Lorrenzo de 'Medici to a friend who chided him for sleeping late. "What I have dreamed in one hour is worth more than what you have done in four.
—Baldassare Castiglione
In the end the only events worth telling are those when the imperishable world irrupted into this transitory one. Recollection of the outward events of my life has largely faded or disappeared. But my encounters with the “other” reality, my bouts with the unconscious, are indelibly engraved upon my memory. Outward circumstances are no substitute for inner experience. I can understand myself only in the light of inner happenings. It is these that make up the singularity of my life. That is why I speak chiefly of inner experiences, amongst which I include my dreams and visions.
—Carl Gustav Jung
Friends In A Different Realm
I find the world of dreams to be as fascinating as the world of reality, so often I cannot tell the difference between them until I awake from one or the other. Such was the case with the dream I had last night. I lost two very dear friends over the last six years and I often wonder how they are in their new realm. This dream was about Arne and Kathleen.
The dream takes place in Arne’s new home designed mostly of glass and stone built on a lakeside surrounded by beautiful majestic mountains. He is in his studio surrounded by paintings. Each one unique and perfect, leaning against the walls or hanging by invisible strings from the ceiling. I comment on the absence of the tubes of oil paints and vases filled with brushes that filled his earthly studio.
"I don’t use brushes here,” he laughed.
His smile and laughter had not changed. He still had the hump in his back from so many years of leaning over an art table but he looked strong and happy.
“Then what do you paint with,” I asked.
“Here we paint with imagination,” was his response.
Noticing the bewilder look on my face. He slowly walked over to an empty canvas, waved his hand gently over its surface and a beautiful painting of roses perfectly placed in an urn sitting in a Greek like courtyard appeared on the canvas. Just then a bat flew in through an open window, which was unusual because it was daytime, and flew directly into the painting. Instantly the bat became part of the scenery.
As we toured the studio, I saw a beautiful painting leaning against the wall. It was a painting of a solar eclipse with the moon almost fully covering the sun. The part of the sun still exposed shined on the group of mountains surrounding Arne’s studio making them glisten as if drenched by the midnight sun. They were partly hidden at the top by beautiful soft airy clouds and streams of golden water poured down their sides. The remainder of the mountain range was in darkness due to the eclipse.
“Who imagined this magnificent painting?” I asked.
“Kathleen,” replied Arne.
“My Kathleen?” I said in astonishment.
“Yes,” Arne answered. “She’s one of my best students.”
Just then the bat who had become part of the painting moved it's wings and flew out of the canvas and over the lake. I woke up.
My heart was so excited to know that two of my favorite people have found each other in another realm and are sharing their lessons of life together. I was so proud of Kathleen for finding her creative spirit. She always felt she lacked imagination and creative talent and never gave herself any credit for her abilities. She is obviously doing well in her new playground. Arne is also.
It was such a beautiful dream that I wanted to share it with you. Perhaps next time, Kathleen will be there expanding her imagination and creating more beauty for this world and hers.
Photo Credit: Golden Mountains by Manan