The ultimate dreamer was Spanish surreal artist Salvador Dalí. He created melting clocks, floating objects with crystal decanters and spilled water that flows upwards, phallic symbols in his still life works, paintings with sexual undertones. His jewel-encrusted gold pieces with flawless cabochon rubies were sculptural and stunning. The magnificent emeralds and diamonds his manifestations of dazzling dreams.
The Dalí Museum in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain is the home of a precious abundance of paintings and objets d’art. In the open garden, there is an unusual and cool installation — a working shower inside a 1950s vintage car. It grabs attention. There are painted dinosaur sized eggs displayed atop the rampart walls. His gigantic powerful portrait with piercing eyes and the signature pointed curled moustache would transform itself and move — depending on how and where you looked at it from.
If one were to think of time in linear or chronological terms, it would be difficult to dream forward. But there is a phenomenon of clairvoyance, seeing the future in dreams.
Time is not necessarily a straight line of past, present, and future. It seems to be cyclical.
All of us dream — in vivid color or dramatic black and white. In deep slumber, and when there is Rapid Eye Movement (REM), the mind is free to explore another terrain — the imaginary world and the subconscious. Dreams are the collective memories of the past and, in some cases, the future. During the Alpha state, when one is between slumber and wakefulness, an automatic switch unlocks the brain’s data bank. Long stored images of forgotten events begin to flash onto the mind’s eye. It is like watching a disjointed, flickering old movie.
In the dream state, an individual with extra sensory perception (ESP) can “remember the future.” If it happens, that dream could be considered clairvoyant or prophetic.
A highly intuitive individual could solve complex problems or discover solutions while asleep. The answer comes in different forms — as seeing a situation with a different perspective, or a Eureka “aha!” moment.
We do not always remember our dreams unless we are suddenly awakened while dreaming in the REM phase.
Creative, imaginative individuals often dream in color. Their dreams are so clear they can almost see, smell, taste, hear, and feel everything. The experience seems real.
They have intensely moving dreams that are profoundly sad, frightening, haunting, bewildering, happy, or romantic.
While asleep, they talk, sleepwalk, laugh, cry, punch, wave, and make gestures.
Some people say they never dream. Others say that when they dream, they recall indistinct forms and vague shadows, abstract flashbacks from the film clips.
Psychologists say that keeping a dream journal helps thread the dreams and connect them like chapters of a book, or sequences of a movie. Some dreams are “replays” of recent episodes — with surprise twists. Others are projections of the subconscious and surreal fantasies.
Hidden desires and subconscious longings of the psyche appear in symbolic form. Underlying problems, anxieties and fears, pervasive feelings may appear as recurring, disturbing, distorted nightmares.
When people recall their dreams, they relate common experiences such as flying, falling, running after a speeding train and not being able to catch it, swimming against the current, sinking under the splashing waves.
Dreaming of being naked amidst a crowd could indicate a feeling of inadequacy, vulnerability, or guilt. The individual could be afraid of being exposed and is threatened by the possibility of disclosure.
Confusion is often depicted as being on a Ferris wheel or a spinning carousel. Climbing mountains are performance-anxiety dreams related to ambitious goals.
The phenomenon of déja vu defies logic.
Under hypnosis, some individuals can remember significant or traumatic memories of a previous incarnation. They instantly recognize places or people they have never seen in this lifetime. Sometimes, the process of recognition provokes intense feelings of closeness, attraction, or extreme dislike. It is inexplicable.
The accurate recollections of experiences are dreams. They may be valid or not, but they provide insights into an esoteric dimension.
To the lay person, the symbolism and surrealism of a dream are perplexing. What appears to be is not necessarily so. It is like seeing a mirage or apparition in the desert.
Whenever one has recurring dreams, it means that an important issue or a deep conflict needs resolution. Analyzing the journal would reveal hidden facets.
A career woman often dreamed of her old antique closet filled with lovely white and pastel lace dresses. She longed to try to wear some of the frocks, but she would always wake up. It recurred so she tried to draw some in her mind.
By chance, a dream analyst met her at an art exhibit. They talked about that dream. He explained that those dresses were the roles that she had not yet done. She nodded and forgot the comments.
Time went by.
Thirty years later, she had many interesting dreams but the one about the closet and dresses was not there anymore. In the meantime, she had accomplished several important projects, achieved difficult goals, and surpassed what she had set out to do.
She planted a tree, wrote more than one book, bore a child and climbed a small mountain, went high up on a parasail. She traveled to a few exotic places, and received a measure of recognition for her achievements.
Then one day, as she was meditating and walking by the seashore, she remembered what the analyst had said many years ago.
It finally made sense.
The blue space, the calm ambience opened yet another vista. A spiritual one.
Dreams may unravel a puzzle or solve a mystery.
By looking forward, one may find that flash of insight or inspiration for a scientific formula or practical invention, a sonata or symphony, a mural, a poem, a play.
Who knows what the dreamer can discover beyond the realm of logic?
Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.
mavrufino@gmail.com
