Types of Dreams

Dreaming can be more than a simple state of the brain. We can experience waking dreams, daydreams, even dreams that appear to be shared or prophetic. Some people are lucid dreamers a special skill that not everyone can master. Some people experience specific recurring dreams, while certain sicknesses can bring on night terrors. Sometimes we can even experience false awakenings, where we think we have woken up, but are still dreaming. Here we will explore some of these phenomena.

Daydreams

Daydreaming was once thought to be a lazy pursuit,  I am  sure most of you have been reprimanded for daydreaming at one point or another. It is, however, a metabolically intense mental process, and can be very rewarding. In recent years, scientists have demonstrated that daydreaming is a fundamental feature of the human mind – so fundamental, in fact, that it’s often referred to as our “default” mode of thought.

Daydreaming is a crucial tool for creative thought, and allows the brain to make new associations and connections. It can spawn new ideas or methods; the daydreaming mind is free to engage in abstract thought and imaginative ramblings, and as a result, we’re able to imagine things that don’t actually exist.

Nightmares and Night Terrors

Chances are everyone here has experienced a nightmare. A horrible dream, complete with emotional turmoil, which causes the dreamer to wake and stay awake, nightmares are fairly common occurrences. The main purpose of a nightmare is to wake the conscious mind — usually to change sleeping position.

They can also be caused by stress or over-exhaustion. Surprisingly, children under the age of five do not experience nightmares at the same rate as older children, while children over five seem to have nightmares at a rate of once per week.  Night Terrors, however, are not as common.

A typical night terror episode usually occurs in the first hour of sleep. The subject sits up in bed and screams and appears awake but is confused, disoriented, and unresponsive to stimuli. Although the person seems to be awake, they do not seem to be aware of any surrounding presence and usually do not talk. The person may thrash around in bed and does not respond to comforting by others. A person’s heart rate can escalate during the terror, along with sweating and harsh breathing.

Researchers have found that nightmares can serve as a benefit to the human mind. The intense feeling of dread and uncertainty might be preparing the dreamer for a tragic event or a stressful situation. The nightmare may occur for you to either come to terms with a traumatic past and emotionally heal.

Lucid Dreams

Some people, referred to as Oneironauts or Lucid Dreamers, are able to control the setting and plot of their dreams. A lucid dream can begin in one of three ways. A dream-initiated lucid dream (DILD) starts as a normal dream, and the dreamer eventually concludes that he or she is dreaming, while a wake-initiated lucid dream (WILD) occurs when the dreamer goes from a normal waking state directly into a dream state with no apparent lapse in consciousness.

A mnemonic-initiated lucid dream (MILD) can happen when the dreamer intentionally affirms to himself or herself that he or she will become lucid during the upcoming sleep. Reaching lucidity can sometimes occur due to dream-signs or spontaneously upon remembrance. These dreams can be fantastical, where anything is possible, and can often be very real — complete with touch, smell, and taste sensations.

Recurring Dreams

Recurring dreams are quite common and are often triggered by a certain life situation or a problem that keeps coming back again and again. These dreams may recur daily, once a week, or once a month. Whatever the frequency, there is little variation in the dream content itself. Such dreams may be highlighting a personal weakness, fear, or your inability to cope with something in your life – past or present.

Common recurring dreams themes often revolve around either being chased, water, tests, falling and teeth dreams. Recurring dreams usually start during a time of uncertainty or reflecting a stressful event in ones life.

False Awakenings

Have you ever thought you have woken up and gone about your daily morning routine: getting up, brushing your teeth, eating breakfast and going to work, only to wake up “again” and realize that what just happened is just a dream. That sensation is referred to as a false awakening. Some people can experience four or five false awakenings before they truly wake. This phenomena was the basis for the film Groundhog Day.

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Melody
Melody
29 days ago

I have been having a dream that my husband has left and I try to find him all the time. I eventually find him but he is with someone else. He knows it’s breaking my heart, but he just keeps leaving and I keep trying to find him. I am 64 and have been married 44 years what does this mean?

sonia jose
sonia jose
1 month ago

I have this recurrent dream where I bought a house with multiple rooms for my family with my savings. It is not a new constructions, just maintained enough so that you can live there. I bought the house because it had space and was in by budget . My plan was to renovate the house slowly. Later I find that 2 rooms in the basement is haunted and I warn everyone not to go inside those room . As long as we stay away from that area we are fine but I am constantly in fear that someone will go… Read more »

julie
julie
1 month ago

I had /a dream of a giant crocodile breaking a wall but no water came out, and it didnt chase me even though I walked away it just looked at me.

hiwot
hiwot
1 month ago

can anyone tell me what it means to see your husbands phone broke in your dreams?not like crack but a big cut on the screen….you can see the back cover through

Rusty
Rusty
3 months ago

I had a real powerful weird dream today. It seemed so real. I don’t know why I decided to write it down and tell it to you. Maybe to just get it out. I can’t even remember what the dream was about, the first time I woke up and cried from a dream. This time I wrote it down before I forget it.   This is the second time this year I woke up from a dream and started to cry. It was like one of those movies where the guy is in Italy, falls in love with a beautiful woman and they go about this small… Read more »

Jennifer Rakes
Jennifer Rakes
4 months ago

I dreamed I was sleeping in the room I share with my boyfriend, but my boyfriend sleeps in his rocking chair next to the bed and I get the bed to myself. anyway, so I was asleep and it was as if I was awakened by a dark shadow with a big hand grabbing my ankles and pulling me across the room from the bed. I was trying to kick and call out to my boyfriend but had no response because I could hear myself trying to speak but nothing was coming outa my mouth, so scary and the Shadow… Read more »

Sherry Sherry
Sherry Sherry
Reply to  Jennifer Rakes
3 months ago

Watch dead files…sounds familiar…..one of the ways that a ghost or darker entity can pray on the living is through dreams.

Random Person
Random Person
4 months ago

I had a weird dream. Can anyone interpret it? I was walking down a dark alley with lights on both sides. It was endless. I felt as though someone was behind me but I could no longer turn around. I felt a large, veiny hand with many rings on my shoulder. Then another. I tried to turn and actually could and I was met with a tall man who had mist surrounding his face. The mist cleared and I could make out the face of Colby Brock (For those who don’t know he’s a paranormal Youtuber) He just stared at… Read more »

Walter wagner
Walter wagner
4 months ago

I am camping with my dead dad and he is showing me how to put heat on a rock to make it produce water. Any suggestions on what this dream means.

Judy
Judy
5 months ago

I am writing for my beloved grandmother who lost her one and only love. She has been going through a tough time and tonight shared with me the dreamed of him last night. The encounter scared and worried her he grabbed her arm and she said pretty hard. She awoke and asked him why he would do such a thing before falling back to sleep. I was at a short for words and simply replied he wanted to show that he was there for her. Can anyone help me out on this one please and thank you I

Mermaid83
Mermaid83
7 months ago

My husband told me he’s had a recurring dream where he is stuck in a room (he describes it as a haunted house, but it’s only one room). It’s dark. There’s a bed, a dresser, and a lamp and that’s it. The lamp is not on. He can’t open the door or get out. He said the dream has been happening for almost a year now. He said there’s been a random assortment of people in the room with him(one at a time), people from his past. I’ve never been in the room with him. Last night, his dad was… Read more »

James
James
7 months ago

I had a dream about my deceased aunt and her children that I had no seen for 50 years. They were happy and the same age as the last time I seen them. They were very happy to see me and gave me gifts of clothing. Bright colored shirts and pants and a hat. My aunt smiled and her and the children vanished.

Ally
Ally
7 months ago

I had a dream I ran into my bathroom with scissors. I had angel wings alion /human face and a tail I was trying to cut my wings off but something happened and I ran out of the bathroom to protect my kids my wings sprawled out around my kids to keep them safe. What does that mean?

Bobby
Bobby
Reply to  Ally
4 months ago

It means you are to hard on yourself about your parenting. Just do the best you can

Anthony
Anthony
7 months ago

I used to have this recurring dream of a wolf in who was terrifying. The wolf stood 7 ft tall and had rotted and tore up skin, almost like a zombie warewolf. It was brown and had pearcing red eyes. In my dream, it would always try to push some type of satanic belief in my head. When it spoke to me it had the most chilling voice which was very quite and alien toned. I couldn’t speak to the wolf nor could I move. It was in control of my entire body. When it was done speaking to me,… Read more »

Zelia
Zelia
8 months ago

I had this dream once when I was on this strange island of some kind and some classmates of mine were there too, but like 5 seconds later a giant earthquake or some kind of natural disaster came and all I saw was different shades of blue and green and red for a while, and I also think I heard screaming. Then it ended, and my view was like I was a bird flying over the island. I saw some of my classmates dead and scattered around the island. Then I saw myself, standing normally, but someone I didn’t know… Read more »

August
August
8 months ago

Just under a year ago I had a dream of a monster made of yarn on the top half and had a long spike for an arm on the left and normal on the right. I went to school and found everyone dead. Then it trapped me and I died. Then the day restarted and I was alive and I stayed from school but it came up my driveway anyways and killed me. In the end my mom was driving me to the store, and I saw it following the car. It walked slowly but was never out of sight… Read more »

Sami
Sami
8 months ago

My dreams can be scary, happy, fun, funny or very deadly. Night dreams usually tell the story of what’s going on in my life. Usually I cannot bring the dream back to mind but occasionally, like this one I remembered it. Well, here’s the jist of the dream. I dreamt I was in a prison hospital. 2 other people in the room with me, one I thought i knew and the other, I definitely did not know. We somehow left the prison and went to the unknown girl’s house. Once there I wanted to write a letter to her parents… Read more »

April
April
11 months ago

A field trip into brown woods with some friends, a teacher, and a baby (my sister I believe); and we are headed back (in a roofless jeep type car) and I realized I left the baby (in her car seat) at the woods beach area. The teacher would not turn back for her. I also remember my phone floating in the water and me picking it up.

Either portal
Either portal
11 months ago

When I was about 7 years old I had a dream where I was playing with my friends when we saw a spider and it chased up my street. Then we where running up to the oval and for some reason the spider was now enormous. I ran along the side of the oval dbt tripped and fell into the bank. The spider jumped down and killed me. I woke up and ran to my mums room opened the door and told her about the dream.

Esther
Esther
1 year ago

I had a dream about my former classmate who in real life is obsessed with me. In the dream I repulsed and shunned him, yet he still kept on stalking and following me. What does that mean?

W247
W247
1 year ago

I had a false awakening before as when I was a teenager in 2017 and I even documented it(albeit sloppily)! I woke up rather late as I always do but was suddenly dragged under a stormy ocean with a lighthouse and I felt like I was drowning and I tried to scream but i woke up like 5 seconds later. It definitely terrified me at the time and I was super confused after because it never happened to me.