Conference hydra::dejavu

    
    Hi Sheila,
    	I think the doggies name is "Ceribus" but I could have him
    confused with an Aardvark.
    
    	There is alot of symbolism and if I were to type it all out
    with explanations it would be lengthy, boring, incomplete, and
    incorrect :-).
    
    	Do you want to forget the dreams? cease to have them?
    
    	Do you have any control over the dream while it is happening?
    
    	When did these dreams start? What was happening in your life
    	when the dreams started?
    
    	Take care, 
    
    	Craig, ;-)

    Sheila,

       You shouldn't try to forget them.  In fact (maybe I should say,
       in opinion), you won't be able to forget them and they will
       probably continue (or atleast the theme will) until you *do*
       understand them.  I would suggest that you get a few good books
       on dreams.  I can recommend a few if you like.

       As far as the symbolism goes, I feel that dream symbols, for the
       most part are personal.  Sometimes (I think more infrequently)
       symbols may represent more universal things.  Try not to be
       afraid of the dreams and try to accept the fact that this is
       just a form of communication between your ego and your subconscious.
       Once you understand the message and work on applying it in your
       waking life, that should be it.

       The theme of the first dream, to me, tells me that you are on
       a journey and that you feel pretty much in the dark.  You also
       perceive a threat ahead of you.  I think the dream is telling
       you that it isn't so much the threat you think it is, ie, the
       dog is moving slowly and that there is actually light to guide
       you (the sun).  The sun could also symbolize masculine aspects
       within you that may be of assistance on this journey.

       In second dream, the theme seems to be similar.  You are on a
       journey (moving ahead), but feel lost in the dark.  There is
       a doorway (that perhaps will lead you out of the dark), a barrier
       that you need to overcome.  Since it is a door, simply open it.

       Take these interpretations carefully.  I don't know you or what
       is going on in your life.  They are merely suggestions.  If they
       don't make sense or you don't feel 'right' about them, then
       forget them and work on another interpretation.

       At any rate, work on them.  They are trying to tell you something 
       and probably will continue until you get the message.  

       Hope this helps...

       Terry

    It's a courageous task to "decode" a dream.  What one can wish for
    is that someone will interpret the dream for you -- even if the
    news is bad, having someone else say it somehow seems more safe.  It
    takes considerable courage to undertake the interpretation journey
    by yourself, because even dreams that have elements of psychic
    messages/etc. are personal aspects of you.  The symbols and the
    characters are in some ways facets, aspects of yourself.  By now
    you're probably saying: "That vicious Hound of Hell?  Some aspect
    of ME??  What kind of a monster am I???"  There are aspects of
    ourselves that we may consider monstrous, (even though they might
    not really be so) and wish to hide from.  Now you can see why it
    can take some courage.
    
    I had a dream, for instance, a few weeks back.  In it I was observing
    a house where two women lived.  One was thin, weak and pale, and
    the other was vital and strong and seemed to be caring for her.
    Various kinds of people came to visit these women, and they never
    came out of the house.  And as the dream progressed, I realized
    that the stronger one was inviting them into a back room where she
    killed them, and then fed their remains to her weaker companion.
    When I realized this, the stronger woman turned to me; she knew
    that I knew, and since I knew she was going to protect herself and
    her companion by doing me in.  A man who seemed to be my husband had
    been with me, but he watched this action from outside through a
    window, and I realized that I was alone; I would have to save myself.
    I knew that somehow she could not harm me unless I allowed her to
    take me to that room.  Every second her face looked more and more
    like that of a wild animal -- it grew fur, whiskers, sharp fangs.
    I told her that I wasn't going to play her game, that I would not
    enter the room, that I was going to leave and that I would tell
    no one of their existence -- they could remain safe.  It was while
    making this speech that I woke.  In a cold sweat, and I remained
    awake for a long time, pondering on the powerful internal dialogue
    I had just experienced via the dream and its meaning.
    
    The questions Craig listed are good ways to start.  Here are other
    ways to attack it.  
        
    Take each symbol in the dream.  The railroad tracks, the night,
    the moon, the dog (and BTW, the correct spelling of the name is
    Cerberus), the sun, the fact of midnight turning to day.  When you
    can be alone and find a place and time you feel secure, sit down
    and write down each thing on a separate piece of paper.  Then free-
    associate with each symbol.  Try to think of all the things that
    railroad tracks represent to you.  What adjectives, feelings, etc.,
    cross your mind when you think of railroad tracks?  In this way,
    you can begin to decode what your inner self is trying to represent
    by showing you railroad tracks.  Do you recall other dreams where
    railroad tracks have been a symbol?  You are finding out how your
    inner self thinks; how she tries to "talk" to you.  We each have
    our own internal language and to interpret dreams you must decipher
    your own.  Do this with all the symbols, and see if you can begin
    to get a feeling for what this dream means.
    
    If you don't feel that it is intrusive, or exposes too much private
    feelings to the public, I can write another reply free-associating
    about the different symbols.  If you wish, we can correspond offline.
    
    Marcia

    Sheila!
    
    And you won't easily forget your dreams either, speaking from
    experience. Well, I cannot really offer you any ideas, deciphering,
    etc. - am constantly struggling with trying to read my own dreams.
    But your dream of SUN AND DOG reminded me of a dream I had about
    8-10 years ago. My theory is that dreams that really mean something
    extraordinary or are trying to get an important message across to 
    us leave such an impression that years later we will still remember 
    them fairly clearly.
    
    Here's a short account of my dream (also with SUN and ANIMAL):
  
    Scene: Soft rolling, green hills, crowds of people all streaming
    into one direction (towards me), running away from something, it's
    evening, dark where the people are coming from. Everybody is dressed
    in light coloured (beige/ivory?) long gowns. Once the people caught 
    up with me (where I was standing) and ran past me I saw what they
    were scarred of. It was a huge calf, the colour of the gowns. I
    was not afraid, simply stood there waiting for it to arrive. I sat
    down on a rock (huge slab of stone), the calf finally approached
    me and lay down at my feet. During all this time people still rushed
    away from us, until there was only the calf and myself left. Now
    there was bright light around us (source? could have been *a* sun,
    it felt warm like it) while in the background the hills were still
    in the dark.
    
    Now, there's symbolism, sun and animal, in both of our dreams. What 
    does it mean? Apart from all the connections in the dream? 
    
    Thanks, Esther.  
    

    
    Thank you everyone.
    
    RE. Craig
    
    I dont want to forget these dreams - I just want to understand them,
    if that is at all possible.  I wouldn't mind having them again either,
    if I did know what they meant.(as long as the meaning isn't
    horrifying);^).
    
    I do not have any control over these dreams.  They just seem to
    happen.  But then again, I never really *Tried* to open the door,
    I just let the dream flow.
    
    The dream about the hallway, started when I was very young.  No,
    my childhood was not easy.  I usually had this dream when I was
    very upset - cried myself to sleep.  Then it stopped, when I was
    around 13 or 14.  Then during a upsetting time in my life 2 years
    ago.  I had it again.  
    
    RE: (Maria)?
    
    No, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to enter some of your interpretations
    of these dreams.  It may be helpful.
    
    Thank you again.
    
    Sheila

    Okay, Sheila, here goes.
    
    1st Dream:
    
    Railroad tracks/beds:  The path of a particular journey of life;
    very narrow; can only run in one direction, along one path.  You
    are travelling along a well-defined path.
    
    Summer night:  A time of relaxation and fullfillment; also, travelling
    "in the dark" (our inner selves often love puns); unelightened,
    so to speak, unaware of our inner truth, but comfortable because
    the path (railroad bed) is so well defined.
    
    Full Moon:  Often the Moon is our anima, our yin self.  Her light
    is only reflected *sun*light - interesting, no?  She also,
    astrologically, represents our earliest conditioning that we received
    from our families.  So perhaps "following the rules" you learned
    as a child lights your way along this well-known path, a path that
    may well have to do with "correct" ideas of how women should be.
    
    Cerberus:  Now, the beast.  Beasts often represent facets of ourselves
    we feel are "beastly", but are often the vital, alive, "animalistic"
    parts of our souls, our pure energy distorted by our fears.  What
    is so beastly?  Let's look at the name of this dog: the term for the
    reasoning, thinking part of our brain, the cerebrum, derives from
    his name!  Guardian of the gates of hell indeed -- our own personal
    hell, the parts of ourselves we fell we must never let into the
    light of day, in order to be considered normal, rational human beings.
    This animal seems very complex -- he is at once the "animal", vital
    part of you blocking your peaceful progress along a pre-determined
    path, and also the internal censor whose threats keep you from
    deviating from it.  A possible symbol of a tremendous conflict:
    with rational (cerebral) thought, you might actually discover your
    own internal truth; but the culture's definition of "rational" thought
    often acts to keep us in our place, says to us, in effect "Don't
    really think, don't search for the truth, or you'll go to hell."
    If any part of our own truth involves acknowledging things we wish
    do not exist, it's no wonder we feel cowed by this seeming logic.
    Remember the old saying: "Let sleeping dogs lie?"

    Sun at Midnight:  The true light of the moon revealed; perhaps one's
    inner truth, and true inner self (astrologically speaking) made
    manifest.  And midnight is a traditional time of power for magical,
    transormative work.  By going through a "midnight of the soul,"
    one can discover one's own inner light, one's true self.
    
    End of the World Announcement: This inner unveiling is by no means
    easy.  Discovering one's true self, true path, often means the end
    of the world one has built.  A new world that reflects this truth
    must be built.  This narrator symbol also has about it the quality
    of the inner censor, who warns us "That's a no-no."  Often, if we
    listen closely when we're awake, we can also hear our inner censor
    talking, blaming, nay-saying, telling us should-shouldn't.
    
    
    Dream #2:
    
    Hallway/tunnel:  Another narrowly defined journey!  But you know,
    long hallways are a symbol often used by hypnotist educators, to
    represent going deeper and deeper into the self, or into trance.
    
    Door:  An opening -- to what?  Perhaps to one's true self?  And
    one never gets to open it, only reaches for it, endlessly...
    
    
    I feel that Dream #2 (from childhood) is about having shut away
    a vital, true part of the self.  Something many of us did in childhood
    in order to try to survive, to be loved.  That self is "behind the
    door" and it's no wonder that sad or stressful occasions bring this
    dream about.
    
    And so I feel that Dream #1 is connected to the childhood dream.
    This inner self no longer wants to be denied, but acknowledging
    her and letting into the light of day is somehow terribly threatening.
    But she is striving to let you know of her existence, despite the
    censors and the fears.
    
    Have courage,
    
    Marcia

    
    DISCLAIMER::::I dont know what I am talking about.
    
    Railroad beds- Your path of life- it was clear at one time but
    	people/things made it easy traveling. Those things are gone
    	now. Now it is bumpy, slow, not clearly lit and now you find
    	yourself wondering whats ahead when before you never cared
    	or wondered.
    
    breeze-refreshing event that made you start to think about things
    	possibly not consciously connected.
    
    Moon,moonlight,-The moon can be a light but can also be very deceptive.
    	it reflects the light of truth (the sun) but distorts things
    	and creates shapes and fears where there arn't any.
    
    Doggie bow-wow: If doggie guards the "gates of hell" and is comming
    	at you, from the direction you were heading....I would assume
    	that you were heading towards the gates of hell. In other words
    	I am saying that doggie is a sign that reads..."HELL, 3 MILES
    	AHEAD ON LEFT" Why else would he be upset! your invading his
    	turf! 
    
    Silence-inner reflection
    
    Voice of Judgement.."The judgement day" perhaps an athority or society
    	is loosing its hold on you. You are feeling like something isn't
    	right. you dont know where this feeling is comming from (it
    	was planted in the breeze way back when :-) ) but the voice is in
    	you.
    
    The sun...Shadows and fears can be seen now for what they are. 
    
    overview::: Your in a time of self reflection and light. where before
    	your future was planned out for you by parents/peers/whatever
    	you arn't being railroaded to hell (your personal hell) anymore.
    	The tracks are gone and you have control over you. (it stinks
    	dont it?) Well look on the bright side! you got two ponds of
    	marsh to choose from! You can go into the one on the left or
    	the one on the right. It's messy but you have the light of truth
    	to help you see real dangers. It isn't too glorious either,
    	but you will have yourself and will find out more by testing
    	your abilities in the marsh. The marsh is a place of growth
    	and life. Hell and Satans doggie will always be there if you
    	want to go back later?
    
    	just-a-guess,
    	Craig  ;-)

Sheila,

	You might find some interpretation of your dream if you go and look
	at the legend surrounding Isis,Osiris,Set and Horus. Isis is usually
	associated with the moon, and reflective consciousness, and her child
	Horus with the sun.

	Why do you feel that the dog is the guardian of hell and not just
	the guardian of the underworld? The number 3 of the three heads of the
	dog is also associated with three stages of a spiritual
	transformation that begins with turning inward reflectively and dying
	to the outside world. 

	At a guess the railroad tracks symbolise the normal state of life 
	which people follow until they decide to step off and turn inward. I
	think that your dream may be telling you to do that.

	Happy travels

John

    There is a book called "The International Cookbook for Living" written
    by Ms. Cook Giovanni (not sure the correct spelling of her last
    name).  This book is about dream interpretation, dejavu etc.  She
    was interviewed by CNN's Larry King a few weeks ago.  Her book sounded
    very interesting.  She spoke of ways to interpret dreams etc. and
    that if we learn how to interpret our dreams properly, we could
    learn some very interesting, insightful things about ourselves.
    I checked the bookstore.  I think it might be in hardcopy version
    only.  Anyway, just thought you'd find this interesting reading!
    
    Donna

    I'd like to share a dream of mine that included a dog, maybe Cerebus,
    maybe not.
    
    I was sleeping in my bedroom in the dream (which I was having while
    I was sleeping in my bedroom), and in the dream I got up out of
    bed and realized there was something in my apartment, something
    extremely nasty, and I was very afraid.  I walked into the front
    room, and there was this *big* black dog (it was one of those
    big-headed, big boned burly dogs, I don't know what a Rottweiler
    looks like).  This dog was definitely after me, and bared it's teeth
    at me, growling viciously and moving toward me as if it was going
    to hurt me.  At that point, I percieved that I had a choice; either
    run away from the dog and get out of it's way, or confront it. 
    In a second, I decided to confront it, and determined to fight it
    physically if necessary; I'm a pretty formidable opponent in a scrap.
    The instant I had made this decision, the dog decreased in size
    to the size of a toy collie, and turned from a vicious attack dog
    to a submissive, cowed pup, without me even having to raise a hand.  
    
    What I got out of the dream was that the animal was depending on
    the fear factor to intimidate me and cause me to run from it, and
    when it really was confronted, it wasn't really as powerful as it
    looked.  Sometimes the contemplation of something difficult
    is worse than the actual thing that you're contemplating.
    
    There's an example of amateur dream interpretation.  My advice to
    you if you ever see this animal again is to not be afraid of it,
    and once your fear of it is gone, you will see it in its true form.
    You may be surprised at what you see then.
    
    From the Wizard of Oz
    
    Wicked witch of the East: You stay out of this, Glinda, or I'll
    fix you as well!
    
    Glinda, Good Witch: (laughing)  Oh, rubbish! you have no power here!
    Now begone, before somebody drops a house on you too!
    
    Doug

    RE: All
    
    Sorry I haven't responded sooner [I was kind of speechless ;^)]
    
    I just want to thank you.  Some of your comments really hit home,
    and made me think.  I'm working on these dreams now - and I feel
    _alot_ better about them, now that I have some idea on what they
    mean.
    
    Thanks again,
    
    Sheila  

	I had this dream only once.  Although brief, it
	left a crisp memory when I woke up as it ended.

	I was stepping off some kind of mass transit at a station
	high above a futuristic alien city.  I don't know if I was
	there to discuss matters of state or fix the copier, but two
	city officials were there to meet me.  They described their
	society's religious convictions that faith in oneself could
	accomplish miracles, as we traversed an enclosed catwalk to
	a spire that I took to be an elevator shaft, windowless and
	narrow. The view of the city was breathtaking and disturbing
	to my fear of heights.  Only solid glass walls kept me sane.
	I busied myself with inspecting the assorted masonry in the
	rough tower walls, trying desperatly to ignore the abyss.

	Stepping onto the top of the spire, I was shocked to see open
	air...No windows....no elevator doors....no stairway....they
	explained that you got down by stepping out into the open and
	manifested your faith by floating to the ground, which they
	did, beckoning me to follow...I froze...I recited the litany
	of fear from Dune.  "I see my fear approaching, I see it wash
	over me, around me and through me, and when it is gone, I shall
	see where it has been, and I shall remain." Sanity returned for
	a short visit...I had time to think...Should I trust men I had
	just met?, were they testing my faith or gullibility?, I could
	NOT bring myself to step into the open.  I chose a compromise,
	I would climb down the rough side of the building on hand-holds
	I had seen, demonstrating faith in myself and distrust of them.

	I stepped over the side.  As I descended, I was a teen-ager,
	back on a staging, building a chimney.  I had only to reach
	for my trowel, or descend for bricks and everything would be OK. 
	I was begining to get used to this, and the older masons would
	not respect someone who could not work off the ground.  Besides,
	the wall only got higher one brick at a time...one brick at a time,
	...reciting the litany, supressing the fear...unitl I ran out of
	bricks to hold onto.  The lower wall was smooth, sheer, but I was
	within jumping distance.  I floated down, slowly, gently.

	As I walked to join them, waiting in a doorway,  I noticed a small
	garden of glass flowers growing beside the path.  They told me
	these flowers generated an upward force which the faithful could
	use to counter gravity.  The unfaithful, who could not believe in
	themselves, succumbed.......MWR
	

    I can't remember if I have entered this dream, but I think there
    was a message...
    
    A little background first - My middle child, Alisha, now 12, was
    adopted by us when she was 4.  She is actually my cousin's daughter.
    My cousin had had a troubled life, involved with drugs and was 
    a follower, usually following what some would say was the "wrong
    type of people."  She was killed in an auto accident when Alisha
    was 3.  For the first few years that Alisha was with us, our lives
    were..... hell.... she was constantly testing us.. she had been
    shuttled from her mother to foster home previously and wanted 
    probably to see how bad could she be before WE would reject her..
    The years have gone by and Alisha is now a beautiful, bright,
    warm and loving child. NOW the dream,
    
    About a year ago I dreamt (is that a word?) that I was on a high
    hill, sitting on a stone surrounded by sun and warmth, and looking
    over a town or city.  Within my view was a restaurant/bar.  
    While I was sitting there, Alisha's mother (my cousin) came up
    to me, put her arm around me, kissed me on the cheek and said
    "thank you", and then she was gone, and I was awake.  Now in
    itself, that dream is not really strange, but when speaking with
    my mother the next day I related the dream to her and we
    discussed the potential meaning.  Several hours later, she
    called me to say she had been talking with my Aunt(Alisha's
    mother's mother -still with me?) who was shocked, as SHE
    too had a dream about her, only in her dream, Cindy came
    to her in a restaurant lounge.  I've wondered if it was
    the place at the bottom of my hill??!!  What did strike 
    me is that she visited both of us on the same night.
    
    Carla