The majority of the events in The Sandman on Netflix take place in the wonderful country of the Dreaming, where Dreams and Nightmares run rampant and live creatures occasionally visit. The Dreaming, ruled by Dream or Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), one of the Endless, is a realm in Neil Gaiman’s original comic book stories. But where is this mystery location, exactly? What role does the Dreaming have in our regular lives, anyway?
As an Endless, Morpheus incarnates one of the ideals without which life wouldn’t be conceivable in the universe: the ability to dream, wonder, & envision new worlds.
Also, same like every other Endless, Morpheus has a world from which he controls; the Dreaming. So, to begin, the Dreaming is Morpheus’s own Kingdom, the one location on Earth where he wields absolute dominion. Morpheus rules the Dreaming from his throne. The Endless may be the most powerful entities in the DC Universe, but they are not meant to dominate anything else. Instead, their purpose is to aid others. It is Morpheus’ job to conjure up new Dreams, Nightmares, and amazing settings in the Dreaming to either encourage or frighten individuals into facing their deepest subconscious anxieties.
When an animal sleeps, it establishes a link to the Dreaming and travels to a version of the wonderful dimension that best suits its requirements. That’s also why several individuals don’t frequently experience the same dream; each person and animal only has access to a fragmented section of the Dreaming. Morpheus stores all the stories ever written, even the ones that never made it past the author’s thoughts and into print, in the vault of the Dreaming. The library of the Dreaming, for example, includes a collection of every book that has ever been conceived, supervised by Vivienne Acheampong’s Librarian. Lost-story characters also seek refuge in the Dreaming, where they can live forever so long as they follow Morpheus’s and the Endless’s rules.
It’s the case with select biblical figures like Cain (Sanjeev Bhaskar) and Abel (Adam Baldwin) who have already made appearances in the first season of Netflix’s version (Asim Chaudhry). Matthew, a man who agreed to transform into a raven in the Dreaming and serve as Morpheus’ messenger for all of eternity, is proof that the Dreaming may provide a secure home for even mortal beings. In a prison, where unhappy animals are trapped in an everlasting nightmare, the realm serves a dual purpose.
For example, Morpheus’ Helm is crafted from the bones of a dead deity who is claimed to still live, imprisoned in the Dreaming. Those people foolish enough to venture into the territory of the Endless could spend the rest of their lives in a never-ending nightmare.
There is a substantial connection between Dreaming and the real world as well. The Sandman repeatedly demonstrates that one’s dreams have the power to reshape reality.
In Season 1, this is what makes John Dee, played by David Thewlis, so dangerous; the antagonist has access to Morpheus’ Dreamstone and may use it to his own ends. Moreover, Dreaming serves as a source of motivation for all living things, since in their dreams they see how the world may be improved if only we had the courage to question our limitations and work towards a brighter tomorrow. At last, comic books hint that if a large number of animals have the same fantasy, they might alter the course of events so drastically that the past must be rewritten to accommodate the new reality.
If we can dream together, we can alter the course of events in the real world. It’s no surprise that Morpheus expends so much effort to keep the Dreaming functioning as intended and all its guests safe, given that it’s within the grasp of any creature. So, when you shut your eyes the next time, think about the King of Dreams and express gratitude for all of his hard work. Netflix subscribers may now watch “The Sandman.”