I am in San Francisco with my wife and a small group. I am giving them a tour and showing them some of my favorite spots in SF. We are visiting a Zen center where I used to go. At first, it’s a little difficult to find, then we see the teacher and others go into a large church or cathedral. They have a kind of zendo in the middle of the main space. We join in, on their encouragement. I am unable to sit in the usual position so lie back, and happen to be right next to the main teacher. He mimics my position and moves close to me so we are touching. He wants to pick up what’s going on in my system. He says that parts of my system is blossoming in another place, in another world or dimension. He doesn’t say anything more and moves on to the next person to do the same. I am not sure if there is anything to do about it, or if it’s necessary to do anything. It’s unclear to me.
There is a lot in this dream.
THE DREAM
I am with my wife and a small group of people, and I have taken on a kind of leadership role in showing them the area since I am more familiar with it than they are.
The teacher mimics my position. I get the sense that he wants to help me feel welcome, comfortable, and accepted. I also realize he is doing it to tune into my system. Apparently, a part of my system is blossoming in another world, in another dimension.
In the dream, I see and sense what he sees and senses. I see my system blossoming, I see it full of cherry blossoms, along with life-giving rain and moisture. I sense it’s happening in another world, another dimension.
I get a sense that this blossoming is a part of a long process for my system, enhances by the recent Vortex Healing classes. I expected the blossoming here in this world, and yet it seems to be happening in another world, away from here.
My sense is that the Zen teacher has a nuanced view on it… It’s what’s happening, so it’s OK. It’s an expression of a deeper wisdom in life and life’s processes. In one sense, and seen from our surface minds, it’s slightly unfortunate (but also OK). The blossoming may happen here in time, but it cannot be forced and it’s not wise to intervene too much based on our surface wishes and how we may think it “should” be.
WAKING LIFE
I love the Bay area and feel more home and enlivened there than most other places. I did use to go to a Zen center there, but only a few times.
In the dream, I can’t remember exactly where the Zen center is or where its entrance is. This may reflect that it’s been a while.
It turns out their zendo is in the middle of a large cathedral. In waking life, I like and make use of pointers and practices from any tradition, whether it’s east or west or indigenous or something else.
I am unable to sit for long periods as I used to, which is a slight concern in my waking life. Because of the CFS, it’s difficult to sit for long periods of time, especially without back support. I want to spend time at a Zen center again, and that concern is at the back of my mind. (I tend to do meditation – noticing my nature, finding myself as capacity for the world – in daily life and through daily life activities. I also do it while laying down.)
In waking life, I have a wish for my system to blossom, especially in the context of my chronic illness.
I can find several day residues, elements from the day before reflected in the dream:
(a) My wife and I talked about the Bishop in Oslo who leads yoga in the main church in Oslo. (She is a woman, has Rasta hair, does yoga in the church, and so on, which is great.)
(b) We talked about San Francisco and my experiences there.
(c) We talked about the life-giving rain returning to Barichara after the dry season.
(d) In me is the wish to spend more time at a Zen center again.
(e) The recent Vortex Healing classes seem to have done something with my system and I notice it shifting. I also needed to do catch-up yesterday even if I hadn’t received or done any healing for myself, which also suggests processing and shifts.
REFLECTING ME
Dreams also reflect me. All parts of dreams mirror – and are – parts of me.
San Francisco represent a part of me that’s vibrant and where I feel aligned and alive. I am giving other parts of me a tour of that place in me.
There is a sacred space that combines East and West and where we notice our nature.
Parts of me is a wise teacher and other parts students. That’s how it is for all of us. In this case, the wise teacher is also able to sense what’s happening at an energetic and consciousness level, and I can sense it too.
My system is blossoming and there is life-giving rain and moisture. Water may reference emotions. In this case, life-giving and enlivening emotions. A relationship with emotions that’s nourishing and life-giving.
A part of my system is blossoming, but it’s not in this world. It’s not coming to expression in this world.
BLOSSOMING IN ANOTHER WORLD
My system is blossoming in another world. What does that reflect in me and my life?
Right now, I live partly a few centuries in the future, in the Age of Regeneration that I am exploring through the Long Journey Home. A part of me is blossoming there, in a world that somehow feels more familiar to me than our current civilization. (Of course, what I see in that world is also here. It’s in me now, it’s in this world now. The dream is a reminder to notice that.)
Also, I have a lot in me I don’t bring into this world. I keep it for myself, largely because of trauma telling my system it’s safer to not share it with others and the world.
It may also be that “another world” refer to the more subtle sides of this world – energies and consciousness. The blossoming is here and is not (yet) reflected in a blossoming of my life in the world.
Note: The image is created by me and Midjourney. It came up with some fishes in the image even if that was not part of the prompt. I assume it’s because I mentioned Picasso as an inspiration, and he sometimes included sea elements in his prints. It’s somehow appropriate since life-giving water was an important part of the dream, even if I just mentioned it briefly above.