Dream of the Conscious

Last night, I had a dream that I thought I would share:

I went scuba diving… except that I didn't have the gear nor a boat, as I left from the shore, swam out to the place I wanted to dive, and went down. Even though I didn't have the scuba gear, I could breath just fine and explored the ruins of an ancient city. Took some pictures of the encrusted remnants as well as the sealife… including a shark.

I was having such a good time, that I lost track of the time until I noticed that it was getting dark. I started to return to the surface, and purposely slowed myself … no sense in getting nitrogen bubbles in the blood, right? By the time I surfaced, it was night. I figured that before I start swimming for shore, I should look around to see some lights in order to figure out which direction the shore was.

Upon seeing the lights from the shore, I set out to tread some water. It was then that I realized that I was exhausted, and just didn't feel like I would be able to swim the entire distance, and wish that I could at least walk it.

So, I climbed up out of the water and started to walk the rest of the way. It didn't take me long to reach the pier, and I climbed on that and walked home. When I got home, I had dinner with my family, and told my daughter all about the adventure I had at sea, and even showed her the picture of the shark.

Don't know exactly why dreams seem more real than just making up a story. Perhaps it is because of the messages they bring… and in this case, I don't think it refers to my messianic illusions of grandeur.

I love the visual image of a lonely figure walking on the waves of a sea… a perfect symbol for the conscious. For the conscious wants to feel so superior and to "walk on" the subconscious, but it the subconscious is so large and so unfathomable-- and downright frightful-- being pelted by wind and rain-- soaked without submerging as if it was futilely resisting the inevitable baptism. Perhaps that is the reason for the smugness.

But this dream seems to be an invitation to go exploring in my emotional depth. Has it really been that long that I need an invitation? Yeah, I guess so…

The sun is burning, I am yearning††This is from the song, I Go Swimming, is by Peter Gabriel
For the waterflow (waterflow)
Next to my skin I, like to begin a
Waterflow (waterflow)
Letting off steam I float in a dream,
I can't let go (can't let go)
Follow my wishes, follow the fishes
Down below (down below)
I go swimming

I need water, water to drink
Water on my brain, water sustain,
Water over me
I want water, water I need
Water to think, water to drink
Water over me

While this song has a good beat and is easy to dance to, I never really paid that much attention, until I was listening to a live version of Peter Gabriel's I Go Swimming where he prefaces the song with the comment, "This song is for all of you who minds are as active as their bodies."

It got me thinking that there must be a bit more to this song, and then I remembered my "swimming" dream I synchronistically had last night, and it clicked.

While the conscious would like to think that it is a separate being walking on the water, it is more like mango tree sprouting as it were, from the subconscious water that nourishes and sustains it.

Water, then, becomes the thoughts that actually form the conscious… for what else is the conscious than a series of thoughts that the conscious identifies itself?

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