I’ve made a habit of writing down my dreams when I can remember them. I figure it might help me be a little more creative. I’ve had a few “hits,” ones I’ll remember for a while, but to be honest they can be a bit repetitive.

I’ve noticed a pattern over the last several weeks: dreams that feature a “reality generator.” Pretty derivative really. They one I remember most clearly looked like a big metal donut, mounted on the back of a military vehicle.

I had helped create it, but was I was now unsure if that was a good thing. It was designed to project a worldview on the population. I was told there had been other versions, but this one was more powerful and worked on more people.

Pretty sure the donut shape was a ripoff of the “Everything Bagel” in Everything Everywhere All At Once. One day they’ll find a way to sue you for dream plagiarism, but we’re not there yet. Anyway mine looked more like a steel washer.

Last night I dreamed about a “reality generator” that at least didn’t plagiarize anybody’s design. This one consisted of steel poles planted in a circle with bends at the top, pointing inward. It replaced a less effective version that had been planted by a crooked cop.

The purpose of this “reality generator” was to eliminate suspicion and allow criminal activity to go unnoticed. Obviously inspired by Ozark which I watched last night. (No spoilers. I’m still in season 3.)

I have about figured out what these dreams are actually about. Perception, the only reality we humans know. You can’t make a reality generator, but a perception generator? We’re using one right now.

Propaganda, misdirection, dots connected every which way, like new constellations in a sky with too many stars. That’s what the Internet is giving us. A simulation that can look like literally anything.

Fortunately you carry a reality generator in your head. If you can resist all the “realities” blasting into your eyeballs, you might get close to the one that machine can’t touch.