Dreams, Visions, & Ghosts: An Introductory Course In Listening, In Not Being Boring

by Wendy Hockstein

artwork by Oscar Moreno

People will sometimes ask me if I believe in ghosts, though not as much as I would expect them to do so. Not many people believe anymore, and if they do they’re embarrassed. People don’t want to hear people’s ghost stories anymore, just like they don’t want to hear about people’s dreams. I like hearing about people’s dreams, and their ghost stories. What could be more interesting? The inner, and unconscious thoughts, and projections of your friends and family, there’s nothing better. Ghost stories are even more exciting, somebody you knew at least thinks they saw something that is basically magic. 

If you don’t like people’s ghost stories and hearing about their dreams, you are never allowed to complain about your friends being boring. They are trying to share with you maybe the only times in their lives when they are not boring, and if anything at least they’re trying. And what are you adding to the conversation, anyway? Some story about what some person at work did today whom your friend doesn’t even know? Yeah, Judgey McGee, you really are the life of the party. In any case, some people do like to hear about people’s dreams and ghost stories, and though I have a lot of dreams, I only have one real ghost story. I’ve had many visions, especially when sick, and seen spirits, but I do not think of them as ghosts. They were not stuck here, just visitors. I have also heard, felt, and seen strange things in a house I once stayed in, but it is so hard to say what’s creeping around houses at night. It could have been faeries, spirits, ghosts, or anything else. It could have even just been the faceless old woman who lives in all our homes, and I was just too young to know it was alright to talk about her…