My recurring dream as a child

My recurring dream as a child

There is one dream that I had at least three times, and possibly more, between the ages of 6 and 10 (or so).   The dream is always the same, identical.   I wake up startled with the memory and impact of the dream, but it is foreign and somewhat meaningless.   Today, while looking at an image of Shiva, the Hindu god, I was reminded of a significant element of the dream that I never could understand.

The dream is always the same and starts out where I am on the floor against the wall of a dark room.  I am a prisoner, or held captive.   The room is about 10’ x 15’ (or larger) and the back wall is a significant way from the door.   It is windowless and dark and I am alone.  The floor is wood and the walls are metal; riveted metal.   There is some straw scattered on the floor.   My back is against the far wall, facing the only door, which is a metal sliding door hanging on a track or rail.   It is daylight outside and light spills through the crack in the door and faintly illuminates the room.  

I am waiting for a long time and suddenly the door opens and a figure stands looming in the doorway.

It seems that I am on a ship and the man is the captain of the ship.  It is daylight and I can see we are on a river and there is a line of trees on the bank of the river, along the edge of the water.   The captain of the ship is dressed like a pirate sea captain with a long coat.   On his shoulder is perched a giant cobra snake with the hood flanged out like it is about to strike.  Instead of a parrot perched on his shoulder, this captain has a cobra perched on his shoulder in exactly the same configuration as the cobra in the classical illustrations of Shiva that I saw earlier today.

I cannot say if the cobra was real, or possibly a brass statue, but it was perched on his shoulder just like a parrot would be perched on a pirate’s shoulder.   The captain stood motionless and menacing in the doorway silently looking at me.   I see him with the cobra on his shoulder silhouetted against the bright sky.  Then, I wake up.

This dream was somehow different from the other dreams I had as a child and I have forgotten most of those.

As a young man, thinking about this early dream, I noted a curious similarity to “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad.  Possibly the dream was a memory of a previous life? If so, it seems remarkably like the memory of a newly captured slave destined for slave markets on the coast; being transported down a tropical river, in a cargo hold where livestock was also kept.  This room seemed to be on the level of the main deck and not below decks.  The door opened onto the side of the boat (Starboard side).  The pirate would be the trader and captain of the ship.  The ship seemed to be a steam or diesel ship and not a sailing ship.

However today, I am baffled by the Shiva image.   I have seen this image of Shiva numerous times since college and today for the first time I notice the cobra sitting on his shoulder in exactly the same configuration that the pirate in my dream carried a cobra on his shoulder all those years ago.  The realization really struck me. I have no idea if this, or the dream itself means anything, but it is a curious memory.

Addendum: I became aware of this Shiva image because for the past two weeks, the exact same Shiva video has been showing up in my suggested playlist on youtube.   Every time a video ends, no matter what the video is about, this same Shiva meditation video is presented as one of the next options.  The music is nice, and I enjoy listening to it, but it was kind of spooky how the exact same video always appeared as an option.   And now, watching the video and looking at the simple animation, I am reminded of this dream I had as a child all those years ago when I see the cobra perched on the shoulder of Shiva just like the cobra perched on the shoulder of the pirate.

~

copyright(c)2014

William Schaeffer