Dreams
Written by Major Tom
Filed under: Personal and Family, Philosophy
June 24, 2007
Tonight I felt very tired. My body is in a state of general malaise. Maybe I was exerting too much effort in the past days—driving the kids to and fro from school and then blogging vehemently when nighttime falls, staying so late in the process, and then attending to other family concerns. Yesterday, an uncle died and I was in the funeral along with my mom. The weather was scorching at that time and so while we laid our uncle to the ground–to where he would be bound—I was sweating profusely that a cousin could not help but notice how sweat had embodied me so well that afternoon. May his (my uncle’s) soul rest in eternal peace.
So instead of watching television till past midnight tonight, I just put on some music and tried to relax. I put on Sting’s The Soul Cages and felt so relaxed and my mood was efficiently smoothened by the sublimity of the music, especially the melancholy of this particular record—allegedly made as a requiem for his dead father and judging from all The Police and Sting records I have acquired over the years, it is to me the best ever recording made by Sting; either as a member of a band or as a solo artist; and could be one of rock music’s all-time best.
In one song (When The Angels Fall), Sting was singing about dreams that he said “perhaps the dream was dreaming us”. I was wondering if actually a dream could ever dream by its own–dreaming a dream while it is a dream in the first place. Could that be possible and logical? Does it make sense at all? Yet I know that in lyrical songwriting and as well as in poetry, there is no rule to language, there is no restriction to language or composition. One poet or songwriter can say what he want and write what he intends. He could even say, “perhaps the dream was dreaming us” and no one could complain and say that it is of no cause or propriety. That’s why every poet is a free spirit and this is possibly be the freedom of language that we wish to be similar with human conduct; freedom from limitations and from every inhibitions.
I am a guy who always dream of dreams. Some of them I have narrated here—quite starkly. Some believe that dreams foretell of the future. Some said they explain what had happened in the past. But there is just no telling.
I do believe in dreams. In dreams, we live another life, living within another elemental existence and despite the complications and surrealism they present, dreams could mean so much to us. It is a manner of communicating into our inner self, and even towards another level or dimension of existence. Dreams alone are supernatural by themselves. To this day, not even the brightest scientist could explain fully the nature of dreams and what they all mean to us. But we—as ordinary individuals—know that they do happen and occur, and recognizes it’s existence as a way of life.
In dreams, we are introduced to another form of existence and another world and in dreams we become not merely ordinary occurrences but also supernatural beings. And therefore dreams are so significant to our lives that Sting should be excused and was probably right when he wrote that “perhaps the dream was dreaming us”.
So dream a little and do not complain.
Condolence, Major Tom.
This sent shivers down my spine. We just talked about butterflies and their meaning. I went and scroll about my comment and the brown butterfly you saw that Sunday. Oh, bless his soul.
Anyway, about dreams, I think I seldom dream nowadays. But I daydream a lot when I was young.
Comment by ipanema — June 25, 2007 @ 1:51 am
To ipanema: Maybe the butterfly I saw on Sunday was kind of foretelling this death of my Uncle–like In some way. He was not really so close to us as in first or second degree relative and I have never seen him for quite a long time.
But when I was young as a child, my grandfather always brought me to thie house and they would have prayer sessions (muslim prayers) and drank a lot of coffee and tea while i was just sitting on one chair and observing what they do and listening to their conversations.
Comment by Major Tom — June 25, 2007 @ 7:39 am
Whether it is day dreaming or night dreaming - what would life be without dreams? The funny thing with dreams is sometimes the past events and people both dead and alive are interwined without any choronology whatsoever and in a snap you wake up and say - wow, that was quite cool
I think our memory banks do a bit of interaction with our planned thoughts
and create a play we call dream
Comment by bw — June 25, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
My condolences. Yes, we all should dream and live our dreams as well. We will never achieve anything without dreams. It embodies all our aspirations. To stop living our dreams, we will stagnate and thus make our lives fruitless.
Comment by Schumey — June 25, 2007 @ 3:50 pm
I am deeply sorry to hear about your uncle’s demise, Major Tom.
A brother who passed away about four years ago used to boast that he sometimes experienced lucid dreaming. He wasn’t the type who was fond of calling attention to himself so I immediately believed him.
He claimed that sometimes, he would be fully aware of being in a dream state, and thereby dictate how he’d like his dream to develop — much like directing a film. I though that was pretty awesome
Comment by eric — June 25, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
really? you think that’s his best work? wow. i’ve always been partial to his sad songs. sometimes, while some of his music may sound melancholy, the lyrics are often furious.
i think sting is one of the best songwriters of his generation. billy joel comes second. (man, i love angry, artistic people)
as to dreaming, i do that. awake or not. it keeps me focused on what i want in life.
Comment by Atticus — June 25, 2007 @ 7:35 pm
To BW: I have read quite extensively how pyschologists approaches the reality and fact of dreams and in general, it is believed and even concluded that dreams are the end results of the inner ramblings going on inside us. our subconsciousness in other words. In this wholity comes our wants and longings and our shortcomings and repressed emotions.
And yet, all these are merely theories despite that most of them sound very plausible.
Comment by Major Tom — June 25, 2007 @ 8:03 pm
To schumey: That is also some part of my thoughts although I didn’t wrote about it in this post. A sould without a dream is certainly a lost soul, wandering listlessly like a schoolless fish in the widest of ocean.
Comment by Major Tom — June 25, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
To eric: Wow that’s cool. Never heard like your late brother before, capable of putting in his hands the process of a dream, like as you say, a movie director. To be sure, he had a supernatural capability that ordinary man has and this could be possible because I do believe in supernatural things and occurences. For me, they are undeniable despite that they can’t be concretely proven.
Comment by Major Tom — June 25, 2007 @ 8:08 pm
To Atticus: As a record or album, I think and feel that The Soul Cages was a very heartfelt and hinest work that had combined very sharp lyricism, poetry in motion, and very original melodies. Of course, there is not matching “Every Breath You Take” as the best single Sting had ever made or the catchiness of the “Ten Summoner’s Tale” where great songs like Field of Golds and The Shape Of My heart are included.
But I think that partly my reasons is very personal for liking Soul Cages of all Sting records.
Comment by Major Tom — June 25, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
This is a beautifully written entry, Major Tom!
Often, when I dream, there are occurrences in real life that immediately happen which are closely related to my dream. Such dreams are usually those which I have before waking up, and which I so vividly remember and think of during the entire day. This experience scares me, though.
May your uncle rest in peace…
Comment by rhodora — June 25, 2007 @ 11:05 pm
sometimes we stop and think deeply and then come to point when we come to point that we can say that life in itself is but a dream. some a dream come true, some forever dreaming, but without dreams, life would be meaningless. so whatever dream tells us of dreams, it is life and we only stop when life itself ends.
may your uncle rest in peaceful dreams.
Comment by victor — June 26, 2007 @ 2:04 am
accept my condolences, Major Tom.
you know, some of my decisions are dream inspired. it is in dreams that i get ideas or inspirations. maybe it is really the subconscious in us that works when we dream. there are dreams that we forget as soon as we wake up, but there are those that linger for a while. for meaningful dreams, i try to share them with my friends or family, lest i would soon forget.
Comment by SexyMom — June 26, 2007 @ 3:30 am
sorry for your loss…
I’m a (day)dreamer myself, yes, what would life be without it, we shape our future through dreams, in a way…
That’s why it bothers me when I don’t or can’t remember my dreams… sometimes I would spend an hour or two daydreaming (and that bothers me too)
Comment by pining — June 26, 2007 @ 6:54 am
To rhodora: I believe in what you mean because I have felt that way too once or twice before; that feling is is like a feeling of deja vu. Like you said, it felt scary a little. This somehow connotes how dreams arent merely lost longings or pathless imaginations—they are a form or manner of communication and reflection.
Comment by Major Tom — June 26, 2007 @ 8:17 am
To victor: Often in dreams we live our lives and we reach that life objectives and aims, we all say this is a dream come true. It is heartening to know that dreams do actually come true in many of us and that means, hope in this world remains bountiful.
Comment by Major Tom — June 26, 2007 @ 8:20 am
To Sexymom: Now that’s original. But maybe before I have already make some decisions based on the images and happenstances in my dreams but perhaps I just forgot. I remember that in our neighborhood, people based their bets on wahoy or some other betting game on their or other people’s dreams. Animals in dreams have their own respective numbers so whenever one dream of animals here, they immediately bet the day after. And I don’t kbow if I believe the stories but most usually they say, the bet based on dreams won.
I once dream that I had opened a winning tanzan from drinking softdrinks but until now I haven’t won anything. I ain’t so lucky at dreams I bet.
Comment by Major Tom — June 26, 2007 @ 8:24 am
To pining: Like BW had stated, what would life be without dreams? It is certainly a necessity of life, an important element in a fruitful and abundant existence. When one fails to dream or had stopped dreaming, there is already a huge questionable gap in life, a less fruitful existence.
Comment by Major Tom — June 26, 2007 @ 8:26 am
stung by Sting, eh?
such a great song you’ll never get tired of
Comment by tutubi — June 26, 2007 @ 11:50 am
my condolonces.
without a vision man perishes, siguro yung vision could be in a form of dreams din. tama ba ako?
Comment by bokbok — June 26, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
You’re right … science hasn’t unlock the secret of dreams or why we dream.
Can it be true that this life is one long dream? And perhaps the reality is when we think we dream?
I am glad you had a relaxing night after days of stressful exerting.
Comment by annamanila — June 26, 2007 @ 7:24 pm
To tutubi: Always had been. I remember so well that when I was so young and my mind was not yet so conceptual about rock or foreign music; I could already see Sting player that big bass guitar on TV, singing “Every Breath You Take” , and I thought in my mind, oh what wonderful sound he had made. And how could I forget that classic “Synchronicity” music video, where he was clad like a Mad Max warrior.
Comment by Major Tom — June 26, 2007 @ 7:56 pm
To bokbok: So very true…This reminds me of Joseph The Visionary, he knows to untangle dreams so well and he is such a visionary as his moniker says.
Comment by Major Tom — June 26, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
To annamanila: It could be possible Madame; why not. Reminds me sort of of Kant’s thought that everything is not what it seems to be, that everything is but an illusion. We see colors because that’s what the rays and reflection of the light tells us, when it could be possible that the color or the matter where it emanates is not existent at all, or that the matter’s real image and nature is not what our eyes see.
Comment by Major Tom — June 26, 2007 @ 8:54 pm
My condolences, Major Tom. May God comfort the whole clan on the loss of your beloved Uncle.
As for the lyrics of Sting’s song, all I can say is, artists (composers, poets/authors, painters, etc.) can always get away with anything. Sometimes what they create defies logic, but art is art. (A dream within a dream does happen, but I guess the lyrics means something else.)
There are many kinds of dreams. Some are prophetic (one just has to read the Bible, OT and NT, to realize that God did — still does, actually — speak to men through dreams), while others are simply reflective of our inner thoughts and feelings (e.g. the angst, fears, joys, etc.).
In the past, I had had dreams that ‘predicted’ the future. I mean, the event/s that I dreamt about did happen eventually. I wonder if you ever had that experience, Major Tom.
Comment by Jayred — June 26, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
My condolences Tom… hope you’re feeling a lot better now.
Comment by snglguy — June 27, 2007 @ 12:04 am
To rhodora: It is good that you ahve elaborated further the nature of dreams, of ansgt and of inner ramblings of our mind and soul. It could be that way some experts say.
Like eric said of his late , it might be possible. And perhaps I should believe in them.
Maybe I had that sort of a dream but I just could not remember. Maybe in the form of deja vu.
Comment by Major Tom — June 27, 2007 @ 8:20 pm
To singl: Thanks bro. I haven’t seen my late uncle for a very long time really but I have fond memories of him when I was a child.
Comment by Major Tom — June 27, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
Major Tom , sorry to hear about your uncle. May he rest in peace. Apologize rushing up too much on my earlier post.
Comment by bw — June 27, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
To BW: My gratitude for your concern…as well as to everyone who had sent their condololences…
Comment by Major Tom — June 27, 2007 @ 9:31 pm