I had some interesting dreams last night.  In the first one, I was a murderer.  I don't think that it was premeditated murder, but I definitely killed people.  I remember somewhat waking up after the dream and thinking that I needed to think happier thoughts... I feel back asleep and don't think the killings kept occurring.  A quick look to a dream dictionary says that I have heavy stress causing me to lose my temper.  This is very true as I noticed it while talking to a family member Friday night.

The other dream that I had was sort of a reoccurring dream.  The people (as far as I can remember) and the place were all familiar.  The story was somewhat different though.  Well, let me be a little more clear.  The events that happen in the dream were the same, but my choices and the end result of the dream were different.  The setting of this dream is in a rural community in a warm climate.  I keep thinking of a small village in New Mexico or Arizona.  From what I can remember, I was a spectator of the dream, rather than a direct actor.  The dream reminded me of a choose your own adventure type of a setting.

Anyway, the main portion of the dream takes place in a deli or butchers place of business.  The main character of the dream is sitting at a table with a bottle full of fluid.  There are about 5 people sitting/standing around various places in the room and it seems that everyone in the room is aware of the importance of the bottle.  The main character hands the bottle over to two people (who I got the feeling were aliens).  The aliens proceed to open the bottle (an intricate procedure)... this is where the story diverges from the previous time that I observed it.  This time, I noticed that everyone, except for the aliens, had taken a hiding place.  It's important to mention that the hiding places were very well protected, like a cast iron bathroom tub.  Once the aliens opened the bottle, a bomb exploded... I would characterize the bomb as a radiation bomb, rather than an explosive bomb.  That is, it didn't destroy anything physically but it did instantly kill the two aliens and any other human/alien being, who wasn't protected, for miles around.

In the aftermath of the explosion, the people who were hiding in the shop, came out.  They had a sense of relief about them and the dream ended with the main character driving away.  Now the other part of the dream that was different than the first time I had it was that while the main character is driving away, he comes to a fork in the road.  Rather than turning right and seeing further carnage from the explosion, he turned left towards green fields/valleys and the unknown.

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So while both of these dreams dealt with death, I feel that the second dream was not nearly as dark as the first one.  Apparently I need to relax a little more and deal with the stress that has been building up.  I also find it curious that I was aware that I had the dream before, while I was having the dream.  I was aware of my previous decisions and decided to observe/change things.  I'm not sure how accurate the dream dictionaries are, but I find them interesting never the less.  Just using some key objects/events from the dreams and how I interpret them:

Alien - Seeing aliens may represent an encounter with an unfamiliar or neglected aspect of your own self.
Explosion/bomb - The bomb could represent repressed desires and unexpressed emotions that are likely to explode or burst if not dealt with soon
Death - The death of a stranger can be the development or transition of different aspects of the self.
Fork in the Road - Represents an important decision that you need to make.
Kill - Forewarns that heavy stress may cause you to lose your temper and self-control.
Green - Green signifies a positive change, good health, growth, healing, hope, vigor, vitality, peace, and serenity. Green is also symbolic of your strive to gain recognition and establish your independence.
Green Field - Great abundance, freedom, and happiness. You may also be going through a period of personal growth.