My name is Lucifer, and I'm BUSY.

I'm warning for religious/blasphemous themes and links to tvtropes.

The Dream:

---

My name is Lucifer, and I'm busy.

"But you have to stay here! You're the Lord of Hell!" says the ex-cherub, who seems to have been recast as my secretary.

"I don't, actually. I've left this job once, and I'll leave again once I have this place reorganized." I'm standing up at a desk, looking at blueprints.

I turn toward the ominous wooden door at the other end of the (hellish) office-space. The door leads to a dimension where damned souls are trapped. As they make their way to the door, they inch closer to the end of their torment. At which point, welcome to bureaucratic hell.

He continues to pester me, "But God wants you to-"

"Okay, look," I interrupt, "I don't care what God wants. In the actual comic book, Lucifer didn't care what God wanted. Every version of the devil, ever, actively resisted doing anything that God wanted him to do. So what makes you think that I care?"

I realize that I've broken out of character at this point, but the demon seems to actively resist the idea that this is a dream and I'm not really Lucifer. I decide to be amused instead of summoning up a gale of fire with which to burn him alive. Because, as the devil, I could totally do that.

Instead, I throw my hands up in the air, metaphorically, and walk through the now-open doorway to the realm of the damned. The door swings shut behind me, cutting off the shrill ranting of my unfortunate secretary.

I take the form of a woman with short, blonde hair as I take the first steps into the realm usually thought of as Hell. This area is closest to the exit, and as such, is actually fairly pleasant in comparison to the rest of hell. This, of course, means that it's a boring approximation of a cave that slopes slowly downward. The cave curves away in the distance, and I know that it's an infinite spiral to the bottom.

The soul nearest the door looks like a boy in his young teens, although he probably lived to be older than that. The boy is building a fence up the sloping ground, not noticing as it collapses into inexistance behind him. He is intensely focused on the task, trapped, as all the damned are, in a nightmare of his own creation. I approach, and as I do, I hear deep, threatening barking. The boy reacts in a panic, looking about wildly for the source of the noise, not seeing me.

Part of the fence has been shaped into a basket-like form, with half-rotten plywood as the bottom. A rottweiler puppy comes into existence as I look at the space, and it barks at the boy. When the boy sees it, he starts to back away from the puppy, and away from the door.

I'm standing directly beside the puppy, so I pick it up. The dog starts barking and the noise in the boy's nightmare lessens. I look at him, and he sees me for the first time. Finally, his eyes land on the door behind me...

End.

---

This dream dictionary suggests the following:

If you fight off the devil, you're likely to be victorious IRL. Really.

If you're influenced by the devil, you are susceptible to temptation.

If you're friends with the devil, you are easily influenced.

So, what does it mean if you ARE the devil in a dream? For that matter, what if you successfully fight the devil and then become friends? Discuss.

P.S. "You watch too much TV" doesn't count. I already know that.

I’d suggest that seeing yourself as Lucifer could be interpreted as saying that you see yourself as the personification of evil. [Do you perhaps see yourself as a terrifying or terribly bad boss of your workplace(as the lord of Hell in the hellish office-space)?]

Do you see the good in you becoming corrupted by your function? (ex-cherub, recast as your secretary… thus working for Lucifer, an evil boss) Do you have plans (blueprints) for leaving what may seem like a hellish workplace?]

Does the option to leave seem ominous (the ominous wooden door) and leading to an even worse situation? (to a dimension where damned souls are trapped) Could ‘a dimension where damned souls are trapped’ refer to a situation applying to those poor souls who are doomed to a life of working for a living?

Could God represent a higher power – a boss above you – you wants you to remain in your present job?

The teenage boy would represent an emotionally unsettled or rebellious aspect of yourself. The dog would represent a feeling of friendship or loyalty that associates with this type of thinking.

Hope some of these help you decipher your dream.

Hey, thanks for responding.

Quote:

---

...you see yourself as the personification of evil.

---

Well, that or I don't consider Lucifer to be evil.

Quote:

---

...ex-cherub, recast as your secretary...

---

Gaudium (the ex-cherub) is a character in a comic book. He's already a demon, but I suppose that might have been Lucifer's fault to begin with.

Quote:

---

Does the option to leave seem ominous (the ominous wooden door) and leading to an even worse situation?

---

No, I don't leave that way. That's the door to the rest of hell; I'd be going back to earth once I've wreaked enough havoc on the fabric of the universe by letting souls escape their eternal torment.

Quote:

---

The teenage boy would represent an emotionally unsettled or rebellious aspect of yourself. The dog would represent a feeling of friendship or loyalty that associates with this type of thinking

---

.

You keep a dream dictionary open in another window, don't you?

Unfortunately, this rebellious aspect didn't read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. "Wow, painting building this fence is fun. I wouldn't let anyone else do it for anything!"

That said, I did quit my job a couple weeks ago, and I am moving away for a new one, so kudos on the successful cold-reading.

Happy to know that I got something right! Anyway, following your reply I took a second look at your dream.

You said you do not consider Lucifer as evil. Actually your dream itself provides a meaning for Lucifer in the sentence, “I don't care what God wants”. Thus you could see the dream as saying that you are seeing yourself as someone who will, or always has, actively resisted doing whatever higher authority wants you to do. [Do you have a problem with being told what to do?] By pointing out that this aspect of your nature patterned upon Lucifer’s comes from reading comic books, it is implied that the understanding and knowledge you have of your nature is laughable. The comic book source of your understanding of your nature also says that your understanding cannot be seen as Scripture – that is, this understanding is not God’s assessment but only a human one.

A point emphasized in the dream is that you are perfectly capable of breaking out of character – of ceasing to function as one resisting any authority. (“I realize that I've broken out of character at this point”) However, there is an aspect of yourself seen as the demon which does resist the idea that your characterization of yourself as Lucifer is but a fantasy of your own designing. (demon seems to actively resist the idea that this is a dream and I'm not really Lucifer).

The scene shows that it is when you give up resisting the little demon in you which insists that you remain in the character of Lucifer, that you walk out of a situation. (I throw my hands up in the air, metaphorically, and walk through the now-open doorway) But at this point you can also see yourself functioning as a woman. This means that you are acting on emotion rather than upon logical thinking. While emotionally going on emotion is seen as thinking in an enlightened manner (woman with short blond hair), the short hair also indicates that this thinking should not be left to continue for a long time.

While the experience of exiting or leaving a situation, from a very emotional perspective, at first seems quite pleasant (area is closest to the exit, and as such, is actually fairly pleasant), it is actually taking you into a way of thinking that is very cavemanish, simplistic and more associated with animals and emotion than with humans. And the path it takes you on is not on the level (slopes) and leads you downwards, that is, into a losing position. The infinite spiral emphasizes a spiritual path, one here going in the wrong direction. [God is strong on obeying those in authority which is first given us via “honour thy mother and father”.]

Unfortunately your teenager (the boy)will never get to paint a fence because it cannot be established on grounds of reasoning that is not on the level. The fence itself, as used in this scene, would relate well with the idea of setting up a situation to appear as having two sides to it. This is not likely when resisting authority is involved.

A dream dictionary !? – never use one. My own head is better. Can’t beat logical thinking!

Quote:

---

Do you have a problem with being told what to do?

---

Maybe. Just a little bit. Yes.

Quote:

---

The understanding and knowledge you have of your nature is laughable...cannot be seen as Scripture.

---

You realize that the name "Lucifer" was never used to describe the devil in the New Testament, right? That came later. If "Lucifer", in the dream, was just a character from a comic book, sure, that can be laughable. My X-Men/Supernatural/Psych dreams are pretty laughable, too.

I'm not trying to get into an argument about religion here; I'm just explaining my own point of view, but I ascribe to the "Man Created God" opinion. So, from my point of view... Scripture can't be seen as Scripture. We just keep reinventing ourselves, our ideas and our beliefs, and really, sequential art is as valid a media as any other, for this purpose. I don't mean any offense; I'm pretty sure we're coming from different points of view is all. I read the comic book recently, but it's a fairly common reading of Paradise Lost, that either Lucifer was the good guy, or at least, God was even worse. And I've gone with that interpretation of Christian mythology for a few years now.

Anyway, I did mention that it's entirely possible that I have problems being told what to do with my life, but that's not really an issue for me. From what you've written, you're trying to point out that this character trait might be getting in the way or something...?

Quote:

---

A point emphasized in the dream is that you are perfectly capable of breaking out of character...

---

I think that was just a semi-lucid moment.

Quote:

---

But at this point you can also see yourself functioning as a woman. This means that you are acting on emotion rather than upon logical thinking.

---

Seriously, ouch with the emotional/logical binary. I don't usually put much thought into the gender of the characters I play in my dreams; I switch through them pretty much at random. Why, you think it might mean something?

Quote:

---

...the short hair also indicates that this thinking should not be left to continue for a long time.

---

Also possible that I have short hair and therefore usually dream that my hair is short?

So, you think I should try to stop dreaming as female characters? That could be interesting.

About the infinite spiral to the bottom: I'm not actually going down there. I'm trying to arrange a way for everyone else to get up. The idea is that they're climbing from a point farther down on the spiral, purgatory-like. Actually, maybe you have a point with the emotional/empathic reaction to all the pain and suffering in the world. You can't save everyone?

My spiritual direction is fine. I thought we'd already established that I don't care what God thinks?

Spoiler for On God:

Or would think, if I thought he was real.

Quote:

---

Unfortunately your teenager (the boy)will never get to paint a fence

---

And in Tom Sawyer, he never did either: he tricked his friends into painting the fence for him. The dream-character is building the fence, up the hill. The idea, I think, was that he would probably get to leave soon (through the door into the office-level). Hell if I know what we were going to do with him then.

Quote:

---

This is not likely when resisting authority is involved.

---

You really aren't fond of this anarchist POV I've been setting up, are you?

Quote:

---

A dream dictionary !? – never use one. My own head is better. Can’t beat logical thinking!

---

I'm 100% in agreement with you. I was just bugging you for the dog = loyalty, teenager = rebellious attitude comment. Your comments are actually really well thought out. Going through the dream like this, you've pointed out a few things I never would have noticed, even if our personal symbolism doesn't mesh completely.

This has actually been a lot of fun.

What a cool dream! I am also a lord of hell along with three others in another dimesion. I usually make my servants plant flowers as punishment for their sins. I look forward to reading your DJ.

I think this dream means that you are a badass.

Quote:

---

I usually make my servants plant flowers as punishment for their sins.

---

I like it. There's really nothing better than playing ruler of your own little patch of Paradise Hell. And really, what are minions for, if not exercising one's imagination on cool and unusual punishments?