The Trials and Treasures of the Dreamworld

I need to take the dark road through the forest. I don’t know why—I just feel like something important is waiting on the other side..

Those closer to me know that I lead some sort of a double life. I go to work, catch up with friends and do sports during the day and at night I travel to faraway places, meet my non-physical friends and work on assignments. And in case you’re wondering, yes I do wake up exhausted every single day, but I’m also filled with a sense of wonder and purpose.

But it wasn’t always like this. In fact, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my dreams for as long as I can remember. Through them, I’ve seen the most breathtaking landscapes and met incredible characters that have inspired my drawings and stories. Yet more often than not, these journeys are filled with dreadful encounters, violent deaths, and terrifying things I cannot possibly describe. I used to dread twilight because it signaled the awakening of this shadowy world, and I would procrastinate in every way possible to avoid going to sleep.

When I moved abroad and found myself, for the first time, completely alone in a foreign country and living a life that barely felt like mine, I started having this dream over and over again.

It’s nighttime, and I’m standing alone at the exit of a train station. There are barely any other living souls around. The few people who do pass by take the well-lit road that leads away from the forest. But I, on the other hand, know I need to take the dark road through the forest. I don’t know why—I just feel like something important is waiting on the other side.

As I start to venture in, someone shouts at me, “Are you crazy? That’s not the way!” They scurry off before I can even reply. I’m well aware of the evil presence lurking in the woods, how it doesn’t want me to pass safely. But I go in anyway. It’s not thaaat scary, I tell myself as I step deeper into the darkness.

And then, out of nowhere, something grabs me from behind and strangles me to death.

I wake up. Yikes.

On the surface, it made sense to me—I was starting a new path, of course it was going to be scary. But back then, I wasn’t ready to dig deeper and just left it at that, hoping it would just go away.

I never did make it to the other side or see what that thing looked like. Instead, a few months later, it somehow found its way out of the woods and right into my house. I’d be in my room, mistakenly thinking I was awake, only to feel its lurking presence watching me until panic jolted me back to reality. It’s one thing to encounter scary things in the woods or some far-off place, but don’t come into my safe space!

If this dream was just a reflection of my fears from my waking life, then why did it come back when I was already feeling comfortable and happy in my new life? Could it actually be hinting at something more? One thing was for sure: I was tired of running away and determined to reclaim my peaceful nights. So, before going to sleep, I set the intention to find this thing and give it a good piece of my mind.

And sure enough, I find myself in that all-too-familiar scene.

I’m in my childhood bedroom, cozied up in bed when, out of nowhere, something grabs me by the leg and drags me to the floor. It’s dark, but there’s just enough light for me to see a massive snake with sharp fangs and piercing eyes, ready to tear me apart. Terror rises inside me, but I know I can’t run anymore—I have to fight back. With that thought, a surge of strength, something super-human I didn’t know I possessed, floods through me. I kick and scream with all my might, and somehow, I manage to break free.

That was the last time I ever saw or felt its presence. Interestingly, after that, many things changed in me, in my life, and in my dreams.

The first and most obvious change was that dreaming stopped being a frightening experience. In fact, it’s become something I eagerly look forward to every night—I’ll even turn down late evening plans just to rush into my adventures. Occasionally, I still encounter rather unpleasant things, but I now understand they’re not more powerful than me; they’re my teachers, not my enemies.

This victory also marked the beginning of a new relationship with my unconscious mind, opening up a dialogue. It’s amazing how much everything speaks to us if we’re just open to listening! That snake wasn’t a random manifestation of my fears but a symbol of my primal nature, calling me to acknowledge it and awaken my inner strength—the strength needed to walk the path of self-discovery (the dark road through the forest). Like a newly graduated student, I began to face new trials and discover new treasures. The more I work through them, the clearer the path becomes, and what once seemed like nonsensical gibberish now feels like a familiar song that only the heart can hear.

But perhaps the most striking change came from realizing the power of intention. Our limits are set only by our minds, and the outer world is just a reflection of what lies within. What once seemed difficult or even impossible now feels just a wish away—and it often is. It’s no surprise that single-handedly defeating a giant snake with the power of my mind puts things into perspective. The mundane challenges of everyday life don’t seem so intimidating anymore. There’s nothing more frightening than what dwells in one’s psyche. How often do we realize, in hindsight, that what we were dreading wasn’t nearly as fearsome as the idea itself?

So, if you’re feeling even a little bit brave, would you venture down the dark road?