Psychology

Dreams are weird

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And by weird, I mean it in the contemporary sense, which is bizarre, strange, a bit nutty.

However, I read a study recently where its authors propose that dreams are also weird (my word not the authors) in the word’s more historical sense, which is supernatural, a la the Weird Sisters and/or Weird Tales.

And by supernatural (again, my word not theirs), I mean it in its literal sense, or at least in the-word-defines-its-meaning sense, which is beyond nature…

Or at least nature as we I know it.

And by beyond nature as I know it, I mean portals to other dimensions of being (their words not mine).

To wit:

This paper seeks to elucidate dreams’ profound effects on our psychological landscape, shaping our perceptions, behaviours, and perhaps even ontological orientation. It aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of consciousness, challenging the boundaries between subjective and objective reality, and opening avenues for further interdisciplinary research into the mystique of the dreaming mind. Through this exploration, we aim to decipher dreams’ content and potential significance as portals to other dimensions of being (my emphasis, not theirs) inviting us to reconsider the essence of reality as experienced through the dream state.

Dreams as Portals to Parallel Realities and Reflections of Self by Dave Leong and Oxana Zinych, December 18, 2023

It amazes me how we humans are forever trying to find meaning from our dreams, as bizarre, strange, and nutty as they often are. And if they aren’t weirding us me out, then they are either befuddling me or scaring the bejeezus out of me. Rarely do I get one of those heavenly lucid flying dreams or any other kind that is wholesome and uplifting to the soul.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I actually enjoy having weird, befuddling, spooky dreams; and I appreciate them as one of those intriguing and mysterious spices of life. What I do complain about is how fleeting their details are. It is so frustrating to wake up knowing I just had an epic dream, but not being able to recall in detail what it was about.

But that frustration doesn’t deter me from slipping into one of my Jungian phases where I’m intent on recording as much about my dreams as possible so I can use them, via a kind of Jungian Active Imagination hocus pocus, to, not so much understand my dreams, but to use them to help bring me more in tune with the Universal Collective Soul/Conscious/God.

Jung is a trip (Ad)

Is that the right approach to discover one’s deeper meaning of existance? Who knows? Certainly not me. Which is why I put as much value in what a study or any so-called expert says the purpose of dreams are as I do in someone/anyone trying to tell me what to expect in the afterlife, which is just about zero.

But it is fun to speculate.

And it is from such speculation — about dreams and death, or more specifically our my fear of death — that Sorrow was born.

And which, hopefully, will be available at Amazon within the week.

SORROW by Kurt Brindley

A disillusioned aging white male forsakes all humanity, changes his name to Sorrow, and begins identifying as an it, just as its white son learns his Black girlfriend is pregnant, and you begin a murderous rampage targeting interracial couples just like them.

If you are interested in helping Kurt me out by reading and posting a review upon Sorrow’s release, you can request a prepublication copy by sending an email to hank@kurtbrindley.com.

Right on.

There’s so much to gripe about I can’t decide which gripe to blog about so instead I’ll just share this…

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According to this article, which is a derivative of this article, which leans heavily on this study, creative people literally see the world differently than us lesser than creative types, as is illustrated by the following video…


 
Some of you may remember this similar titillating* exercise in awareness I shared in days past.

#prayforopenness
#andpuertorico

*The word “titillating” was added for clickbait purposes only; although, some may in fact be titillated by brain teasers. Who knows…

 

Realm of the Benevolent and Its Loss of Hope

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More weird, rambling, forgotten writing recently found while rooting ’round the cluttered Draft files folder. I don’t remember writing it, ergo, I have no idea why it was written. However, as it appears to be a philosophical dilemma regarding torture, and, as torture has been one of the Freak Show promotional devices, I guess that kind of makes it relevant to today. Right?

Realm of the Benevolent and Its Loss of Hope

Or

The Significance of Being Earnest about Torture

 

You and your anointed line, the ancient Realm of the Benevolent, a most modest and compassionate line of monarchs if ever there was one, has ruled royal over all of the Earth’s bountiful domain from time immemorial. And while your realm has always been one full of Peace and Plenty, a new dark day has dawned upon it, for the Sorcerer of the Vile has finally united the Universal Forces of Evil against you and your humble people.

Spells by the Sorcerer have been cast, enchanting many of your brave and trusted nobles and subjugating them and all whom they lord over under the Forces of Evil. With so many of your own nobles now aligned against you, your realm’s existence is being threatened like it has never been threatened before. Your blood could be the last of your majestic line’s to flow.

One of your most valiant and strong amongst all your nobles, whose enchantment is yet unbeknownst to you, managed to storm the Chamber of the Grand Council of Goode while in session and kidnap your most trusted advisor and lifelong friend and one whom to all is known simply as Hope.

Hope has always been there for you for as long as you have ruled. Without her by your side, you feel lost, helpless. Defeated.

For days you hear nothing of Hope’s fate until finally a most horrid of dark riders on a most horrid of dark horses brings word straight from the Sorcerer of the Dark himself that he is willing to allow Hope to live, but only if you, like so many of your enchanted nobles have, swear a subjugating oath of fealty to him of the Vile.

And you have only until the Hour of Eight to do so.

Luckily, amidst your despair at the loss of Hope, word arrives from a messenger of the yet clear-headed and un-enchanted Lord Squarejaw that he and his loyal guard have captured a close confident of the Vile Sorcerer and one whom Squarejaw is certain knows where Hope can be found. But time is short and as of yet no answers are forthcoming from the Vile allegiant and Squarejaw fears and that there is only one way to get answers from his captive before the reckoning Hour of Eight strikes. And that way is through… torture.

For Hope’s sake, what do you, you in all your benevolence and grace, do?

~ Bring your ancient and noble line to an end by subjugating yourself and your realm to the Sorcerer of the Vile and his Forces of Evil, thereby letting Hope live?

~ Continue to resist the Sorcerer of the Vile and his Forces of Evil, thereby letting Hope die?

~ Sacrifice the ideals and principles of your ancient bloodline and Realm by ordering Lord Squarejaw to torture the Vile allegiant in the hope that the captive will provide the information that will enable you to save Hope before the Hour of Reckoning?

 

If I Were a Machiavellian

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700px-portrait_of_niccolo_machiavelli_by_santi_di_tito

I’ve tried to read Niccolò Machiavelli’s THE PRINCE several times throughout my reading existence but thus far I haven’t been able to finish it.

But I did watch that risqué/raunchy TV show about that bad, Bad Pope called “Borgia” (not “The Borgias” mind you; still haven’t seen that one yet), so I have a pretty good TV idea about the dude on whom Machiavelli based his “prince.”

Anyway, for some reason I’ve been thinking about Machiavellianism lately.

Not sure why, but according to that informational cyberwonderland called Wikipedia, it appears I’m pretty much a “Low Mach” kind of guy. However, just the fact that I am a guy, a typical one at that, pretty much guarantees that I’m a of a higher Mach than the typical kind of gal.

Here are some interesting quotes regarding Machiavelianism:

Machiavellianism is “the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct”.

Machiavellianism is also a term that some social, forensic and personality psychologists use to describe a person’s tendency to be unemotional, and therefore able to detach him or herself from conventional morality and hence to deceive and manipulate others.

Machiavellianism is one of the three personality traits referred to as the dark triad, along with narcissism and psychopathy.

People scoring high on the scale (high Machs) tend to endorse statements such as, “Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless it is useful to do so…”

Hmm… it seems that I know someone who might possess one or all of those of the “dark triad.”

Yes, I’m sure I do know someone who is Machiavellian, narcissistic, and psychopathic.

The name’s not coming it me right now but I’m pretty sure I know someone Just. Like. That.

Anyway…

Sometimes it seems that life would be much easier if I were to be more Machiavellian; if I were to only worry about myself and my needs; to see others only as either obstacles or opportunities to satisfy my needs.

Yeah…

Hey! If you’re interested in knowing whether you’re a High or Low Mach kind of human, you can take the test here.

Post your score in the comments for us…

If you feel it would be to your benefit to do so, that is.