Thursday, March 5, 2009

Our dreaming selves...


While reading about our dreaming selves I came across the concept of ‘dream appreciation’ which I believe is a perfect term. Less scientific than ‘dream theory’, or ‘dream analysis’ or ‘dream interpretation’. Our dreams speak the truth, uncensored. We can appreciate our dreams as one would appreciate a work of art. Our dreams are works of art, usually visual images. As a poet uses the language of metaphor, a dreamer will dream in images, an entire world of visual metaphors is created, rich and deep. Our dreams speak the truth, uncensored. Of course, these observations barely scratch the surface, but I have time to go deeper with my books. Last night there arrived in my dream in box a trio of dreams. In one of them I felt like I had fallen in love.

Here is something for you to think about: When we perceive images, independent of physical input, while awake, they are described as an hallucination. When we perceive these independent images while sleeping, they are called dreams. How strange that the perceived image can move from the ‘abnormal’ to the ‘normal’ simply as a function of one’s state of consciousness. The line indeed, is very thin…

“Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.” ~William C. Dement


Image: Nap Time by Terri Windling, Endicott Studio

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