In last week's blog, I interpreted a dream which related to a dreamer's anxiety about her mother. Interestingly enough, she emailed me after I posted the blog, asking for clarification about the difference between Level 7 and Level 8 in the dream, and how it suggested the character difference between the dreamer and her friend, Jen.
All righty.
Level 7, as we've already established in the dream, had to do with "illegal" activities... at least so the dreamer believed in her dream. What's interesting about our consensus reality is that what's illegal in one generation is politically correct in the next generation. Think about the days when it was "illegal" for African-Americans (a politically correct term for "blacks") to ride the same bus as Caucasian-Americans ("whites").
Today, that same bus line can be sued for racism if they tried to prevent African-Americans from using the bus. The same applies to homosexuality. From a time when it was shameful and abhorrent to admit one's same-gender sexual preferences, we now live in a world where a company can be sued for discrimination against sexual orientation. In fact, a popular celebrity is applauded today for having the courage to "come out" of the closet.
And that is the nature of our consensus reality... when the majority of society agree on what's "right" and what's "wrong." It's never a perfect majority, because for some people, it's difficult to shed old ways of thinking even if the world changes and requires new attitudes. But the consensus view prevails because the majority of people agree with it.
In numerology, "7" symbolizes philosophical thinking. A philosophical person views the world with an open-minded attitude, because he's more interested in the facts of the matter than the emotional contents. So "'7" will view a Mean Person with an analytical interest... "Aha, I remember him from school... his father used to beat him up bad! I bet that's why he's so mean now." He wouldn't judge Mean Person as evil or demonic or anything like that. He would view Mean Person as flawed because of his background. He would even socialize with said Mean Person, even while being careful not to trigger the meanness into activity.
So this is the type of person Jen is... where her comfort zone includes the acceptance of those who hover on the fringe of "wrongness." After all, she understands philosophically that "wrong" is just a matter of timing... a simple fact of consensus reality not having reached majority consciousness yet.
The dreamer on the other hand, is not so much a "7" philosopher. She is a Pitch Black "8" person. The big difference between "7" and "8" is that "7" will think and analyze and philosophize all over the place... but may never ACT on such ponderings. "7" may come to conclusions, but coming to a conclusion is the whole point of the exercise... not acting on it.
"8", on the other hand, has to ACT on it. The reason the dreamer doesn't fear the Pitch Black is because she's been there plenty of times. It's in her nature to "act" on her thoughts and conclusions about life. She may even be compulsive about it. She is curious and fascinated by the mirrors in the dark which, during a sudden flare of illumination, reveals truths.
Except a truth being revealed isn't enough. She has to act on it.
In Numerology, "8" is the number of the Executive... one who makes a plan and then proceeds to execute that plan to a successful outcome. So Level 8 is about facing one's fears, facing the "wrongness" in the world, and then doing something about it. "8" would see the inequality of blacks not being able to ride the same bus as whites. "8" would come up with a plan to correct that imbalance, and then do what's necessary to bring the plan to fruition.
"7" would understand that the inequality isn't just or fair, but that's just the way it is at that given point of time. "8" would act to try to make things equal. Both can be rebels. "7" would write about inequality because she wants people to know and understand this truth; "8" would join and even initiate protest marches.
Fortunately, we humans usually have both numbers in our lives, so we choose when to be a "7" and when it's more appropriate to be an "8". In this dream, apparently the dreamer had a little curiosity buried in her psyche about the difference in views between her and Jen, and this dream tried to satisfy that curiosity.
An example of this difference comes to mind. Someone was telling me an experience she had with a girlfriend, where their different points of view about a situation engaged them in a big disagreement.
They were in Disneyland and they approached a cluster of people who were waiting in line. Except there was more than one line. The "7" personality approached a man, dressed in the attire of a ride attendant complete with appropriate insignia pinned to his clothing. She asked him where the line was for the ride.
The man proceeded to talk and gesture dramatically, pointing to an empty space beside him, "Right here. The line is right here." "7", because of her many moments of introverted thoughts about how and why people are flawed, intuitively felt the "wrongness" in this man. She pulled her friend "8" away from the man, not wanting to trigger uncontrollable behavior..
"8" didn't want to go. She was fascinated... assailed with questions: Was he faking? Maybe he really was an attendant who happened to have a dramatic flair. She approached the man and asked the same question, "Where's the line for the ride?" The man answered the same way, gesturing dramatically to a space beside him, "Here. Can't you see? Right here."
Again "7" tried to pull "8" away. But "8" couldn't help it. She not only wanted to know why this man was acting in such a bizarre way, she was fascinated by the man's need to act out the role of ride attendant in Disneyland. She proceeded to engage the man in conversation. She asked the man where another ride was, and the man pulled out a series of maps which he showed with great territorial pride and authority to "8".
By now, "7" was whispering to her, "Don't provoke him. Let's go." (This is similar to Jen telling the dreamer, "Never go to Level 8.")
Of course "8" isn't afraid of digging deeper into the mysteries and secrets of life. She ignored "7" and asked the man another question, which prompted him to more elaborate descriptions about the rides in Disneyland.
"8" listened to the man for a while. Finally, she thanked him and moved away with "7".
The man exists in Pitch Black. His fears and wounds reflect in the mirrors facing him in his dark world and what he's seeing somehow transforms those painful things into a safe and soothing reflection of himself.
And in this example, we see the difference between the dreamer and Jen. One sees and understands the wrongness, and therefore the danger. The other sees and understands the wrongness but wants to do something about it. Can she elicit a "rightness" response from him? Can she even gently lead him out of the Pitch Black?
We all have our hidden rooms where things are pitch black. "7" goes into those rooms and says, "I'm going inside these places to understand myself, and thus understand others." "8" says, "No way! I'd rather go into other people's rooms and explore those, and thus understand myself!"
Hope this blog illuminates some of those hidden rooms for some of you.
In any event, sweet snoozling!
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