DIGITAL DREAMS

I dreamed that I was in a room full of computers. They were all different kinds, one of those huge ones that was the size of a truck, and also some tiny little ones the size of phones with tiny screens that could project the information onto walls. (I do think that this would be a genius idea!)

You could tell the computers what to do simply by talking to them, and they answered in proper human voices, and it was important to choose the right one because it would become your special friend. The problem for me in the dream was trying to decide which one would be “mine.” I didn’t want to say anything in case I offended any of the computers, and then I woke up.

-Alicia

It is astonishing just how quickly human beings can embrace new technology. Children, for example, seem to be born with an innate ability to understand the labyrinthine workings of the latest cell phones, laptops, and MP3’s without resorting to any boring instruction manuals. It’s almost instinctive, as though such information is available to that generation alone.

Probably the most prevalent use of the computer, the one that will define our generation for sure, is its capability for communication, whatever form that might take: email, text messaging, blogging, Bluetooth connectivity, or all the many and varied platforms for social networking. We already know that an object in a dream essentially symbolizes itself, and although computers have been around for a while they are new enough for their symbolic meanings to have remained clear and true.

The computer, as a communicative tool, symbolizes both expansion and contraction; they make the world a bigger place by being able to measure, and count, and place in order, and yet, they make it smaller, by showing links and connections that no other “tool” has the speed or capability to demonstrate in the same efficient way.

To dream of digital objects, like a computer, is to realize your own capacity for expansion, too. This expansion surprisingly has a deep spiritual aspect, since the computer has the ability to link like-minded people based on a matrix of similarities. Some people have also gone so far as to draw parallels between the computer and God, and therefore the nearly religious aspects of computer-based communication and dreams cannot be ignored.

Digital dreams also throw up questions as to the nature of God. Computers are man-made, and yet, they have God-like qualities. Does this mean that there are also aspects of God that we might have “invented?”

In the dream sequence from Alicia on the opposite page, she seems to be almost afraid of the computer; she doesn’t want to make the wrong choice lest she “offends.” In this capacity, she is according computers, with human/godlike qualities. She also has a brainwave about the possibility of how computers could operate. This indicates both an understanding of what she’s dealing with, but also, a modicum of fear too.

EXHIBITION

If this is a typical art-gallery exhibition in your dream, then it represents a fabulous opportunity for self-understanding and exploration. Dream analysts say that each picture or piece of art in the exhibition represents an aspect of you and your personality. If you love what you see and admire the fine brushwork and sensitive approach to the subject matter, then all is well and you are happy with yourself. If you find yourself in a gallery full of pictures that are repulsive to you (painted with gorilla excrement, perhaps?), then you are unhappy with aspects of yourself and should consider what these aspects are and how to change them.

EXPLOSION

If there’s an explosion in your dream, it’s likely that you wake up panicked. If you go straight back to sleep, then you might be lucky enough to “climb back into” the dream (see Lucid Dreaming in LUCID DREAMING: THE ART OF CONTROLLING YOUR DREAMS) and find out what the causes were. In general, an explosion is the end result of something that has been trapped for far too long and has nowhere else to go. Psychically speaking, the portents of such a dream can only be good for you. Once the dust has settled and the destruction dealt with, you will have a fresh new chapter in your life.

EXPLORATION

Dreaming of any kind of exploration, whether you’re sporting a colonial throwback or not, likely means that you are considering getting to know the uncharted territory of yourself better. This is one of the most exciting times that you will ever encounter in your life, and it might manifest in many different ways: a form of artistic expression, meditation, yoga, writing, the study of philosophy, or whatever. Oh and, of course, dream analysis. Enjoy yourself and happy hunting.

EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION (ESP)

If you dream that you’re psychic and can read people’s thoughts, then there is something important to consider. The dream could be telling you that you need to understand people a little better, show more empathy, and try to see their point of view.

EYES

The appearance of eyes—the windows of the soul—in your dream is all a matter of context. If there are many eyes staring at you, then you’re under unfair scrutiny in your waking life. If the eyes appear as well-known symbols, such as the eye on top of the pyramid on the dollar bill or the eyes of the Buddha that appear on the designs of temples, then there is a higher vision going on within you. Pay attention to what else is going on in this dream.

If you have something stuck in your eye, this indicates that you’re not seeing something properly and you should remove whatever is psychologically blocking you. If you realize that you have a third eye in your dream, then you’re coming into a time of profound spiritual awakening.