It has been more than a month since I 'officially' closed the Dream Forum to take a reprieve of my duties and to focus on the future of the Forum {as well as give attention to my now full-time job}. In a few days I will reopen the Forum and provide my thoughts to dream posts. I do plan to go back to a forum that focuses on dreams of those in the mid-life stages {and beyond}. Interpreting the dreams of younger people requires much more time and effort, as well as more information and co-operation from the dreamer than does the dreams of an 'older' adult. And since I have pretty much made my own transition through the mid-life 'thing' I feel I have more wisdom to comment on experiences of others who are going through that transition. I am also looking at the possibility of adding a 'life diary' on the Myths-Dreams-Symbols website, not only for myself but others who frequent the Dream Forum and who would like to participate. It wil be a day to day {or perhaps a less frequent posting} of experiences that influence the psyche and perhaps the dream world. One thing I have learned from my experiences working at the Dream Forum it is a great outlet for people to 'vent', get things off their mind and share their experiences.

Feedback on this new venue would be greatly appreciated.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

Thank you for re-opening the forum! Your insight is always much appreciated.

Shelly

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: Age 42; southern New Mexico

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Hi Jerry,

I think the new focus would be very good. I was actually looking forward to this when you earlier said this was the route you were taking with MDS. I think for it to work well, you would need to limit participation to just those in the mid-life journey, else too much distraction seeps in by way of looking at the dreams of younger folks, that generally are not at the same level (depth) of inrospection. Synergy is lost. It may take a bit of time, for those who would find it a good tool, to come, share and explore, but I feel that they would indeed come and particiate once they witnessed the dedicated and concenrated focus, and benefit thereof.

I am curious? What age do you consider one should be to be considered mid-life?

And how will you handle those faithful posters and contributors of the recent past who (though a bit young to be considered mid-life) would like to continue to participate.

Kristi

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 43, Kansas

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Kristi,
Yes, I should have stayed with my original intent of focusing on mid-life issues and not open the forum to every age. I sorta felt guilty not letting everyone participate. But the drain of trying to 'see' into a younger person's psyche {through their dreams} is a heavy load.

As for the beginning of mid-life. I think it really sets in about the age of 40. The big 4 0. Looking back at my own expeiences it was at that age I began to think a little differently about life. By the age of 42 when I discovered Joseph Campbell {in his videos on PBS The Power of Myth} I was ready for the journey to wholeness. Before then I was pretty much stuck in the social world of obligations, materialism and ego.
I think the defining issues that lead up to the onset of the mid-life crisis are the changes we begin to experience when the family grows apart, health becomes an issue and death becomes a reality. Before 40 those issues are pretty much in the back of our minds. As we age they become increasingly real. We also inherently begin to look back, especially after the age of 45-50 and see life as it was, and is. And the issue of 'meaning' begins to enter into the equation. That one issue alone preoccupied me for a long time {after the age of 42, a part of my own inner search}. It was put to rest, after a couple of years of contemplating the issue, with Campbell's comments about 'the meaning of life'.

People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive. That's what it's all finally about, and that's what these clues help us to find within ourselves.
Joseph Campbell....The Power of Myth.

And the story he told of the flower and meaning.

Joseph Campbell: Experience of life. The mind has to do with meaning. What's the meaning of a flower. There's the Zen story about a sermon of the Buddha in which he simply lifted a flower. There was only one man who gave him a sign with his eyes that he understood what was said. Now, the Buddha himself is called "the one thus come". There's no meaning. What's the meaning of the universe? What's the meaning of a flea? It's just there. We're so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it's all about.

That may sound overly simplistic but in reality it is true. We are human animals with the ability to feel and have developed emotions.
It is the emotions that get in the way. And it is the dream that reveals the emotions, as they truly are.

As for how to handle those who wish to post a diary of dream and related life experiences? That is to be worked out.
But I always seem to find a way.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male