Theory of Dreaming

I was planning to write more about the philosophy of what constitutes the “soul” of being a person (or what distinguishes the difference in matter between, say, a human & a tree!)  I changed my mind.  Not only is that theory a bit incomplete in my mind, but I’ve had some interesting dreams… that have compelled me to explore the theory of dreaming first.

Firstly, there’s the questions of “what are dreams?” and “from what are they derived?”  It is my theory that there are three elements to dreaming:  Psychological, Cosmic, & Chemical.

PSYCHOLOGICAL:  A manifestation of the state of the mind of the dreamer.   While sleeping, the conscious mind rests — and the subconscious runs amok!  Hidden hopes and fears form themselves as images.  This element is largely symbolic in nature and not to be interpreted literally.  One must pay close attention to the FEELING of the dream to understand it’s psychological meaning.  For example — one could have a dream about a destructive force of nature (tornado, fire, etc…)  Someone having this dream might FEEL as though external forces (society, circumstances, finances…) are out of one’s control, which leads the dreamer to FEEL helpless.  To dream of flood (of fighting the fate of drowning) one could be FEELING overwhelmed by emotions and situations currently in the dreamer’s life.

COSMIC:  With this element, I will tie in dreaming with deja vu — because I believe they are connected.  In the cosmic sense, I believe that we — as humans — are all connected through the collective consciousness.  When we dream of places we’ve never been or people we’ve never met, it is because we are on the same “channel” or “wavelength” as another dreamer.  It is in this manner that we are able to manifest in our own minds the sense of familiarity of the place, person, or situation — in our conscious minds — rendering the sensation of deja vu.  I’ll be writing much more about this element later because it really deserves its own entry.  In particular, I’ll explore WHY such people (dreamers) are connected to other particular souls and how this fits in with the Divine Design of the Universe.

CHEMICAL:  Let’s face it — eating that extra cheese pizza at 2 a.m. is never a good idea.  Not just for the obvious reason of impending indigestion and slower metabolism, but through a chain of bodily reactions, it chemically alters more than just your digestive system.  To avoid this kind of screwed up dream (chemically induced nightmare), avoid the late night snack & have a cup of green tea (which cleanses the body of impurities.)

So, what does it all mean?

“Know yourself, and you shall know the world”

Love, Peace & Happiness ~

Of Starpetal & Starfish

It may seem random and meaningless… the things I do… but when you question my motives, please refer to the story below. Why Starpetal? That is the name my mother gave me… when she realised I was not of this world.

The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley 1907 – 1977

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

“I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, “It made a difference for that one.”

Peace, Love & Happiness ~

The Meaning of Life

My philosophy of the meaning of life… is actually pretty simple. I tried to be complicated about it, but it won’t work itself out that way.

The meaning of life is not universal — in the sense that its meaning is the same for everyone. It’s more of a moment. A revelation. A trigger. A catalyst.

Contained within this moment… is pleasure. Despite the pain of past moments. Despite mistakes (which don’t exist). Despite wrong turns and detours (which, again, don’t exist).

Within the pleasure of that moment… is an overwhelming feeling of respite. A feeling that — if you have the foresight of this moment — you’d willingly face the pain of the past again. Just to reach this moment again.

All the aimless wandering — previously viewed and blind luck, or lack thereof, suddenly appears to have design. The fragmented pieces of your life begin to fit together again.

I have not reached this much anticipated moment… yet I am certain it exists. I will patiently wait. I will wander as I tend to do. I will savor everything life has to offer.

Pleasure can be found where you least expect it. In places you’ve never heard of… or things you’ve never tried… or people you’ve not yet met.

Though the future is uncertain and unclear, I will not be afraid. In this adventure called Life, I will know better… now… than to under appreciate what I have… when I have it.

Whatever the meaning winds up being… Life is too short to waste on unpleasurable moments. Chuck your baggage to the curb… and move along. The next moment just might be the right one.

Midnight Confessions

I am prone to chasing white rabbits in search of a new shortcut to happiness.

I am sentimental to a fault.  With white knuckled fury, I will hold onto remnants of the past that once made me smile.   They were but moments in time.  Faded memories of for-one-night-only shows.

I hereby release my grip… and let go.

I followed my heart for years, and I am happy to have it returned to me.

I have realized that water does, in fact, seek it’s own level.  Which explains why I am rising above what has become terribly unpleasant in my life.

I will not hate.  I will not hold a grudge.  I will not second guess or despise what I don’t understand.  It is simply not worth my time or energy.

I am not sorry for speaking of my heart.  It is the only language I know, and it is the most sincere.

I will be wrong about at least one thing — everyday for the rest of my life.  Being wrong is humbling and builds character.  It’s liberating to get called on it.

Promises mean nothing to me.  I will judge situations by the actions involved (or absence of action) and maneuver accordingly.

I long for the day when I can close the door because everything I love is already inside.

Those of you who know me well know that these are not really confessions at all.  I am transparent to those who care enough to listen.  You have a habit of knowing my next move before I’ll admit it to myself.

Thanks for being my friends even when I’m a pain in the ass.  I will return the favor.

More About Time…

Time… Time is a subject of great debate and fascination for me.  Time is an abstract currency we all have in equal amounts.  24 hours in a day.  What to do with them?

Would it be fair to assume that we all have a choice — to an extent — what or whom we spend our time on?  I think it is.  Time is allocated according to priority.  Necessity.  Sustenance.  Pleasure.

Time is precious.  I, for one, hate wasting my time.  Take my money.  Take my pride.  Maybe I’ve gotten a little miserly with my time in my old age, but that’s just the way it is.

Time is not money.  Time is life.  Spend it wisely.

There have been moments I wanted more than anything for time to stand still.  There were a few nights I had slowed it to a crawl — albeit only in my mind — and it was quite memorable.  10 minutes felt like an hour.  I couldn’t really explain it without incriminating myself.  But… I want to do it again.  Something very nice… with someone very nice.  Someday.  Perhaps I’ll feel so inclined.

At other moments, time can be painfully slow.  Life and time.  It’s just really hard for me right now.  Neither here nor there.  In limbo.  Winding down life as I know it in order to move along.  I would much rather be spending my time with people I care about then rambling away at my keyboard, but that’s just not physically possible right now.

No matter.  Those bridges have been burned.  No turning back now.  It may take me ages to make up my mind… but when I do, it’s final. I move quickly once a decision is made.

Though I do realise that nothing is forever.  I am free to move on again… should I choose to.  Should my time end, I will know that I did what I wanted to… at the time I wanted to.