I'm walking with my friend Dave, along the right side of a building. The building nor the environment is foregrounded, more so the conversation itself. Nevertheless there's a sense of green, a freshness about.

Dave is telling me about a dream he had recently. In his dream, he gets a message. It comes through as a kind of personal affirmation, that he proceeds to repeat to himself (within his dream) -

"I AM in my Youth".

I get a sense of what the dream made him recognise/realise - I think of his role as a single dad - whose primary responsibility is to his daughter, and who no longer gets a chance to see his friends as often as he used to. It makes sense to me that he might have this dream. I'm also excited by the nature of the dream - I tell him -

"Yeh I love those ones - where's you're saying "I AM .... " - affirming some quality you have or wish to amplify."

I recall this happening to me before.

As we walk/talk, I notice that David's left arm is there resting on my shoulder. It feels warm. I realise something too - that I'm playing the role of an older brother here.

It's about this point, that I wake up, becoming Lucid.

* scene changes / dissolves *

I'm on the basketball court of my old primary school. Dave is still here with me, however I'm excited that I'm lucid, and decide to meditate on the asphalt court - realising that I wanna do something interesting with my lucid time.

I sit down, encouraging Dave (by example) to do the same, and close my eyes. I still look up at the sky beyond, but now cross-legged I begin to meditate. At first, it as though I can see both through my eye-lids (the light from outside) but also internally. I decide I want to meet with an "Alien".

I hold the intention in mind, as I sit down on the ground. As I do so, images begin to bubble up on my inner screen. First of all images of deserted mountain scapes, and pyramid-like sites which remind me of Tikal. Still, I hold my intention. I'm a teeny bit fearful that I might be surprised by what comes next, but stay with it. My inner light becomes stronger.

* scene shift *

I'm wrapped around the edge of a 3D sphere shape, somewhere up in the sky, above the driveway at my family home. My perception is quite unusual, alien even. There's a strange sensation of depth and dimensionality. I focus on this, and start to notice that there are 3D shapes situated around the driveway. They look like maps. Symbols imprinted upon them.

I think of my dream about "Earth Maps" (mapping the surfaces of the dream scenes), and wonder if there is some connection. I continue observing the different "bubbles/spheres/maps" that are positioned around the landscape of my family home (especially near the little vege garden at the front door).

Now, the plants and bushes begin to speak to me.

The old grevillia bush starts ... "Bit more play area".

It seems to be hinting that this space is becoming a bit un-loved, it needs to be resculpted somehow. I take the fact that I can speak with the trees in my stride, and call out to them as I go, "I love you, you know". It's odd - on the one hand I recall that this bush was always a little dull, it feels strange to be saying such things, but I realise that I do mean it.

I'm not sure if "I" really go, or whether my "inner eyes" are simply led elsewhere, but next up I'm looking at a small fruit tree in the middle of the front yard. It has a message for me too...

"Show some toddler love".

Suddenly, a memory comes flooding back to me. I remember myself, as a little toddler, playing at the base of that tree. I'd waddle around the little space there, lie on the ground (as the sun warmed me), and look out for little insects. It's a warm recollection.

The tour continues. Now I find myself near the old chicken pen, actually right where the compost used to be. This area is much more messy. There are these little yellow "chicks" spread out all over the place, wandering around, like lost children. They seem to come up to me, pushing up to my face. I comment (to whom, I don't know) that I don't really like all that sudden movement. My inner vision pans out to the entrance to the chicken coop, and the dream fades.

Comments: This was pretty cool! So, I'm not sure what I really discovered here. Lots of layers of metaphor.

I find it pretty interesting that my lucid dream request for a meeting with an Alien, led to me speaking to the trees and the plants.

The home is often a symbol for the dreamer him/herself, and think of this dream in that light. I loved being able to remember a childhood memory as a result of this dream. It had significance to me too, as the previous day I'd spent doing holiday program work. Usually only children of primary school age or older (5+ years) are allowed to attend the holiday program, but the previous day we'd had a 4 year old attend. I'd been a little reluctant, because of the extra work involved with the younger kids (especially when you're going on an excursion, over busy roads with no crossings). I'd been kind of thinking that we shouldn't really be responsible for a 4-year-old (officially it's not our job), but the next day when she turned up again (a surprise), my attitude had changed. I thought of this dream, and my own memories as a toddler, and put special effort and energy of my own into making sure she was okay and able to make the most of her time.

Finally, coming back to the "I AM in my Youth" affirmation, I'm not sure how I'll work with this, but it does speak to me of taking risks and being prepared to take chances on things, to see where they lead.

I guess my main question is what to make of the chicken pen area.