Dreaming artwork, music and media

**Vampireboy** · 03-30-2013 12:51 AM

Hey guys

Having been recently listening to a number of Pink Floyd albums (mainly Dark Side and Wish you were Here) I've been thinking about how well they create a soundscape, or if you will a dreamscape for the listener to escape to and explore. I find them conjuring images of the great bowels of machines, all of space and other worlds. Another album that does a similar job is Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, bringing you back to a live bandstand performance circa the 1800's and taking you through a psychedelic trip, a circus and 1950's Liverpool.
In a similar if more obvious way, art can also help to transport us to a dreamscape. A particular favourite of mine is the surrealist artist Vladimir Kush (hence my profile picture). I've always found Surrealism a wonderful way to escape from reality into a dream like world, being unbound by logic or the physical constrains of reality.

My question is does anyone have anything similar that they love listening to, looking at or watching? A particular Album, game, movie or piece of art that you find transports you to another world? Comments and replies appreciated as always

**Box77** · 03-30-2013 07:59 AM

Hi!
When it's about music, basically it depends on my mood. However, when it's about films, I find the Studio Ghibli's ones as my best choice to fly away from here: Howl's moving castle, Spirited away, Ponyo, etc. are examples of what I'm talking about. I liked Animatrix too and some anime movies like Akira, Ghost in the shell, etc... I like pretty much many Japanese Animes, they work good for me.

**Vampireboy** · 03-30-2013 01:53 PM

Somehow I knew someone would bring up anime at some point, especially Studio Ghibli

I completely agree. I was only recently introduced to their work but I already love what they do. The Animatrix/Matrix is another group that tends to work well in relation to dreams I find, I mean they practically spell out how to master dream control "there is no spoon" etc etc ..

**Box77** · 03-30-2013 05:30 PM

Talking about films, from time to time, I find one or another that fits the concept of dreams. I even was suspicious that they were minded during LDs because of the similarities with the world of dreams, although they don't talk about LD: Silent Hill, Source code, Jacob's ladder, Open your Eyes, Sixth Sense, The Others, Haunted, etc.
I would say that many horror movies, inspire my nightmares...

**dutchraptor** · 03-30-2013 05:45 PM

The no.1 for me is books. Fictional novels can transport you to a world almost as fantastical as the lucid dream world. Next up is music, I can literally listen to anything and imagine a scene or item to represent it, I think that's why I enjoy unusual forms of music. The likes of soundtrack music, 1940's music, medieval, chinese, indian, african and even more modern music like dubstep and glitch-hop or triphop and down tempo. I love just listening to music and visualizing myself robbing a bank or flying through an ancient city etc.
Movies are probably my least favourite medium because you are constrained to the image you see, although they can sometimes induce a really powerful feeling of presence in you. Generally I like movies when they are really well done and indepth, even if the story isn't good the attraction to the world can actually pull you in, with the likes of avatar for example, the story was very basic but I think they pulled it off perfectly due to the world around the story.

**Box77** · 03-30-2013 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by dutchraptor

..Generally I like movies when they are really well done and indepth, even if the story isn't good the attraction to the world can actually pull you in..

Absolutely agree, once I start wondering about the camera guy, or stuff like that, I know the film is over for me.

And yes, books are better than films!! Long ago, a friend of mine, lent me a very old version of The Phantom of the Opera, it was printed around the 20's, the magic around it was so intense starting by the fact the way it was printed, it had a lot of printing errors, but they gave it a special feeling that I didn't find in modern versions.

**Vampireboy** · 03-30-2013 10:15 PM

I find the same thing with films and most modern "mainstream" games, in that they are too restrictive in what they let the audience see and to what extent they let the audience wonder and explore the world created. I think this is where books and music come on top in that respect, they're left more to interpretation, one person may see a character of place completely different to another person whilst reading the same book.

**Jabre** · 03-30-2013 11:27 PM

Literature is my #1. It can create a dreamscape for me. If anyone here is a writer, they will know that when you write the characters come alive and seemingly make choices for themselves, tumbling the story into an elaborate plot. I rarely get scared of horror movies, but a book can keep me awake for a week.

Music is very nice. I put it along with drama and cinema because they seem to go together. Art (as in the classic definition) can only evoke an emotion in me if it is really well done. But yes, many forms of art inspire or seem to recreate my lucid dreams.

Waking Life is a beautifully surreal movie that literally (no joke) changed my life.
The Alice books are classic surrealism, but they never get old.
Lo is a very good movie.
There is a painting called Soft Watch at Point of Explosion or something similar.... it is extremely dreamlike.
The music of Faith and the Muse/Monica Richards always evokes a dreamscape in me.

**Vampireboy** · 03-31-2013 01:12 AM

I have been thinking about the Alice books recently, I should look into actually reading them, most I've read from them is the quote from Journey's End about the Walrus

**Jabre** · 03-31-2013 02:20 AM

Originally Posted by Vampireboy

I have been thinking about the Alice books recently, I should look into actually reading them, most I've read from them is the quote from Journey's End about the Walrus

They are quite good actually. The second one is better. It deals with the reality of dreams like The Matrix for kids...

**Box77** · 03-31-2013 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Jabre

I rarely get scared of horror movies... There is a painting called Soft Watch at Point of Explosion or something similar.... it is extremely dreamlike...

Perhaps that's why I rather prefer the classic view of animation films because of they are sort of paintings in motion. although It's very rare for me to find very good surreal artworks in 3D animation films, I like Horton Hears a Who.

Talking about books, I've been advised too that "Through the Looking Glass" is a very good one to read, I have it in my waiting list...

**Vampireboy** · 03-31-2013 01:50 PM

Like The Matrix for kids, sounds about right for me in that case

Going slightly off topic, I always found Garry's Mod an effective way to explore a dreamscape, as the whole game is built to feel like one big dream. The way you can spawn in any object, NPC, play basically anywhere a modder has bothered to create, it's a very liberating experience.

**dutchraptor** · 03-31-2013 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by Vampireboy

Like The Matrix for kids, sounds about right for me in that case

Going slightly off topic, I always found Garry's Mod an effective way to explore a dreamscape, as the whole game is built to feel like one big dream. The way you can spawn in any object, NPC, play basically anywhere a modder has bothered to create, it's a very liberating experience.

Generally modding is a very liberating experience, I think I have actually spent more time modding any game then I have ever played them. It's very gratifying to see your own creations come to life so quickly, and just like in a dream your amount of determination, creativity and patience plays a vital role. As Jabre said earlier how when you write the characters bring themselves alive, the same feelings is got when modding.

**Box77** · 03-31-2013 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by dutchraptor

Generally modding is a very liberating experience, I think I have actually spent more time modding any game then I have ever played them. It's very gratifying to see your own creations come to life so quickly, and just like in a dream your amount of determination, creativity and patience plays a vital role. As Jabre said earlier how when you write the characters bring themselves alive, the same feelings is got when modding.

I could apply that concept to any form of art, music, painting, writing, etc.

**Vampireboy** · 03-31-2013 11:13 PM

Each to his own I'd presume

**dutchraptor** · 04-01-2013 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by Box77

I could apply that concept to any form of art, music, painting, writing, etc.

Lol yet they all feel very different. When I say you can see your own creation come to life, it's very different than when you paint the ultimate picture or compose the perfect song. The concept is the same for each, but the experience varies extremely.

**Vampireboy** · 04-01-2013 01:05 AM

I'm amazed people seem to find more in books, music and art than in the more visual mediums such as films or shows. Most non-lucid dreamers I talk to seem to find those forms far more engaging.

**Box77** · 04-01-2013 05:45 AM

Originally Posted by Vampireboy

I'm amazed people seem to find more in books, music and art than in the more visual mediums such as films or shows. Most non-lucid dreamers I talk to seem to find those forms far more engaging.

Perhaps because of films could be some sort of unifying art, there are a lot of different expressions going on there. And lot more if we are talking about animation films or those which use lot of visual effects. I would say Directors could talk in the same way a musician talks about his work and why not video editors, light technicians, etc.

**Vampireboy** · 04-01-2013 12:53 PM

Perhaps also that (at least to me) films and shows tend to be more similar to normal dreams in that you are already presented a visual display and a story line or plot and you follow it as if you were following another character. Where as with Lucid dreams it's more about self-creation and interpretation, hence the less obvious mediums of books and music prevail, where they are more open to the audiences interpretation.

**Saizaphod** · 04-03-2013 11:45 AM

Well I always listen to melodictechno of somekind epic or calming on my way to the school. And when I listen to it I imagine myself just taking of to the sky,teleporting, flying a dragon etc. like daydreaming... I like it. Looking forward to do it in a lucid dream

Here's a sample of epic techno that I listen like every time I walk somewhere. I attend to play this in a LD

**Vampireboy** · 04-03-2013 11:14 PM

@Mikasan: A more active way of experiencing a dreamscape then? Especially compared to our boring old novels and artwork

**Box77** · 04-04-2013 03:31 PM

Talking about audio experiences, I was wondering what about if I playback just the audio of some unknown film? Perhaps it would be something similar to those odd audiobooks out there.

**Vampireboy** · 04-05-2013 12:35 AM

Aren't we a wonderfully diverse bunch of dreamers ey

**Samick** · 04-06-2013 06:02 PM

There is a game called LSD: Dream Emulator. It's a very old one. It is based on a person's dream journal. It's really strange and I think it can induce lucid dreams as well if you play a lot (you may find yourself in that world during a dream some night).

**Box77** · 04-06-2013 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by Samick

There is a game called LSD: Dream Emulator. It's a very old one. It is based on a person's dream journal. It's really strange and I think it can induce lucid dreams as well if you play a lot (you may find yourself in that world during a dream some night).

I heard about it, the graphics are very primitive, it reminds me some old First-person shooters. By the way, sometimes I used to get lost with the dreamlike landscapes from those sort of games, including racing ones and stuff. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Tomb Rider could run free in stead of following the path?