Back in time ... but not really ...
This is my first post so I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong place with this. I had this dream last night and wanted to get some opinions on it. While I was lucid in this dream my consciousness was just sort of kicked back as if watching a movie (or rather "experiencing a movie") ... I was letting everything play out because it was an interesting story. I was fascinated by how my mind was assembling the story from old memories, desires and then throwing it other elements that where philosophical or totaly imaginary.
In my dream last night I was transported into my 10 year old body with my current memories and knowledge … brother was there, maybe sisters too … in a strange 60s or 70s split level house (interesting design actually), no parents, maybe cousin or aunt as guardian … my brother and I realized our situation, that we were in our younger bodies but still had our 28 year old and 30 year old memories. (The year in my dream was the early 80s … which actually doesn’t fit the timeline of my life correctly since I was born in 79.)
Two computer techs where in the house fixing our Apple IIe (the computer was from real life) and I started trouble shooting the problem they were having (keep in mind that to them I was 10 years old) and then started talking about how technology would progress over the next 20 years … they didn’t believe me at first until I noticed pieces of technology from “the future” (2010) laying on the floor, mixed in with the toys that were strewn about … found some LCD/touch screen based videogame toys to show them (explained how prevalent LCD technology had gotten and the death of the CRT monitor … then I realized that my iPhone (no service though because it was the 80s) was still in my pocket and showed that to them … they started to believe me.
Once they started to believe me a voice whispered to me and told me that I shouldn’t be showing them this technology because it could negatively change the course of history. As soon as I realized my error I noticed the attitude of the computer techs change and got the feeling that they were going to kill everyone in the house to claim the iPhone and other pieces of “future technology” for themselves so they could profit from them.
I warned my brother of their plot as they went outside to get some knives from their vehicle and I armed myself with a sharp table knife (actually was a knife from the kitchen of one of my childhood friends as they where good knives and always liked using them). When they came back in I was ready for them and played a little “hide and seek” (at that point I found that the house was riddled with secret passage ways and little trap doors that I could sneak around with) before making my move. I noticed that when they returned the two nerdy computer techs where accompanied by a very large overweight man (brutish you might say) … presumably their thug.
When I attacked it was the big guy I went after first … figured if I could take him down the other two would lose their “muscle”. Upon attacking I found it very hard to stab the guy … not because he was tough … but because I’m not really comfortable with killing people. Took a few stabs at his legs and back but his fat was such that it didn’t really cause a lot of immediate damage. After a little more running, hiding and surprise attacks he finally bled to death. I went after the other two but I don’t actually remember those attacks … it’s like I just breezed over them in the dream and came back into the story after they were dead (I had the feeling of exhaustion and relief as if a long battle was finally over and the danger was gone). Apparently I had rallied the help of all my siblings and the other adults in the house and was now in some sort of victory ceremony where various awards where handed out to others and I was cheered for my leadership ability and saving those in the house.
From this point on I am actually lying awake in bed, reflecting on the dream …
When I woke up (actually woke up) I had a feeling of extreme opportunity and a positive future (because I essentially rewound my life by 20 years, was in a 10 year old body but had the mind of a 30 year old) … but that was quickly followed by a sense of loss because I was in a different timeline and would never get to see my real life parents (they where possibly already dead in my dream) and never encounter the great friends I grew up with nor would I have met my girlfriend whom I love.
I also realized that in that situation I could have possibly prevented the attacks on 9/11 but then simultaneously realized that if I did, I could radically change the course of world history. (I felt that the attack was inevitable and if I stopped 9/11, who knows what would have replaced it … I felt better knowing what to expect.) Upon realizing that I couldn’t do anything about the attacks … I imagined sitting at home on the morning of 9/11/01 and tuning into the news, as if I was waiting for a regularly scheduled program … and that was a painful thought, knowing it was going to happen, letting it happen and watching it all over again.
After having that thought I realized that despite my financial problems (my car was actually repossessed at midnight last night) I still love my life and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world! The trials and tribulations of our life make us who we are and I’m happy with that.
