It's no secret that I have vividly weird dreams. The other day I had an incredibly vivid dream about Steven Spielberg. Since that dream I have been tearing it apart, analyzing it to pieces. It was one of those detailed dreams that stays with you for a long time. It is very similar in mental persistence as a dream I had about Linda McCartney before she passed away. That dream has never left my mind.
This was the dream (the Spielberg one):
I get a call from a man who offers to fly me to L.A. in order to discuss his desire to purchase the rights to one of my short stories. I agree to go. After arriving in L.A. I rent a car and drive intending to go to the destination provided for a meeting. I drive along long winding road, getting more and more lost. I see a great iron gate with a guard posted outside. I pull my car to the side of the road near the gate. The guard approaches me to ask what I was doing stopping my car. I told him I was lost. I showed him my map and my destination. As we were talking a silver SUV came out of the gate. Driving the SUV was Steven Spielberg. He stops his vehicle and asks what is going on. The guard shows him my map and destination. Mr. Spielberg exclaimed that was where he was going and asked me to ride with him. Along the way to the meeting Mr. Spielberg and I have profoundly deep conversations about the definition of belief and the majesty of life and the tragedy of death. He told me he was planning on directing the film of the short story I wrote. Suddenly I begin to feel unworthy in his presence. I tell him I am unworthy of such an honor. I also tell him that I am overwhelmed by the concept of movie making and business meetings while beginning to cry. Then he tells me another reason he wanted to meet with me was to ask a very personal question. He says to me, "I also want to hire you as a live in nurse to care for me as my Alzheimer's Disease progresses. During this time I will mentor you so you can carry out my secret project. One that I've been working on since childhood." Dumbfounded, I stare at him, mouth gaping open, trying to comprehend his words. My first thought was to ask for his medical records in order to know if I was qualified to carry out his request. Then curiosity set in and I ask about his secret project. He explained that he wanted to use an ancient artifact he had to channel the story of a man he knew as Israel. Israel was the first of the chosen people to ascend to heaven. He also was the first to return to Earth as a spirit in order to guide people to the path of ascention. Mr. Spielberg felt compeled to find the story before he lost his cognitive ability to create as the Alzheimer's takes control of him. The dream ends shortly after this conversation as we arrive at our meeting. Trying to lighten the mood, we both start singing the song 'Add It Up' by The Violent Femmes.
How I interpret this dream:
As we all know, dreams are our own subconscious trying to work out our issues. Obviously, Steven Spielberg is not literally going to appear in my life. But if I were to try and think about Spielberg as a symbol I would have to acknowledge his role in my formitive years. I remember watching Temple of Doom over and over again when I was a kid. I was obsessed with it. So maybe in my mind he is the symbol of taking action in my life and finding my adventure. But this symbol is also vulnerable. He is ill. Is it possible that my adventurous spirit is forgetting itself? I gave it Alzheimer's. Which is literally my occupation. But in the sense of this dream, I am limiting my advenure to the confines of the time left before the brain begins to die. Then my symbol of adventure assigns me an adventure to carry out. A challenge of not only mental ability but of archeological significance. He is asking me to become his Indiana Jones.
In other words, my brain is feeling like it needs adventure. A Spielberg adventure. I guess this is my anywhere but here reflex.
Also, one of my short stories played a part in my dream. That is an easy interpretation. I want people to like my stories. But in order for that to happen, I need to let people read them. Maybe I need to be adventurous and let my fear of rejection fade away.
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