Dream Dialogues

A certain "Anonymous" (I think it's a woman, but remembering Robert Silverberg's gaffe with James Tiptree, I am not going to second guess) has been writing very interesting commentaries on my dreams. Indeed, I have decided to quote the entire note here, so that I can comment on her comments.

More dream readings by Anon :)

On the contrary, it is not the painting that represents your own soul and self, but the house. New houses often indicate that you are entering into a new phase or new area in your life. What state the house is in also represents what state your mind is in. is it empty? Is it full?


On the other hand, painting is, not surprisingly, an expression of your latent creative and artistic abilities. What room were you painting in the new house? Since the house is a representation of your own mind, different rooms can mean different things. In general, the attic represents your intellect; the basement represents the unconscious, etc.

A woman represents nurturance, passivity, caring nature, and love, while trees symbolize hope, growth, desires, strength and stability. Your new work is perhaps a marriage of these two aspects. My finger is pointing in the direction of Dan no Ura and Taira no Kiyomori's Widow, but I'm over-generalizing.

Now, about your acquaintance in black, it may pragmatically symbolize the concerns and feelings you have about her, but since she is tampering with your work, you are obviously receiving her influence in some way or other.

Paintbrushes also symbolize artistic talents. Your desire to throw away your current set of brushes may very well be a desire to throw away your old inhibitions and start anew.

Colours play a huge role in dreams. These are generalisations, because it doesn't take into account your own special association with the colors. Black symbolizes the unknown, unconscious, danger, mystery, darkness, death, mourning, hate or malice, but could imply hidden spirituality and divine qualities. Brown denotes worldliness, practicality, domestic and physical comfort, conservatism, and a materialistic character. The Yellowish-Green refers to your need for a more peaceful, relaxing environment, Zen.

I have been wondering who this correspondent can possibly be, but it's clearly someone who not only knows something about various schools of dream analysis, but also has some insight into my forthcoming work ... knowing, for instance, that the Nun of the Second Rank (Mrs. Kiyomori) is a crucial figure in my coming work....

So, I will have to tell her what room of the house it was. You go into the house ... it's a long house, like a tunnel almost, or a condo between other condos. The room the painting is in a sort of alcove and it's between the dining room and the front entrance of the house. The house is quite crammed with stuff. The dining room is separated from the alcove by a marble topped bar. There are also wide bands of hanging material separating the two rooms. There are also some lamps shaped like lava lamps, except with lampshades. Could all these things actually mean something?

You see, I remember the scene with quite starling clarity still, after several days. So, it is clearly telling me something very important.

I rather think the identity of the woman who interferes with my work is not that significant because it's just someone I have been dealing with in a business thing lately ... though she once felt, perhaps, that I was usurping her throne, years ago.

I'm always very thrilled when "Anonymous" analyses the dreams as it's oftem a lot different from how I imagine it should be....