This sense of incompleteness and unfulfillment is something I've experienced all my life. Sometimes, I think it might be another one of those messages from the Universe -- perhaps the most important one -- that keeps recurring: life is inherently incomplete and unfulfilled, and all we can do is accept it and navigate through it without succumbing to the anxiety such an idea might provoke. We are obsessed with the notion of beginnings and endings, but perhaps these are just human constructs, tied to our primordial need to assign meaning to everything, especially life itself. I think your marvellous piece captures this intricate web of emotions, questions, and feelings so beautifully. The final passage of the dream is so vivid that I could easily imagine the scene, as if I were the one in the depths of the water, looking up at the parchment with sunlight refracting around it. Another magnificent story, Nathan. I loved it. :)
Thanks Silvio. I live by the nourishment of your comments. ;)
If there's one thing that it's taken me too many years to embrace and accept, it's the sense of enjoying the journey more than the destination. I think this is translating (...!) more into my writing now, which I see in yours too, and I'm all for it.
100%, Nathan. We're very much in sync on these themes. (And the comments are really driven by how good the piece they pertain to is; your writing is so delightful to read and inspiring that these comments practically write themselves -- a little like Mircea’s style of writing. :))
“…to bear witness to stories that disintegrate upon the light of dawn. “
How many times in the early morning hours, that moment, when my eyes are just seeking the light of day, and my mind for a split second , wakes with the excitement of a great dream to recount, and
poof, it is gone. Not even a spark of a guess.
When I finished reading, I thought of the quote Charles Dickens wrote for his character, Oliver Twist; “ Please sir, I want some more…”
More Dream sequences,
A book to finish this magic of the midnight mind, or a movie script so I can join in your dreamscape.
“As the reality of day blurs into my world, I am left with a singular feeling: Nothing before now is real.”
Thank you, Lor. Your comments always fill me with such profound joy.
I know that feeling well of a dream disappearing as you try to clutch to what happened. The rare, wonderful occasions are those when later in the day something sparks a memory and it all comes flooding back.
Thank you so much, Ann, this is some lovely encouragement. I'd like to keep trying and refining the art of speaking. I have some ways to go, but it was a lot of fun to do this so I'll definitely do it again, and perhaps ideally for every subsequent post.
Re: editing. I wrote the whole thing first, but when I spoke it aloud I realised a few phrases weren't quite correct (probably still some of those in there!) so a few words got cut or added but certainly no major edit.
It feels akin to printing something off to edit, though. The act of seeing (hearing) it through slightly different eyes.
This was utterly delightful, all the way including your sign-off. Love the audio! I can’t decide if this reminds me of Borges or Le Guin, so I’m going with both. Also, I’m not sure I believe this is a “real” dream and neither do I care. This is wonderful writing, evocative and captivating.
I love the 'creatures I did not know I knew' phenomena that belongs to dreams. This week my daughter discovered that she did not know she knew how to drive. As she relay her dream's story, she tells me that she "just drove away" - and then chuckled with "oh yeah I can drive". But can she? No. She is 9.
Your voice brings the dream to life...not that your writing is not beautiful...it is. But the soft urgency of your reading lends both the dimensions, of dream and wakefullness, to reality.
Thank you! This is lovely to hear. I still have some ways to go to refine recording audio and how best to deliver it, but your words are a lovely encouragement.
Reading reminded me that I wanted to say that I also particularly enjoyed the creation through action—making the city real through mapping, establishing facts about the narrator’s dream life through every dream step.
Oh, and the notion of those unknown known creatures too. Excellent.
Maybe this dream is about change rather than fulfillment, about finding your way out of something so you can discover something new. You always enter the south gate but never exit the north gate. You remain in the city, distracted by the task of mapping it. Maybe you are to map something intangible. I always had dreams in which I was chased. Then I was forced to change my life, to let go of some old habits, and I began having exploration dreams. I enjoyed you descriptive writing, Nathan.
Your newsletter offering is evolving, Nathan! How great that your wife has a professional setup for recording audio, the sound is flawless. And it was lovely listening to the piece, I enjoyed it a lot.
What an exciting and strange dream, I can see why you would want to return to it again and again. Dreams that hint at vast landscapes and worlds make me wonder if we've visited them in another life...
Yay! It's so wonderful to hear you reading your work. Your voice, accent, and cadence lend a new dimension to your words which, on their own, render such a completely immersive experience. I find it amazing that you dream in the same worlds and narrative structure that you write. That's quite a trick. Bravo!
Thanks so much, Ben. I thought of you when I was recording. Open to any critique (I already have some from Jo 😆). I'd like to try to continue to add some narration when I can.
The chatty frame of your reading made me laugh, Nathan. :) what a wonderful audio addition! Nice surprise.
Love your grappling with reality and consciousness…always weaving toward some kind of understanding that also just drifts away at the same time. The concept of the map here really worked for me!
i once heard someone say that all the characters and settings in your dream are you. as in, there's no one else there to play those parts, it's only you. i've found that a helpful key in trying to unlock particularly vivid dreams. it's not a stranger pushing you off the dock-- it's some piece of yourself you don't recognize (yet).
This sense of incompleteness and unfulfillment is something I've experienced all my life. Sometimes, I think it might be another one of those messages from the Universe -- perhaps the most important one -- that keeps recurring: life is inherently incomplete and unfulfilled, and all we can do is accept it and navigate through it without succumbing to the anxiety such an idea might provoke. We are obsessed with the notion of beginnings and endings, but perhaps these are just human constructs, tied to our primordial need to assign meaning to everything, especially life itself. I think your marvellous piece captures this intricate web of emotions, questions, and feelings so beautifully. The final passage of the dream is so vivid that I could easily imagine the scene, as if I were the one in the depths of the water, looking up at the parchment with sunlight refracting around it. Another magnificent story, Nathan. I loved it. :)
Thanks Silvio. I live by the nourishment of your comments. ;)
If there's one thing that it's taken me too many years to embrace and accept, it's the sense of enjoying the journey more than the destination. I think this is translating (...!) more into my writing now, which I see in yours too, and I'm all for it.
100%, Nathan. We're very much in sync on these themes. (And the comments are really driven by how good the piece they pertain to is; your writing is so delightful to read and inspiring that these comments practically write themselves -- a little like Mircea’s style of writing. :))
🤗
“…to bear witness to stories that disintegrate upon the light of dawn. “
How many times in the early morning hours, that moment, when my eyes are just seeking the light of day, and my mind for a split second , wakes with the excitement of a great dream to recount, and
poof, it is gone. Not even a spark of a guess.
When I finished reading, I thought of the quote Charles Dickens wrote for his character, Oliver Twist; “ Please sir, I want some more…”
More Dream sequences,
A book to finish this magic of the midnight mind, or a movie script so I can join in your dreamscape.
“As the reality of day blurs into my world, I am left with a singular feeling: Nothing before now is real.”
Excellent, Nathan!
A grand piece of writing.
Thank you, Lor. Your comments always fill me with such profound joy.
I know that feeling well of a dream disappearing as you try to clutch to what happened. The rare, wonderful occasions are those when later in the day something sparks a memory and it all comes flooding back.
Your voice makes this an experience. Immersive! I love it.
And I'm curious--did you find yourself editing the writing when you read it aloud? Or was it finished on the page first?
I hope you'll always read to us--if it's not too much trouble, Nathan.
Thank you so much, Ann, this is some lovely encouragement. I'd like to keep trying and refining the art of speaking. I have some ways to go, but it was a lot of fun to do this so I'll definitely do it again, and perhaps ideally for every subsequent post.
Re: editing. I wrote the whole thing first, but when I spoke it aloud I realised a few phrases weren't quite correct (probably still some of those in there!) so a few words got cut or added but certainly no major edit.
It feels akin to printing something off to edit, though. The act of seeing (hearing) it through slightly different eyes.
This was utterly delightful, all the way including your sign-off. Love the audio! I can’t decide if this reminds me of Borges or Le Guin, so I’m going with both. Also, I’m not sure I believe this is a “real” dream and neither do I care. This is wonderful writing, evocative and captivating.
Oooh, I will very happily take both Borges AND Le Guin! How amazing.
Thanks so much for listening, Julie.
Fun to listen while reading along. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Beth!
Same!
I love the 'creatures I did not know I knew' phenomena that belongs to dreams. This week my daughter discovered that she did not know she knew how to drive. As she relay her dream's story, she tells me that she "just drove away" - and then chuckled with "oh yeah I can drive". But can she? No. She is 9.
This is brilliant mate. I so love this. I can see so much of you in her by the way you describe this. 😊
Your voice brings the dream to life...not that your writing is not beautiful...it is. But the soft urgency of your reading lends both the dimensions, of dream and wakefullness, to reality.
Thank you! This is lovely to hear. I still have some ways to go to refine recording audio and how best to deliver it, but your words are a lovely encouragement.
I love the notion that the dream is recurring because it is not yet fulfilled. Perhaps one day…
I also enjoyed the voyage into audio. Next I shall read it again at my own pace and savour every word.
Thank you. To do both is more than I could hope for.
One day, perhaps the map will be complete. But until then, I shall relish the exploration.
I have fulfilled my promise!
Reading reminded me that I wanted to say that I also particularly enjoyed the creation through action—making the city real through mapping, establishing facts about the narrator’s dream life through every dream step.
Oh, and the notion of those unknown known creatures too. Excellent.
“Fulfil the map.”
... but the map will never be fulfilled. —Sisyphus.
It took me too long to get to this... then again, I have different maps to fulfill these days... Great read, Nathan. As always.
Thanks so much, and no worries on the time-taken-to-get-to-post number. ;)
Love the twist on Sisyphus quote.
Beautiful piece. I loved walking through this in my mind, especially trying to picture the creatures the subject did not know he knew…
Thanks, Brian. Happy you enjoyed. :)
Maybe this dream is about change rather than fulfillment, about finding your way out of something so you can discover something new. You always enter the south gate but never exit the north gate. You remain in the city, distracted by the task of mapping it. Maybe you are to map something intangible. I always had dreams in which I was chased. Then I was forced to change my life, to let go of some old habits, and I began having exploration dreams. I enjoyed you descriptive writing, Nathan.
This is a wonderful interpretation, K.C. Thank you. I really like this way of thinking. Thanks so much for reading and for the comment.
Your newsletter offering is evolving, Nathan! How great that your wife has a professional setup for recording audio, the sound is flawless. And it was lovely listening to the piece, I enjoyed it a lot.
Thanks so much for listening, Claudia. Much appreciated. :D
It’s actually great to have an audio version. It’s not only convenient but it also makes it more personal.
🤗
I might revisit some older posts and add audio and repost them.
That sounds like a great project!
What an exciting and strange dream, I can see why you would want to return to it again and again. Dreams that hint at vast landscapes and worlds make me wonder if we've visited them in another life...
Thanks, Troy.
Yes, I’ve had this thought before too. A tantalising prospect.
Yay! It's so wonderful to hear you reading your work. Your voice, accent, and cadence lend a new dimension to your words which, on their own, render such a completely immersive experience. I find it amazing that you dream in the same worlds and narrative structure that you write. That's quite a trick. Bravo!
Thanks so much, Ben. I thought of you when I was recording. Open to any critique (I already have some from Jo 😆). I'd like to try to continue to add some narration when I can.
Zero notes from me. I love hearing how your English and Australian accents have married up and produced a whole new thing. It’s fantastic.
🤗
The chatty frame of your reading made me laugh, Nathan. :) what a wonderful audio addition! Nice surprise.
Love your grappling with reality and consciousness…always weaving toward some kind of understanding that also just drifts away at the same time. The concept of the map here really worked for me!
Thanks Kate! :D Happy if I made you laugh, hehe.
Love your thoughts as always. And yes, you know I'm down with these kinds of concepts and explorations.
i once heard someone say that all the characters and settings in your dream are you. as in, there's no one else there to play those parts, it's only you. i've found that a helpful key in trying to unlock particularly vivid dreams. it's not a stranger pushing you off the dock-- it's some piece of yourself you don't recognize (yet).
Thanks EJ. These are great thoughts. "It's some piece of yourself you don't recognize (yet)." Wonderfully put.