TRIP TO THE ORIENT

I have a very vague recollection of a dream: I am in an oriental country - Japan, I think. There is an arrangement for me to get a job, and I go to see the woman about it, but she acts as though she knows nothing about it. She keeps turning around, admiring the dark shawl she's wearing in a piece of glass that is in the door. I tell her I will be back and will be ready to work.

I walk by an office occupied by two men. They call me in and tell me that I am to participate with them in a telephone survey, except that I won't be on the phone, of course. The survey has something to do with innoculations that everyone needs to get. I wait until they're finished with their telehone calls, and look out a large window - it is very dark outside, and I'm almost expecting to see the "lights in the sky" (a very common theme for me). As I wait, I pick up a box of sand, sort of a zen meditation tray, that also has different stones in it. One colour jumps out at me - a tangerine orange, and I realize it's a shell, and another one. Looking further, I find two stones of the same colour. This is important to me for some reason. I put the box down and take a shell and stone in each hand, and press them to my ears. Whispers, I hear whispers but am unable to distinguish what they say. No one seems to notice as I slip the stones and shells into my pocket.

After waiting for much longer than I should, I simply leave and go outside into a large open park-like setting and lie down on the grass. I look intently at the sky and am astonished to see so many stars! Not only are there the familiar bright constallations, but the more distant, faint stars are now visible, until the entire sky is seen in reverse - the haze of white stars with the black sky in the background poking through.

I feel a deep awe come over me as I simply lie there and worship the universe.