I had the strangest dream last night. Somewhat disturbing, yet somewhat comforting. It was one of those dreams that follow me into my waking hours. Maybe you've never had that kind of dream, but when I get them, I wake up in the mood evoked by the dream. And those feelings usually follow me through the day. Far too few times, I've awaken smiling, or even laughing, and the levity from the dream brightened my day. Far too many times, I've awaken saddened by the dream. Sometimes I've even found myself crying when I wake up. And that sadness sets the mood for the day. Most of the time, I awaken with no special feeling one way or the other.

So my dream last night was both disturbing, and made me feel angry, but also comforting. I awoke in a very contemplative mood, and have pretty much remained that way all day.

I started thinking about dreams, and what they really mean. I went to several online dream interpretation sites, and got several different meanings for the dream. Everything from unresolved issues with a former relationship to some cosmic soul searching stuff that I didn't understand. Hell, for all I know, it could have been the fajitas and margaritas I had last night.

My dreams are usually mundane. And when i say mundane, I don't mean uneventful. But they are usually framed in real-life settings. I never have those wild dreams I hear others talk about. The one where your friend suddenly sprouts wings and flies away. Or your mother turns into a parrot or something. I wish I did have those dreams. It would be like an acid trip without the repercussions.

Who knows what dreams really are? The scientist would say they're random flashes of neuron energy released in your sleep. The psychologist would say you're subconsciously dealing with life's issues. The occultist would subscribe to some deeper metaphysical meaning. I would probably agree with the scientist and the psychologist. Dreams are probably precipitated by neurons firing, but once that happens, the dream is your subconscious dealing with unresolved issues.

But, who's to say the occultist isn't right? I've had dreams that turned out to be premonitions. Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon and occupied Rome because of a dream. And his wife, Calpurnia, reportedly dreamed of his assassination. Constantine converted to Christianity and established it as the official religion of the Roman Empire after a dream. Lincoln reportedly dreamed of his assassination, but took it as a good omen. And maybe Martin Luther King dreamed of his own death. His "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech certainly sounds prophetic.

I doubt we'll ever really know, because how can you examine a dream? What physical evidence could you look for? So I guess we'll always wonder about our elusive dreams. The realist in me says that dreams are nothing more than physical and psychological manifestations, while the romantic in me believes they have some deep cosmic significance.

When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected,
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadows form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.

--William Shakespeare