如果睡眠是死亡的預演

有觀點認為睡眠是死亡的預演。那也許回想通常怎樣過一天，也多少可窺知一個人的生命哲學？至於每晚入睡，是報復性熬夜到撐不住，不由自主便要睡，還是自覺地到時候便去睡，也可能是對死亡的態度嗎？每晚不願去睡的人，會更怕死嗎？安然入睡的人，會比較得以順利好死，少受磨難嗎？

Breathe

Take a deep breath. 

Breathe in, connect the above to the Divine. 

Breathe out, bring down the light and energy, and ground.

自由意志 Free will

畫面出現, 是RPG電腦角色扮演遊戲. 已經按下開始鍵, 已經選好角色, 已經在裡面了. 雖然被限於每關的版圖和破關任務, 還是可以選擇如何如玩呀. 裡面的一百條路未必要全都走完, 裡面的一百個寶箱未必要全都開完, 裡面的一百個敵人未必要全都擊敗. 可以選擇全都走完玩過, 也可以選擇只走破關必要的路. 遇見的夥伴, 也許只是為破這關提供幫助, 然後便分手不會再見, 也許成為繼續一起上路打爆機的隊友. 

我想自由意志(free will)於我而言, 不是可以任意做任何事, 而是在框架和限制下, 仍然看見可能性, 自行決定行動, 並為自己的決定和行動負責.

Understanding your dreams

Dreams can be read from different perspectives. You can always peel off their multiple layers of skin one by one to further explore their deeper and deeper meanings. Examining the various sides of dreams could bring not only insights but also sometimes answers to your questions.

 

The Dream

A young man often plays with cats. He thinks it would be better to be a cat. Scene changes to an indoor home and a black and white cat is there. Male actor Stephen Chow walks to the right side of the flat which is a living room. There is also a room with the door open. He plays with the cat with a ball attached to a long elastic band. Every time when he throws out the ball, the cat would chase that ball, then the ball will go back to his hand. The young man's mother sees that and says, "enough!" She throws out a soft ball with blue and yellow strips for the cat. The cat is the young man.

 

Subjective vs Objective

People appeared in a dream can be subjective, meaning they are representing a part of you, or objective, reflecting the dynamics between you and that person in your waking life. The dream character could possibly be objective only if he/she dressed, talked and behaved exactly the same way he/she would do in your waking life.

Going back to the dream, the dreamer could not recognise any of the characters appeared in the dream as someone close or she really knew in her waking life. Therefore the characters were considered as subjective rather than objective. The dreamer associated the young man to herself - she liked playing with her cats and sometimes would think that it would be better to be a cat. The cat could be her playful and instinctive aspects, as compensation to her waking life personality.

 

Dramatic Structure

You can analyse a dream by identifying its structure as a play - the setting, development, conflict/turning point, and resolution/conclusion. Not all dreams have all of these, for example some dreams do not present a resolution.

The dream was in a home setting. It started with a young man often played with cats, then Stephen walked into the living room and played with a black and white cat. The turning point was the angry mother entering the scene which brought in the conflict. The conclusion was the cat was actually the young man. The dreamer reflected that the cat was happily playing and running around, no matter with Stephen's attached ball or the mother's free ball. There was no right or wrong, good or bad. It didn’t matter to the cat. It was only how people think, how they interpret other's actions and whether they could understand the others’ viewpoints. It could be taken emotionally, or without emotion. The dreamer further gained insight that she could choose to be the cat be in the moment and focus on what she wanted, rather than thinking and judging too much.    

 

Associations and Amplifications

Dream contents are usually not to be taken literally. Personal associations and amplifications (by relating to for example myths, art and cultural materials) of dream elements and images would be useful to reveal the underlying messages from our unconscious.  

The dreamer associated Stephen with in charge, calm, intelligent, didn't care about how other people think about him, not placating, thinking a lot, seldom talked, usually not understood by other people. Someone that the dreamer would like to be, who kept things to be under control (ball attached with elastic band). He could be a positive shadow figure. If there was the Self in the dream, the dreamer thought it could be the invisible mysterious power who turned the young man to the black and white cat, who was not showing its face and involved in the play, but watching and working behind the scene.

The mother archetype in the dream showed both her positive and negative qualities. She was caring, loving, protective and would take action. But she would only consider what she thought to be good as good and would like other people to follow her way and judgement, without trying to understand others.

 

More thoughts

The dream ego was just watching and not involved (remember how the dreamer described the Self?) No judgement, not taking side, just observing. The cat was black and white. There was Stephen and the mother. Binary opposition. But with the cat, Stephen, the mother and the dream ego, the four could be a sign for the opportunity towards integration to wholeness.

With the rich ingredients discovered above, you may choose to settle for an interpretation at the moment, or go back to the dream any time to dig deeper for deeper meanings. Enjoy your dream journey!

Messages from Nature Spirits

Uriel brought me passing through the same gate to the forest. We stopped somewhere in the middle of a circle of big trees. My back shivering and I felt some gentle breeze surrounding me. Uriel pointed at somewhere behind me with a smile and said, the air spirits got something to say. Rather than hearing words, it’s more like some breezing sound in the ears. “We are anywhere. We do not necessarily have forms. We can make water flows, fire glows, leaves singing different tunes. Formless is the most powerful.” I looked at the river on my front left. Water spirits’ voice was like jingling bells, clean and beautiful, like singing a poem in an amazing heavenly tone. “Let's flow you don't need a boat. Let's flow to a far new road. Let's flow see the views you never know. Let's flow hear the stories untold. Let's flow don't worry about where to go.” I felt drunk in the mesmerisng sound and those words were like flying around my head. Fire spirits on my right drew my attention back, showing me the fire and making a warm sensation on my hands. “I can make you warm. I can burn things down. When you can only see one side, see also the opposite at work.” A big old tree on my right spoke in a low earthly tone. “Ground is the magic word. Ground yourself as you now have roots. The more you are grounded, the more expansion of your branches and leaves. That's how the leaves can sing amazing new tunes and your enormous lights can shine to the sky.” Shaking leaves on the tree sounding various tunes. I can see my tree of light growing more and more light spots on the branches and shining bright. I felt very tired and overloaded. Uriel sang the low wooden flute tune to dismiss the nature spirits. He led me back to the gate and said, no worries while you write it down you can remember.

Be yourself

Everyone has a role to play, a purpose. 
Do not afraid to be yourself. 
It's only when you can be yourself, 
you can feel the Divine's love, compassion and light, 
and be real presence.

動物花園

坐在河畔，流水在我的左邊，一隻青蛙出現在我右邊，看著我。後來前面還來了一條蜥蜴，前右方是一尾蛻皮中的白蛇。

甚麼意思呢。三者像是同類，身上有像鱗片的立體紋理。只是不清楚不認識不想接觸才會怕，願意近看知道了，便會發現不過如此，沒甚麼好怕的。

青蛙呢。他給我看是兩棲，適應力，對環境的應變和適應力可好好運用。

蜥蜴呢。他給我看斷了的尾巴再生，生命力，再生。

白蛇，那個蛻了一半的皮太明顯是蛻變了吧。

又回到青蛙，他提醒本來是蝌蚪的模樣，成長可以很大變化呢。

蜥蜴，有時必需失去原有的，才得新生。

白蛇，往往得捨棄原來的 comfort zone，才能成長得更強大，剝落原來的框框，才有更大成長的空間。