I have a guilty confession to make: I've become addicted to Babylon 5. I know, not quite 12-step material (yet) but still, somewhat challenging to my hardcore intellectual cred.
Now, in Babylon 5, for those of you who do not share my obsession, there are these ancient energy beings, the Shadows, who promote chaos and conflict as an engine of evolution. In other words, they get other beings to fight it out, with the winners emerging from the conflict stronger. The interests of these Shadows--whose real name is 10,000 letters long and thus unpronounceable to mere mortals--were promoted by a human dude who was an odd combination of menacing and endearing. Actually, he would have been, had I written the story, but whatever. This being television, he was mostly menacing, in a clean-cut sort of way.
Well, I dreamed this dude showed up at my house, a beautiful 1910s mansion, very well decorated, if I do say so myself. I knew, as did everyone, that the Shadows were coming to take us over and that we had to resist, though this was extremely risky. And they seemed to decide on my house as their first stop. I don't remember all the details, but they were just sort of milling around, trying to talk me into submission in sly and round-about ways. I evaded them, and contrived to call for help out the window to my frightened neighbors.
But then, I somehow came up with a plan: I'll get the dude out of the house and the 'hood, and somehow be rescued. I talked him into going to a park, and as we were driving along, I decided I should seduce him. I wasn't sure if this would save me, but I thought it would buy some time, and that it would be interesting. My overtures freaked him, the evil, menacing one, out. That's when I woke up.
It doesn't take a degree in Jungian psychology to see these shadows as my shadow, my subconscious, coming to take over in a way that frightens me, the conscious waking mind that is me. How did I manage to disarm them? By approaching them, by daring utmost intimacy.
There's something to be discovered in these depths, this terrifying place recent events have tossed me. And I need to be daring and curious to discover what it is.
2 comments:
Shinejil, I think I might need that Jungian psychology degree to attempt to decipher this. Perhaps if I started by taking a look at 'Babylon 5'? Hmmm.....I have no doubt you are daring and curious enough to explore these depths...just how do you plan to gleam the answers?
I've had a tab open with this post in it ever since you posted. This is an amazing dream and I think you are right on in your interpretation. Some of the most powerful times of transformation in my life have had to do with embracing my shadow side, and opening up to the terrifying depths. I know you are brave and daring and curious enough to enter those depths, and emerge into the light again, bringing wisdom and new strength for what lies ahead.
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