Last night’s dream was most interesting. I find myself on the fifth floor of a school house. Strangely I’m able to see through the walls and floors of the building. We have been tasked to re-arrange the furniture in such a way that would allow for the maintenance crew to easily access the interior spaces of the building. In re-arranging the furniture, I notice that as I re-arrange the furniture on my floor the furniture on the lower floors is also mysteriously re-arranged as if there is a trickle down effect. I realize my approach to re-arranging the furniture must be with an awareness of the global affect on all floors. Now with the ability to see the overall picture, I become aware that the arrangement I’ve chosen makes it impossible for the maintenance people to come in and do their work because the entrances to the living quarters are blocked on the lower floors. I’m then told that I have not properly considered how the maintenance people would be entering the building. I had assumed they would be entering through the front door. I’m then told the arrangement does work because the maintenance people are able to enter through the windows on every floor and are not limited to the use of the front door. Even with this description, I have a sense of being trapped. Unhappy with the arrangement I know there must be a better alternative. I determine there is a sofa on my floor that is the cause of the bottleneck and my sense of entrapment. The sofa is lodged tightly between some other furniture pieces. I begin jumping up and down on the sofa attempting to dislodge it when suddenly the sofa becomes dislodged. All the furniture is now floating as if the floors have completely disappeared. All the furniture now moves freely with grace and ease between the many floors.
I am a fraternity pledge. Knowing this I’m now aware that the pledge master of the house has been ruthlessly working his pledges for his own personal interests. I want to expose him and free myself and the others who are under his control. I now have a clear path to freedom. I receive a signal from a fellow pledge who indicates to me that now is the time to run. I know I can fly. I know my powers are now greater and flight is now longer a matter of simply flapping my wings. I have the ability to soar free with merely a thought. I take a deep breath and soar to a point atop a high tower that is many stories tall. I turn to see the pain of my pledge brothers. I must free them. By seeing me, they know they are enslaved. They now know they can be set free. Standing atop the tower, I spread my wings. I can see my shadow upon the ground below and the incredible wingspan. They now know what is possible. Again I spread my wings shaking them and my body vigorously. I see the black talons on my back come loose. I am free.
I woke up and the first thought that entered my mind was that of Peter Pan. The only thing I remembered of the Peter Pan story was that he flew around with Tinker Bell. Outside of that, I knew nothing about Peter Pan. When I arrived at work I looked up the story. I was surprised to find some striking similarities to my dream. Peter Pan lived in Neverland and was the leader of the Lost Boys. Peter had the ability to fly. One night, Peter is spotted and, while trying to escape, he loses his shadow. On returning to re-claim his shadow he meets Wendy who manages to reattach his shadow.
The most apparent thematic thread in the story concerns “growing up” (or not), with the character of Peter wanting to remain a child forever in order to avoid the responsibilities of adulthood. “Peter Pan syndrome” has become a psychiatric term named by Dr. Dan Kiley to describe an adult who is afraid of commitment or refuses to act his age. It is also sometimes used to positively describe an innocent, childlike approach to life.