A Somnambulist's Nightmare: Frederik van Eeden's Revenge

Waking up is usually the easiest part of the day, getting out of bed is a different story.

A boat, beneath a sunny sky

Lingering onward dreamily

In an evening of July--[Lewis Carroll]

There exists a twilight world between the waking and the sleeping ones. A period with little distinction between reality and fantasy.

Children three that nestle near,

Eager eye and willing ear,

Pleased a simple tale to hear--[Ibid]

This is Lucid Dreaming: the ability to alter the course of your dreaming world. Through natural or artificial triggers, one becomes conscious that one is dreaming. One is once again tethered to reality while in the dream state, at the same time not bound by the rules of reality or rationality.

Long has paled that sunny sky;

Echoes fade and memories die;

Autumn frosts have slain July.[Ibid]

I had since early child been a very light sleeper, falling in and out of consciousness through out the night. The significant part of this is when it happened during REM sleep. I became able to master my dreams.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,

Alice moving under skies

Never seen by waking eye[Ibid]

Ironically my dreams came to enslave me. Lucid Dreaming became a drug, more addictive then life itself, one finds oneself dreaming away their life.

Children yet, the tale to hear,

Eager eye and willing ear,

Lovingly shall nestle near.[Ibid]

There is a struggle between the worlds, a fight between the rational and the irrational universe.

In a Wonderland they lie,

Dreaming as the days go by,

Dreaming as the summers die;[Ibid]

But then again Descartes could be wrong and life is but a dream lingering in a golden Gleam.

Ever drifting down the stream--

Lingering in the golden gleam--

Life, what is it but a dream?[Ibid]