Balloon Ride
7/3/83
Can’t find original narrative. Reconstruction based on sociomatrix & memory: I am watching a man with a beard prepare a hot air balloon to take off. He had heard a story about one and so decided to make one. A group of people watching are skeptical, but this man is able to take off in it; even though it is lacking a top he is still able to control it. He gestures and calls to me to come with him. I do. We ride up a way and land in water nearby. I am impressed and pleased.
Associations
None.
Sociogram Predictions
Most Accepting Character: Man
Least Accepting Character: Group
Most Preferred Character: Balloon
Most Rejected Character: None
Most Preferred Action: takes off
Most Rejected Action: None
Most Preferred Feeling: Impressed
Most Rejected Feeling: Skeptical
Sociomatrix Commentary
Dream Self: I like me and this man. I don’t like the doubt I have that this balloon can get off the ground. I’m impressed by this man’s faith and trust. He also has strong conviction.
Man: I like the dreamer. I’ll take him as high and as far as he wants to go. I like my beard. I knew this balloon would fly. I appreciate Dream Self having faith in me when the others wouldn’t. All the balloon requires for success is his confidence.
Black Beard: I’m mysterious. I hide the nature of my owner – make him seem harder to know.
Others: We don’t understand this man and Dream Self – they’re irrational, foolish. Don’t they know that contraption will never get off the ground?
Top: I am very sensible, but how I work is not readily apparent. The thoughts of the man focus the air more densely inside the balloon. The sides keep the air from spreading horizontally, dissipating. Everyone will understand, take for granted, and benefit front this principle in time. They’ll all ride.
Water: I make for a softer, refreshing landing. This man and his balloon are at home on land, air, and sea.
Comment: There is disagreement about where Dream Self is and the worth of his efforts and direction. These are the internal skeptical, fearful, doubting voices. This dream group provides a very interesting commentary on the nature of meditation and my practice of it. Physical changes can and do occur in response to spiritual energy, and these changes have nothing to do with physical law.
Dream Commentary
If you could change this dream in any way that you wanted, as long as it respected the rights of all fellow dream group members, how would you change it?
Man No change. Just show others how you can make the balloon fly with you in it.
Dreamage
Same
Waking Commentary
If you were this dreamer and were dealing with his waking issues – money, relationships, fears, career choices, physical health, and spiritual development – would you do anything differently? If so, what?
Man, Top, Water: Meditate, meditate, meditate!
Action Plan
meditation
dreamage
Sociogram Preferences
Most Accepting Character: Balloon
Least Accepting Character: Others
Most Preferred Character: Man
Most Rejected Character: Others
Most Preferred Action: takes off
Most Rejected Action: None
Most Preferred Feeling: Impressed, pleased
Most Rejected Feeling: skeptical
5 of 8
Sociogram Commentary
This is an amazing dream. It describes the essentially arational nature of expanded awareness that occurs naturally as a by-product of meditation. The requirements include a confident leader and a non-skeptical waking identity. It is all right to be skeptical or not understanding in other parts of identity as long as the skepticism is not allowed to block the meditative process. Internal skepticism is the only aspect of self which keeps this dream group from being synergistic.
There are a lot of “floating” characters on the acceptance axis. Their scores are elevated, indicating that they highly endorse what is going on in this dream, attitudinally, emotionally, and behaviorally. The characters that are less accepting are also those that are least defined, clear, specific. Their relatively low number of positive preferences may reflect my difficulty in identifying with vague or poorly identified aspects of self. The balloon itself, which analogous with something like consciousness itself, is the most accepting. It is significant that Dream Self is aligned with the mysterious “miracle worker” that accomplishes this magic. It is done by none other than oneself.
On the form axis, this pattern is essentially repeated, however Dream Self is not nearly as preferred as he is preferring, and man is most preferred. This implies that the particular attitudes of waking identity which are associated with this man are what the dream group really likes, not so much Dream Self in general. What are those characteristics? The ability to concentrate his mind to make the balloon rise – not his mysteriousness, as the Black Beard is not so highly preferred.
While there is no real on the process axis, we may comment on the opposing elements found there. The basic internal bipolarity seems to be between hearing about or learning about this magical occurrence, and, on the other hand, actually doing it. The statement seems to be, “It is fine to know about these things, but much better to actually experience them!”
The only real internal conflict expressed by this dream group is seen on the affect axis. Self-doubt works against and defeats the pleasure and self-respect associated with success. Skepticism always boils down to self-doubt. Self-doubt is not always a problem. When it becomes a chronic defensive, protective stance that keeps us from letting go of our fear, then it definitely is a problem.
