Strange Dreams

I think that most people who dream (and remember their dreams) experience at some point or another 'meaningful' dreams. Dreams that seem to predict something about upcoming events, or just seem like they're trying to send a message.

I typically have several very odd dreams every night - ranging from flying over the countryside to fighting zombies en masse. But I also have highly emotional dreams, mostly about my parents or loved ones, about regrets, and things I feel frustrated about.

Many Native American beliefs teach that to ignore your dreams is dangerous, and could cause illness and madness - certainly, many people believe that dreams are the mind's way of working out problems it can't deal with during the day; a pressure valve, so to speak, or a filter. Freud believed that our dreams were the result of our desires and wishes combined with the activities we do all day, and that nothing we see in a dream can be made up. Rather, everything in a dream is remembered from our lives in some shape or form. There are countless theories about dreams and dream interpretation, what causes us to dream and why we do it, but no one really knows for sure.

I'd like to believe, for me at least, that dreams really do act as a way for the mind to work out problems in a safe environment. A way to deal with stress or maybe just experience something wonderful. Like I said, I dream a lot about my parents - I worry about my mother, and my relationship with my father right now is more or less nonexistent because I'm afraid of talking to him. So in my dreams, I endure situations with my mom where we're fighting or angry (I worry about our relationship going bad) and I have nightmares about my father controlling my life with fear and guilt. In my dreams I can react in ways I wouldn't (or couldn't) in real life, for fear of retaliation. The consequences I experience in dreams are impermanent, but the implications are powerful and can be a great aid in every day life and dealing with life problems.



I also believe that dreams do now and then give us glimpses of what's to come - and I'm not alone. Many cultures believe in the power of prophetic dreams, and though science for the most part is full of skeptics regarding such things, there are some researchers who are open-minded to the possibility. Rupert Sheldrake gathers in his book The Sense of Being Stared At (2003) many examples of both lab tests and every-day experiences regarding precognition and psychic communication, using contacts with labs and scientists around the world. The results show that the ability isn't common, but that some people - conscious of it or not - can anticipate things before they happen to them.

I bring this all up because of a particularly odd dream I had last night which seemed to be filled with symbolism. It may have just been collective oddities coming together, but in the off chance that it meant something, I wanted to have it down here.

I was in and following a group of people walking more or less single file through a widely spread marketplace. Most of the booths were very far apart, though some were right next to each other. Regardless of size, each had lots of things to offer, though the vendors had different attitudes. Some were welcoming, others seemed to ignore us as we went by, while still others actively called to us to view their wares. The mood in my group was also varied - most of us, including me, seemed pretty happy and enjoying ourselves, though some were serious, some didn't seem to care at all, and some were downright upset. In particular, there was a woman following behind me who was crying. She had long black hair and olive skin, and was wearing a lot of bangles. She was sobbing quietly, and I stopped her to ask if she was alright.

She replied that she didn't know why she was so sad, and when she happened to turn and glance at the vendor nearest us (a very gypsy/roma themed cart) the woman running it jumped up and leaned over the table to hand the crying woman what looked like several wooden discs stacked neatly, about 4" in diameter, and at least 1/4" thick. They had a bark texture about the edges, but on the discs were images of the Ace of Cups, blue water, a queen holding a chalice, etc.
"A gift," the vendor said, smiling as she sat back.

I looked at the discs with the woman who was following me (we were still moving but I had the peculiar feeling of standing still) and I told her "These are the Cups of Tarot - water, and emotion." As she was holding them, they suddenly turned in a mix of tarot cards, all different sizes, seemingly from different decks, some worn out and some new, a few laminated. The art style was mostly medieval. We were both stumped by what it meant, but were amazed - she stopped crying, and I was too surprised feel much of anything. I tried to explain the meaning behind each card - but they were different than the typical tarot cards, with suits and values that didn't exist in the traditional deck. Still, as I looked at each one, the meaning would seem to become clear to me anyhow, as though it were written on the face of the card, and I would tell her what it meant though it took some effort.

I awoke shortly after.

I suppose my first interpretation of this dream would be that it's about finding faith - each booth is a religion, and the people I was with were all people trying to find their own path. But what about the discs and their transformation? Who was the crying woman? What about the strange, mixed cards?

I suppose either time will tell, or this'll be one more dream left to wonder about.