Bad Dream 197 -- The Voices in My Head

This isn't exactly a dream, but it borders on being such and I certainly want to document what is happening.  What I'm describing here has taken place 5 or 6 times in the last month or so -- or maybe more often than that.  But I've never had this happen before:

Almost immediately after I wake up, as I start to "get my bearings" on where I am, etc. I hear a voice.  It's fairly weak, as if it's on the other side of a wall from me.  The sounds of the voice are very articulate, but I can't understand the words.  Maybe it's unintelligible because it's on the other side of a wall, and maybe it's in a foreign language with which I'm not familiar, and maybe it's simply gobbledigook.  I certainly can't tell.  

Normally, the voice is a rich baritone and quite easy to listen to.  Like a news anchor on TV.  But on one or more occasions it's been a woman's voice -- equally pleasant to listen to.  

I hear the voice for something like 10 seconds or less and then it stops.  I think sometimes it tapers off towards the end of the "speech."  

There's nothing threatening about the voice -- and it's pleasant enough that I'd really like to hear the message... if there were one. 

It occurred to me this morning that I have started to wear a face mask when I sleep -- one that just covers my eyes, but does so completely and comfortably.  And I have been using ear plugs for sleep for many years.  So, is this voice connected to sensory deprivation?

I think the voice shows up on mornings when I have a late dream so that the voice might be a continuation of the dream -- while being isolated from the dream in terms of content.  Given that I have kept myself more "open" recently in terms of remembering my dreams, this may be a reason that the dreamworld leaks into my wakeworld via this path.

Ah, I've just Googled "Voices in My Head" which has this as a suggested site: 

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/hearing-voices/about-hearing-voices/

So maybe it's all okay.  But I have to feel there's a reason that it's just started after inhabiting the planet for over 70 years...

Bad Dream 196 -- Photographing Kevin

For some reason that isn't made clear to me, I have been asked to photograph Kevin Wheeler -- a friend of mine whom I met at Quaker Meeting many years ago.

I'm pretty serious about my photography, and Kevin would seem to be an interesting subject for portraiture.  He has a very distinctive face and a tall and slender anatomy to go along with his fine features.  And we are in an old barn or factory with lots of interesting spaces and lighting/shading opportunities.  

We are just setting up for a couple of shots when someone calls for Kevin to go somewhere else in the building.  Well, that sort of thing happens, and I take the opportunity to double-check the settings on my camera.  

Kevin returns and assumes a lovely pose with interesting lighting.  I'm not sure that I have captured the image I want when someone else calls to Kevin to go yet somewhere else nearby.  

This happens a few more times, and then Kevin, who's always had an impish sense of humor, starts darting off without being called -- just to tease me.  What had been a minor interruption in the photo shoot has become a major inconvenience, and I am clearly more upset about this than Kevin is.  

Okay, I've had enough of this, abandon the project, and walk away.  The weather outside the building has changed, and it is now raining lightly out of a sunshine-bright sky.  The temperature is warm and there are kids running back and forth through the rain laughing loudly -- having a wonderful time.  So now I have new subjects for my photography!

I'm concerned about getting my camera wet and am trying to figure out how to stay protected from the raindrops while taking advantage of the wonderful images of children laughing in the rain.  I think I have this figured out, but the camera refuses to shoot -- probably because the autofocus is confused by the raindrops.  

I feel a bit frustrated by the experience with Kevin and the inability to capture images of the children, but I am taking pleasure of watching the children at play.