A Pot Smoker Acts Out A Waking Dream: Concluding Post

 photo courtesy of godwords.org

A man standing in line at a Goodwill store was subjected to second hand marijuana smoke and was particularly outraged because there was a mother and daughter waiting in line as well. We worked on the incident as a waking dream and came up with a story that was all about a conflict between a part of himself that wants to stubbornly keep doing what he normally does, and a more sensitive part of him that pays the price. You can scroll down to my earlier posts to follow our progress.

What follows is the final conversation he and I had regarding his dream.

David:  Your dream claims that you are “at the start of a new day.” Do you identify with that?

Dreamer:  Um. I think that’s probably so. Maybe it’s not earthshaking, but I do feel as if I’d like to start fresh with my life. I’d like to go in some new directions, explore new stuff.

David:  But you’re looking for a bargain at the same time?

Dreamer:  Well, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I don’t think anybody wants to spend more time and energy and money than they have to.

David:  Would you say looking for bargains is an important theme in your life?

Dreamer:  Like I said, part of success in anything is efficiency. If you can find a way to do something well using a minimum of effort, that’s the best.

David:  The key is doing it well?

Dreamer:  Sure. Find a path to the shortest, most efficient way to accomplish something, and you’ve probably got a success on your hands.

David:  Do you think your dream agrees with this approach?

Dreamer:  What do you mean?

David:  Your dream refers to two parts of yourself. One part gets “high” and “doesn’t think right or have good reactions.” Another part needs “extra care.” These two parts of you are clearly in conflict, and you seem to be trying to intervene to bring a resolution. But it’s not working. Am I right?

Dreamer:  Yeah, I guess so.

David:  What do you think the part of you is that needs extra care?

Dreamer:  (He snorts a laugh.) When I get going on a business project, there’s this voice in my head that keeps telling me to be cautious. I make a point of ignoring it.

David:  Why’s that?

Dreamer:  Because doing that slows everything down, and I don’t like that.

David:  But if it’s important enough that it’s coming up in your dreams—even your waking dreams—don’t you think it might be a good idea to pay more attention to it? I mean, that’s what you seem to be telling yourself to do in the dream. You never tell the part of you that wants to get “high”  to stop. You only recommend that it find a way to continue without affecting the “health” of the more sensitive parts of you.

Dreamer:  Yeah, that’s true.

David:  Can you find a way to accommodate both parts of yourself so that there’s less of a conflict?

Dreamer:  Maybe.

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