Is anyone else an atheist with BC besides me?
Comments
-
WOW ... what a dream ... glad you shared it! Mine are always of the variety that I wake up thinking "where in the world did that come from"
Great message there and it certainly applies to the subject of this thread. Rigid black and white thinking causes most of the problems in the world IMO. There are many paths ... and different paths for different situations even.
Any idea what conflict in your mind might have triggered this dream? I read once that dreams are our brains 'filing' information. Disjointed and even silly and crazy sometimes because the brain is searching for an appropriate place to store a memory or idea. Bits of this and that pulling up old info and looking for a 'home' in our mind. Made sense to me.
I'm always glad to see this thread wake up again and new people join in!
0 -
I echo WhiteRabbit, Wow! That dream was worth getting up to get it down while you could remember it.
I have something I'd like to throw out to see what others think about it - I used to have all sorts of dreams where I was the hero saving lives or figuring out how to do something that was really important. If a dream was going badly my brain would backtrack and re-write it to make it turn out well. But since my two cancer dxs I don't have those anymore. It doesn't really bother me. I just find it interesting that my sleeping psyche no longer considers me invincible.
0 -
We attended a Unitarian church when our kids were little. That was their approach. Read and learn about all cultures and religions, then take what makes sense to you. They don't require belief in a deity.
0 -
Plant Lover - thank you for posting, I was one of the ones who wanted to say hurry up and post already! No wonder you want to talk abut it, and remember and understand it - it was so very beautiful and powerful. I love dreams.Is this by any chance a recurring dream?
I'm going to take some time today to enjoy this. I too have had some amazing dreams i wrote down so I will never forget.
I think that dreams are the way the psyche tries to communicate with the conscious mind. It has to use imagery because it comes from a place of non-linear "thinking". I think each element of our dreams is another aspect of your psyche. I think the psyche is actively rolling us along in the direction it needs to grow - some dreams call to you, over and over, some for years.
I once had an amazing dream - I'd been to see a therpist(in real life) who was very good at working with dreams - it involved me trying to get to the top of the mountain, but nothing worked. Yet the top of the mountain kept calling, and calling. The therapist suggested if I ever had that dream again to hang out with it. Bingo - that night I leaped to the top of the mountain in a single bound. There was as wall I couldn't see over. but a female presence came up to me and together we leaped the wall - into a beautiful meadow. The meadow had a path that lead to the most exquisite house, all windows, and stone. I walked in and sat down on the chair that was waiting for me in the ccentre of the room and said "This is a house where I could live". I think I woke up that morning crying. I had to leap over the wall of fear that prevented me from becoming myself. The female person could have been the therapist - or, the female part of my psyche who knew what to do!
but way too much about me, I'm going to reread your dream and think about it during today. So far I'm pretty sure that each "teacher" is a part of you.
Cheers,
Arlene
0 -
Plant Lover - my work with dreams is very Jungian based - echoes some of what Flannel is saying - the unconscious bringing "information" into consciousness. The process of Active Imagination has been the most valuable tool for me to work with my own dreams. best description, explanation of the proces, I think, is a book by Robert Johnson: INNER WORK: Using Dreams & Active Imagination for Personal Growth. Sounds "self-helpy" I know, but it's really good.
My understanding is every "voice", person in our dream is a part of our self - an aspect of the Self, and has something to say to us. Your dream is so powerful, I can understand why you needed to write it down so quickly. It's so easy to lose a dream if we don't write it down immediately. All those "voices" in conflict with each other, until you choose what's right for you, and then a kind of harmony begins. I hope you continue to recreate that feeling of calm for yourself...
0 -
Thanks for sharing that wonderful dream, PlantLover! It is so rich and full. I am glad you remembered it so well and could write it all down and share it.
Now, the last time I woke up in the middle of the night wanting to write down a dream because I had awoken sure I'd found the meaning of life...(I was about 20 at the time)...I got up and wrote down the meaning of life. When I awoke in the morning, I was so excited to get to the paper. It had one word..."cucumber." Go figure! I never recalled the actual dream.
0 -
CLC
makes me laugh - and also being serious - all dreams "speak" in symbols...I'll bet the "original dream" is still "in there" - wouldn't it be wonderful if you could uncover it again...godd luck...
0 -
CLC, too funny! I had a dream like that once but thought it was so big that I'd remember it in the morning, but of course I didn't. I would bet it was something as epic as "cucumber."
0 -
Thanks everyone for taking the time to read and comment about my dream. I have more to say but too tired to post it all right now. I'll try to do so tonight or tomorrow.
CLC ... oh man, that's great! Cucumbers are the true meaning of life, who knew??? LOL!
0 -
Plant Lover - your dream reminds me of this poem, I guess it might be sufi?
This being human is a guest house,
Every morning a new arrival,
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor
welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows.
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
Still, treat each guest honourably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
Because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
Jelaluddin Rume
translation by Coleman Banks
I'm kind of wondering if being calm always means there is no room for the others - so the passionate, the crabby, the less desirable - would be ignored, and so have to clamour for your attention by being louder and pushier. I think these various "teachers" might be your more suppressed emotions, which all need to be acknowledged, and understood, because they are already in your house and not about to go away? (as in all of our houses) so one of the paths to happiness would be to love your more unloveable parts - that is - love and accept yourself for who you are?..not only the part that is calm and beautiful and smiles. just a guess...but I think you were crying because you recognized some parts of yourself - like a homecoming, where you come to a rest in peace....just guesing, but your dream moves me deeply
0 -
Plantlover thanks for relating your dream to us, and Flanelette thanks for lovely poem..I agree, both the dream and the poem appear to be saying connected things. I think the ideal of being 'calm' encompasses within it the attitude of acceptance towards the differences of others, as well accepting the sometimes grating and unpleasant intrusions of our own unruly emotions. I think the very young are unaware of their own imperfections, then we move into a highly critical phase where we don't like ourselves at all, after which I think I believed I could change aspects of my personality which I didn't much like...now I'm very aware of my faults, but equally aware of the unfortunate (maybe?) fact that nothing much can be done to change them, so while I try and control my tongue for example, I know very well that my impetuous blurting-without-thinking habit is not one which is going to disappear any time soon.
A dream which has stayed with me for at least 26 years (because that is how old my daughter is) has much less 'revelation' about it but I still remember it so vividly...when I was pregnant with my first child I dreamt I went into labour. I was kind of curled up on the bed, and after quite a number of contractions I gave birth to A LITTER OF KITTENS, who all lined themselves against my stomach and started to feed (not sure if I had normal breasts in the dream, or cats' teat!) I don't remember feeling that what had happened was particularly unusual. So, how would you interpret this one!!??
0 -
You like cats! And were subconsciously thinking that kittens would be a whole lot less trouble than kids and maybe you had goofed up?? Just kidding ...
But I honestly do remember having second thoughts and wondering what I was getting myself into when I was pregnant.
0 -
Hi Guitargirl
I agree that science, good healthcare and support not neccessarily faith will cure me. But I also believe that everyone is unique and they must hold onto whatever is good for them. I personally do not adhere to any particular faith, and would be hard pressed to say what I am if asked!
One point I would comment on is that some of us do not have a choice about a mastectomy, I initally had a partial mastectomy and would have been very happy to stay there. Unfortunately the margins were not safe and a follow up MRI showed that the DCIS left in the breast was still 10cm+. Hence a mastectomy is the only option (not my choice at all)
In actual fact reading this forum I am really surprised by the number of people having uni or bilateral mastectomies.
0 -
Hils, good point about sometimes no choice re: MX. My lumpectomy had poor margins, and a mastectomy was really the only next step. Glad I had one, because it turned out there was another IDC hiding in there. It had not been seen on either mammo, ultrasound, or MRI!
0 -
Maria_Malta...if I had had that dream during my pregnancy, I would have attributed it to my feelings of being overwhelmed at the prospect of taking care of another life...anticipating it would have been many lives... And, being a dog person, I would've thought that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to relate to my baby. In your case, maybe you were thinking this would be a snap...cats being so independent and all!!!
It is interesting how vivid some dreams are. I have had many that are more real in my memory than actual life experiences...they can shape our way more powerfully, for sure...
Flannelette...I enjoyed your poem immensely.
0 -
Dreamwork can be absolutely fascinating. After my first breast cancer diagnosis, I dreamt that I was being stalked by an assassin, who harmed but did not kill me, three separate times. On the fourth attempt of the assassin, I let go of my fear of dying and decided whatever happened would happen. The dream ended. I remembered this dream after my second diagnosis and again after my third diagnosis (mets). The mets diagnosis came in early '09. I cannot say that I have totally let go of my fear of dying; I have learned to accept more that the assassin is always lurking and that living my life in a meaningful way involves not always being on the look out for the assassin, not staying in a defensive posture, instead being open to what happens with a lovingkindness toward myself that will help me to live with whatever does happen.
0 -
What great dreams you have!
I am the most boring person ever when it comes to dreams. At the most, it is like this: "Wow, I actually had a dream tonight! And there was ... people in it! And someone even said something!" Even at the moment I wake up, that's all. Mostly, like 364,5 times per year, there is nothing. But other people's dreams can be really fascinating.
0 -
Maria_Malta ... Goodness, I have no idea how to interpret your dream but it sure made me smile. Perhaps you were fearful you were going to have a "litter" of children, lol!
Mandalala ... maybe your dreams are less detailed because you go through most of your day-to-day life without holding things back. I'd think, overall, that might be a good thing. Although I often have many fun dreams, I also often wake up so tired because my dreams were so detailed and busy. I've actually told people before that during times of a lot of stress, sleeping is almost little or no relief for me. Sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was whining.
flann - the poem was beautiful. I think you nailed the interpretation. In life, I have a very difficult time with some of my emotions. I really, really try to remain calm in almost all situations. Don't get me wrong, I do get angry but usually I suppress the crap out of it. I could go into a lot of reasons I think I developed the personality but I think it runs in my family to some degree, at least among the children in my family and my mother. Dad was a raging, abusive (physcially and emotionally) man. I think anger scares us deep down in a place where there is no reason. Know what I mean?
Recently, I've been having a lot of stressful situations going on in life. Some are making me feel very sad and some are invoking lots of angry feelings. Perhaps I'm surpressing them all so very much that if they didn't come out in a dream I was going to have a mini meltdown. Flann, I love the way you put this ...
I think these various "teachers" might be your more suppressed emotions, which all need to be acknowledged, and understood, because they are already in your house and not about to go away?
And this ...
I think you were crying because you recognized some parts of yourself - like a homecoming, where you come to a rest in peace....just guesing, but your dream moves me deeply
When I first read what you wrote I started crying again. I think that describes exactly what I was feeling when I first woke from the dream. I'm starting to cry again just typing this. Yes, it felt so peaceful. That's not a feeling I think I truely have very often in my waking hours.
0 -
Flannel - ah, Rumi - and Coleman Barks is my favorite translator...Bark's Illuminated Rumi is a treasure - got me thru many a difficult day/night during treatment - thanks for reminding me of him.
Yes, Sufi....
0 -
I am enjoying reading my morning newspaper (on paper!) and interrupted myself to share this article - thought you might find it entertaining. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/elizabeth-renzetti/hes-a-multitasker-of-the-highest-order-but-politicians-need-to-give-god-a-break/article2342699/
0 -
Lassie, you beat me to it! I was going to post (but good thing you did cuz my links never do (link, that is!).
Does anyone get tired (well, sick and tired!) of people thanking "God" for letting them win the big game, calling them to run for office etc.? To me, it's the height of narcissism
. 0 -
Oh Boy! That article really hit my feelings right on the spot! Since when did "America belong to God"! I was led to believe it belonged to all of us. I think our founding fathers worked overtime to be sure of this and separated church from state. WTH? The GOP has really strayed from the true political path that Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt tread. I have no problem with a religious belief by any person, but don't shove it down my throat and call it politics! Kitty
0 -
Amen, lassie! ;-)
0 -
Oh lassie you are going to get me in trouble ... I would so like to spam this out far and wide
It always seemed to me that even if you were religious it should be considered irreverent to bother a God with things like winning games ... or to announce to the world that he 'likes you best' like some of these jokers do.
And these theocracy folks are downright scary. If they ever get their way the next thing will be them fighting among themselves to decide which of them would make the rules and get the spoils.
Neither government nor religion gains when they get tangled up together IMO.
.
0 -
lassie - thanks for the link...I'm old enough to remember when if a person was "talking" to God, he/she was considered not to be in the best, ah, state of mental health - now Presidential candidates get kudo's for "talking to God" - the mind boggles...
0 -
Happy Today
there is still some sanity in the world:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/18/jessica-ahlquist-atheist-_n_1286875.html
which is great, cuz one of the people trying to become President of the USA is criticizing the President in office cuz he doesn't base this decisions on "the Bible." The mind boggles...
0 -
PlantLover – I don't think you are whining, and yes, good sleep with no nightmares is a good thing of course. Just, sometimes, all these incredible dramas people live through when sleeping seem like extra lives and I get a little jealous ... Don't know if I hold back less, but maybe?
Maria_Malta – What a funny and cute dream about the kittens!
All – Isn't it against the American constitution, all this religious mumbo-jumbo in the politics?
0 -
I just want a little freedom from religion..
0 -
Mandalala -- There is a growing religious movement in the U.S. called Dominionism, to which some of the rightwing political leaders and members of Congress belong. Wikipedia has some good info about it, but in a nutshell:
the defining concept of dominionism is "that Christians alone are Biblically mandated to occupy all secular institutions until Christ returns"
Scary stuff indeed, and it's too bad that more people don't know about it.
0 -
Lindasa – that's scary, yes! So they are against democracy ... Hmm, what if Christ has returned ;-) ? Someone had better find him so the Dominions can go home and have a good night's sleep. But maybe they wouldn't find him rightwing enough. *Off to Wikipedia*0
