Dream Guardians?

[Aine]

I had a series of nightmares like the following one for three days when I was 14.

I was lost inside a house. It was a complete maze and whilst I could see the world outside through the windows, none of the doors seemed to lead outside. The world outside the house was bright orange. The sky was the same colour it is when there is light pollution and the ground was dusty, with no trees. I was very afraid that I would starve inside the house. It seemed to be all corridors, there was no water or food. As I became increasingly more panicked, I ran from corridor to corridor, through every door I found, hoping to find the way out, but I couldn't. Until, eventually, I found a boy (he was dressed as a cowboy). He didn't speak, he just took my hand and led me through the house until we found some stairs. The stairs led to the roof and we stood on the roof looking up at the orange sky and it very slowly turned blue again and I felt the breeze through my hair and I felt safe and happy again. And then I woke.

He appeared in a few more nightmares like that, each time leading me to safety but I haven't seen him since.

 

[Reclusive]

I just think that's so interesting, Aine. I'm considering designing a dream guardian for myself, but most the time in my nightmares I can save myself - it's just the horrible things I have to do to do it. Or the fights I have with my family. If we can create dream guardians, then perhaps we can go so far as to create whole dream worlds as well. It's a fascinating thought. Imagine going to your favorite imaginary fairy glade every night for revel.

 

[Kintsugi]

I'm considering designing a dream guardian for myself, but most the time in my nightmares I can save myself - it's just the horrible things I have to do to do it... perhaps we can go so far as to create whole dream worlds as well. ... Imagine going to your favorite imaginary fairy glade every night for revel.

This is interesting. I think I have these places available in my dreams; it's just a matter of accessing them in time of turmoil. I've been marinating over what dream guardians do, what these figures actually do for me in reality. This may sound a little hokey, but I think that these figures, perhaps these dream places as well, are a step towards creating coping methods in reality.

I mean, a lot of calming down from stress is not going to that dark place in my mind, refusing that mental environment. It's a lot like nightmares and dream guardians to me. There is a base reality hypothetically speaking (not going to get too philosophically involved here), and then there is our perception of reality, which we can change (still learning this one hardcore), and maybe these happy figures and happy places can help us learn to change our perceptions in waking life as well? When I was a child and thought I saw my wolf (who was usually during these times doing nothing more than crossing the street or staring at me from the opposing sidewalk--he usually appeared while I was outside), I would feel suddenly relieved, happier, lighter: he added a sense of levity to things. Like things couldn't go too wrong, because I have this strong external force protecting me.

But the fact of the matter is, as an adult, I understand that he is not an external force, he is an internal force that I possess. All the coolness and strength I get from him must come from somewhere in me. I guess I'm making this into a case for developing comfort for my inner child through these figures and headspaces?