Monday, April 26, 2010

A Dream

I had a dream last night.  It is uncommon for me to remember my dreams these days; I believe it is because of the number of medications I'm on for hypertension and chronic pain. Or, perhaps, my dreams, which do happen, are not important enough for me to remember in a conscious state. My subconscious has received the message...and it appears this is enough.

But the dream last night stayed with me. I've had it once before, but it was a little different. And I knew it was a dream, because I remember thinking...oh, I've had this dream before...

I was visited by three personages.  All were draped in long gowns with hoods...I caught glimpses of their faces, and they appeared to be aged men. They were standing on a ledge above a deep, dark, Pool.  We were in a Cave...there were candles which sent off a poor, flickering light, but enough to see the undulating Stone walls.


My daughter Heidi was with me...she was still a toddler in my dream. It's been over thirty-some years since she was so young; yet I had no doubt whatsoever it was her. 


It seemed as if I was outside of my body, seeing the Cave, the personages, my daughter...all quite clearly. Since I'd had a dream about these gentlemen before, in the very same Cave...it was all familiar and yet not. Dreams are like that sometimes, I've found.


But suddenly, my daughter and I were in that deep, dark Pool, which turned into a muddy stew.  It was difficult to see...I held my daughter's hand as we tried to navigate through...as we endeavoured to return to the surface, which seemed so very far away.


Breathing was not difficult. I knew we were under the surface of the sludgy Pool, yet I could still see the three men. I did not lose sight of them as they stared down into that Pool, only watching.


For ages,it seemed in the dream, we were in the Pool. It changed from time to time to wonderful, clear Water, swirling around my daughter and I, clearing away the muck.  But mostly, we were mired in that dark and grungy Mud.


There seemed to be no purpose to our being there and to the men who watched us. What were they expecting? And how long were we to stay in the swirling, changing Water?


The previously still Pool began to churn. I tried hard to reach the surface, holding fast to my daughter's hand. All at once, I felt it was urgent that I save my baby, and I began to feel disturbed at my situation.


No matter how hard I tried, I could not swim hard enough to reach the surface.  It came to me that I was in the Pool for a reason, yet I could not fathom what that reason might be.

I noticed others in the Pool with me. They were all vague shapes and appeared to be trying to reach the surface as well. They were naked, as was I and my daughter...but our nakedness in the dream did not bother me at all.


The Pool changed into salt Water...I could taste it. We were immersed in what I thought  was Ocean Water which had churned up as if a Storm somewhere was creating huge, long Waves. I felt Sand battering my body.


The Sand began to hurt...it was unrelenting and I became concerned about my daughter. But she was no longer with me...inexplicably, I saw she was being wrapped in a large towel by a woman who had suddenly appeared on the ledge with the men.


Had she been apart from me in real life, I would have moved Heaven and Earth to reach her...here, I understood inside she had been plucked from the Water by the lady and was perfectly alright.


My attention returned to what had become a painful, watery Hell. I noticed abrasions on my skin; blood...my blood...began to mix with the swirling Water.


It seemed to take forever before my feet found purchase on smooth Stone steps. I was still under Water, yet I knew if I could only hold my balance, those steps would lead to where the men still stood, albeit without my daughter or the lady with the large blanket-like towel.


My head broke the surface of the Pool as I climbed, on my hands and knees, out of the Water.  I noticed others who had managed to already reach the ledge; they were being aided by other figures who emerged from behind the three men.


As I arose out of the Water, tingling and bleeding from various abrasions on my body, I noticed what seemed to be Crystals...mostly purple and very sharp, that grew alongside the smooth, stone steps. I grasped these, in order to give impetus to my climb.


It's a bit of a blur after I broke the surface of the Water and climbed to the ledge. I was received much the same as the others who had climbed out of the Pool, by a helping hand and sudden warmth and release from the sharp, stinging pain of the Sand.

I remember feeling welcomed. I recall hands...many hands...patting me here and there. After the Sand blasting in the Pool, my skin should have been cleansed, yet I was covered in Mud.

It felt so good, sitting on the ledge, which felt warm and comfortable. Many people moved about, far more than that ledge could conceivably hold. I noticed an opening behind the three men...and I knew I was to enter that opening.


And while I processed this, feeling anticipation, apprehension and resignation, I awoke.


As I've said, I've had this dream before, although Heidi wasn't in my first one.


After awakening from both dreams, I felt satisfaction, contentment and happiness. Even during the dream, there were no extreme emotions other than concern for my daughter. Instinctively, I must have known there was no danger, possibly because I knew I was in a dream.


A strange, recurring dream, this one. It is recent, meaning the first one occurred when I still lived in Qualicum Beach, just before we moved.


There are differences...in the first dream, I was not battered by that salty, sandy Water. There was no blood. I did not have Heidi with me. I don't recall seeing the purple Crystals.


But the men, the ledge, the mud in the Pool, the Cave, candles,and the others who emerged to aid the people in the Water...these were all a part of the first dream, as well.


And the feelings regarding the events and circumstances of the dream are the same.


I have the odd feeling it is a precognitive dream...but of what?


I guess time will tell.
 

21 comments:

  1. Marion: What an intense experience for you. What I see is a literal translation. With all the struggles of this mortal life, there will be an end to it and you will rest and be at peace once more. You will get to rest, you will. You don't know what the reasons are for suffering right now, but you're not meant to know. Be Strong.

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  2. An amazingly detailed memory of your amazingly detailed dream. Whatever it means, I think it bodes as a healing dream re: your feelings of satisfaction, contentment and happiness. So many ways to work w/dreams and you probably know many of them. Such as seeing each person and part of the dream as a part of oneself. When I dream of my son as a child I often interpret that as my animus still being a child ie undeveloped. Fritz Perls advocated taking each part of the dream, persons, images and having a conversation with them. etc etc re: interps. I myself find books that directly interpret images, such as a house being one's body, only minimally relevant though not without some interest.

    Anyway, amazing dream and thanks so much for sharing it. It also sort of reminded me of Plato's cave.

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  3. Wow, that's an awesome lucid dream you had! I've studied dream interpretation for years and find that almost without fail water is a symbol of my unconscious or my emotions. This website is one of my favorites for it's comprehensive Dream Dictionary. Here's the page for water:

    http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/w2.htm

    I, too, suffer from chronic pain and take medication for it and the past few nights, I've had some detailed dreams that I recalled totally. (I usually only recall bits and pieces...Could it be the almost full moon affecting our dream life?)

    Good luck with the interpretation. Blessings!

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  4. Dear Marion. what a remarkable dream and so clear in this detail. I had many thoughts and possibilities of its significance but mainly I think it is all about life, our struggles, our triumphs, and the helps and aids along the way. The symbolism for me of the three men would equate as the Holy Spirit. The Lady I would view as the Motherof God and mother to us all. For others, of other traditions, there might be similar and corresponding images as well.

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  5. Hi Marion,

    Thank you for visiting my blog and I truly appreciate that :D

    I came twice to read this post and I find it intriguing and fascinating to say the least. I did a post-graduate on Psychology and according to what my lecturer, recurring dreams could be some 'unfinished' business that is still hovering within you. Reading that you 'made it to the surface' to me means you are a fighter :D

    Have a nice week ahead :D

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  6. Nicole,

    Thanks for your interpretation of the dream! How great it would be to be able to wake up from a dream and know exactly what our minds or the Universe is trying to make clear to us.

    Usually it would be the Water which would have been the most important part of the dream to me. Yet the three men, in each dream, were who I related to the most. They were so curious about what was going on in the water...blank faces, yet I felt their interest.

    Suki,

    I agree it feels like a healing dream...those emotions at the end are quite often what I look at after a dream. And I did not feel horrified or upset during it, other than concern for Heidi, who I knew somehow, even in the water, that she would be ok.

    I like the part of your comment about speaking to each person or thing in the dream...I will try this and see what develops.

    I will have to write another post about my conversation with the three men!If they'll speak, I am convinced they hold the key, even if there are many symbols in the dream which could explain much.

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  7. Marion,

    thanks for the link! For me, as well, water represents my emotions and emotional well-being. Any dream I remember these days must be important, I feel, since I remember so few of them when I once remembered each and every one!

    I never thought of the Full Moon coming up! Thank you for the reminder! It surely will have had something to do with it...those Full Moons are tricky.

    I am so happy about these comments about the dream. Eventually, I will get to the bottom of this one and its meaning...and even if I don't it was a super dream, lol!

    Annie,

    What continually stays at the back of my mind with reference to the men are the Three Wise Men. Not that the men gave any indication of their wisdom...this is just the message I hear when I think about the dream.But perhaps rebirth is part of this dream...after a struggle, a new skin or even a new being, is born?

    Another part of the dream, new to this one, is the purple crystals I held onto on my way out of the pool. They are also vivid in my memory.

    Shionge,

    Thanks for your visit in return! The deeper I go in deciphering the dream, the more confused I become, because the dream itself was so full of symbolism, emotions, and foreshadowing...one item after another keeps popping up to either negate or agree.

    One thing is for sure...I AM a fighter, lol!

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  8. Have any such dreams come true? I've had what I think of as prophetic dreams but they've been frightening so I am hoping they were just aberrations and not predictions of what's to come. And have you ever seen those three men in a waking dream?

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  9. I dream a lot and remember quite a few. I never know what they mean though. - Margy

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  10. Pauline,

    I have had dreams where they have been harbingers of the future, although with much symbolism to work through. And other dreams that clarify emotions I might be in the midst of, emotions I may not understand, until I have the dream. Feelings I might have surrounding the dream are where I begin in trying to decipher it.

    In frightening dreams, I remain in control by reminding myself I am dreaming. Therefore, I can change the outcome of the dream, by remaining positive in the dream, and facing my fear. Does that make sense? lol

    But the other day I had a dream which frightened me severely...the reason I know it was a scary dream was I woke up really frightened. I cannot remember the dream, but I do know it was nightmarish. I think because of the medications, I was unable to dream lucidly and woke up quite suddenly in the midst of fear.

    You bring up a really good question. I've thought about it for a day and a half. Have I seen these three men before? I don't know. Their energy signature was known, but I don't know if that was because I've had the dream before with them in it.

    And lately, I've had a good many dreams where I'm working out some long past incident...an incident which caused me a bit of grief at the time.

    Thanks for the question about the three men...you've brought up some stuff from deep inside. I shall go now and rehash some more about the dream, lol!

    I shall throw the question to the Winds, dear Pauline...and the answer will come. I remember so well the curiosity on their faces as they looked down at us in the water and I keep wondering...what was it they were thinking?

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  11. you know i've read this already. i just need time to stay here awhile before i comment.

    marion, i think you should 'meet' allegra.

    just a thought...

    see you soon,

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  12. Anonymous9:18 p.m.

    Amazing dream Marion! So many archetypal symbols; the cave, and the purple rocks intrigue me. Messages of inner work and renewal. It's an ongoing process as the dream keeps showing up.

    Love and blessings for your continued healing!

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  13. Since I too take a lot of drugs, I will comment that I have quite interesting dreams on narcotics, but I rarely if ever remember having ANY dreams on sleeping pills. I miss them. Actually, I'm up right now because I'm trying to wean myself off them.

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  14. I was losing my breath with the underwater-ness of it all. I can't even watch scenes like that on TV because I'm so afraid of deep water.

    It does seem like a healing dream to me as well. And when the water turned salty I imagined it as tears. I believe the woman had already come to get Heidi? Perhaps you feared for her safety. (although you did say you thought she was perfectly alright.)

    There's so much here to go back and ponder! What an intense dream Marion, and such perfect images to go with it.

    I hope if it repeats a third time it will become clear who the men are and what the message is they're bringing.

    Holding you in the light...(((♥)))
    Lolo

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  15. Margy, I once remembered my dreams very clearly as well. I loved dreaming...I used to look forward to going to bed and dreaming! I have a notebook full of notes on those dreams I once had.

    kj,

    Hang out here as long as you wish, dear kj. I shall look Allegra up...thanks for the suggestion!

    Miruh,

    For the dreamer, some of the symbols in a dream are very personal, just because of the unique feelings associated with the symbol. But on the whole, I would agree with your assessment of this dream...I just wish it were more specific, lol! I have just begun volunteering with Hospice, though...and if that doesn't include inner work, I don't know what does!

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  16. How amazing that you remembered a dream in such detail. The only dreams I remember in much detail are dreams where my babies are in danger and it takes me a long time to help them. My "babies" are now in their late 30's but I stiill have these dreams on occasion,

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  17. Snowbrush,

    Oh yes, I loved the dreaming. I can remember dreams I had when I was a little girl...those are the dreams from Spirit, those dreams I don't forget!

    My dreams on narcotics are lurid and very colourful...but those narcotics would have to be something like Demerol.It's the Lyrica which shuts down my dreams, sigh...

    Good luck with weaning yourself off of sleeping pills! xx

    Lolo,

    I love how you equated the salt water with a woman's tears! I had not thought of that!

    When I was under the mucky water, it was surprising to me that I did not feel smothered by it all...but I seemed to breathe really really easily. There was no panic regarding mud in eyes or noses. Perhaps it's because I'm Pisces, the fish!

    After awhile, dreams fade, the feelings associated with it fade. But the men, the crystals, the pool, my daughter being received safely and the welcoming (homecoming?) upon making it to the ledge have stayed with me.

    I do hope the three men make themselves known to me...I will be on the lookout!

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  18. Hi, Marion,
    I just wandered by to see how you were doing and found this fascinating dream. I've had an apochalyptic dream that I remembered in great detail and wrote down, thinking it might be prophetic. But decades have passed and nada has happened. I wonder if dreams are a form of entertainment for our resting imaginations. I have nothing to offer you except my good wishes. Chris

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  19. A remarkable dream and you've recalled it in such detail. I wont even attempt to try and interpret it other than the ending was good in that you were safe.

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  20. Chris,

    Welcome! I've often thought my dreams were entertaining...sometimes I could hardly wait to get to sleep. I'll bet the dream you wrote down means something to you, though.

    Davem,

    Thank you, old friend. I surely did feel safe sitting on the ledge, as battered and confused as I was.

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  21. I dream a lot and remember quite a few. I never know what they mean though

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