D R E A M S

I've never, to my knowledge, had recurring dreams. I have had, for the past few years, dreams occurring in a recurring environment. The environment is a house similar to the house I lived in during my teens in Burbank, Illinois. It is similar in that it is of old construction and that it was built in stages. It is different in that it is three floors, was built in three stages, not two, and has secret doors in it leading to different locations throughout the house. I discovered the first secret door a few years ago. It was a trap door hidden in the ceiling of a closet (again, much like my old home), but inside the attic there was a false wall with a hidden door leading to yet another hidden attic.

Last night I dreamt that I was in this house and during the dream, I remembered dreaming a couple weeks ago that I could not find the secret door. Last night, I rediscovered the secret door and I was relieved. Now, I am not really sure if I really dreamed of not being able to find the secret door a few weeks ago, or if my dream-consciousness just created that memory as part of this dream. It's very convoluted, I know, but how else could I explain a memory of another dream during a dream in which I am not even actively conscious of the fact that I'm dreaming in the first place.

Later, I was dreaming about working somewhere at night. I remember changing clothes in a dirty bathroom stall or perhaps a small room. I distinctly remember the latch lock for the door. I don't really remember changing my clothes the first time, or what my job was. But I got the sense that my dream self fell asleep. At that moment, my waking self woke up and I think I looked around, maybe answered the phone, then went back to sleep. When my dream self awoke, I went back to the same changing room and when I got there and began changing back into my normal clothes, I realized that I had left my watch, a pair of sunglasses, a ring and some other belongings in this little room and I was relieved that it was all still there. I was slightly reassured by the fact that the amount of time that passed when my dream self had fallen asleep was short and that it had all occurred very early in the morning, while still dark outside.

Brian posted at 1:22 PM.