natural elements, colors, shapes, sounds,
etc. After waking, if no dream comes to mind immediately,
lie quietly and review the list, letting feelings and
associations rise at will. More often than not, my mind
will "bite" on a dream fragment and I can then reel in the
entire scenario.
2) "Retro Thought Travel" (ie: mental backtracking) - Ever
wonder how you managed to get where you've gotten in
thought, daydream or meandering conversation? Ever wake
hanging on to just the slippery tail of a dream? Practicing
RTT (while awake) offers not only a fascinating glimpse at
the mind's great leaping abilities, it's also helpful for
developing dream recall. A variation on this exercise
involves setting a timer* for a long enough span to insure
your forgetting about it. When it goes off, spend a few
moments retracing your thoughts as far back as possible...
Now where was I?
* The PEST (Personal Electronic State Tester) produced by
the Lucidity Institute works well for this kind of
exercise.
=======================================================
Women Better Dream Recallers
by Henry Reed
======================================================
When a group of college students were instructed to keep a
dream for two weeks, women recalled dreams at a rate
greater than 50 per cent more frequently than men. This
result, reported in the journal Perceptual and Motor
Skills, is consistent with previous studies indicating that
women recall their dreams more frequently than men.
To explore the reason for this difference the researchers gave the students a questionnaire measuring involvement with feelings and daydreams and attitudes toward one's subjective experiences. Some of the questions such as, "I have often wondered about what becomes of a person's awareness after death" and "If I think about a food very intensely, I can practically taste it" measured the frequency or intensity of a person's involvement with subjective experience. Questions such as "Daydreaming is unproductive and may even be harmful" and "I like to contemplate my innermost feelings" measured a person's attitude about involvement with inner experiences.
The results indicated that women scored more highly on both
components of the questionnaire, showing both a higher
involvement and a more positive attitude about inner
experience. The researchers speculate that this difference
may explain why women are more frequent dream recallers
than men.
For more information contact Raymond F. Martinetti,
Chairman, Department of Psychology, Marywood College,
Scranton, PA 18509-1598.
========================
DREAMS AND COMMENTS
=======================
==== Commentary on jays's 'yellow gun' by Marton ====
(Dream from Vol2 #5)
The first thing I would ask if this were my dreams : why is there a contest? What is the award of the contest? Where does this appear in my life? What does the contest mean for me? Can I think a better situation? The woman has the gun would mean an out of equilibrium situation. I would look for answers : How could I increase the influence of the man (animus) in my real life? It is clear I do not pay enough attention on him. (It is confirmed by Jay's reply). The dream tries to shed a bad light on feminine to make me pay more attention on masculine. I would also decide that I do
not know enough of my masculine and what I know about him
is probably false or just not the big picture. I would
initiate a conversation with the man using active
imagination.
I would make some ritual implying that I want to know more about my masculine. The gun implies I refuse violence or assertiveness in my life. For example because of my overly bad picture on my masculine. But it does not mean that
I am not assertive because as my dream proves the feminine becomes what the masculine should be.(She uses the gun) Obviously, everyone should in his natural role so I guess the man would be better off with the gun.(It does not mean that the roll of the feminine should be zero just be more
balanced.) I would think "Can I use the gun in a peaceful ,
constructive way in the man's hand?". Surely, I could . I
would find a ritual for that too.
Now, it may sound far-fetched but the shooting carnival is
more peaceful than shooting at each other. So the dream may
suggest a solution which can be implemented. Otherwise, it
would not be in the dream..
I would ask myself 'Did I use the gun in the past in a
dream and how?' I would have a bet (10 cents only) that the
gun came up in earlier dreams. I would examine these
connections. I would try to face the fears in connection
with the man. (Was my real father violent? Was I violent I
did not like it? e.t.c) So I could face the fear in
connection with my man.
So the dream presents a peaceful conclusion..
My job is to make it real. For me, the most important
component would be that the contest could converted into a
cooperation.
OF COURSE, it is possible that I am totally WRONG.
Marton
==== Commentary on Viking's "Frisbee and House For Sale" by
Bob K. ==== (Dream from Vol 2 Issue 3)
This was a one paragraph dream sandwiched between two
explanatory paragraphs
- one regarding the waking reality background of the dream,
and the last a waking reality association with the dream
setting and characters. It sure helps to bring the dream
into the perspective of the dreamer when background
information is available.
Some dreams are pretty straightforward. This appears to be
one of those dealing with a current waking reality concern
regarding purchasing a new home. The essence of this dream
is twofold - one related to the location of a possible new
house for the couple ("really nice house for sale but it
was in a not too great location"), and the second about
"playing a game" - specifically Frisbee, and not too well.
"A crappy throw" was the dreamers description of his throw
back to his recently rediscovered close High School and
College friend.
Although the dreamer makes a connection with the quality of the exchange in the updated relationship with Dick, the long lost friend, I think the dream is simply indicating that the attempt to go "home shopping" has not been made
with the best preparation or timing. Sort of like a half hearted attempt has been made. The dream even recognizes the level of expectation may be too high for what the couple would like. Who hasn't started out wanting a much
bigger, better located, modern and convenient house or
apartment than what they can really afford? I would ask,
what kind of relationship does Dick have with a home? Does
he own one or is he still renting or moving around?
Maybe Dick's story or life path hold a clue for Viking to
steer his ship in the direction that will yield a home of
his own with Val. Good luck Viking!
Just keep trying, and keep expectations within the realm of
your reality. Once you stop playing around and get down to
serious business the right house will show up!
==== Commentary on Priscilla's "SNOW BLINDED ACCIDENT" by
Bob K. ==== (Dream from Vol. 2 Issue 5)
"Danger! Danger! Danger!," said Robbie the Robot waving his arms frenetically in the TV series LOST IN SPACE when it sensed problems for the crew. Some dreams are just WARNINGS. I think this is one, and one which the dreamer
should be concerned and cautious about. However, I don't
think it's related to an actual car accident in the snow
(though one should always be extra careful driving in the
snow) as much as to a possible disruption in the dreamers
lifestyle.
The expression "Egg On Your Face" has to do with
embarrassment over something one has said or done regarding
another person or situation and comes to mind with regard
to this dream. In this dream, there is not only "snow on
the dreamers face" (blinding), but "windshield glass all
over the dreamers face" (cutting and causing pain).
I see the dream pointing out the friendship "friends including M. (female)" just joking about crazy things as heading in the wrong direction. If the dreamer can recall some of the hilarious crazy things joked about she might
have a clue as to the possible source of the problem.
Car's are usually representative of a lifestyle, and this
dream has the dreamer driving her own car, in control of
her lifestyle. However, the relationship with the friends
combined with rough weather outside (emotionally turbulent
ice cold relationships outside, surrounding the current
lifestyle) spell TROUBLE. This trouble may be with the
friendships not being what they seem, or with the internal
aspects of those friendships leading the dreamer on a
dangerous path.
Dreamer: STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! and only then CROSS the
railroad tracks or street! And be careful driving in the
snow!
===================================================
For my first submission I would like to present dreams
and comment on another's dream. I am resisting the urge to submit a more dramatic dream for readability. I do this
because I would like to see themes explored. For example,
why not have an entire issue devoted to trauma dreams. Or, a few people present dreams that have similar symbols in
them.
With that in mind, I comment on jay's "control and
the yellow gun" ED 2(5).
==== Commentary on "control and yellow gun" by First
Submitter ==== (Dream from ED Vol 2, #5)
In the dream, the dreamer is having a competition with a
woman that involves a yellow gun. But I usually think of
having a competition with other men, and even women who are
competitive I think of as having male qualities.
Controlling the situation is also a very masculine trait,
for me. Later, I am urinating proudly into an area like a
carnival shooting gallery. What is an archetypal thing to
do at a carnival shooting gallery (in US culture at least):
win the prize and give it to your date. Man as warrior?
But in this dream we are in competition with the woman.
For me, as I have inferiority issues about not being "male"
enough this dream would bring that up. For me this dream
might have been about the dichotomy between male pride
(peeing proudly)/winning for your mate and women who are
strong and in control and can compete with me. I want to
learn to hold those two opposing thoughts in my mind at the
same time. Yellow can only relate to urine so far for me.
There is peeing in this dream which reminds me of 2 of my
dreams I have recorded.
Dreamer's Response:
==== by jay to comments on jay's 'control and the yellow
gun' dream (e.d. 2.5) ====
the commentator mentions that he usually competes in the
masculine rather than the feminine arena. i tend to be the
opposite, opting out of competing in the masculine areas
and choosing instead to compete, if at all, in more
feminine areas, such as dream work. i do not look on this
less masculine orientation as being inferior.
==== Dream: "Road race with Bill" (4/12/95) By First
Submitter ====
I am in a running race but not having to run very fast. I
stop to urinate, when a tall man is done using urinal he
doesn't leave it but just steps aside a little bit and I go
pee. (Normally I have stage fright at peeing in front of
men). Seems there are 2 other men later at same urinal and
I barely have room (I just wrote "time" instead of "room"
by mistake there) to pee. I pee for a long time. I can
see other runners through window going by. I had gotten
out of race just before finish, I get back into race and
immediately cross finish line, but Bill has finished before
me. I get number from old man at table. I don't seem to
care what the number is just that Bill came in one ahead.
But it is fun and I joke with Bill. I also know there will
be another race. I wake up. It is interesting that the
real Bill came to visit two days later (on the weekend) as
planned and we went running twice, which we have never done
together and had a really nice time. We didn't compete.
==== Commentary on "road race with bill" by jay ====
as the dreamer himself points out, this dream seems to be
about choosing companionship with other men, as opposed to
competition, and enjoying that choice.
===== Commentary on "road race with bill" by Richard ====
I liked the way the numbers have freed themselves from the
judging old man. He still has his Chronos with limitations
job, but the players are no longer tied to, rather they
receive the numbers as gifts and bond around their own
relationship to one another. If this were my dream, I would
not say companion and I were not competing, but rather that
competition now serves rather than controls the
relationship. There is, for me, some tension that is
drained off in urination fantasies, but this draining seems
to find some satisfaction and is not wrapped up in the
usual issues around letting go when other's have their
attention on me. -Richard
==== Dream: "C's anger and change for Frisbee" (4/18/95) by
First Submitter ====
I am at school in a room like a computer room, other
people are there. I am looking over C's shoulder (standing
behind him) at a computer screen of a scanned image of a
letter from his graduate advisor. Advisor wants credit and
to have his work mentioned in C's abstract. C. is angry
about this. His girlfriend is there also. We are going to
play ultimate Frisbee. I'm late and look at watch (?) and
see it is the time to be playing, 12:15. I have to change
into sweats - but they will be too hot. I go out into
hall to bathroom but go in women's room by accident, but no
one sees that I did that (I am embarrassed). I go back
into computer room, and go into men's room there. I go pee
in urinal, and see a friend (also associated with school)
who is coming out of where he lives, in front of me as if
through window above urinal.
When I go back into computer room/classroom a class is
coming in which may have been all young women. One women
says to professor thanks for moving class. They are about
to have a test. Woman seems friendly. Wake up.
Note: I didn't wet my bed in these dreams! I would like to see what others see in these dreams and may also bring it
to a Face to Face group to compare.
==== Commentary on "C's anger and change for Frisbee" by
jay ====
if this were my dream, i would think about what traits or
properties c, c's advisor, and the friend outside the
urinal represent or remind me of. are c and the advisor
male or female? what is each of the three like? that
might give me some more clues.
the dream seems to be in two parts to me. in part one, anger about domination by the advisor and the hotness of that is replaced by the cooling off of playing.
in part two, there is a movement back and forth between
first the feminine, then the masculine, then back again to
the feminine. i'm not sure what the connection is between
the two parts of the dream.
==== Commentary on "C's anger and change for Frisbee" by
Richard ====
In my dream, my friend is concerned about who gets credit
for what. There is a feeling that someone who already has
lots of credit and attention is demanding more. There is
little time I can give to this as its already past time for
play, and I have to change. In doing this I end up in an
unexpected area, the women's place to change personas. A
fascinating area, one could spend a lot of fruitful time
here. I leave, and have to drain off some tension. Back in
the place where things are being taught, I find the room
filled with women who are going to be tested. One seems
friendly.
In my dream, when the distribution of credit cramps my
play time, I pick play. But in doing so I find I am trying
to change clothes in an area where I'm an intruder in terms
of sexual identity. This causes tension which I deal with
by draining off in fantasies of urination. Now the concern
about credit, play and changing roles is shifted to a
testing of the women. Now they will decide for themselves
who will get credit. I can play with one of them I'm
interested in.
Thanks for the dream. Its really a fun one. -Richard
==== Dream: "a morphinomenal dream" by Flare ====
Okay, here's a doozy of a dream!
BACKGROUND: During the afternoon, I was watching the Mighty
Morphin Power Rangers on Fox. I thought it was an
interesting show. Little kid stuff, right? Then I saw
this one guy on the show; The White Ranger, and boy,
was he ever good looking to me...
-----a morphinomenal dream-by Flare----
It's a really cold day at the University of New Mexico.
I'm walking to class in my really hip, cool trench coat
(the black one again). I'm wearing it because it's cold
outside and I have this strange feeling about the day I'm
going through, like something really strange is about to
happen, and I need to be ready for it.
Sure enough, as I walk to class, there comes a flash of
white light off to my left side. Lo and behold, there's
that guy from the Power Rangers, outfit and all, standing
in the grass right next to me. I turn to look directly at
him and as I do, he sinks to his knees. I notice him
holding the right side of his chest and can hear him
breathing, very fast and very shallow.
I walk over, naturally, and ask, "Are you alright?".
He turns to me and tells me that he was fighting some
monster when he got stabbed with a spear. He tells me that a strange, glowing, black rock was on the tip of the spear
and that it punctured through his uniform, which it
shouldn't have. He moves his hand away, and I notice that
he's bleeding.
I offer to take him to University Hospital, which is only a
few blocks away.
"No!" he responds, "I can't go there.. Please, can you help
me?"
Meanwhile, people are walking by and staring at us. They
walk by and glance and keep right on walking, as though
what's happening right in front of them doesn't really
matter to them.
So, I walk up to him to help him up.
"It's really cold here," he says.
Without thinking, I take off the black trench coat and put
it around his shoulders. He is still holding his hand
pressed tightly to his chest and we walk to my room.
As I enter my room, I notice immediately that it's not the
room that I sleep in every night. This worries me a
little, but the worry leaves immediately when Tommy, the
White Ranger, falls again to the ground, groaning in pain.
I help him up again and onto my bed, which is pure white.
He lays down on the comforter and rests there.
I go over to my closet and get my first aid kit. When I
return, I tell him that I can't help him while he's wearing his uniform. Reluctantly, he puts his right hand to his
belt.
He begins to shimmer white and in a few seconds, he becomes Tommy, the one that I recognize from the series. I notice
him wearing brown pants and a white and green checkered
flannel shirt with no sleeves, but there is a hood on the
back. The shirt is torn where the spear went through and
he still holds his left hand tightly against the wound.
I take out the materials I need and help him to remove the
shirt he's wearing so that I can get to the wound
underneath. The blood has stained the shirt red and begins
to run onto the bed.
I clean and dress the wound and tell him to sleep.
---end of dream---
-------- commentary by Flare --------
A few more details before I begin. This is obviously one
of those warped fantasy dreams. I can see things in very
vivid details, especially Tommy.
I noticed that once again, I was wearing that black trench
coat outside in the bad weather. I knew that something was going to happen, and I had decided before the dream even
started that I was going to need it.
The fact that Tommy came directly to me in the dream was
interesting enough, but the fact that he was wounded and in need of assistance is even more interesting. I thought it
strange that he wouldn't want to go to the hospital for
help, but then again, since I am aware now that this was my dream, and I didn't really want it to happen that way, I
can see why he didn't.
I take him up to the room which is not my room, but the
chosen room for the fantasy dream I am in. The rest is
simple. Everything in this dream happened according to the
way I would have wanted it to.
When the shirt came off in the dream, I remember noting
that he is a very well-built guy.
Too bad the dream ended where it did.
Time for some speculation. You will recall in the last
issue, the "recurring nightmare" that I keep having. I
noticed a few parallels between this dream and that one.
The wound that I found on Tommy was in the exact place as
the bullet wound that I reached down to touch on my
boyfriend's body. Tommy also has much of the same build as my deceased boyfriend had. In the dreams, they were both
wearing the same style of clothing, flannel shirt and
jeans.
Here we go into the subconscious again for some
speculation. I think that the reason Tommy came to me,
hurt as he was, is because somewhere deep inside, I know
that there was nothing I could do in the situation
described in the "recurring nightmare". Here was a
situation where I could do something about it. I felt much
more in control during this dream. I felt much more at
peace in this dream( I was able to shift my protection, the
black trench coat, over to someone else).
This dream is very open for comment. The more commentary I
have, the more I can get out of it. Thanks...
Flare
==== Commentary on "a morphinomenal dream" by Richard ====
In my dream:
I'm at my main complex that is very much like the place I
really am in life. Its cold today, and I need protection. I
wear what I usually wear to protect myself and I like the
style it lends to my identity. Not only am I cold, but I
have intuitions of strangeness that call even more for
having this style close to me.
I'm going somewhere to teach or be taught in my main
complex, a whole universe of teaching and being taught. My
intuition unfolds in a flash of white light, off to my non-dominate left side.
A fantasy man is there and as I look directly at him, his
self support fails. Apparently I didn't cause this, as he
has been wounded by a spear of his enemy. He is very much
like a man I saw and desired the day or so before. Here,
lying before my glance is my wounded desire, pierced in the
chest next to his heart. I offer help, but he cannot
receive the kind of help one would normally offer. He knows
his wounds can't be healed or attended to at the University
Hospital. Does this mean his wounds are not really physical
or even more that its the University of learning and
teaching that will not address his woundedness?
I take him into my style, even my room, though its different now. I have some tools and skills in these matters, and we both know that the magical armor (that should have protected him but didn't- kind of like superman's problems with Kryptonite) must come off. He chooses for the armor to melt away by pressing the main hand on the support belt.
Now I can better recognize my desire and the wound he
carries. In a sense, I become more-phenomenal and respond
directly to the sensations before me, the clothes, the
wound, the agony, the amazing drama of it all, the bed
clothes soaked in blood, his need for sleep in my white
bed.
In my dream the desire directs me to Tommy and the
attraction to him helps me be more phenomenal about the
wound and its carrier. This is not about the wounds of my
mother, or my father or my friend down the block, but about
my own desires come back from doing battle with the Enemy.
Some of my old armor - his armor - is no longer protecting,
while other protective coatings are still working and can
even be shared. I feel real good that Tommy trusts me, can
let his armor down and come into my room for rest. Many
thanks for sharing this dream.
Some further mythic notes:
The myth of Eros and Psyche comes to mind. Psyche is
carried off by a husband she cannot see and lives in a
wonderful fantasy castle, with the only rule being that she
not look at her husband. She can't resist, and one night
turns on the light. Behold! A god! He is surprised and
trips over his own arrows, deeply wounding himself. But
because of the betrayal, its a long story that Psyche must
go through to eventually re-unite with Eros.
There is also the interesting question of the wound
itself. Is it my wound, carried by an inner figure using
magical emotional, imaginal armoring, or it is a god, with
an eternal wound? Is it a mix that is being worked out?
This is also like the myth of the Wounded-Healer.
Apollo sent his son to a mountain side cave to learn the
healing arts from the Centaur Chiron, who had been wounded
by a poisoned spear or rock in a fight with Hercules. Since
Chiron was immortal, his wound never healed, but he figured
out how to use this eternal woundedness to heal others.
Apollo's son, Asklepios, learned the arts and went on to
become the world's most famous healer. He was a Dream
Healer. One went to his sanctuaries and hung out until a
dream came to you and your wound was touched by an
incarnation of Asklepios, ususally a snake, dog, his
daughter or himself. Apparently, the contact with the
animal-dark earth powers restored and revived the patients.
And the material that can get through even the White
Knights armor. This almost lends itself to a Grail -Quest
cycle. The king is sick and the knights all go in search of
the cure. In this dream, it seems to be the knight that is
wounded.
Ok, very interesting dream. Sounds like some morphinological stuff is happening!
--Richard
==== Dream: "The Aquarium Room Gift" by Richard ====
I'm given a hut full of aquariums by some friends and
unknown people. It's right next to or in the zoo. I'm
really delighted, though I also sense the time and
responsibility it will take to maintain the aquariums.
The hut is on a slight hill and there are palm trees and a tame jungle feeling. Inside are the most delightfully active aquariums, perhaps a half dozen of varying sizes and the normal-exotic fish one might expect. Except for one small aquarium with one large fish in it. The fish is not very colorful, like a large grey-red guppy shaped fish. Its about 7 inches long and seems to me to be very pregnant. I
think to myself that its separated so when it gives birth
it won't eat the children. I'm excited about being there
to help give birth to the expected hundreds of little fish.
==== Commentary on "The Aquarium Gift" by Flare ====
With that last commentary on "The Aquarium Gift"...
The people who gave me all these little aquariums are both
friends and strangers, perhaps signalling the beginning of
projects and endeavors for both my friends and business(the
strangers).
Flare
======
If this were my dream:
Here I go, walking into this new room full of different, bright colored fish sitting in aquariums. It seems to me that I am getting ready to tackle a bunch of small endeavors all at the same time. I sense that the "time and responsibility it will take to" take care of all my new projects/ acquisitions. I am delighted by all the "active aquariums". They come in different sizes and shapes, all of them interesting and demanding my undivided attention. There is one exception, however. I see an aquarium with a single, large fish(project/endeavor?) that seems pregnant and ready to give birth. I am excited by the possibilities of what that fish is going to give birth
to. It excites me to know that I will be there when it
happens. It leaves me with the sensation of becoming a
"father" of sorts.
Flare
:> I could be wrong and I could be right, who knows? you
do...
==== Dream: "Russian Class and Governor Check" by Henry
====
Was selected to attend a class at the university where
I work. The subject of the class was the economic history
of Russia in the last century. ( the course was focused on
the last one hundred years, i.e.from the end of the tsarist
era through to the post-Soviet.)
I felt tired and wasn't sure I wanted to go to the class
and also thought I might go to the gym instead. A young
woman sitting next to me, however, remarked how lucky I
was to be able to attend the class. So, I decided I must
not miss this opportunity. The number of students selected
was small.
(The class was being taught by a man who in my waking
life did recently receive a full professorship in the
Business school, who lives in my building with his family,
and who is a native of India.)
The course must have dealt with matters other than
just the Russian economy, though, as in the dream I
believed I had taken instruction in either meditation or
yoga [can't remember which now] while an undergraduate
elsewhere and was, in the present class, trying to recall
the spiritual name I had been given by my earlier teacher.
The dream switches to an apartment building in which
lives ex-Governor Mario Cuomo. As I can recall, I am with
a guy, A., who works in a nearby office to mine [in my
waking life], and who is Pakistani. He wants to check on
Gov. Cuomo, because A. is afraid the Governor may have
committed suicide.
We are in the Governor's home. His bedroom is a floor
below where we are standing and the Governor comes out of
it, to our level, to speak with us. A. and Cuomo know each
other and Cuomo assures us he is alright and has no
intentions to do himself any harm. Cuomo asks A. why he
was worried about him and A. explains there was one time
Cuomo was despondent to the point where A. was worried
about suicide. Cuomo says that was an isolated moment and
that we should not worry further.
==== Commentary on " "Russian Class and Governor Check" by
Richard ====
If this were my dream...
In my dream, I'm selected for some special education. For
me its about an experiment in governing and being governed.
A particular, complex experiment that takes place somewhere
that really is not very close to my own way of governing
and being governed, thought there are connections. For one,
my own way and this way have both tried to establish a
revolutionary system that liberates the populace from the
rule of an unlawful tyrant. The learning seems to be about
how this system circulates its energy, how it directs the
channels of collective imagination.
I cannot find my desire in this initially. Rather my
desire is carried by a woman I meet in a physically active
arena who sees the desirability of the opportunity, and
sees my fortune or specialness in being selected.
Even after I awake, I recognize that the learning
opportunity has some very knowledgeable and recognized
teaching authorities.
I recognize now also that the class involves more than a
particular historical economy, and may have to do with
traditionally Eastern paths to liberation as well. There is
some forgetting as to the exact path, the exact spiritual
name. Perhaps in this forgetting there is a chance for a
new path, a new name.
And while thinking about ways of being governed, a
particular one comes to mind. This past governor was one at
the center of one of the largest complexes in the world.
Many would say the main complex. Now he lives in another
complex. The Pakistani who works in a complex close to the
one I work on, check's on the Governor, fearing the
governor might destroy himself. The Governor arises from an
unconscious area, a restorative chamber, to our level to
assure us that the suicidal behavior is now only an
imaginary fear, though at one time it was not so imaginary.
If this were my dream, I would want to be very clear
that this fear *is* actually an old remnant or whether it
is something more literal and I might want to check out
with a therapist. If I was clear that it was metaphorical
only, I would look around to see what old systems of self
government I have that are in operation. There is a myth of
the hmm, I think 7 or 8 year king, who has to be killed
and replaced by a new king. Now, instead of killing our
kings, we ask them to just step down every few years. For
me, this dream has been a fascinating investigation of my
inner political systems, beginning with a general
comparison of non-tyrannic systems (that may or may not
have again become tyrannic) and then a personal encounter
with the usually unconscious governor himself, come to my
level to free me from the fear/desire of his death.
Just as the woman in the gym carried my unknown
(Mother?) desire of being seen and selected, (whether I
choose to go that path or not) so the Pakistani carries my
unknown fear of living in a government without the dictator
(Father?). It was really nice they way they both offered
presents that I could have a choice around taking.
Many thanks for the dream. Richard
======================================================
DREAM RESOURCES
======================================================
Electric Dreams and Web
Matthew Parry, our former Questions and Answers editor who
is now busy with a astrophysics honors program, has taken a
few moments from his studies with Dr. Michael Burton in
which he is building a program "to calculate the signal to
noise ratio that can be expected for IR telescopes to be
built early next century" to put up a web page of both the
lastest issue of Electric Dreams as well as our FAQ file.
the url for the Electric Dreams 2-6 is: http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~mettw/committee-members
/ed-current.html
For the FAQ file is:
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~mettw/committee-members
/ed-faq.html
And Matthew's home page is:
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~mettw/committee-members
/matthew.html
Many Thanks to you Matthew and good luck with your program!
=====================
In case you or anyone you know wants to sell books or
booklets at the ASD conference, the contact for the
bookstore is:
Pia Wigren
140 W 15th St. Apt 1D
New York, NY 10011
212-627-5112
She requests a list of books and "the credentials of the
authors." I assume that means your involvement in
dreamwork;
=======================================================
Although the "official" opening of the International
Internet Dream Community Center(IIDCC) is a ways off, it is
now open on a limited basis. In this first preliminary
phase it is a gopher site with various files available to
the public. If you get a chance to visit, send suggestions
for files, directories, projects or news to Richard
Wilkerson at <rwilkerson@igc.apc.org> I won't be able to
get back to you until *June*, but I do want your comments
and ideas. Feel free to imagine and dream yourself into the
community as you wish, be that with donations, project
proposals, resource information or ambassador to other
dream communities on and off the net. This is our virtual,
digital playground to do with as we wish. Let's be
creative, mutually supportive and have some serious fun.
For our gopher, connect to the Institute for Global Communications (IGC) gopher.
The address is gopher.igc.apc.org
select --> "Organizations on the IGC Networks Gopher"
select --> "International Internet Dream Community Center"
select --> appropriate file directory and file you want
To connect via World Wide Web the URL is:
gopher://gopher.igc.apc.org:70/11/orgs/iidcc
For email-information send to the auto-reply at
iidcc-info@igc.apc.org
===============================================
If you have something to post or run across addresses or
events related to dreaming on the net, Please send to my
address and we will share the information with everyone
else.
Richard <RCWilk@aol.com>
========================================================
Electric Dreams is an independent electronic
publication not affiliated with any other organization.
The views of our commentators are personal views and not
intended as professional advise or psychotherapy.
=========================================================