Sunday, February 16, 2014

Dream Body Coming In for a Crash Landing

Both Franklin Roosevelt and Christopher Reeves have something in common, besides being Supermen and having gone beyond. They were paralyzed to varying degrees, only able to remember the freedom to which they had been accustomed in the earlier parts of their lives. Forced to adapt to life in their prime with severe disabilities, they pressed on with determination to maintain a full life.

One salient confession expressed by these two men: upon waking from the world of sleep, where their dream bodies could go wherever thought took them, they landed back in their bodies and awoke with deep depression. Both men relate that it took them hours each morning to shake off a horrible melancholy about their physical reality in order to psyche themselves up for a full life managed through an obstacle course.

They came to mind when I woke up today feeling as if everyone I know had disappeared and the only one inhabiting my house besides me were the ants and spiders. It struck me as odd because in fact my lovely daughter was sleeping in her room peacefully, my husband was outside reading the paper and breathing fresh air, and to my knowledge all my loved ones are blessed. Adding insult to injury, the night before was filled with fascinating new experiences and good dreams. Go figure.

The only fathomable answer is that we are beings with sensory perceptions that far exceed our conscious knowledge. Complex forces pass through us like liquid through a strainer, leaving in the wake the residue of their presence. So instead of freaking out about freaking out, my mind directed itself to brief prayers, and after my feet hit the ground, a few cups of espresso and a resolve to do the laundry got me cranking.

For all of you who wake up happy and joyful every morning looking forward to the day ahead, you are indeed blessed. And for those of us who wake up wondering why we are back in these heavy bodies, you are not alone. Help is on the way. I would advise three cups of espresso, but in Southern California that might be viewed with horror. So drink your green smoothie, or green tea, or matte, or soy chai, or organic black tea, or run three miles, and take heart. You will notice the birds singing in the trees in no time.







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