I remember a dream from 62 years ago today (Tuesday, 7/25) wherein I was lying supine (upon my back) on a narrow table, and there was light all about, and I was "checking my package" and the thought occurred to me: "Good, I'm a boy!"

I know that was akin to a dream because, at that age, an infant's arms lack the length to do a "package check."

The *next* thing I remember (from "real life") was sitting around the dinner table, and my four older siblings were seated around, along with my father, and a cake was brought in with a single, lit candle in the center of it.

What struck me as odd at the time is that *everyone* seemed focused on *me,* AND they were singing a tune (all together) as well.

The cake was placed about 2½'–3' away from me, center of the table (left-to-right) and the thought that was concerning me at that moment was that the candle flame was curiously attractive, yet also presented something of a "fire hazard." And yes, that phrase *seemed* to be in my mind, although it may have been closer to: "That flame presents a danger."

Well, no one else seemed like they were gonna do anything. In fact, that all just sat there, looking at me. So I literally crawled up, ON the table, and crawled the short distance *to* the lit candle, then blew it out!
>*FLASH!<
My mother, who had been holding an old-fashioned (late '50s / early '60s) "Brownie" camera (the kind with a flash *bulb!*) had snapped a picture of the moment.

I remembered that event a few times throughout the coming years, then one day, I *found* the old, 4"x4" black & white photo of that moment!

At any rate, a LOT has happened since then. On to last night's / this morning's dream(s) (in the next reply to this post.)

The dream before waking this morning was odd, along the lines of one of those "astral combat" type experiences:

While the preface action *to* the final moment was basically vague (as *most* dreams start at a *defined* moment, any preface *at all* is a bit rare) it involved a person similar in size, build, shape and appearance to my younger, maybe '30s or possibly '40s self, who appeared to have a characteristic of biting, having something to do with the head area of others.

The "main action" of the dream picks up when the dreamer sees the person approaching the dreamer— the person has both hands together, reaching directly outwards (forwards) palms upward, *as if* to cup the dreamer by the head, about the neck, *as if* to lift the dreamer's head upwards, *however* there was a feeling of alarm involved, as if the dreamer should take some measure of self-defense.

The person has the dreamer by the head / about the neck, and appears to be coming for the dreamer's neck on the right side.

The first reaction is to close the eyes, wincing upward between the right side of the head and the right shoulder, and there's a moment of "stasis" (akin to "calm") wherein the dreamer hears *my* voice *in the dreamer's mind* saying, "relax, resist not" (or something *very* similar to that idea. See Matthew 5:39–44.)

The mind of the dreamer relaxes, goes calm, yet still feels as if the person may have the dreamer about the neck.

The dreamer takes (his/her) left hand (the whole left arm was free, as all the person had was the dreamer's neck / head) and reaches overhead (arc-like) and places a thumb directly somewhere against the right side of the person's head (it felt as if the thumb instinctively found a soft spot) and pushed / pressed the person away / apart, off the dreamer's neck.

End of dream, clarity: cross between a bad dream / nightmare (a touch of panic) / thoughtful moment / instinctive moment / astral combat / end of dream-waking up.