Dreams Shared: Adventures, Cheese Pigs and More

[zoobyshoe]

All I want is a dream where something isn't pretty much what it appears to be. The silver box / automobile thing was interesting.

Thing is, like I said to icvotria, my reaction to your images is pretty much meaningless. You are the one who has to dig into what these things remind you of, in order to understand the dream.

I've had what seems to me to be good success using Freud's guidlines on my own dreams. I think he really uncovered some of the authentic dynamics behind dream content.

 

[Huckleberry]

Freud has never been one of my favorites. I've briefly studied his personality theories and, while they are interesting and useful, I think his own hangups may have biased his theory. I find it ironic that by using Freuds own theory many aspects of his life become clear. There is an unrecognized dark side to people and it can sometimes be hard to accept subconscious thoughts with a rational mind. As so many other things, that does not make them either true or untrue. Am I getting into Jung now?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Freud has never been one of my favorites. I've briefly studied his personality theories and, while they are interesting and useful, I think his own hangups may have biased his theory.

There's the rub: you haven't read Freud.

"The few reviews which have appeared in the scientific journals are so full of misconceptions and lack of comprehension that my only possible answer to my critics would be a request that they should read this book over again - or perhaps merely that they should read it!"

Freud in the intro to a later edition of The Interpretation of Dreams.

 

[Huckleberry]

Sounds like something I would be interested in reading. I'll definitely check it out sometime. I don't think it will be as much fun interpreting my own dreams though.

 

[zoobyshoe]

There is an unrecognized dark side to people and it can sometimes be hard to accept subconscious thoughts with a rational mind. As so many other things, that does not make them either true or untrue.

Freud was a pioneer in seeking answers to the question "What's eating at people?" He wasn't out to prove people are unconsciously dark, but that people are unnecessarily tormented by the stuff rattling around in their unconscious.
"...true or untrue" isn't so important because the fact is, people can be greatly bothered by stuff even if it's untrue.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Sounds like something I would be interested in reading. I'll definitely check it out sometime.

I wouldn't reccomend anyone read it unless you're really motivated to find out what this Freud guy actually said. My point was merely that, as with almost all thinkers, there is an absurd gap between the popular notions of what he said, and what he actually said. The popular icon of Freud is a cartoon. The actual Freud was an alarmingly bright, articulate thinker to be reckoned with.

 

[brewnog]

My mate had a dream where I was working as a slave in his snow mine.

 

[Danger]

My mate had a dream where I was working as a slave in his snow mine.

I'd be right careful around him if I were you.

 

[Huckleberry]

travelling dreams

I have a lot of traveling dreams. Many of the locations are the same each time. One is a deserted island that I stop by sometimes when I'm on a ship. It has a nice beach and coconut trees and looks like it would make a nice home for a few people.

Sometimes I am standing on a cliff looking out over a large expanse of water, like a sea. To my right is a gorge and there is water in it. It looks beautiful, yet dangerous. I once saw a picture of hundreds of sharks all gathering at the same place in shallow green/blue water. It reminds me of that, but I didn't see any sharks. To my left is an ancient building. It looks like it is made of bricks and then plastered over with mud and straw. It is a sandy color like the desert around me. The impression I get is that this is an historical place.

Another is a tall tower that stands on a hill inbetween seven cities. One of the cities is San Francisco. Often the dreams start with me in one of these cities. It is always the same place. It is a bad part of town and I have to be careful what route I take, and I'm trying to get from work to the cathedral tower. There is a bridge that I must cross. Sometimes I even take the train around the city. The stairs to the tower are external and there is no railing. Looking down from the top of the tower makes me feel dizzy, but it is also beautiful.

There is a particular haunted house but I don't remember too much about it. I remember secret passages and forbidden rooms where evil things happened. These dreams are often accompanied by traveling through caves by a river to get to some point.

So the dream I had last night, I was traveling through some part of Asia. I was in a rural seaside village. The water looked all polluted and the people were poor. I wasn't the only tourist here. There was a couple there as well. Some of the villagers accosted travellers when they passed by, demanding money. In order to avoid these people I teamed up with the other two travellers. I also thought it would be a good way to enjoy traveling if I had some company.

So I was talking with these people and they had a schedule of where they wanted to go and when, and where they would stay, and what they wanted to see and do. I didn't exactly scoff at their list, but I felt disdain for it. As we were leaving the village on train I was feeling exuberant and was deciding on where to go next. Somehow I had convinced them to discard their carefully laid plans. I said I always wanted to see Hong Kong, but I wasn't sure what to expect now that it is under Chinese rule. I was looking at a map and trying to decide where I wanted to go. At the same time I felt kind of bad because I was worried about running out of money and having nowhere to go. I felt bad for talking these people out of their plans and involving them in my fate. I didn't want to be alone.

Then I woke up and the song on the radio was "Blinded by the light." Seriously! I felt aimless and useless and unsure about what to do with my life. No sense of purpose or belonging. So I smoked a cigarette and wondered if lung cancer could be considered suicide. And I didn't really care because whether I live or die doesn't really make much difference to anyone.

 

[icvotria]

I'm sure whether you live or die makes a lot of difference to you! And I'm sure it makes a lot of difference to a lot of other people aswell, not least lots of people here at PF. Whenever I'm feeling aimless and worthless and stuff, I always take it as a great excuse to do whatever I please, to have as much fun as I can and follow all my whimsical dreams. I've done loads of spontaneous things following periods like that that I'm really glad I did. Travelling lots is one of them, you should go to Hong Kong!

Incidentally, I woke up yesterday morning worrying about what smoking was doing to my lungs. There's this advert on at the moment with an omlete that's been left in a bell jar for a couple of weeks and it's all black and mouldy and shrivled. I woke up thinking 'that's my lungs!' Yuck. Still can't quit though.

 

[Danger]

And I didn't really care because whether I live or die doesn't really make much difference to anyone.

Definitely not true! I, among many others, would be very pissed off if you weren't around. Just your virus-induced absence was irritating enough. If you go croaking on us, I'm going to dig up your grave and choke the **** out of you!

Still can't quit though.

Welcome to the club. Advanced emphysema, and I'm still at it. I keep thinking about quitting, and am cutting down significantly, but dammit, I like smoking.

 

[Huckleberry]

I'm not going anywhere soon. Especially if Danger is going to be messing with my corpse. I don't give up that easily, although I do get depressed quite often. Maybe a bit manic depressive or something. Hopefully nothing clinical. It is just that I am not excited about either life or death. I really don't think I would be very concerned if I were to die. It is the dying part that is the toughest. I'd rather avoid that for a while if possible. What I really want is a purpose.

I think that is why I enjoy travelling. Maybe if I'm in motion then I'm going somewhere. That is better than going nowhere. Being in a place where things are unfamiliar to me is somehow comforting.

 

[Danger]

I'm not going anywhere soon. Especially if Danger is going to be messing with my corpse.

Wise choice.

I don't give up that easily, although I do get depressed quite often. Maybe a bit manic depressive or something. Hopefully nothing clinical.

It's worth getting checked out. I had no idea that my ADD was (cause/effect?) of clinical depression until I got on the anti-depressants to fight it.

It is just that I am not excited about either life or death. I really don't think I would be very concerned if I were to die. It is the dying part that is the toughest. I'd rather avoid that for a while if possible. What I really want is a purpose.

As a general rule, death should be avoided. Until you find a purpose that is satisfactory to you, be content that you provide hours of entertainment and information to those of us here in PF. And I was very serious before when I suggested that you put some of your experiences into a book. You're a very good writer, and the stuff you tell about is well worth reading.

 

[Huckleberry]

I'll need a fantastic editor to correct all my mistakes, but I would very much like to write science fiction. Any kind of fiction would be okay. I have some ideas that my creative writing teacher told me I should definitely pursue. I've thought about writing the synopsis here, but the opportunity hasn't come up and I'm not sure I want to share the ideas. There are way too many clever and capable people here that could probably write my stories better than I could. One day I'll finish them, but I haven't been motivated to write in a while.

Thanks for the encouragement though IC and Danger. It is always appreciated.

 

[Danger]

I'll need a fantastic editor to correct all my mistakes, but I would very much like to write science fiction.

It's an editor's job to do that, so don't feel that you're putting a burden on one. Personally, as an ex-pro writer, I don't think that you need much help. One good thing about fiction is that you can make up your own style if it suits your purposes. Misuse of tenses drives me nuts, but even some of the most popular best-selling authors do it all the time. I think that I actually ruined a few parts of my own book by going back and correcting grammar. I'm going to go back and uncorrect it to get the original impact back. Also, don't consider what you do to be any particular genre until it's time to market it. Write what you want to write, then decide how to categorize it. Setting out to fit a particular format restricts your creativity.

 

[Huckleberry]

Setting out to fit a particular format restricts your creativity.

The ideas of any length that I have are definitely science fiction. But I didn't intentionally start them that way. They came from events in my own life and evolved into something completely different. I think any good story is really about the human condition. Even a story without any people in it at all is about the human condition.

I love the way that a story can be so basic and have great depth. One of my favorites that I wrote is about a man walking his dog. It was an excercise in point of view and I began in first person and shifted it to 3rd limited and then unlimited. In the process many of the hopes and dreams of the man become apparent and his life briefly becomes entangled in someone elses. Simple things can have great meaning.

Everything you said in that post is exactly what my teacher said. I'm going to consider it good advice. He would always say, "don't worry about the details. Just keep writing the story. Worry about the details later."

 

[icvotria]

Hey Danger, what's your author name? I want to read your stuff. Can I get it in England? Hmmm... I'm drunk as a skunk... 'author name', does that make sense? I'm sure you know what I mean.

Anyhoo, Huckleberry, I think I know how you feel, and in my drunkeness I advise you to write all the stories that you're lucky enough to imagine and go on all the travels that you're lucky enough to want to go on and worry about all that other stuff later.

 

[Huckleberry]

Had another dream last night.

I entered into some kind of lottery. I was runner up and the winner was David Letterman. He was chosen to circumnavigate the globe in the form of a fish. Not a big fish, but a little one that looks something like a clown fish. We started out at a harbor on the west coast of the U.S. David Letterman hopped in the water and turned into a fish and I got on a little rubber floaty seat, like you would find in a backyard pool. I had a paddle in my hands and a cooler balanced on my lap. It was my job to follow Mr. Letterman across the oceans and make sure he was safe.

So we start out and I'm paddling along watching Letterman swim along just a few feet away underneath the water. I remember thinking how foolish this is and wonder who is in more danger, Letterman or myself. Can a little fish swim across all the oceans of the world? Am I safe on a little rubber pool seat? It felt like we were in equal danger, but he seemed not to notice and was quite enthusiastic about the journey.

So we come to this toxic river. It stinks so bad and the water is greenish/yellow and thick. Just getting some on me makes me sick. We come to an area of land where we have to cross. Dave hops out of the water and I pick him up and put him in the cooler. He doesn't mind the toxic water at all and is anxious to get back in. I wonder if the stuff will ever wash off my bare feet.

Then I wake up.

 

[Huckleberry]

I had a dream last night that I was at this factory. It looked like UPS with moving belts all over the place and metal catwalks. I had a friend that worked there who I was going to see. On my way out I saw what looked like a bingo card. Instead of those color ink blots on the card there were food items. Little pieces of orderves, a crouton, mini sushi rolls, deviled egg, celery with peanut butter, sliced tomatoes, etc. I lifted up a slice of tomato and it was covering the letter A in the word 'ALMA.'

On the way out I was badger, badger, badgered by Dustin Hoffman. I never realized how annoying he is. He seemed glad to see me and was hoping that I would get a job there. He was asking me where I was going and what I was doing. I was trying to edge my way out the door and he didn't seem to get the hint.

I was a photographer, but I was doing some detective work for my friend that worked at UPS. I was sitting in a folding metal chair on someone's lawn across from a bunch of teenagers. I was watching and photographing them. My friend thought they were responsible for some damage to his property and wanted photographic evidence. Somehow, even though I was in plain sight watching this group of kids, I felt like I was blending in like a local.

The kids were playing around on a rusted out old Volkswagon bug. I took a bunch of photos and folded up my chair. I went to my car. It was a car that I used to have, a 88 Ford EXP hatchback. I opened up the hatch to store the metal folding chair and there were like 50 other chairs in there all stacked up neatly. I thought that was weird while I was dreaming, like, 'Where did these chairs come from?' So I slid the chair in and drove away.

The End

 

[JamesU]

all I can come up with is...you're insane

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I have some pretty odd dreams myself. For some reason I very often have people trying to kill me in my dreams.

 

[Huckleberry]

all I can come up with is...you're insane

Thank you!

I don't think I'm insane. I'd be much happier if I were. I just have a technique for remembering my dreams. Then I write down the details when I have the chance.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I lifted up a slice of tomato and it was covering the letter A in the word 'ALMA.'

"Alma" means "soul" in Spanish. It is also used as a woman's name. You are, therefore, soulmates with a woman named "Alma", who is quite a tomato. She gives you lessons in how to cross-dress.

On the way out I was badger, badger, badgered by Dustin Hoffman. I never realized how annoying he is. He seemed glad to see me and was hoping that I would get a job there. He was asking me where I was going and what I was doing. I was trying to edge my way out the door and he didn't seem to get the hint.

Dustin Hoffman is not a tomato, but he was quite a "tootsie". He represents your obnoxious urge to cross dress.

I was a photographer, but I was doing some detective work for my friend that worked at UPS. I was sitting in a folding metal chair on someone's lawn across from a bunch of teenagers. I was watching and photographing them. My friend thought they were responsible for some damage to his property and wanted photographic evidence. Somehow, even though I was in plain sight watching this group of kids, I felt like I was blending in like a local.

All this surveillance work makes you out to be some sort of "G-Man". This brings us to J. Edgar Hoover, and logically from there back to cross-dressing.

 

[JamesU]

all I got from the last few posts was huckleberry, zoobyshoe, cross dressing. I am not syre if I want to know the order of those

 

[zoobyshoe]

all I got from the last few posts was huckleberry, zoobyshoe, cross dressing. I am not syre if I want to know the order of those

Don't attract my attention to your name.

 

[Danger]

Hey Danger, what's your author name? I want to read your stuff. Can I get it in England?

Sorry, you can't get it anywhere. I've never submitted anything for publication, with the exception of an astrophysics article for a Calgary newspaper about 25 years ago which they approached me to write. Most of the short stuff was just for fun, and I don't even know if I still have it. The one movie that I did sucked, and the Twilight Zone script was rejected. My book occupied most of my writing time (mostly research). To give you an idea of how long it took, it started as a grade 10 English project that got out of hand. (I would be in grade 43 now if I'd stayed in school.) The problem is that I was trying to stay ahead of current technology but within the bounds of credibility. So it took me about 15 years to design a fighter jet that could do Mach 8, and a gamma frequency laser, and a few other things. Unfortunately, by the time I got one thing written, something else had already been achieved or surpassed in the real world. Add to that the fact that the histories of the main characters were rooted in the Korean and Viet Nam wars, and you can see that it's obsolete. I kept trying to upgrade it simply by making the characters older, but that just doesn't work after a point. (The elder of the 4 protagonists was 71 was the last time I checked. )

 

[Huckleberry]

all I got from the last few posts was huckleberry, zoobyshoe, cross dressing. I am not syre if I want to know the order of those

I think zooby just wants to see what I would look like in one of his zooby dresses.

But seriously zooby, is that a well meant joke or are you upset with me? Either is ok, but I would like to know how I should interpret your posts. I like your sense of humor, but I would enjoy it more if I knew you weren't angry with me.

 

[Danger]

I very often have people trying to kill me in my dreams.

I think that you're intercepting BT's dreams.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I like your sense of humor, but I would enjoy it more if I knew you weren't angry with me.

Dr. Freud says: "It's the other way around. You'd enjoy it more if you weren't angry at Zooby."

 

[Huckleberry]

Dr. Freud says: "It's the other way around. You'd enjoy it more if you weren't angry at Zooby."

Cryptic, but I'll take that as a good sign. I'm not angry at you zooby.