You be the shrink.
In the dream I am in a large, newly-painted, sparsely-furnished apartment, talking to Roger Federer. We are having a very serious discussion about why he still hasn’t won the French Open. Rather, I am angry and frustrated, and he is detached and cheerful. There is no reason you can’t win on clay, I tell him, so what’s the damn problem? Throughout our talk, people keep walking in and out of the room—sports journalists, tournament officials, Federer’s girlfriend Mirka—but no one interrupts us.
In the middle of our discussion, I remember that Federer’s Wimbledon singles final against Rafael Nadal is about to start. I turn on the television so we can watch it. Before the match begins, there is a celebrity scavenger hunt featuring the two finalists.
The game show ends—I don’t remember who won—and the singles final is about to begin. The audience at Wimbledon is waiting for the players to step onto center court. Suddenly it occurs to me that if Federer is sitting next to me on the couch, how can he play in the final? That’s when I realize that I’m dreaming, and seconds later I wake up.
What does the dream mean?
P.S. When you post a comment, please don’t call me “Ate”. I feel like you’re asking for the day off.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
August 8th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Your dreams are all about you. All the characters in your dream are parts of yourself. Perhaps Federer is an icon of success–someone who represents your achieving side. You are demanding yourself to win your life’s battles. Notice that the other characters (i.e. parts of Jessica) are just walking by and not minding your conversation; it’s a sign of dysjunction. Maybe you’ve always wanted to do something, but the other parts of you are hindering you from doing so. As for the “big game,” what is it you really want to win? You’re telling yourself, “Go there and win it.” Hmmm.
I’d like to think that the big room is your brain. You would never admit to having a small one. Nyehehe.
August 8th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Yeah, dreams are all about you. In psychology, I remeber that dreams are sort of an extension of things that you want or wanted to do. I guess it’s plain to see: you love tennis (but never get around to playing it since you’re flat footed and you’re the most clumsy person alive), you adore Fed (i guess that’s obvious, that’s why you prefer him over Rafa - same here). Period. Or maybe it’s all about the impending U.S Open this September. Maybe we can hear from someone who’s really into dreams and giving meaning to them.
August 8th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
You weren’t dreaming, Jessica. It all happened on another plane of existence. You just happened to “trespass” that plane.
August 8th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Dream elements
Milieu : Large, newly painted, sparsely-furnished apartment; people – sports journalists, tournament officials, Federer’s GF Mirka, walking in and out of the room, with no one interrupting
Mood : Angry and frustrated
Transaction 1 : Talking to Roger Federer
T2 : Remembers Federer’s Wimbledon final against Rafael Nadal
T3 : Turns TV on so we can watch it
T4 : Suddenly remembers, if Federer is beside her on the couch, how can he play in the final?
T5 : Realizes it’s just a dream
T6 : Wakes up
—-
It won’t take a pro to decipher based on the givens above that (1) your waking life environment is big and to your taste and teems with go-getters and influential thinkers and movers; (2) you are attracted to guys of Federer’s caliber and disposition – powerful, cheerful, and detached; (2) you won’t stop at nothing to get anything you want; (3) you would know a threat when you see one; (4) your possess uncommonly high level of self-awareness; (5) you know when enough is enough.
From the standpoint of a Transactional Analyst, it is apparent that the theme of your mind game is Now I’ve Got You, You Son Of A Bitch! which is also common among high level sport or business.
This game paradigm was manifested in your dream. You exploited some small error or fault of Federer (or any guy for that matter) in order to extract an exorbitant payoff, emotionally or physically. In your dream, the payoff would be your freedom to put on some airs to bash the guy with some pretty harsh words – There is no reason you can’t win on clay, I tell him, so what’s the damn problem? – it appeared almost like mother-child situation. I think you did a pretty good job at masking the deeper structure of your message: I am just a fan and my life depends on you, so get us some life dork!
In the end however, it is your superego, that symbolic internalization of the father figure and cultural regulations, that should save you from being drawn deeper into the contraptions of whatever it is that is non-mainstream.
But then again, I am really a numerologist so since you have 6 transactions…
August 8th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
you’re too critical/logical for your own good. imagine popping out of a dream with roger federer just because you realized that he couldn’t possibly be in the same place at the same time. i mean, that’s nothing! you could have let that one slip! :)
August 8th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Sometimes a dream is just a dream.
August 8th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
oops, in two different places at the same time pala. lech i did not proof-read
August 8th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Big, empty apartment - Apartment 914 triggering thoughts of “what ifs?”
Conversation with Roger’s failure to win at Roland Garros - One “what if” thought you cannot and will never let go.
Roger all cheerful - You know that you have to let go of that loss.
People unmindful of you and Roger - Reminders that everything about Roger is perfect–except Roland Garros.
Celebrity scavenger hunt - Last ditch attempt at denial that the match even took place.
You realising that Roger is sitting beside you just before the start of the match and your subsequent awareness that it was all a dream - You finally accepting that there’s no turning back time.
August 8th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
it’s roger’s birthday today.
August 8th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
you’ve recently watched a celebrity scavenger hunt game or something like that. dreams are sometimes false and distorted memory. of course we know why Roger Federer is in the dream. if your lucky you may remember the discussion flow with Roger. this would help you unearthed some unconscious elements in your life, like loving tennis as a coping mechanism for something, etcetera etcetera…
August 9th, 2007 at 5:33 am
sabi ng lolas “baka madami kang kinain bago ka natulog”.
Sabi ng doctor: it’s some kind of brain thing stil functioning while you’re sleeping (di ko ma explain e).
sabi ng kapitbahay kong chismosa: “baka me crush sya dun sa tao”
sabi ko: malay ko, sana natulog ka na lang uli. Ha, ha!
August 9th, 2007 at 8:52 am
Hwaat? I’m sharing the (birth)day with Roger Federer?!
August 9th, 2007 at 9:30 am
It is an extension of your psychic tennis powers, the ability which you apparently have to infuse power into guys in shorts and polo shirts whom you see on television. You have finally discovered a means to circumvent the only known limitation to this rare faculty of yours - sleep. Whereas previously slumber broke the link which swept the beneficiaries of your aid through to glory, this ‘dream’ in which you captured not only a grateful Roger Federer, but also various persons related to his life, and deposited them in your psyche (pictured by the “sparsely furnished apartment” - not a deprecatory characterisation of your mind, but encouraging if you look at it from the perspective of Sherlock Holmes’ attic metaphor of the mind). As I see it, with further practice, you will be able to take the sporting world by storm (vicariously) even when your conscious mind is in repose. Which is of course an ideal skill for a World Dominatrix - the ability to govern even when supine.
[By the way, I'm not Filipino, but I was in the Phils. recently and discovered your books. I have devoured the Twisted series and I hope there will be more to follow. Praise always sounds more trite than criticism, but your writing is terrific. Unfortunately, my search for the Grail - Arnel Salgado's The Fireless Inferno - turned up nothing, dammit. If there are any copies still on the market, please let me know. Or if not, I will pay to violate copyright and get photocopies. This is a book that Australia is waiting to read. Not really, but I would be willing to sacrifice a couple of limbs to get hold of a copy.]
Jara
August 9th, 2007 at 11:30 am
“Suddenly it occurs to me that if Federer is sitting next to me on the couch, how can he play in the final?”
It means you like to watch.