What if your anxieties weren’t obstacles but doorways? What if your dreams aren’t nonsense, but portals to deeper wisdom, hidden truths, and paths yet unseen? What if the very fears that keep you up at night are the same forces trying to wake you up? In this episode of The Gospel of Direct Experience, Michael Ellick recounts a dream of cosmic proportions—one that begins in the disorienting corridors of an ever-shifting church and ends aboard a song-filled dragon train soaring into the multiverse. Along the way, he wrestles with discernment, anxiety, and the unsettling realization that reality itself may be more dreamlike than we assume.
Join hosts Michael Ellick and Jeff Mansfield as they explore the intersections of dreams, spiritual guidance, and waking up—both inside a dream and in life itself.
Episode Highlights
[00:01:15] The Dream Begins—A Church Transformed
Michael recounts a vivid dream set in a once-familiar church, now broken into cramped, uninspiring rooms. What does it mean when sacred spaces shrink and become unrecognizable?
[00:04:02] A Labyrinth of Worship & Anxiety
Lost in a shifting, Escher-like cathedral, Michael and his family struggle to find their way out. As anxiety builds, an act of rebellion—a dramatic communion gesture—challenges the rigid authority of the space.
[00:06:40] The Moment of Awakening
A sudden realization: this is a dream. Michael becomes lucid, and with that awareness, the dream itself transforms. What happens when we wake up within our own illusions?
[00:9:50] The Red Dragon Train & the Multiverse
As lucidity sets in, the dream-world expands into a cosmic vision. Boarding a train adorned with Chinese dragons, Michael and his family ascend into the sky, where shimmering portals reveal alternate worlds.
[00:14:42] Waking Up to the Dream of Reality
After visiting the multiverse, Michael makes several attempts to "wake up" back at home.
[00:18:23] Discernment
After returning to “real life,” the dream refuses to let go. He is certain now of his path forward. How do dreams show us the way?
[00:38:41] For the Time Being
Drawing from W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being, Jeff and Michael reflect on how anxiety, rather than being an obstacle, might be the very thing leading us to transformation.
Works Cited
From For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio by W. H. Auden:
He is the Way.
Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;
You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.
He is the Truth.
Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;
You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.
He is the Life.
Love Him in the World of the Flesh;
And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.
Continue the Conversation
Have you ever had a dream that changed your life? Have your anxieties ever led you to unexpected revelations? We’d love to hear your experiences! Share your thoughts with us at gospelofdirectexperience@gmail.com or reach out at reach out at: https://www.gospelofdirectexperience.com/#contact.
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