Friday, November 18, 2011

Snarling Wolves

After cycling for awhile down a trail, I jumped into a river and onto a makeshift raft. Suddenly I was time-warped to the 1400s. It was dark. On the other side of the narrow river were rocky cliffs. I passed by a witches ugly green face with lifeless white eyes that was coming towards me in the water. I continued on, not heeding it.

Around the bend, a wolf snarled from the rocky shore. Knowing my food supply was limited, I waited in waist-deep water for the wolf. He attacked, I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and shoved him underwater. A second wolf attacked my flank. I quickly shoved him in the water and they both drowned. Dinner for the however-long-stay in this time period.



Symbols

Bicycle:
To dream that you are riding a bicycle signifies your desires to attain a balance in your life. You need to balance work and pleasure in order to succeed in your current undertakings. If you have difficulties riding the bicycle, then it suggests that you are experiencing anxieties about making it on your own.

Raft:
To dream that you are floating on a raft suggests that you are drifting through life, not knowing where you are headed. You are confused about your purpose and direction in life.

Time Travel:
To dream about time travel indicates your wish to escape from your present reality. You want to go back into the past or jump forward to the future to a period where your hopes are realized. This dream also represents your romantic tendency and or your desire to romanticize everything.

Witch:
To see a witch in your dream represents evil and destruction. It may point to your negative ideas of anything feminine and your experiences with dangerous or heartless women.

Wolf:
To see a wolf in your dream symbolizes survival, beauty, solitude, mystery, self-confidence and pride. You are able to keep your composure in a variety of social circumstances and blend into any situation with ease and grace. You are also a loner by choice. Negatively, the wolf represents hostility, aggression, or sneakiness. It may reflect an uncontrollable situation or an all-consuming force in your life. This could point to an obsession, an addiction or something that is beyond your control. To dream that you kill a wolf indicates betrayal. Certain secrets will be revealed to you.

INTERPRETATION:
My father actually wrote this very interesting interpretation (must run in the family lol): "Seems to indicate a personal struggle with truth suppressed (dark ages-i.e., 1400), suddenly coming to light via various sources (bike, raft). Because of this discovery, you were hungry and in a great struggle with evil (wolves), you overcame through use of elements or sources not of your own strength (water). But, you were smart enough to fight with them in these elements where you had the advantage. So complete was the victory, that you consumed your enemy (Dinner). But the search for truth is not completed (Dinner for however long stay)..."

I might add that I've had some odd occurrences in the past with wolves or dogs. I've loved wolves since I was in kindergarten and still have a couple of kids books about them. They've always been a good symbol to me. However in this dream they were evil, set out to kill me. I wouldn't ever want to kill one in real life but if one wanted to kill me, I'll do what I must to survive. I did have the advantage in the water. I couldn't have taken them both down on land. The dream certainly had a sense that evil was following me as I searched for truth.

The dark ages aka the time of the church apostasy certainly was a time of truth suppressed. I'm a bit rusty with interpreting dreams lately. It seems to be about not giving in to lies and combating, at least internally, the evil around me. I can't add much more to what my dad said other than this dream reminds me a bit of the verse: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matt 10:16)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

To The Cliffs

Last night I dreamed I was in a small, rural town. Though even late at night, early in the morning, there was lots of traffic on a curvy 2-lane road. I don't know where I was going but I went off the road and found a basketball. I dribbled it but kept losing it. Across the road, I saw the house it belonged to. It was a small house with a shed and a nice basketball court. I was going to play on the court but decided not to and left the ball in their yard.



I continued along the road and started to get really hungry. I came to a split. I was now in a more suburban area. One way went to a neighborhood, the other had a sign that said, "to cliffs". I headed that way. The road went up. I made my way to a small shopping center that had a tiny gas-station like store. That was the only place that was open. I intended to buy a bunch of snacks to hold me over til morning.

Then I woke up hungry.


Symbols

Traffic:

To see traffic in your dream, indicates the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sometimes you feel like you are just going with the flow. Things have become too routine.

Basketball:
To dream that you are playing basketball, indicates teamwork and cooperation. There is a situation in your waking life where you will need the cooperation and assistance of others in order to achieve a common goal. Perhaps you are standing in the way of your own progress and need to ask for help. To see a basketball in your dream, suggests that you need to make the first move. You also need to concentrate and focus on your goals.

Road Sign:
To see road signs in your dream, represent some advice and message that your unconscious is trying to convey. The road sign may be trying to guide you toward certain decisions. Consider what the road sign is saying and how you need to apply its message to an aspect of your daily life.

Cliff:
To dream that you are climbing to the top of a cliff symbolizes your ambition and drive. The dream may parallel your desires to achieve success and to be the at the top of your profession.

Hungry:
To dream that you are hungry, signifies a feeling of unfulfillment in some area of your life. You may be starving for love, recognition, power, sex, wealth, or fame. You are longing to achieve something that you have desired for awhile. Alternatively, the dream may simply be that you are really feeling hungry and it is being manifested in your dream.

INTERPRETATION:
The fact that I deviated from road (traffic, the flow of every-day life) and discovered a basketball (team sport) I think means I stray from the norm and like to do things on my own. Though after awhile I can't grasp it, like how I kept dropping the ball. So I placed the ball in an empty yard, as if I'm wanting to ask for help but I'm not quite asking.

My dream came to a decision-point. The neighborhood, which I think meant to settle down and find a place to rest, or the cliffs, to continue on to greater heights, to my own ambition, my hunger to accomplish more. I chose the cliffs. Though hungry, maybe overwhelmed in real life, I still know how to find sustenance and when to stop and eat (pacing myself).

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Don't Hesitate

Last night I had a massive cluster of dreams that I wish I could fully remember.. but they all seemed to have a common theme of overcoming obstacles. I dreamed about obstacle courses and a freezing river. There was an obstacle with cargo netting that you had to climb, followed by running through a creek with turtles. There was another obstacle with a ladder leaning freely on a rope suspended across 2 poles that you had to climb over and prevent from flipping. There were lots of eager, but tired athletes trying to get past the obstacles. Further down, the group of people thinned out and I stand before a freezing cold and muddy river with my team. They were neither an elite group of athletes nor hesitant beginners. Just as I was about to dive in, my team dives in with no hesitation. I immediately dive in and down pretty far. It felt like a long time had passed before I surfaced and then swam across. I exited the water and ran down a road to catch up with the team.



Symbols

Obstacle Course:

To dream that you are going through an obstacle course, symbolizes the hardships and difficulties that you are experiencing in your waking life. It represents the things that you must overcome in order to reach your goals. The elements in the obstacle course is analogous to the barriers and problems in your life.

Turtle:
To see a turtle in your dream, symbolizes wisdom, faithfulness, longevity, and loyalty. It also suggests that you need to take it slow in some situation or relationship in your life. With time and patience, you will make steady progress.

River:
If you are crossing a river in your dream, then it represents an obstacle or issue that you need to deal with in order to move closer toward your goal. It is also reflective of a new stage in your life. If the river is muddy, then it indicates that you are in turmoil.

INTERPRETATION:
I would dive into some of the symbols and what they mean but I already know why I dreamed of such things. A couple of weeks ago I completed an event called Tough Mudder. It's a 12 mile obstacle course with mountains, freezing cold water, tunnels, fire, climbing, crawling, plunging, and running through a field of live wire. It ranked up there with my first Century ride as one of the most mentally and physically challenging events of my life.. but it was so much fun at the same time. After completing it, I experienced a great sense of accomplishment and gained a lot of confidence. I am now planning on running my first marathon in Atlanta in October and Tough Mudder again in Florida in December.

The dreams I had are reflections of the obstacles and cold, muddy water I encountered. And perhaps it's an unconscious night school that is preparing me for the next century ride, marathon and Tough Mudder. The turtles in the dream, I think are symbols telling me that I should slow it down. Because right now I do have a hip flexor injury and I need to rest and heal but I'm ready to step up my training soon. In the dream, I was surprised and also pumped about the team jumping in before I did. It shows that I long to train with a fearless group that pushes themselves and never hesitates to jump in. And perhaps it shows my lack of hesitance when tackling a huge obstacle. I know that I will be ready for the marathon in October and perhaps a top 5% finish time at Tough Mudder.. and maybe even a chance to compete and complete World's Toughest Mudder.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

...With These Words

A few years ago, my dad told me about a very powerful dream he had. I asked him to tell it to me again so that I could share it. Read it below. Comfort one another with these words...

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"This dream I am about to describe is very special to me because it came after wondering (and fretting) if God would forget me if I died and my body turned to dust. As you know, I believe when a person dies, his body returns to dust and his spirit returns to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7, Psalm 104:29). There are many verses that state that a man’s thoughts perish (Psalm 146:4) at that point and they are not conscious until Jesus return. That person is “asleep” until that great day (John 11:11-45). Our hope is in the resurrection not in dying and going to our reward immediately. Years can pass, but this sleep is like a second to those who wait for his return.

This “fretting” came during a time when I had trouble sleeping. It was after my heart attack and my heart had a funny rhythm that would often wake me up with a shortness of breath. I quickly learned to give my fears up to God and I would fall back asleep, but I would think, “Lord, there have been billions of people who have died over the last 6 or 7 thousand years, will you forget me when you come?”

One night, I dreamed and saw my funeral and people standing around, this part of the dream was very quick, because the next thing I experienced was two angels, very playfully and with joy, helping me out of my grave. They seemed to be like two little children who have been anticipating a long trip with their family and everything around them is exciting. At first they are talking to each other, but as I awake, their attention turns to me. As I look up at them, I can’t see them too well, but I feel like I have known them for a very long time. The sky is lit up with brightness, and although I can’t see him, I know Jesus is just beyond the horizon. As I come up, the angels say, “See we didn’t forget you!.” My dream ends abruptly right there and I awake feeling happy and encouraged. Since that time, I have never worried about God forgetting me."

Job 19:26
26And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness

I Thessalonians 4: 13-18
13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

For It Is Dreamed, So It Shall Snow

I wish I had remembered more of my dreams last night. I'm not sure where I was exactly but I was outside. And it was raining.. then it turned to sleet and finally snow. The snowfall got more and more intense. That's all I remember. I usually don't post short fragments of a dream I barely remember... but today it snowed.



Today I heard that we had snow on the forecast. I had read about prophetic dreams before. There are many theories, one being that your subconscious mind is really good at piecing together information to predict an outcome. I'm not convinced that prophetic dreams tell the future but they are interesting. I'm not sure if my dream was foretelling of the weather today or if I dreamed about it snowing because I wanted it to snow. Either way, it will be pretty sweet if classes are cancelled tomorrow.

Here's what dreammoods.com says about prophetic dreams...

Prophetic Dreams
In a prophetic dream, you see the future through your dream. It is difficult to determine that a dream is prophetic because we can only confirm such a dream after it has taken place. Even then, we only hear of the success stories. There are so many other dreams that do not come true. Thus, prophetic dream may just be mere coincidences.

In the science world, it is believed that psychic powers do not exist. Scientists rationalize that dreams that seemingly come true may actually be a suggestion or guide for you to follow, thus making it seem as if the dream is coming true. You are willing it to be true. Another argument is that you may have a tendency to self-edit your dream to match the outcome. Because dreams are so easily forgotten, your memory of the dream may not be accurate. Yet another theory is that your dreaming mind is able to piece together bits of information faster that your conscious mind. Your mind is able to see what will happen based on information that it has already collected.

Still, there are believers that dreams can indeed predict or foretell the future. Prophetic dreams are linked to major disasters, wars, assassinations, accidents, lottery numbers or even with winning horse races. Such dreams have helped solve crimes. In history, Abraham Lincoln was said to have dreamt of his own body laying in a coffin two weeks before his assassination. British engineer, John Dunne dreamt of the eruption of a volcano in France which came true.

Having a prophetic dream suggests that you are experiencing anxiety and that you are expressing a desire for certainty in the future. You are looking to your dream to help you make an important decision or to reassure you that you are on the right path.

More Info:
Types of Prophetic Dreams

Monday, January 17, 2011

Fight Off Your Demons

Last night I dreamed I was with my friend Kim on a rooftop, picking off zombies that were coming out of the woodwork on the ground. That darn dreaded zombie apocalypse. My vision switched to a videogame-like view as I sprayed the soulless flesh eaters from above with explosive rounds. After the lot was clear, I turned around and saw Kim entering the building alone as if she was fearless. Who knows what lurked inside? I was scared for either of us going in alone. So I rushed in. Everything seemed clear, quiet. The inside of this building looked a lot like my cousins old house, except it had 3 floors. Kim was nowhere to be found. So I went to the first floor. Kim appeared at the top looking down from the balcony, just fine, as if she had taken out all of the zombies on her own.



Symbols

Rooftop:

To see a roof in your dream, symbolizes a barrier between two states of consciousness. You are protecting or sheltering your consciousness, mentality, and beliefs. The dream provides an overview of how you see yourself and who you think you are. To dream that you are on top of a roof, symbolizes boundless success.

Zombie:
To dream that you are attacked by zombies, indicate that you are feeling overwhelmed by forces beyond your control. You are under tremendous stress in your waking life. Alternatively, the dream represents your fears of being helpless and overpowered.

Shooting:
To dream that you shoot a person with a gun, denotes your aggressive feelings and hidden anger toward that particular person. If the person you shoot is a stranger, then it indicates that you are rejecting unknown aspects of yourself that you do not understand.

House:
To see a house in your dream, represents your own soul and self. Specific rooms in the house indicate a specific aspect of your psyche. In general, the attic represents your intellect, the basement represents the unconscious, etc. If the house is empty, then it indicates feelings of insecurity.

INTERPRETATION:
This dream contains really vivid imagery, handpicked and manipulated by my subconscious from events within the past two days to remind me of something. No.. I haven't REALLY been killing zombies lately.

Last night Kim invited me to her church. I had came the night before but I just felt emotionless and a bit awkward. Some things were weighing me down. I was stuck somewhere inside. But last night was better. Very cool, real people around my age make up this church. It was more comfortable. And the pastor spoke of exactly what I needed to hear. The music that was played reminded me of Explosions in the Sky, Damien Rice, and a few other awesome combinations. It really set the mood and the church was very meditative in nature. He spoke of fighting our demons, moving towards just simply allowing God to heal us, our insecurities, fears, pain, etc. and learning to forgive and love everyone. Another thing I loved about the pastor was his emphasis on the fight and brutality of love, what many churches fail to mention. How fucking hard it is to forgive someone who has wrecked you. How hard it is to even love that person. It's easy to just say "fuck em." But it was a reminder that we're being called to forgive and we have to try and fight the demons that are saying the opposite. My demons have told me that it would be all better to just forget about them and erase them from my life.

The zombies in the dream represent our demons. They were everywhere and were bent on destroying us. I went to my cousins house, which may also have something to do with the house, but it definitely has to do with the videogame-style killing in the dream.. Because we stayed up til 5:30 this morning playing Modern Warfare 2. The last level we played was one of shooting from above in a helo. Kim entered on her own, which makes me think that she's actually stronger and more fearless than I think she really is. Or maybe it's that I'm more scared of my own demons than she is of hers.

The 3 levels of the house may be a symbol of the Holy Trinity, clear of any demons, failure, and hurt. A safe house. It's there for anyone to walk in, as soon as we get over our fearful uncertainty. Maybe it symbolizes the church. I wanna start going more. I had a good experience in that place. It feels like home. This dream was reiterating things said last night and saying that I'm not alone in this fight.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Sitting Korean Ducks

Last night I dreamed that someone was stealing Kim Jong-il's ducks from his private pond. Whoever it was, said they were worth more money. He was tranquilizing and taking them. This dream is so out there that I don't know where to begin to interpret this one. I haven't seen or heard about Kim Jong-il in a long time, so there's no explanation there. This is so weird and random.. and pretty funny.

Maybe he represents dangerous power. And the ducks represent vulnerability i.e. sitting ducks. Who do I know who is in a position of power, yet vulnerable and could possibly lose it all? ...

Monday, January 3, 2011

Let Sleeping T-Rex Lie

A few weeks ago I dreamed that I was in a large facility that felt like a school. I stumbled into a pool area where on the ground lay an unconscious Tyrannosaurus Rex! It had been captured and was sedated next to the empty pool. I ran down the hall to be far away from it whenever it woke up. A few people I recognized from work rounded the corner. I warned them not to go that way because there was a T-Rex. They ignored my warning and ran down the hall. I held my breath and waited to hear a roar and screaming. But I woke up before that happened.



Symbols

Dinosaur:

To see a dinosaur in your dream, symbolizes an outdated attitude. You may need to discard your old ways of thinking and habits. To dream that you are being chased by a dinosaur, indicates your fears of no longer being needed or useful. Alternatively, being chased by a dinosaur, may reflect old issues that are still coming back to haunt you.

Tyrannosaurus Rex:
To see tyrannosaurus rex in your dream, symbolizes your biggest fears. Alternatively, the dream means that you are behaving and acting tyrannical. You may be tearing people down and belittling them in some way.

Swimming Pool:
To see an empty swimming pool in your dream, suggests that you are literally feeling empty and devoid of emotions.

Warning:
To dream that you are warning someone, suggests that you need to recognize the dangers or negatives of some situation. You need to bring this to the surface.

INTERPRETATION:
When I had this dream, I was playing a lot of the Playstation game Dino Crisis. And there were a couple of times in the game where the T-Rex was rendered unconscious.

Maybe the T-Rex symbolizes imminent danger and my worst fears and that I have a very good intuition about some situations. The people ignoring my warning in the dream indicates that I fear that my words don't hold much weight, or people will do what they want regardless of my strong advice, or... well.. curiosity got the cat eaten by a T-Rex.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Face Your Fears

I dreamed I was in an elevator somewhere in a building on the UT campus. The elevator was on the outside of the building and made of glass. The elevator was rising slowly and I could see below me and my surroundings. Someone was standing quietly behind me. I didn't look back but I got a sense of who it was. I just stared towards the ground. I wasn't sure how high the building was but it kept rising.. faster and faster. I could see people's faces looking up at me from the ground start to blur. Fear started to sink in at the thought of the elevator breaking and falling towards the ground. That sinking feeling in my stomach took over. And at that point, I realized I was dreaming. I convinced myself that nothing was going to go wrong. These things are built to be strong. I concentrated on the elevator and just being. And I took control of gravity and the elevator. It slowed down and stopped somewhere up high. That's all I remember.



Symbols

Elevator:

To dream that you are ascending in an elevator, represents a rise to status and wealth. You may have risen to a higher level of consciousness and are looking at the world from an elevated viewpoint. If the elevator is moving upward in an out of control fashion or it crashes through the roof, then it indicates that you are being catapulted to a position of power in which you do not yet know how to deal with. You are afraid of the new responsibilities ahead for you.
In general, the up and down action of the elevator represents the ups and downs of your life. It also symbolizes emotions and thoughts that are emerging out of and submerging into your subconscious.

Heights:
To dream that you are at a great height, signifies that you have reached one of your highest goals or objectives.
To dream that you are afraid of heights, denotes that you are striving for goals that seem beyond your reach.

Glass:
To see glass in your dream, symbolizes passivity or protection. You may be putting up an invisible barrier to protect yourself in a situation or relationship.
To dream that you are looking through glass, represents your openness and non-defensiveness. Alternatively, you may be putting up an invisible emotional barrier around yourself.

Falling Dreams
Lucid Dreams

INTERPRETATION:
I find it incredible that I remembered a dream the first day of 2011. And a dream at the brink of being lucid, nonetheless. The dream took place on the UT campus. My sister and brother-in-law went there, my ex goes there, and a few friends I know go there. It's a strong symbol to me but not significant to the overall meaning of the dream. I was so scared of something going wrong with the elevator. I've had dreams of falling and other borderline lucid dreams where I came to realize I was dreaming and could control some things.

"I stared over the edge, seeing the street below. My legs felt like jello. That weak legged feeling you get when you're up high. I realized I was dreaming. Then I challenged myself. What if I tried to overcome my fear and just jump off of this building? Question this 'reality' and surrender to gravity and imminent death. I geared myself up to do it. Looking down, still with the jello legs, I jumped."

I fell asleep last night alone on New Years, reflecting on things I shouldn't have. And a dumb fear set in about being alone forever. Alcohol and loneliness don't mix. And I feel that the dream was trying to tell me that things can get out of control and come crashing back to earth.. but you always have a choice. I choose to fight to make 2011 the best yet. 2010 began and ended with an emptiness in my heart but for the most part I am extremely grateful to grow and move on from everything and persevere. The glass elevator symbolizes my invisible fortress surrounding my feelings and most intimate thoughts. Last night I also realized more of my weaknesses but also my strength in certain situations and my potential to be a leader. Now it's time to take control like I did in the elevator and face my fears. Man up to my old man to piece this family back together, learn to be content with God's love only, defy generational curses, and realize that I'm not bound to who I was.

♫ I'm falling down
I can't wake up
I cannot hold on
I will not let go ♫