The Lantern and the Fog – A Conversation Between Peter Witz and Dr. Graves

Peter Witz: Dr. Graves, sometimes I wake up with this feeling like I’ve forgotten something vital—like I’m living inside a dream I half-remember. It’s not fear exactly, but it’s not peace either.

Dr. Graves: That feeling, Peter, is the mind brushing up against the fog. The ancient poets spoke of it—the veil between what we know and what we carry. Sometimes memory isn't lost, only hidden. And in that haze, a lantern flickers.

Peter Witz: A lantern?

Dr. Graves: Yes. The self—the core of it—holds a small light. But most of us walk with that light pointed outward, trying to understand the world. Rarely do we turn it inward, into the mist that surrounds our own being.

Peter Witz: So that fog… is it made of emotion? Past choices? Forgotten truths?

Dr. Graves: It is all of those things—and more. It’s the part of you that remembers what your mind has chosen to forget. Not in a cruel way, but in a protective one. There are times the soul tucks things away until you are strong enough to hold them.

Peter Witz: That almost makes it sound kind.

Dr. Graves: It is. What we call confusion is often a slow, graceful unwrapping. Like steam rising from warm earth—it reveals rather than obscures. The fog doesn't hide the path. It slows you down so you notice it.

Peter Witz: So when people say they feel lost...

Dr. Graves: ...they are closer to themselves than they realize. The fog appears not to punish, but to pause. To invite reflection. A person truly lost cannot feel the ache of it. Only those near a revelation feel the tension.

Peter Witz: That’s strangely comforting.

Dr. Graves: As it should be. Growth often arrives in confusion’s clothing. But you must be willing to stop reaching for the horizon and instead sit with the mist around your feet. Let it speak.

Peter Witz: So let’s leave readers with this: When you feel lost or uncertain, try not to run from it. Instead, ask: What is being made ready in this silence?

Dr. Graves: And remember—your lantern is still burning. You simply need to turn it inward.