Dream Journal
August 27, 1998
Awake: After watching a short news report on a hurricane animal shelter, I slept. In the early morning after awakening with Rebecca, I slid back into sleep:
My visual field was white. I emerged from the white into the animal shelter. I was in a hall with cages. I comforted “our” cats (which weren’t ours), and generally intended peace to the skittish animals. I was distracted by a blue snake in a small cage with an unsecured lid. I tried to block the exits around the lid with boxes but it got out. I used a snake-handling stick (also from recent TV) to nab it but once I did, I freaked out and let it go. I expected to get bit and of course I was then bit. I ran through the place I came from INTO THE BEDROOM and excitedly tried to get Rebecca’s attention to tell her I was bit. She was zoning out and not responding (she was actually awake at this time, standing by the mirror). I had to ring the phone and when she picked it up I knocked it out of her hand and said into her ear “Rebecca! I just got bit by a poisonous snake!” and she calmly said “No you didn’t. You’ll be fine.” Then I calmed down and woke up.
Home Gateway: Is this what the stable gateway back to your body looks like? A purely white space? Or was it white because of the morning light and it’s just a blank space? It’s interesting that I could just run back through it from the scene I was in.
Expectations: I expected the snake to get out and it did. I expected to get bit and I did. This snake responded to my every suggestion. Even working actively to prevent something in the dream state helps to ensure that it happens anyways.
Dreamer/Waking Telepathy: It appears with this telepathic subconscious contact that Rebecca’s waking self is quite used to deflecting crazy dream drama. Is this reaction because her waking mind is engaged? If she had been asleep at the time, my call for help could have pulled her into my dream.
Hard Pass: Her calm reaction tells me she’s used to deflecting this kind of dream drama.