Hi, to whoever is reading this. I hope you know a thing or two about dreams.
It’s my first time posting here, or anywhere like here, so I’m not sure how this goes. I need help, and someone told me this is the kind of place where people talk about…well, strange things that are hard to explain.
I don’t believe in the supernatural, paranormal, “creepy spaghettis” or whatever it is people call it these days, but I’m not sure where else to turn.
Without identifying myself too much for reasons that will soon be obvious, you can refer to me as Dr. S. I’m a Dream Cartographer by training and profession, and have been practicing for coming up on 15 years. In that time, I haven’t left a single case unresolved.
If you’ve never heard of a Dream Cartographer, you’re not alone. I help map people’s dreams, acting as their navigator through their subconscious to help heal past traumas. My work focuses on cases where traditional therapy simply doesn’t help. I’m the last resort for the majority of my patients, and I take my work deadly seriously. People have come to me with issues stemming from childhood mistreatment, survival of armed conflict, human trafficking, and just about all of the other worst things you can imagine a human experiencing.
These things typically express themselves through dreams. I had a patient who was severely physically abused when they were 4 years old, and they had no memory of those events other than dreams they experienced later in life. I helped make sense of them, build a timeline, and walked the person through their memories until they could come to terms with them and get some closure.
I didn’t start my life magically thinking this would be my job. Like most people, I kind of fell into it through a series of events in my life that pushed me down a certain path. I don’t believe in fate or divine intervention. What got me here was a series of decisions that made complete logical sense at the time.
Growing up, I often felt a compelling need to right wrongs and stand up against injustices, whether that involved parents giving preferential treatment to one child over another or an asshole abusing their position in society to put someone down. I’ve always had an ability to truly, deeply connect with people, to feel their pain and feed my own fire to resolve the issue. The problem was, I couldn’t. In most cases people needed to do things on their own and I couldn’t intervene. I decided I wanted to spend my life doing something about it.
While in university, I couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to do. I was studying psychology but there was no clear path for me. At the same time, I was taking advantage of the free therapy offered in my program. That’s where I was first exposed to Dream Cartography. By being able to delve into a person’s subconscious and be their guide through unresolved issues, I could finally do something about it. I could be their shepherd to a better life. From then, I’ve dedicated my work to resolving the unresolvable, to helping people stand up to the most difficult problems imaginable.
And I’ve been practicing Dream Cartography ever since.
Typically, a session will involve getting the patient into a semi-sleep state. You know how some people snore, but swear they were awake? That’s what I aim for, that state just before your brain drifts into REM. You maintain some awareness of yourself and are able to exercise control over your movements in the dream realm. There aren’t many people who can put, and keep, someone in this state, so forgive me if I don’t explain my techniques in detail publicly.
All of my sessions are transcribed by an AI that uses a camera feed inside my office to note any conversations and describe any actions that occur in case I need to refer to them later. I don’t usually need to, but I’ve re-read my most recent patient’s transcript more times than I’m willing to count. I still don’t understand what happened.
That’s where I need your help.
A new patient, let’s call him Patient A, came to my office last week for his first session. He is quite normal on the outside and has a reasonably put-together life, with a decent job and even a family. Passing him on the street, you’d never think he was having any sort of issue, much less a deep-seated childhood trauma.
Patient A is originally from a country that no longer exists, and comes from a family with a long history of being extremely superstitious. All of their ancestors, mapped out 14 generations into the past, have been professionally involved in the occult in some way. His great-great grandfather was a soothsayer for the king. His grandfather dedicated his life to healing the possessed, until that landed him permanently in jail for killing someone to do so. As for Patient A…he has a typical corporate job. Not exactly voodoo, but you do have to deal with soulless demons regularly enough.
As a young child, he and his family escaped a horrific war. He witnessed barbaric acts, and his family was targeted by snipers on the way out of their hometown. He described his parents instructing him and his brother to keep their head down in the back seat of the car as the family tried to snake through rubble and avoid potshots. The family escaped to a safe city in the region, only to encounter horrific poverty and get deathly sick from sleeping in an unheated garage in the depths of winter. Surviving that, the family then made a trek halfway across the planet to safety and a permanent home, starting from scratch.
Experiencing this as a child takes its toll, and Patient A was no exception. These types of events can manifest in latent aggression, intolerance for perceived authority, and a constant sense of “temporaryness”, never being able to be quite entirely relaxed out of the fear that your entire life might once again be uprooted by circumstances beyond your control. Patient A experienced all of these, and then some. That he kept it together enough to eke out a decent life is a testament to his resilience.
But we all need help sometimes.
I navigated his dream the way I would any other patient - methodically and respectfully. But something went off plan. Something showed up in the dream that shouldn’t have been there, or maybe wasn’t there initially. And as crazy as it sounds, it attacked Patient A.
I’ve read all the books there are to read on dream therapy. Hell, I wrote at least a quarter of them myself. Nothing there explains what happened. I thought about asking some of my colleagues, but this business is nothing if not cut-throat. They’d just as soon check me in for mental health treatment or report me to the licensing board as they would help me figure it out.
Internet searches have been pointless. Most of the material online is clickbait at best, the vast majority of it being malicious disinformation to sell you some kind of stupid protection stone or “birth star report”.
I’ve obsessed over this case since the session ended and I can’t think about anything else. I’m at the end of my rope and I’m worried what might happen if I don’t figure it out. I’ve uploaded our most recent session transcript below in hopes that someone will spot something that I didn’t.
I spent a long time cleaning up any identifiable information to maintain the patient’s privacy. I’ll get in enough trouble as it is if anyone finds out I shared anything, but at least I might keep my license if I took steps to prevent a patient from being identified personally.
At the risk of even more trouble, I’ve also shared the Dream Map I developed for Patient A during this session.
Please, if you know anything that could help, let me know.
Someone’s life might depend on it.
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TRANSCRIPT #13-20240301 - PATIENT [REDACTED]
Patient opens door to office and enters slowly.
DS: Good afternoon, [REDACTED], welcome. I’m glad to have you here. How are we feeling today?
Patient A stands at the door, looking around.
A: Uhh, yeah…not bad, I guess. I’ve never done this before, sorry.
DS: That’s OK. Most people haven’t. Just make yourself comfortable and don’t worry about doing anything wrong. You can’t mess anything up here.
Patient A crosses the room and sits on the couch.
A: O-OK, thanks. So, my uhh, therapist says you do stuff with dreams? You’re not going to touch me or anything, right?
Dr. S walks over from his desk to the chair opposite the couch. Dr. S sits down facing Patient A. A large tablet computer sits in Dr. S’ lap.
DS: haha, no, I don’t need to touch you for any of this. And don’t worry, you’ll keep control over your body, so even if I tried you’d still be able to stop me.
Patient A slowly lifts his feet and lies down on the couch.
DS: Is there anything you need before we get started? Or anything I should know other than what Dr. [REDACTED] has provided me with?
A: No, I think I’m good. Just, uhh, tell me what I need to do.
DS: Nothing special. Just sit back and try to relax. Close your eyes. You won’t know when you’ve entered a dream, just like you’re sleeping. I’ll keep you in a state where you still have full control over your body within the dream, and you’ll be able to talk and hear me the entire time. Please describe everything you see in as much detail as possible. Does that sound good?
A: Yeah, I guess so.
DS: Great, let’s begin.
Dr. S initiates DREAMWAVE sequence on Patient A.
DS: Now, you might feel a little bit of buzzing on the side of your head, but that’s totally normal.
[REDACTED] begins to vibrate, followed by rhythmic chanting of [REDACTED].
DS: Take a deep breath through your nose. Remember the scent of the office and your physical reality.
[REDACTED] is released into the room, diffusing rapidly through the space.
DS: Don’t think about anything in particular. Let your mind surface what it wants to. Breathe.
Process is complete in 3 minutes and 13 seconds. [REDACTED] continues to vibrate to maintain equilibrium physical state. Patient indicators all read normal.
DS: [REDACTED], can you hear me? Just respond with yes or no.
A: Yes.
DS: Great. What do you see?
A: I’m on a bike with my dad, sitting in front of him on the bar while he rides it. We’re in a grassy area, with rolling hills around the path. It’s a sunny day, and warm but not too hot, like the early days of summer.
Dr. S begins working on the tablet. A timeline is seen on the screen. Dr. S inserts temporal markers, shapes, threads, and annotations to the Dream Map.
DS: Excellent, you’re doing great. Keep going.
A: I’m tired. We’re heading home now. This was before the war, but things weren’t completely right. Gas was expensive then, which is why we took the bike. Mom and dad always seemed worried those days. They didn’t fight, but it felt tense.
The room is silent for 2 minutes and 37 seconds. Dr. S continues to develop Patient A’s Dream Map.
A: I remember a bit more clearly now. We’re riding through the hills around [REDACTED]. We went to visit my grandma. Mom and my brother went somewhere, but they never said where. I just knew I was with dad that day.
DS: Was there any significance to this day?
A: I can’t…wait, yeah, there was. When we got home there was some news report on TV. All I remember is that it showed a bunch of army stuff, and mom was crying a lot. Some people came to our apartment, I think they were dressed in uniforms, and they talked to dad. He was very outgoing and loved joking before that, but he became very quiet after that day.
DS: Is there any part of their conversation you can recall?
A: Not that I can remem- oh. Dad, look out! There’s someone on the path up ahead! Dad! Ah, shit.
DS: What happened?
A: My ankle was caught in the bike’s chain and got twisted up a lot. I’m crying like crazy now, I remember it hurt like hell. My ankle was never the same after that, even when it healed.
DS: It was probably difficult, especially as a kid.
A: Yeah, it was. I wouldn’t so much as look at a bike for years after that. But it’s strange, I don’t remember there being anyone on the path back then. Maybe I imagined it, but…I don’t think so. It felt like a memory, but the person didn’t feel real. I can’t imagine why someone would be on the path in the middle of nowhere, much less why they wouldn’t get out of your way. They’d see you coming light years away.
DS: Sometimes our minds play tricks on us and change our memories. It’s not uncommon to-
A: Wait, he’s still there. I see him. I don’t know how, but he’s peeking over a hill nearby. Hey, asshole! Yeah, you, behind the hill! What the hell, man?
DS: [REDACTED], I think it’s best if you don’t-
A: Looks like he heard me.
DS: What do you mean?
A: He’s coming towards me.
DS: Keep telling me what’s happening. What do you see?
A: He’s…weird looking. Like a person, but not a good one. You know what I mean? When you see someone and you just get a bad vibe from them? I don’t think this actually happened either. I don’t remember interacting with this dude.
Dr. S rapidly adds notes and markers to the Dream Map.
A: Wow, this dude is fast. He’s really closing the distance now. That hill must be at least a hundred metres away and he just casually walked it in a few secon- oh my god.
DS: Talk to me, [REDACTED], what’s happening?
A: He just…what the fuck, man? He stabbed my dad in the chest. But not with a knife, just…his hands? This never happened, I don’t understand. My dad is fine. What’s going on? Now he’s walking toward me. Doc, how do I get out of here? Get me out.
DS: OK, don’t worry, nothing can happen to you in there, just run away if you feel uncomfortable and I’ll-
A: I’m running, doc. As fast as I can, but he’s gaining on me. Get me out, please.
Dr. S initiates AWAKENING PROTOCOL. [REDACTED] is reduced as the prevailing essence is replaced with [REDACTED].
A: He’s getting closer. God, I hate dreams. You know when you feel like you’re going all out in a dream but you’re just barely moving? That’s how I feel now, and he’s getting even closer to me. He could’ve been next to me by now. Is he toying with me? Is this normal?
Patient A begins to respond to the process. Patient heart rate, perspiration, and cortisol levels are elevated from baseline.
DS: OK, just stay with me here [REDACTED]. It’s going to take a second, we have to do this carefully. Listen and focus on my voice to help re-ground you in reality.
A: He’s getting close. Please, quickly, do something, man.
Dr. S’ movements increase in speed. Dr. S’ heart rate and perspiration are slightly elevated from baseline.
DS: Just keep focusing on me. Your feet are touching the couch in my office, feel them make contact with it.
Patient A begins to twitch as brain state reverts to increased wakefulness.
A: Doc he’s close now, I can’t run any faster!
DS: Stay on me. Feel your legs and arms at rest. Feel your hands clasped together.
A: He’s right on me, jesus christ!
Readings indicate Patient A is experiencing highly elevated heart rate, perspiration, and cortisol levels consistent with a significant stress event.
DS: Feel your back and head resting against the pillow-
A: He’s reaching out at me…argh, he just grabbed my shirt! I twisted out of his grip, just barely. Please do something quickly, I need to get out of here.
DS: Breathe through your nose, smell the office, you’re here, nowhere else.
Patient A inhales deeply and falls silent for ten seconds. Patient A sits up quickly, rubbing his eyes. Dr. S exhales heavily and leans back. Patient A indicators begin stabilizing to baseline.
DS: Welcome back. Sorry it got so intense, that’s…rare.
A: I…I think I need to go home.
DS: Certainly. And you should get some rest. The process can be taxing at the best of times. I’m going to look a bit further into your dream in the meantime. It’s not often that you get attacked in dreams, but when it happens it can be quite meaningful. Are you OK?
A: Yeah…I think I am. Doc, what was that thing?
Dr. S shifts position in the chair.
DS: You mean the man? I’m not sure, exactly. He could be a representation of some subconscious desire or worry, or a manifestation of your feelings. Like I said, I’ll have to look into it, but it would be good if you could tell me more about him. What did he look like?
A: No. Well, yeah, the man. But that was hardly a man. He, it, was just…black. Like nothingness taking shape, you know? And it felt so real.
Dr. S stands up, walking slowly to the desk. Dr. S’ hands are trembling slightly.
DS: Dreams often do. That’s why they’re so convincing. And sometimes, when they’re memories, they actually were real. It’s nothing to be worried about. By the time we meet again, I’ll have a plan to sort everything out, and hopefully we get another dream that we can navigate together.
Dr. S places the tablet computer on the desk and studies the session’s Dream Map carefully.
DS: I have to analyze this more thoroughly, but there are several common threads I’m already seeing between your past and this dream. It’s interesting that the dream that surfaced today was one where a peaceful scenario was shattered by a painful event. It’s something that your subconscious could be seeing as a representation of your life. Next time we meet, I’ll have more information for you, I just need a bit more time to look over this.
A: OK, thanks. Hey, one last thing.
DS: Yes?
A: Am I going to be OK after this?
Dr. S smiles weakly.
DS: Absolutely. I promise, you’ll feel much better.
A: Thanks, doc. I’ll see you next time.
Patient A turns to leave. Three small tears are visible beneath the collar on the back of Patient A’s shirt. Dr. S drops into the office chair, studying Patient A’s dream map.
[END OF RECORDING]
