Painted Over White

People say they dreamed a dream or had a vision. The dreamer is somehow changed because of the stunning and sudden impact of the images upon his or her senses. What makes the dream or vision powerfully unique is that it does not coincide with the events from that day. You listen as they describe the details of the dream or vision, and you know from the telling that this was no ordinary occurrence. The images are forged deeply into the dreamer's conscience and are rarely if ever forgotten. The details are so intrinsically fresh, intact and easily recalled that it is difficult to categorize the event as a dream. Since most dreams are never remembered or quickly forgotten, the episode is not simply a dream but is transformed into a memory.

Dreams and visions are not defined the same way even though the terms are used intermittently. A dream is defined as a series of thoughts, images or emotions occurring during sleep. On the other hand, a vision is defined as something seen in a dream, trance or ecstasy, or a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation. The paranormal community refers to certain visions or dreams as premonitions. Visions and premonitions seem to fit naturally in the paranormal category due to the mystical connotations provided by the definitions. There are countless books, articles and personal accounts of exceptional visions experienced by people all over the world for thousands of years. These premonitions are helpful when the notice or warning is heeded and a powerful tool for those who seek to help themselves, their families and friends, or even mankind.

What about recurring dreams? Imagine having the same dream over and over, year after year but not night after night, and never with any warning or clue from the day's events that the uninvited rerun will appear. It is preposterous to have the same dream every night, so the elusive device of the recurring dream is to use a hit-or-miss schedule to catch you unaware and unprepared. Is a recurring dream another type of premonition? Are premonitions gifts or curses, and are such episodes as fanciful as the wind? I cannot answer these questions authoritatively or venture any reliable guesses, especially with respect to recurring dreams. I can tell you, however, that it happened to me.

I experienced a recurring dream for 34 years. I shouldn't say experienced; I should say taunted, cursed or plagued. At least that is how I felt about it until the day the dream became a reality. On that particular day, I walked the walk, saw the sights, smelled the smells, heard the sounds, understood the feelings, and learned the dark secret. My curse became my gift and my greatest comfort. That day I resolved to transform myself from what I had become into the person I was meant to be.