A Dream Dreamt By God
By Alai Landa
Photos by Alai Landa and collage by Jas Calcitas
Throughout philosophy and spirituality, the concept of reality as god’s dream is recurring. From Hermetism to Aristotle, we find the cycle of manifestation, expression, and eventual retraction back into the universal mind. As everything else, maybe this would make more sense if we observe the microcosmic reflection of it: ourselves.
While asleep, we experience an existence of direct reflection. Where, whether aware of it or not, all experienced is of one consciousness. All multiplicities, details, and happenings are created and animated by the dreamer. In a waking state, reality is more of an indirect reflection of oneself.
The difference lies in that this time+space realm is inhabited by billions of individualized consciousnesses. Whereas in a dream we are the only one, so our thoughts and mental matter manifest immediately. Out here it is slowed down - yet still in constant materialization. The consciousness of each individual creates the dream of the world; influences the collective.
Here arises the concept of waking reality as “a dream dreamt by god”. When we dream, we experience entire intricate and complex worlds, plots, sensations, relationships, laws of physics, emotions, etc. Yet, despite the infinity of seemingly impossible reality building occurring, we awake to it all being in our head. One consciousness creating universes with ease, without even trying. Our vital life force - our consciousness - uses imagery here which relates to us to express itself, to itself, by itself.
In the dream of the world, of waking life, we are akin to a character playing a role in the expression of a higher consciousness. A manifestation of the dream of the universe carrying out myths, the same way we are the people in our dreams do for us. Myth is that which underlies the dream of the world; it’s the pattern followed and discovered in each of our unconsciousnesses. Because, as in our dreams, all manifested here - from physical to noumenal, from micro to macro - is of one consciousness. Of one source. A vital force animates the womb of time+space. A one consciousness which we all come from, are expressed through, and retract back into. As how the folks and folklore of our dreams get sucked back into us upon waking. In that way, we are all representations of one consciousness. Fulfilling a role in god’s dream: our dream.