Friday, January 30, 2009

The Landscape of Dreams

One of my favorite writers has suggested that everyone has a dream landscape - the place that is so much a part of their soul that they often return there in their dreams.

Mine is the New England woods. Growing up, we were lucky to always have woods to explore - usually right behind our house. And my sister and I spent much of our free time exploring them. When I dream, I often return there. My woods are a mishmash of the woods I've known and loved - mostly the woods behind the house in Lunenburg, MA, but with bits of woods from New Hampshire thrown in.

Like many women, I have nightmares of being chased. (Though not so frequently now as when I was younger.) When these take place in a city or a house, I'm always just barely ahead of my pursuer, and terrified. But when they're set in the woods, my woods, I'm always pulling ahead, getting away. Enough so that I can stop to look at flowers, talk to an animal, or climb a tree. I confuse the pursuers, lay traps, etc.

When I'm in my dream landscape - my woods - I' in control.

What is the landscape of your dreams?

1 comment:

The Artist said...

Very intersting! I am not sure what mine would be I am often in the ocean, sky and yes deep woods.

What is the book? And have you ever read Betty Bethards "The Dream Book" It is great!