Dream Journal
June 3, 2025 @ 5 AM
I was in a space filled with a light purple diffuse light. In the center was a boxy 80s-style arcade game. I stepped into this game sphere. . . . I meant to just try it out, to take a peek. BUT. Once I was in there, it was an immersive wraparound fully real experience, and there was constant motion — flying around, falling, great leaps.
I started in this one world I’m not familiar with. It had all these characters and this specific art style, and it was clear that it was supposed to be an appealing familiar universe, but I didn’t know it. Still, the action drew me in, and I immediately got into it. After a while, it switched to another layer — another unfamiliar franchise. I played, but didn’t like the art style or characters as much. Then, I moved into the next layer. I called out in recognition “Frieren”! That’s an anime series I heard was good but maybe only ever watched one episode. So in I went.
And in each layer, I’m bringing with me some characters from the previous one as allies. I play this one, leaping, flying, spiraling through action and adventure. In my mind I’m beginning to desire certain franchises to join in… and I’m excited that in the next layer it’s something more my style. I find myself in a world where all the characters are stylized Santas — in different colored suits — some in military style or American patriotic style, all vastly creative and humorous. I’m the normal familiar Santa in a red suit. All have big beards, but of different shades and colors. The scenery is dry with sand dunes.
Although happy with the setup, I decide I’ve played long enough. I can’t figure out how to exit. I start calling out commands like “quit!” and “exit!” but it’s not working. I’m reaching out, trying to interact with the game machine itself, and only feeling an extremely thin, filmy gauze-like material. I start to get frustrated and panicky. “I would like to exit the game now!” Suddenly, to my lower right I see a hand-sized circle light up in green about an arm’s length away. I press it and feel relief as I step out of the game . . . but I then realize I’ve only stepped out of the Santa layer. I’m back in the Frieren layer. I repeat the command to exit the game, and the circular button appears, this time in blue. I press it and exit into the previous layer. Two more times I do this before I find myself in front of the game sphere. I had meant to only spend a few minutes in it, but I had spent, by my dream’s own measurement, something like 4-7 hours.
Now a woman is playing in the game sphere. Jamie is there, but younger. He wants to watch. I say he can peek his head in and watch if he likes.
How wild! The game sphere was totally vivid and enrapturing for all the senses. It was nonstop motion, often fighting, but with other challenges as well. I’m reminded of Seth’s “eye within an eye” imagery. I’ve had other dreams like this, where, while within one rote, I go into another, and another, so that I’m several stories deep.
This arcade machine is very much like something described in the astral, the “viewing room” used when deciding on the next life. It reminds me of Rick & Morty playing the arcade game Roy — A Life Well Lived, in which they live the entire life of Roy from birth to death.
By the way, I’ve been openly asking for help in opening up and understanding more, in a general way, as so many say is necessary. I’m open to any and all assistance my higher self can provide.
In and Out of Rotes: The game sphere was responsible for the specific rotes that followed with each one. The first were worlds and characters I didn’t even recognize. It wasn’t until I began to focus on what I’d like that one came that was more my style.
And, interestingly, I exit out of each rote in turn, the reverse of how I entered them. That means the previous context remains when I enter a new one.
Arcade Machine: Since these are game rotes, an 80s-style arcade machine makes perfect sense as a representation.
Outside the Rote: This is very interesting! I can still feel something of the arcade machine through which I entered the rote — showing that I left a small phased part of myself outside the machine. It also shows that as much as I moved around within the game rotes, I remained spatially within the arcade machine. This is consistent with other sorts of consciousness state changes, like remaining in one place in the near realm while traveling about in a dream.
I’m surprised I could feel anything at all of the arcade machine while within its rotes.
Every Kind of Santa: I love that this is “more my style”, even with my dream self. I mean, that self really is me, just in a different circumstance. I’m also reminded of the burly bearded men in the location “Space Station Benji” (see the location in dreams-intro.php).