I once had a vivid dream that I was having some sort of family reunion (?) in a home with a very distinct smell that I can’t describe. I distinctly recall it being next to a motel with a glowing red sign and having beige carpeted floors. There was also a wooden spiralling staircase that led from the first floor to the second. I don’t remember there being anything inherently scary about this dream, though like any other dream, there were some odd events that occurred; for example, after finishing my food, I was trapped in a dark, playroom-esque area with a floor covered in rainbow puzzle piece carpeting and butterflies painted on the walls. While I was there, my hair grew longer and I became shorter, making me look a hell of a lot like my younger self. Once I broke out, I returned to normal immediately. I also recalled there being an older Chinese man who stood out from the rest of the figures in the dream for reasons I couldn’t pinpoint.

I actually spoke to my mother about this dream the next morning, since I was frazzled by it. I described everything to her – especially the house, the playroom, and the man. She ended up being just as shocked as I was; apparently, I was describing the home of my (late) maternal great-grandparents, my childhood playroom, and my great-grandfather himself. I had only visited these places when I was very young; I was at my great-grandfather’s home for Christmas when I was about a year old and lived in the house with the playroom until I was four. Despite having been in these locations over a decade ago, my subconscious still managed to paint clear images of them. I can still remember what everything looked, smelled, and felt like today.

If only one entity in the dream corresponded to a real-life one and it weren’t so graphic, I would brush it all off as a coincidence. Most claim that memories only begin to form after age three; however, my experience may be proof that the human mind is more powerful than we think. I actually looked at photos of my great-grandfather’s house, and sure enough, it looked exactly like the one from the dream. As for my take on the meaning of the dream, I feel that it’s an almost bittersweet reflection on childhood. While I definitely miss the carefree days spent eating ice cream and roleplaying under the shade of the maple tree that dominated my elementary school’s field, I tend to feel almost trapped by others’ (possible) perceptions of me as a child, or weak, because of my stature and/or mental illness.

I feel that my desire to document and find the source and significance of this odd dream has taken you on an interesting journey through my mindscape. While I do tend to have extremely vivid dreams, this one almost felt real; after waking up in a daze, I couldn’t tell if I had fallen asleep and been brought home after the events of the dream or not. I still think about it to this day.