MFA,
Because it was an experience when you were younger the 'dream while awake' experience likely was an unconscious event that would have been more kin to a 'day dream' rather than a night dream. Or you may have thought you had woke up when in fact you were still asleep. Either way it is most likely an unconscious event and not a conscious one {where you actually saw a real dragon which of course would be impossible since there are no such things}. The way you describe the events it does fit with how a dream would play out. A knight fighting a dragon are something a child would envision {as well as adults} in a dream. Of course the images would be symbolic, you being the knight and the dragon representing something within yourself you were fighting {and still may be fighting since it keeps popping up}.

At the age of 5 or 6 memories are still new to a child {first memories begin at about the age of 4} and because of your age exact events you thought were conscious were actually unconscious and the images would be dream images and not literally seeing a dragon. Besides that you also saw a 'knight' fighting the dragon {what you described as a green lizard to your parents the next morning}. Again the imagery is what you would see in an unconscious dream which would suggest an unconscious event and not a literal one.

But what would this experience mean? We can look at the imagery and the symbolic possibilities to explain this. First the image of a dragon would be a common figure for a 5-6 year old child since those things are what stir the imagination of a child that age. It was a weekend and more likely there was something on those days where an actual dragon may have been seen {a cartoon or movie with knights fighting a dragon}. Stimulus for dreams often take actual waking experiences as material for our dreams especially for a child. The knight fighting a dragon symbolically would be you unconsciously fighting something, you are the knight. The dragon could easily represent inner fears normal for a young child {in an adult the dragon would symbolize a more concrete fear}. We all have 'inner dragons' of some type we are fighting {representing something within the unconscious with the dragon being something from earlier life that is threatening and we need to slay/resolve}. Because you were only 5 or 6 the dragon likely represented a natural fear of a boy that age and nothing real and concrete. The caveat to that is if there were earlier experiences {conscious memories may begin at 4 but unconscious memories can be begin in the womb} where, like an adult, emotional issues took place. The emotional issues would be the dragon you are fighting.

Another clue that this was an unconscious experience would be the 'shadow' you saw the next morning but was gone when you tried to show your parents. It was not something real but a 'shadow' within the unconscious, a fear you had as a child.

ay dreams can have the same imagery as normal dreams {not to confuse what we call a 'dream job' or 'I have a dream of becoming a doctor' which is not really a dream with unconscious manifestations but terminology depicting a conscious desire}. Even small nuances like the description of the shadow being at the 'bottom' of the bookcase would suggest a possible unconscious symbolic reference {the bottom of anything would be the unconscious depths and the book case would represent where you store unconscious knowledge}. And although you consciously tried to showe your parents what you saw it was a manifestation of an unconscious experience that led to that.

This would explain the 'dream while awake'. Not to say it is what happened, that may be impossible since it was an experience long ago. But what may be more important is that it keeps popping up in your mind as an adult. There are still dragons that you are fighting. Because what keeps popping up is related to childhood experiences may say indicate they are related. Not necessarily a negative experience{s} that actually happened as a child but influences from childhood that have affected your personality psyche. Because you have this past experience continuously popping up may suggest unresolved fears, closely related to the childhood event or not, that you are afraid to consciously face. The connection would be the 'fear you are fighting and you you are frightened up as an adult' and not necessarily an experience from childhood you are still fighting {other than the influences that may have formed your personality/psyche}. Anything that 'keeps popping up' needs to be examined and see what it is. I can say for sure it is something emotional and unresolved, since that is what dreams are about and what happens when the unconscious contains emotional material that have not been resolved. What are the fears that frighten you as an adult and you are fighting {unconsciously if not consciously}? This would be the real significance of the dream, the continueous energies it possesses that either relate to something from childhood {including but not necessarily a forceful negative experience as a child} or is using the dream to get you to look at your adult fears. The dream from long ago left an identifiable mark and it has energies as strong as the dragon you saw as a child. The only difference is you are now an adult and you are still fighting dragons {emotional}. What are they and are you doing anything to confront them o they will go away {resolving the emotional issues}?

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 63 Space Coast, Fla.

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