Sleepy time

I watched The Science of Sleep last night by myself. Spira opted out, choosing to look online for furniture for her new place. That's ok, I haven't really been fond of her disposition lately. Like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep is bursting with exuberant creativity. The director, Michel Gondry, is forty three years old, but you'd never know it by watching his films. Much of what he puts into his work is culled from his childhood. This is especially true with The Science of Sleep. Roughly, the film is about a man who can barely distinguish between his normal, every day life, and the active dream state he experiences when he's asleep. Gondry depicts this flexible sense of reality with zeal, peppering the scenes with cities made of toilet paper rolls; an electric razor that becomes animate; a time machine that positions you either one second in the past or one second in the future; and other oddities. There aren't many films made like this and that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much.

Speaking of dreams, I had a lengthy one that kept me in bed until after ten yesterday morning. If you've read my Myspace blog, you may recall an entry I wrote about various reoccurring dreams I've had. One of them, probably the most frustrating of all, involves me being denied sex because I'm distracted by other things. And when I realize I have a woman or women waiting for me in bed, I stop what I'm doing and rush back to the bedroom. This is usually when I wake up. Frustrated, I try in vain to fall back asleep and finish what I started. Very frustrating! Yesterday's dream was different.

In it, I was lying in bed with someone talking (I won't reveal her name because it's someone I know and she may read this) and having sex was the furthest thing from my mind. But then she started massaging my neck. Soon after, she asked me if I'd like to go to her bedroom (we needed privacy because the bed we were on was in the kitchen and my mother was sharing it with us. Don't ask.) and have sex. I consented immediately and we made it to the bedroom. Now, here is where this dream differs from the others. I suddenly found myself in a lucid state, aware that I was dreaming. I was conscious of the fact that, if the other dreams were any indication, I'd soon be distracted and wake up. I made it a priority to prevent that outcome.

I was tested immediately.

The woman I was with asked me to get her a drink before we began. I knew it was a trap, but I figured that since I was aware that it was a trap, I wouldn't be caught in it. So I went to get her a drink and whispered my mantra, "don't wake up", over and over. I managed to pour the drink and feeling victorious, made my way back to the bedroom. When I got to the door, I woke up. The trap was sprung.

This development, though I should have expected it, didn't please me. I knew the odds were against me if I made an attempt to return to the dream, but I tried anyway. And it worked! I fell back asleep and continued right where I left off. I finally got to have dream sex! It was great. It was vivid. And I bucked the trend. Now I just have to work my magic in my waking life.