We stood in a clearing somewhere in Africa. My two women companions, who represented my dearest friends, and I had been invited to visit a nameless American who had lived there for sometime. As we three women chatted with our host, wild animals that appeared to be tame wandered about.

We went inside and sat at a table talking with our host. His "abode" was never clear in the dream; but the atmosphere was pleasant and our host was friendly and informative. We visited briefly--mainly listening to our host. However, nothing that he said remained with me after I awakened. Then the four of us went outside and stood near the entrance of his abode continuing our conversation. The sun felt warm and the forest background was serenely beautiful. Animals, mainly elephants, roamed at will.

Our host called our attention to a moving body of "white heat" some distance away. We saw no fire or smoke; but the moving force sounded similar to that of a forest fire; and, like a fire, consumed everything in its wake. Our host did not appear to be alarmed and we three women assumed that the phenomena would by-pass us.

Our host walked across the compound and all but one elephant followed him. I noticed a little uneasiness in their demeanor as they disappeared with our host out of the dream's boundaries. In the dream, I knew that elephants were highly spiritual animals.

The young elephant that had remained walked toward the colorless wave of "heat" as if it were drawn toward it--as if it could not resist its own fate. We stood there spellbound and watched the elephant walk to its death. Once inside the white "heat" area, we saw the animal etched in red similar to neon sign tubing, then fade to pink, then disintegrate into a white nothingness.

Suddenly we were enveloped in the white destructive force before we had time to rcalize that we were in its path. It filled all space, destroyed everything, but gave off no heat; we had not been aware of the impending danger.

We were swept up like leaves in a whirlwind. we became separated, each whirling high into spacelessness. I was airborn into the center of a red whirlwind, and, flying with arms outspread, I was aware of myself, clothing and all.

I thought, "I am a flame! I'm part of the fire! I am fire! I am all powerful! I can destroy anything--everything." I was ecstatic. Then I slowly burnt out. I fluttered earthward. There had been no pain, but only a feeling of having been utterly consumed.

The white heatless wave continued its purifying path. I was now a "thought center" that had been left behind. I was a "knowing awareness" without form. I was peaceful. I knew that I could travel anywhere I chose, even catch up and become a part of the powerful destructive force if I wished. I did not want to do that. I had no knowledge of what had become of my two companions, but I did not feel a loss of companionship. I did not miss them, but I had a sense of being alone.

I was surrounded by emptiness. There were no buildings nor vegetation nor any other things. I was alone in white brightness adjusting to and accepting the void. I became aware of my own nucleus. I realized that I was a little snail-like circle of being; but I was as white as the rest of the "void".

I sensed that I could create. The white void about me was the "substance" from which I could create my form and my life. My future would come into being as I "let" my thought and feeling experience "itself." I had only to "speak" the "word."

I came out of that state into a dream in which I knew that I had had an unusual experience; then I awakened from the dream. I was in bed and the time was an hour or two before daybreak.

SOURCE: Dreamworks: an Interdisciplinary Quarterly (v.3, no.2, summer 1983, p.82-83)