Joseph Kemeny – Four Images

Flying Lucid Dream

Photoshop, January 2011

This image is from a lucid dream I had on New Years Day, 2011. I had just worked a midnight shift and went to bed feeling very sleepy. Soon I was asleep and dreaming. In my dream I was in my home walking through my living room. In the corner was a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. It occurred to me that we had taken the tree down a few days before and I realized I must be dreaming. The whole room became very vivid and sparkled with energy. I became excited with the opportunity of experiencing another lucid dream. My first thought was to go outside and attempt to fly. I had tried to fly before during lucid dreams, with little success. This time I was determined to make it happen.

I passed through the front door without opening it. I could see the wood grain of the door as I went through. Once outside I was amazed. The sunlight was bright and warm. The trees were full and green. It was summer outside even though it was the middle of winter in Michigan. I decided to try flying before the lucid dream ended. Instead of jumping into the air as I had done in the past, I tried a different method. I looked up into the sky and imagined myself floating upwards. Soon I was actually floating up towards the treetops. I stretched my arms out and flew over my neighborhood high above the trees and rooftops. The sidewalks below were busy with people walking around. I felt a great joy and freedom as I observed the passing scenery. After a while, I felt myself returning to my physical body lying quietly in bed. The energized feeling of joy from this experience stayed with me for days.

Walking through Walls

Photoshop, July 2011

One of the most interesting aspects of lucid dreaming is the ability to pass through seemingly solid objects. You can fly through rooftops, walk through walls and doors, and pass through windows uncut! Passing through a wall, I could see up close the specks of grain in the wood. The interesting thing is that even though you are aware you are dreaming, it is not always easy to pass through solid objects at first attempt. That darn subconscious tells you that you can't! By reminding yourself you are dreaming, and with a little force, you can eventually pass through any object. I once attempted to walk through a large picture window. As I walked through, the glass buckled around me like plastic wrap until eventually it popped. With lucid dreaming you control the environment; it just takes practice.

Dream Path

Oil painting, June 2010

This painting was inspired by a lucid dream I had last winter. In my dream, I was walking down a forest path. Something was bothering me about the forest but I wasn’t quite sure what. As I walked, I saw beautiful plants along the path. I realized the trees were green and tropical looking. I thought to myself that plants like these could not live in a cold winter environment. I decided this must be a dream. I was now aware I was dreaming and became very excited. I decided to continue down the path and observe the amazing detail of the scenery. There were small waterfalls and beautiful flowers. Strangely, I did not hear the waterfalls but there was a soft “buzz” in the air. Sunlight beamed through the trees and I felt its warmth on my face. Eventually the dirt path changed to cobblestone and up ahead there was a stone archway. I noticed a strange lantern along the path; my impression was that it was some sort of guidepost. The archway seemed to be a gateway or entrance. I had the feeling that through the archway was a “higher” or more advanced realm and I became a little frightened. I decided to turn around and soon felt myself waking up back in bed.

Lake Dream

Photoshop, August 2011

This image is from my dream journal. I was dreaming I was in a small boat on the lake where my parents lived. As a boy, I spent summers on this lake in northern Michigan. In my dream, I rowed past several islands. On these islands, I saw ruins overgrown with vegetation. I realized these islands did not exist on the actual, physical lake. I became aware I must be dreaming and my vision became much clearer. The scenery was now alive with color and detail. I continued to row past the islands enjoying the scenery. On one particularly large island, there seemed to be some type of shrine with a large statue. I had the impression it was a statue of the Roman god Neptune. Eventually I made my way to shore and this wonderful lucid dream faded. This experience has me wondering where fantastical lucid dream imagery originates from. Does my brain simply “make it up” or does my mind experience some type of alternate reality?

Copyright 2011: All work contained herein is protected by copyright. Neither words nor images may be used, copied, transmitted or reproduced in whole or in part in any form nor may they or any part thereof be stored in a retrieval system of any nature without written permission of the artist.