How often do we wake up wondering what a dream is about? They can seem disjointed, hopping from one place to another. They can include such a strange cast of characters, and bring together such a wide variety of seemingly disconnected imagery, that it feels like the only sensible thing to do is shake one’s head and make a pot of coffee. What follows is a dream Jeane recalled on awakening, complete with caves, tigers, and complex plumbing. What is it all about? Today we present only the dream; tomorrow John will help us make sense of it.
Jeane: I lost the memory of my first dream, so this is the second dream of the night. In this one I work part-time in a large cavern; it’s a cave-like setting. My friend M. works in a similar kind of place, but in a different area. She works longer hours so I go to see her. When I go into her cave-space I notice that it has a bed in it, with a bedspread. At the far end she has a desk where she meets clients. She leaves the room for a moment, perhaps to get a client. I know that I have to leave shortly, but I am thirsty. I notice some kind of contraption with a waterspout and other gadgets near the side of the bed. In fact, the reason I notice it is because a metal part that was covering some of it has fallen over. That drew my attention and I thought, well, I could use a drink. I see three different handles, and I am not sure what each one does, but I pick one that seems to control a spout of water that can come up. As soon as I turn the handle water starts spurting out of everywhere – not only from the contraption, but down the wall in the middle of the cavern and from other places. It looks like it might even spray as far as the bed. I take this all in, not understanding what is going on. I turn off the handle; some of the water stops, some of it doesn’t. I figure I better get M. because I am not sure what to do. I just want to turn it off and disappear at this point, but I go and find her. She has a client she is taking into another office because I am in her space. I mention to her that there is a problem with the water, but she is not too concerned and continues what she is doing. I decide to return to my cave-area, which is across the valley.
Then, I am almost back. It feels as though I have walked across a large plateau to come to this spot. My dad is with me now and you are behind us; you appear a moment later. Now I have to get down to my cave. One of the ways I do that is to reach onto both sides of a rock wall; it is almost like a chimney in the rock that looks out over the valley. I can crouch down and hold on and slide a bit and finally get my foot onto a rock. Once I reach the first rock with my foot, I can put my hand onto other rocks and there is another chimney I can slide down. There is a point in each maneuver where you have to blindly trust what you are reaching for and where you are going. My dad is behind me and I am thinking that maybe he should not come down this way. I tell him another option but he wants to try this. Then you show up and are beside him now, so I go on ahead. But rather than go into my large cavern, I decide to walk out across the plain. As I get further away from the two of you, I look to my right and see that a huge Bengal tiger has dropped down onto the field. As I watch, another tiger drops down to rough house with the first one. I feel that I am in real trouble if these tigers notice me.
I holler to you several times that I have a rifle propped up against the front of the cave. I am hoping it’s possible for you to get to the rifle before the tigers get to me – they haven’t noticed me yet because they are wrestling with each other. Then I notice movement coming in my direction. You two have not gotten down to the rifle, so I decide that the only way through this is to play dead. I lie down. Then I put my head up to see what is happening. I notice that now, instead of seeing the tigers, although I know they are out there somewhere, there is a strange group of people walking across the field. They look like something out of Don Quixote. One is dressed in modern attire, some look more unusual. It’s an odd-looking group, like a menagerie of people and things coming across the field. I sense something bounding toward me, thinking it is the tiger, but it turns out to be a Great Dane. He goes on by. I do not know where the tigers are now in relationship to this odd group of people coming across the field. That is all I remember.
For the analysis of this dream, see You Can’t Go Home Again.
