life vs. the dream

Great poem. Basically an interesting, well-conceived idea, expressed with elegance and finesse. I do hope the dream world is more relevant than my waking reality, for even throughout the most terrifying nightmare, I'm not confused at all, whereas consciousness brings nothing but pain.

for so many (including me in my worst case of depression) sleep is the only refuge from mental and sometimes physical pain.. its a refuge and i think a doorway away from this reality and into another.. maybe we don't feel this world's pain because we're no longer in this world for those few hours.. we've drifted but still have the umbilical chord attached so we can find our way back to this wretched place some call home in the morning..

life wins over dream unfortunately

in the end, life ends.. but does the dream keep going? we will see..

Dreams are dreams.  But this poem of yours makes that simple statment questionable.  This poem reminds me of a lot of C. G. Jung's work on dreams and their symbolism.  I hope there is more to it all.  Well done friend.  And thank you for that trip back into my psyche.

i think there's more to dreams than what's on the surface.. same with life.. i dont think dreams are just sleep induced hallucinations.. I mean why would the mind even do that.. why doesn't it just sit there quietly and wait for the body to rest.. esp when it seems like sleep is more for the brain anyway.. I've heard some of jung's ideas on dreams.. I don't know what they are but I think there's just more to the story

His book 'Man and His Symbols' is an amazing read.  He proposes that dreams are the symbolic language of the Unconscious as it tries to contact us.  I thought as I was reading this that our soul, like some subatomic particles, exists in two (or more) places at once and the pieces are trying to communicate with each other, the spirit trying to warn the body or some such.

talking about symbols trying to communicate something deeper makes me think of the ruins of any culture.. they put symbols in stone some of which we can't decipher perhaps because they knew stone would last and be able to communicate to a future generation like some think the mayans did with their temples and their vast knowledge of how the cosmos moves and perhaps how it works and why and what will happen.. the soul existing in two places? that's an interesting thought.. one theory i have (mind you I dont put full faith in any theory not even my own anymore) is that dreams are the place between life and death and part of us leaves the body and part of us stays attached when we sleep.. like some cultures like native americans believing in dreams they were able to talk to the ancestors.. but.. I could go on forever.. my mind's racing.. :D

Jung states that the most common meaningful dream/religious symbol is the circle, table, etc.  He started interpreting this and eventually came to study/practice the Buddhist mandalas (especially sand mandalas).  He makes some very profound (to me at least) correlations to religious/mythological archetypes coming through in our dreams.  He uses this to theorize that there is a 'Collective Unconscious', a place/state that is like a limitless repository of all human thought and experience, reaching back to the beginning of time and beyond, that we have access to when we dream. Between he and my favorite author, Joseph Campbell, I could read for a lifetime the same books and never get bored.  Campbell explored/studied the symbols of ancient times and the associated religions/mythologies and the purpose and meaning behind all. These two authors have greatly influenced me, my thoughts, my beliefs, and, especially, my art (in all forms, especially my music!).

Thanks for the stimuli, Nathan!  i'm sure this will be racing through my head for at least hours.

i saw the beginning of time or at least what i interpreted as the beginning of time once when i took a ton of shrooms.. after which i thought i was Ggod for 2 years and did a ton of mandalas several in the mental hospital when i was "coming down" you can check them out on my dA page (link in my profile.. they're way back in my gallery.. when you've hit color that was all the stuff i did in the nut house) a lot focusing on 2012.. cheers

i love your thought.

well thank you very much.. though its just a theory.. and i don't put my full faith in any theory not even my own(after having been duped by my father and christianity for 25 years).. no one knows the whole truth of what's going on.. some may have bits and pieces.. but the only time we may know it all is in that last breath we take before we pass on.. that gasp of leaving.. perhaps the awe of finally knowing.. everything..