Dreams, thoughts, ideas - I see these as variations of seeds that may develop into visions and plans.
They break up through the surface of the soil, to meet a wide range of conditions that will determine their future. In some areas many different ideas are welcomed and supported to develop, in other areas only ideas that follow a certain pattern are welcomed. Some ideas grow up and gives large harvests, other are forgotten at once. Some are good, and some are not so good.
To me dreams, thoughts and ideas are almost similar - but not quite. I think that ideas are more aimed at solving problems that you are aware of in some way or another. Thoughts are a wider field, and in the context here I think of the process when you for example catch a dream and begin to examinate its possibilities and what it may demand in various aspects. It may also be a thought that comes to you when for example seeing something, and you begin to wonder why the thing you see was constructed in the way it was.
Dreams are a wide field, too. Here I think of dreams about things that you really would like to see take place, but in some ways understand will never take place. The dream can be more or less detailed, but you don't go into deeper thoughts about it and try to find ideas of how to realize it.
Thoughts and ideas may also come in the opposite order.
A dream I had for many years was to visit Antarctica. I watched documentaries and read about it, but I did not expect to go there. When I happened to notice a folder about a certain cruise I got the idea that I really would go there, and my thoughts began to work on how to do it. The phases of making a vision of where to go (a specific harbour in South America) and considering various routes to get to the desired harbour in the right time, was followed with a detailed plan over departures, suitable equipment to purchase in advance, et cetera.
That dream suddenly became an idea that started thoughts, which were developed in a vision and a detailed plan. Now it is a travel memory. (Some years later the dream became one more travel memory.)
Dreams articles
The Planet Earth Year is a dream. I do not think it is possible to realize, so I don't take care of ideas that pop up from the soil in my minds garden and I don't spend time with thoughts about how to realize it. It would be good if at least parts of it take place, in a much larger scale than todays efforts, but the only step I take is to share this dream with my readers.