Inhabiting A Dream

I awoke this morning with the memory of a dream about a dancing flea. Most of my dreams are like this. And then there are dreams that are mysterious to me. Their meaning may unfold over time or may remain mysterious. These are the dreams which get my attention.

For most of my life, I have had a recurring dream. It began when I was five and stopped in my mid fifties. Here is the dream:

I am walking in the desert during daylight. I never see myself but ‘know’ I am wearing a monk’s robe with hood. After some distance I walk into a village of mud huts closely huddled together. I become lost in the maze of these huts and experience frustration and anxiety as I try to make my way through the narrow streets of this village. Then I awaken into an anxious and frustrated state.

I consulted a hypnotist who facilitated my ability to remain in the dream so it could conclude. Here is the conclusion of the dream:

I continue wandering through narrow streets until I arrive at an open space within the village. Here I meet twenty five or more villages who have been waiting for me. I offer this group a monk’s blessing and the dream concludes. I awaken in a relaxed and satisfied state.

I came to believe that I was dreaming a dream which did not belong to me. Even after it concluded, I could not own it. However, once I blessed the group of villagers, the dream did not recur. I was relieved to not wake up anxious and frustrated.

Later I wondered if I could ‘own’ this dream which had recurred dozens of times. Could I inhabit it? I knew the dream so well that I could easily replay it as a waking dream, what is now called guided imagery. So I began to replay it and on the third or fourth replay, I stepped inside it, I began to inhabit it allowing myself to become totally immersed in it. Over timer I was able to ‘own’ the blessing I offered to the villagers. Once I ‘owned’ the blessing I could offer it outside the context of the dream. Today, I offer this blessing to individuals with serious illness.

12/23/18