Exercise 16 - An Imagination Within a Dream

Exercise 16: Write about a recent dream.

Whoa!  I just woke up from an intense dream!  I was a participant in a workshop with a spiritual leader from India.  He asked everyone to talk about what it might be like to visit India on a vacation.  As the participants, in order, rattled off what they would be doing, seeing, and experiencing, the story was building.  When the story got to me, our "character" was in the hotel.  A man sitting on opposite of me looked into my eyes and laughed as he blurted, out of turn, "What if we ran into one of his kids?"

So I was game.  I continued the story.  I said that we would see the spiritual leader's son and we would chat with him for a bit.  The spiritual leader stopped me and asked me why I chose to speak with his son.  I replied that I was influenced by the man across the way to meet with his children.  He then responded with a series of questions.  He asked me why I didn’t also speak with his daughter.  I responded that I was going to let the next person add that part of the story.  Unsatisfied with my answer, he continued his inquiry, or rather his psychoanalysis, probing for something deeper.  I sensed my defenses, like a wall made of recycled paper was being easily, and yet gently, torn down by his final question.

His question was more of a series of statements.  It blinded me at first like walking out of a movie theater into the bright afternoon sun.  And soon my mind’s eye adjusted and was able to see the beautiful colors and richness of my story.  His question was, “Why did you envision the boy walking away and not running towards me, his father?  Why did you not see us embracing in a hug while wearing smiles upon our hearts and faces?”

I was stunned.  I didn’t speak, but I could hear my thoughts as everyone else started to slowly evaporate into nothingness.  Why was I picturing the boy in my imagination without affection?  Is that the way in which I live my life?  Do I withhold affection towards the people I love?  If so, why would I do that?  Can I choose to be more physically affectionate with those I love?  Is that something I want?

I woke up shortly after asking myself these questions and slowly came to the realization that my vivid dream helped shift a part of me.  I know not what will come of this, but I feel lighter and more inspired.  I am thankful for my unconscious helping me along.  It felt like I dove so deep into my unconscious, like in the movie, “Inception.”  I was dreaming of being in a workshop where I used my imagination to see myself in a hotel with a boy.  Whoa!  That is intense!