Dream of setting fire to previous home and then falling into swimming pool, told at workshop at 37th annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, 15th June 2021

A dream that depicts positive transitions in waking life.

I am at the home where I used to live, it is a 1970s light blue Mercedes people-carrier truck. I go up the wooden stairs into the truck. It has wooden walls, all the same as it was back then, when I lived there with my ex-partner and his daughter. My ex-partner and daughter are there but not clearly, but like light rather than shadows. I tidy the place up as I am going to transition there, I am excited about this. I am going to burn down the home, with me inside, and I tell them to go outside. I pour petrol all around and have a large yellow box of "Cook's matches", I am about to strike a match. I hesitate due to fear of it hurting me, but then think that it won’t hurt as it is a dream. Despite being apprehensive I strike the match and the flames get close to me, on my flesh. There is then a change of scene and I am next to an outside large blue swimming pool, it is very sunny with tropical foliage around. I walk along the side of the pool and around it. I am wearing a pink cotton dress, which I actually had when I was 16. I want to jump into the water but have to set up my camera so that I can document it, to show proof of it to my friends. But before I can get ready I fall backwards into the pool and drop down deeply in the water. I slip out of my body and see myself weightless under the blue water. I then suddenly wake up.