Dreams of the Gulf

As the cataclysm in the Gulf continues to unfold unabated, I had a dream that was undeniably related to the spill. This got me thinking, how is this disaster manifesting throughout the dreams of the collective? I am hoping that we might be able to use this forum to share dreams of the Gulf, if we are having any, and maybe begin to understand how the mythic event is unfolding on both the inside and the outside, and most importantly, how can we live with its manifestation? Thank you in advance for joining this discussion. My Dream: I am on a sailboat with Deshka (my girlfriend). We have a sensor on the boat that detects a powerful electromagnetic disturbance deep beneath the ocean floor. I devise a plan to use a large tube to core out the mud, to reach the object at the source of the disturbance. I tell Deshka that we will then invert the tube, pouring out the mud, then reinsert the tube and shimmy down it to go and get the mysterious object. She says that the walls of the tube would be too slippery to come back out. I say we could definitely shimmy (chimney climb) out. She responds that she's completely certain that the ocean mud would be too slick; going down to explore the source of the disturbance would be a one way trip. The dream ends in this discussion of the plan.

I had not associated this dream with the spill but I see now it probably could be. I read it initially as a personal depiction of a dynamic currently happening in my life in relation to a younger man as well as another very similar younger man from my past who is now dead, neither of which I can "save". I did not take it much deeper than that as my night dreams have been coming fast and furious since making the decision to apply for the Depth Psych program at Pacifica (Jung and Archetypal emphasis). I offer it without commentary at this point, but welcome any and all impressions from the group. (There is confusion in the recounting for me as the scenes seemed to have shifted back and forth with me being inside the car/sack and then outside and perhaps even dying yet apparently living. I woke up and wrote it down in the moment, but even still, I may have the sequences a bit off.)

I am in a car with two men. One seems to be about my age (52) and the other is much younger, maybe 19-23? (I was not driving, I just realized. Not sure which man was. Probably the older. I was seated in the front passenger side and my side of the car hit water first.)
The car suddenly dives off into a body of water with all three of us trapped inside. The windows are all rolled up and I wish I'd thought to crack one for air earlier, sure this would help our situation.
I am on the outside of the vehicle now encouraging the men/young man to punch out the glass, to strike forcefully at the windows and break them so we/he can get out. (Note to self: See page 177 Woodman's Ravaged Bridegroom*.)

The body of water takes on the feeling of a large tank at this point, and not a natural body of water. The car turns into a big, clear plastic bag sort of thing, just like what a bed-in-a-bag is sold in. Very amniotic sac-like. We have no oxygen and need to try to get out.
I am very aware that time is precious but don't start to do anything to help myself while minutes tick off.
The two men don't take action either. Maybe I am waiting for them to do something to save all three of us?

All three of us were in the sack but the dream shifts and I am now on the outside.
I start pulling away at the seams at the top of the bag. It is coming apart pretty easily.
I can start to make progress on creating an opening in the area I'm working on in order to allow the men to get out and swim to the surface. At this point it seems my rescue effort focus is mostly on the young man.
I only get a small amount pulled away when we all run out of time and die from drowning.
Or maybe just one of us dies, the young boy/man?

I am then in some sort of science lab type place with an attractive young man and woman. They've been watching us go through this whole ordeal. It's been an experiment!
I ask them why they did not come to help us?
The woman says something snarky about not being allowed to get wet and mess up how good they look. She's athletic, blonde, pretty, very toned and in great shape like an athlete.

I tell her "FUCK YOU, my best friend just died!" I'm incensed at her lack of compassion.
I say something to the other man who survives with me about wishing we'd started trying to get out sooner or started trying to save ourselves sooner. Had that been so, we could've saved the young man.

**********

*Because this correlates to many other dreams in my current cycle that are all pointing me to some of my deepest material and core complexes, the relevant passage in The Ravaged Bridegroom:

"Any male or female existing in a frozen body (symbolized in dreams by freezers, snow scenes, and impenetrable glass) is Medusa's victim, gradually turning self and loved ones into stone. Nothing has personal, feeling value. All the senses are partially closed down because to open them is to open a volcano."

Replies

Laura Winzeler June 25, 2010 at 1:48pm

I had not associated this dream with the spill but I see now it probably could be. I read it initially as a personal depiction of a dynamic currently happening in my life in relation to a younger man as well as another very similar younger man from my past who is now dead, neither of which I can "save". I did not take it much deeper than that as my night dreams have been coming fast and furious since making the decision to apply for the Depth Psych program at Pacifica (Jung and Archetypal emphasis). I offer it without commentary at this point, but welcome any and all impressions from the group. (There is confusion in the recounting for me as the scenes seemed to have shifted back and forth with me being inside the car/sack and then outside and perhaps even dying yet apparently living. I woke up and wrote it down in the moment, but even still, I may have the sequences a bit off.)

I am in a car with two men. One seems to be about my age (52) and the other is much younger, maybe 19-23? (I was not driving, I just realized. Not sure which man was. Probably the older. I was seated in the front passenger side and my side of the car hit water first.)
The car suddenly dives off into a body of water with all three of us trapped inside. The windows are all rolled up and I wish I'd thought to crack one for air earlier, sure this would help our situation.
I am on the outside of the vehicle now encouraging the men/young man to punch out the glass, to strike forcefully at the windows and break them so we/he can get out. (Note to self: See page 177 Woodman's Ravaged Bridegroom*.)

The body of water takes on the feeling of a large tank at this point, and not a natural body of water. The car turns into a big, clear plastic bag sort of thing, just like what a bed-in-a-bag is sold in. Very amniotic sac-like. We have no oxygen and need to try to get out.
I am very aware that time is precious but don't start to do anything to help myself while minutes tick off.
The two men don't take action either. Maybe I am waiting for them to do something to save all three of us?

All three of us were in the sack but the dream shifts and I am now on the outside.
I start pulling away at the seams at the top of the bag. It is coming apart pretty easily.
I can start to make progress on creating an opening in the area I'm working on in order to allow the men to get out and swim to the surface. At this point it seems my rescue effort focus is mostly on the young man.
I only get a small amount pulled away when we all run out of time and die from drowning.
Or maybe just one of us dies, the young boy/man?

I am then in some sort of science lab type place with an attractive young man and woman. They've been watching us go through this whole ordeal. It's been an experiment!
I ask them why they did not come to help us?
The woman says something snarky about not being allowed to get wet and mess up how good they look. She's athletic, blonde, pretty, very toned and in great shape like an athlete.

I tell her "FUCK YOU, my best friend just died!" I'm incensed at her lack of compassion.
I say something to the other man who survives with me about wishing we'd started trying to get out sooner or started trying to save ourselves sooner. Had that been so, we could've saved the young man.

**********

*Because this correlates to many other dreams in my current cycle that are all pointing me to some of my deepest material and core complexes, the relevant passage in The Ravaged Bridegroom:

"Any male or female existing in a frozen body (symbolized in dreams by freezers, snow scenes, and impenetrable glass) is Medusa's victim, gradually turning self and loved ones into stone. Nothing has personal, feeling value. All the senses are partially closed down because to open them is to open a volcano."
Bonnie Bright June 22, 2010 at 11:07pm

John: Thanks so much for bringing this topic up. I believe there is so much power in collective dreams--or dreams for the collective. Since I read your post a couple of days ago, I have been "asking" for a dream, wishing to incubate something meaningful. I will keep up the intention, and would love to hear if and what others are dreaming regarding the situation in the Gulf. Please post, everyone!

This reply was deleted.