Alright, now, there's only a bit of this that I remember. When it got to this point something went 'Oh, I should pay attention to this'. I don't know anything before.

I was little, about 5 or so I'd say. I ran down the stairs into a basement, which was furnished. My brother was sitting there. There was some people after me, and I was trying to find a place to hide. I ran into the next room and ran into the closet. I hid behind something, pulled it down so that they couldn't see my feet. They came in anyways and opened the closet. The foremost person was a woman, and neither seemed particularly frightening.

The next bit jumped to a camp sort of thing, though it seemed more like a dumping ground. I was sitting on a bed in a room with a few other kids, abuot the same age, and a woman who was one of the kid's mother. I looked between the beds (there were two) and saw a lime green scorpion. I warned everyone not to touch it. Some one took a turnip (don't ask me how it got there) and tried to fend it off, and got stung (I think).

We then had to go through a maze, kind of like the Mc Donald's playgrounds, only darker, more forbidding. After a bit we all got back to the room.

This is where I woke up.

Any help, please?

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 15, MI

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

Sera,
Although the imagery and symbols in your dream seem to point to something dark I refrain from suggesting that is the case. Two reasons. One is your last post and your interest in writing. Having reviewed your first post there is a reasonable belief that your imagination is beyond the norm {which would benefit anyone interested in writing}. Also there was no evidence of childhood trauma gathered from the first dream, in fact the contrary {unless there are experiences you have repressed and not reported}.

The second reason is my feel from this dream. Basements, hiding and closets are key words when looking to past experiences that may be repressed, forgotten or ignored. But the feminine characters in the first part of the dream where these words are used were not threatening { The foremost person was a woman, and neither seemed particularly frightening}. And this 'woman' came up when you opened the 'closet {unconscious}. If she was not frightening to your unconscious then most likely she would not be a frightening source for your conscious mind.

The second part of the dream leads to the two beds. One bed may represent self discovery {dreams and the unconscious} but my feel for the second bed is it represents something less sever. Being between the two may be the message that the symbols represent. This may have to do with your imagination, your interest in writing. When you dream you touch on the imaginary aspect of the psyche. Dreams use images [symbolic} as its language. related to that {although rare} would be an over imaginary mind {what good writers possess}. There is something threatening in the dream {scorpion} but there is an attempt to use nature {turnips as a natural healing ingredient} as a defence. But the key is the terminology used in the last sentence, "tried to fend it off, and got stung (I think)". The emphasis would be on "I think". Perhaps the imagination at play.

The maze, a McDonald's but darker, more forbidding. I understand the harm McDonald's food can have on a body {high calories, fat and cholesterol} but what would make Mickey D's more forbidding? The imagination?

I put this into context because of your age and admitted interest in near death experiences and writing about it. At your age your psyche is still very much in the formative stages. "Unless there are past painful experiences in your life {something you say there are not} then I tend to believe there is a mixture of imagination and truth to these dreams, with the imagination taking the lead. This would not be unusual. Children's dreams focus on outside stimulus and often they have dreams of imaginary monsters and weird stuff. Although you should be past that stage of imagery your active imagination may play a role in your dreams. Thus you have these darker dreams that are not threatening.

Once again I ask you if there was any serious abuse in your childhood, not limited to physical abuse but also the possibility of psychological abuse. If not then my above explanation may fit. If there was, the images in this dream would suggest something dark from your past {5 years old and something possibly shared with your brother}.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 58

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

This seems to fit. Though my dream was a bit odd, and I didn't want to be caught, it wasn't particularly frightening. Even through the tunnels and such, it was dim, mostly in blues, greens and greys, but had more of a feel of 'Alright, gotta do this, might as well get it over with'.

I do admit I have a bit of an imagination. That would explain some of it, and something I have suspected. In fact, I have had a couple of dreams where I have been semi-conscious and able to 'rewind' the dream and replay a scene until it's to my liking.

As far as I know, no abuse. I mean, my parents fought, and we had some weird stuff go on at our house (some woman showed up in the middle of the night and asked to stay and hide from an abusive partner or something of that sort once), but nothing more than that.

A last, rather interesting thing. I usually tell my friend Hannah, who I share a lot of stuff with, about particularly strange dreams and such. I was describing the dream to her today. I started with a description of the basement. She got an odd look on her face and asked what color the carpeting was. I thought, told her a cream-ish color (the basement was semi-golden) and asked why. She said to finish my dream, she'd tell me afterward. So I painted the picture of the basement (stairs on the side which was a goldish, a TV to my right, two doors, one was darker but glowey, like it had a window somewhere, the room with the closet). She asked what the woman looked like. I said curly-ish dark blonde hair, a younger face. I told her I was finished. She looked at me and said 'What are you doing at my aunt's cottage, and why was my cousin Amy there?'

Any ideas about that one?

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 15, MI

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

Sera,
Thanks for your intelligent response. And don't ever be afraid or embarrassed by your imaginative mind. The problem with children today is they lack imagination. Too many video games can dilute the imagination. To be a good writer requires a good imagination.

Very often the symbols used in dreams are taken from actual experiences from the waking life, and yet the dream is addressing something different from those experiences. The use of your age {5} in the dream may be related to the experience as a child with the strange woman. Such an event at an early age could leave an impression {any emotional impression that is strong enough, yet not life changing or threatening, can remain in the unconscious throughout your life}. The dream language that states the woman wasn't particularly frightening fits with that possibility {weird but not frightening}.

As for the basement. Have you been in Hanna's aunt's basement? It may just be a co-incidence. My take from the basement symbol in your dream {along with the closet and hiding} it represents your unconscious. Being chased is a common dream motif for young children and most often it means little {other than normal fears of a child}. The fighting between your parents, although benign on the surface, could have been impressive enough to be included in your dreams, even to this day. What you were hiding from and the people after you could represent the emotions associated with those childhood experiences involving your parents. Unconscious contents need not be so traumatic to require abuse, the fact they argued is enough to leave an impression on a young child's psyche. That may be what you were/are hiding from.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 58

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

I'm not ashamed of my imagination, it's too much fun! And I agree. Kids need to learn how to have fun with empty cardboard boxes, string, and construction paper!

I understand the impression idea. I can still remember, for instance, the first day of kindergarten, or mailing a letter to myself in the first grade. It makes sense.

No, I haven't been in her basement. In fact, I don't know the person. I'm good with co-incidences.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 15, MI

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

Sera,
A strong and vivid imagination is an asset. In today's world of video games and instant gratification there is a loss of creativity when it comes to educating children. Just think back to the early 1900s when it was the radio that was America's entertainment source. The players {on the radio} used the imagination of its audience to supplement the story being told. It stimulated the brain, most importantly the creative aspect of the brain. Now visual aids have been reduced to mere participation that requires little imagination and a lot of reaction. Not that all video games are completely bad. But my thinking is they do not supply the creative mind with inducements to use this most valuable part of our psyche. So be proud of your imagination. It can help you become the most that you can be.

Carl Jung classified creativity as one of the five main instinctive forces in humans.

If Jung thought it so important then you can be very proud of your active imagination {which Jung found useful when working with dreams.

Here is a page that may help explain the imagination and creativity. Creativity, Ecology and Becoming a Person

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 58 Murfreesboro, Tn. {Nashville}

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes