The Dreaming Mind

("Dreaming Gaia", 2017, original encaustic) The Dreaming Mind Every night we all dream Projecting the habits of a reifying mind Onto the fabric of an energized neural net Creating a world within a world Just as amazing, just as solidly real. And every day we perceive, sense objects and mental formulations Projecting the habit of a reifying mind Onto the fabric of an energized phenomenal world Each creation the same Habitual activity of a creative projecting mind. Almost everyone acknowledges the creative projective Habitual function of the night-dreaming mind While few notice the very same mind Must be doing the very same thing At all times: asleep or awake! It’s easy to assign causal agency To ourselves when we’re all alone Harder when we are but a small part Of a much greater whole, and yet, The common denominator remains the dreaming mind. Waking or sleeping The dreaming mind incessantly does its thing Dreaming of subjects experiencing objects Dreaming of worlds within and out Dreaming that its dreaming makes it separate from the dream. (10/29/23)