memorable

An extraordinarily vivid and meaningful dream tonight re-awakened my interest in dreaming. I haven't been conscious of my dreams for several years due to physical illness and several other factors. This dream "called" me back to awareness of dreams, and it seemed to invite me back to the dreamworld.

A few hours later, I found this website

My friend and I are walking through a magical city. We're members of the city patrol, and we are patrolling.

As we walk, we see the forces of evil causing trouble and disorder all around the city. We can see the evil forces flying above us in wave after wave.

My friend wants to intervene everywhere, to fight for justice in every case. But not me.

"That's not our job," I say. "We have specific mission objectives and all the chaos around is isn't our problem - it's someone else's."

Under a bridge, we meet two members of a street gang, obviously looking for trouble. I want to just walk on by, but this time I can't stop my friend. Before I can do anything, he confronts them, leaving me to guard the equipment.

They begin to fight and my friend is hopelessly outmatched. I stay with the equipment, my friend runs away, leaving me alone with the two street gang members.

Next the street gang members turn to me. Two young women. The leader begins to fight me, using some kind of kung-fu. I also know kung-fu and I easily block all her attacks.

Then the leader backs off and the junior gang member attacks me. She has little technique, she's just strong and fast. I can't defend against her and she beats me up badly. Then the leader steps forward and we repeat this cycle several times.

Eventually the leader attacks me in a different way. She begins to hit specific pressure points on my body, which causes extreme pain. I can't defend against this. As she hits me, she laughs and explains exactly what she's doing. She's teaching me! And I find that I like her.

Eventually she stops and offers me a choice. Either they will finish the beating and leave me in a bruised heap by the side of the road, or I can join them.

In that moment, I have an epiphany. I realize how narrow-minded and judgmental I've been, with my sense of "right and wrong" and my ideas about "mission objectives." Who's setting those objectives, anyway? These so-called "gang members" are actually freedom fighters! They're fighting against the dictatorship of the mind, into which I've completely bought in. Yes, they do hurt people. But that's just what they have to do - it's the only way to wake people up.

In that moment I decide to join them - I'm awake!

At that point, my son exploded out of bed, waking my wife and me up and ending the dream.

It was a dream of awakening, a message to drop my rigid ideas and judgmentalism, to take a second look at everything, to reconcile the opposing forces within my being.