DREAM-SPACE

           I have a room in my home that I’ve spent so much energy; time and money, in making a comfortable space where I can relax, somewhere I can spend days without feeling the need to grace the outside world with my presence. Initially, the room was designed to help make my frugality a little more palatable, that is to say, the less I go out, the more money I save, and boy did I save. But I digress, what eventually ended up happening, was this space became a kind of war-room, a place where I could plan out what my next chess move in life would be, it became a space where I could dream out as many possibilities as my imagination would let me. It became my dream-space.

        I couldn’t tell you how my mind was able to recognize what this space had become, but I was elated by the concept of a dream-space and wondered what articulating such an idea would be like, and how that might cajole the mind of someone who stumbled across it to adapt the idea for themselves

         A dream-space is a space that one carves out for themselves in their environment, where they can feel comfortable enough to let their minds dream; partly as a consequence of the beauty of the space, which triggers an emotional state, that allows the mind’s eye to look through and traverse what some might call the quantum realm, in which the multiverse exists. A place where they can broaden their horizon of possibility by tuning into the endless realities that exist in the ether, and choosing the one that suits them best.

 

 

         Why does having a dream-space matter?

 

        To some personality types, it doesn’t. But I believe there are many people who can benefit from having a space like this for themselves. These kinds of spaces can in my view provide a kind of sanctuary, where some of us can go to regain our sense of equilibrium.           

        And there in lies the one disadvantage I can see to all of this; being able to manage how much time we may be tempted to waste away in these spaces. Life will always happen outside our comfort zones, which means we would need to be discipline enough to step out of these zones, so that we too can participate in this thing called life.

         I like to think of a dream-space as a kind of garden where we plant the seeds we wish to manifest. To be able to look steadily at the thing we desire in our mind’s eye, I would say, is the first step to breathing life into it. To dream it is to call on it, and to be open and comfortable enough to call on a thing that your rational self wouldn’t dare, requires a sense of safety, which, you can trick your mind into feeling through your environment. And like any garden we hope will bear fruit, it must be designed intentionally, tented to, nurtured and upkept. So should your dream-space.

              

               For me, the greatest joy of having such a space would be in designing and personalising it. One person might cherish a gaming room, another a garden, a library, while another might want to hike to their dream-space. I also believe that these kinds of spaces can help us confront in a safe space, our existential anxieties around the question of – what is my purpose? By allowing us to reconnect with a fundamental truth many of us forget in our haste for survival, which is, that we are at our cores creatures of creation, who have been designed to imagine and manifest, hopefully, the best of what our minds are capable of.

        In that regard, to take away a person’s freedom to dream is to take away their most fundamental reason for existence.

                       The idea of a dream-space, is something we can truly play with and bring to life in all sorts of ways. Those with the resources can afford to build their entire home as such a space; scratch that, I would go a step further and say even for those with limited resources, you are only limited by your imagination. Considering that dream-spaces are deeply influenced by the language of design and architecture, it simply boils down to how well you can speak this language, or at the very least, are willing to learn how to express yourself through this language

             They say, the way you organise or keep your immediate environment is a reflection of your mind. Messy space, messy mind. In this regard, playing around with the concept of a dream-space in your own life could be a very real and tangible way, for you to create not just inspiring spaces on the outside, but to also reconnect with, and manifest beautiful pockets of thought within your own mind. And as you enjoy whatever space you create for yourself, you become accustomed to a certain sense of beauty that will more than likely express itself in other areas of your life.

     I have a feeling this aspiration to move towards beauty in all aspects of your life, will also bring you closer to the divine.

     As mentioned earlier, you do run the risk of becoming too comfortable in your dream-space, especially if you do it right. But as clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson would say ‘You can’t wall yourself completely from the greater health of society’, eventually you will have to peel yourself away from your sanctuary and participate in this messy but beautiful thing we call life. What the dream-space does, is help you refill your bucket, so that you are not pouring into other areas of your life from an empty one.

 

 

 

 

By – Simon D.M Karanja