27 February 2024
We are reminded that the typical skilled trades of the Old Testament had a lot in common, each being seen as expressions of building and creating space. In my opinion, Pageau probably belabors the point a bit much, so I won't recount all the details. The idea is that purposeful labor was seen as joining in the work of God.
More useful is his return to a discussion of dreaming. I've studied dream analysis for western minds. There are tons of material on it, but a lot of it just isn't that useful. Pageau attempts to add some background of which most western psychology seems totally unaware. By now, you should be able to guess where some of this comes out, given what he has already told us.
He mentioned that human sleep and common dreaming (not specifically used for revelation) represent a kind of minor death, in that we enter a loss of meaning, wandering into strange worlds that are absurd. The fleshly nature displays its obsessions, fears and worries. The first thing you notice is a total lack of rational control. Some critical portions of your dreamscape simply do not work as they should. You lose the support of nature responding to God's guidance in your life. Pageau mentions dreams where the ground drops away under your feet, but I would include dreams where you levitate to unsafe heights.
You cannot usefully command your own body, unable to speak, sometimes even paralyzed. Weapons you may carry won't work as intended, and you will be defenseless. Some people often find themselves under-clothed or even naked, and feeling terribly vulnerable. This is part of the experience of Adam and Eve, hiding in the Garden from God because of a consciousness of being naked. In our dreams, we often find no place to hide.
Our own mind and body are alienated, but most dreams see plenty of that with other beings. We encounter either fleshless minds or mindless flesh. We run into strangers we've never met before. We get lost and can never find our way back, searching desperately for an anchor point. The landscape shifts on us, sometimes as we watch.
Upon waking, we discover that the chaos is transformed into an experience of renewal; no permanent harm done. Indeed, some recount a restoration while still in the dream state. It's how they recognize they are about to awaken, because the mind and body begin to reunite. The body becomes stronger, and flying is now controlled.
These associations can help us understand dreaming from a whole new angle.
Comments
Jay DiNitto
Does Pageau mention anything about the half-asleep state, right before you enter unconsciousness, or right after you regain it? I've had some interesting insights or inspirations during that phase.
CatRez
Unless I've missed something in his book, I don't believe Pageau mentions the twilight phase of half-sleep.
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