What are dreams made of? What's the nature of dreams? If we are going to make an attempt for exploring the realm of dreams, wouldn’t it be preferable to have an idea of the terrain conditions?

I am starting my own personal exploration of the dream realm. This exploration is on its early stages, where it’s all about gathering relevant data. Why is important to gather the best information available?

Every exploration must start with a route plan. A good route plan requires a map; the best you can find. The map is a portable device (you can’t just say “a piece of paper” nowadays with all those GPS devices available) with fixed references: time, distances coordinates, etc.

Is there a map for the realm of dreams? Maybe there isn’t one – or maybe there is; who knows? -, although the lack of a map never stopped explorers before; in fact, many maps were first made by explorers.

If you don’t have a map, you should plan a rout with the best information available: something about the terrain and the environment you are going to invade. You make a provisional map.

There a three ways to get this data:
  1. - Research based on previous works.
  2. - Interviews with experts on the matter.
  3. - Asking the locals.


Normally, the third way was the most effective tactic I used in the past in my previous explorations. This time, it doesn’t look like a workable idea (although it is said that Carl G. Jung, one of the most recognized dream explorers, used to receive information from somebody called Philemon, an archetype from the realm of dreams).

Here’s a short advance of the work in progress:

  • - Dreams are highly related with the subconscious.
  • - Dreams are also highly related with the long term memory in a process called memory consolidation.
  • - Some theories suggest that dreams are just random images produced by the brain’s reenergizing process.
  • - Others suggest a process of threat simulation that tunes up our survival abilities.
  • - Shamans all over the world believe that the realm of dreams is a parallel reality (interesting, from the quantum mechanics point of view)
  • - Jung followers believe that dreams are not a response from the ill subconscious (as suggested by Freud) but rather a link to archetypal images shared by all of humanity.
  • - One of my dearest friends suggested that dreams are sometimes inspired by your personal angel (which would explain why some people obtain inspiration –and, other times,
warnings- from their dreams)

Again, every exploration must start with a route plan. A good route plan is the one which foresees the main possible obstacles and dangers that could come upon the route. The perfect plan is the one that foresees all the possible problems. The perfect plan doesn’t exist.

In fact, many explorations failed before starting due to over planning. You can only prevent to some point. Moreover, if the exploring site is so known that all the problems may be predicted, what is there to explore?

The point of exploring is learning something new, and you can’t learn something you already know.

I’ll keep my eyes open and I will question everything.

PS: if anyone of you knows about a map of the dream realm, or is acquainted with a local of that territory, please let me know. It would save me a lot of time for what I would be very grateful.