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.
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?
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.
I have been having the same recurring dream/nightmare since I was a child, and I had surgery and I woke up on the operating table. I was 13 years old when it started and I am 43 years old now and I still have it every so often and I wake up in a panic then and now. If I think of the dream even when I am awake I have a panicked feeling and can’t breathe.
I had an reoccurring dream that my boyfriend at the time was sitting in a chair and he had a girl on each knee but he appeared to have zero interest or knowledge they were even there and I’m yelling at the top of my lungs at him but no sound comes out and it appears he can’t hear me or see me.. now this dream I had more than once actually turned out to be an internal Warning I’d ignored for 16 yrs..
what do you think the dream meant?
I am not sure what it means but I am woken up sometimes twice a night by someone calling my name. Tonight they had a whole different voice and I woke up right away. It was a raspy voice and I immediately felt like I was in danger and sat up in bed looking for the source but there was nobody here. Should I be concerned?
In my dream I am almost asleep. Just between wake and sleep. And suddenly random thoughts with images start flitting by. Passing threw me or over me. It’s like these thought and images are on a conveyor belt. Just flitting to me then gone. Any clues?
Woke from a horrible ‘dream’ of being forced into a straight jacket and taken to an asylum. I’m screaming for it to stop but I’m being ignored.
Lastnight or sometime this morning I had a dream I was at a gender reveal party I’ve been racking my brain all day trying to figure out what it means no luck yet
I have recurring dreams, that my Mum didn’t Die. She pretended to Die, because she didn’t love my Dad. (P.S. I know she died and loves my Dad) She comes back eventually for some reason, last night was she wanted Documents.
I have lucid dreams by thinking about water and swimming and such things a bunch before bed and then if you’re underwater in your dream then you’ll know you’re dreaming because you’ll be breathing underwater.
As anybody had recurring dreams about being able to be in a swimming pool and walk further down, different levels still being able to breathe.
I had a dream where I appeared in my childhood home but it was all broken down and old, full of dirt/rust. I was walking around calling out names of unfamiliar people. I then saw a clear sliding door after about 10 minutes.I jumped against it thinking it would break but it didn’t and I saw it was already open. I went out and called out to a truck which appeared to have a chili logo. I then saw my grand mother in a car,I called out to her and she didn’t recognize me. I asked her if she had… Read more »
Dreamed about having great sex with someone who I don’t know.. Literally.. Though I knew I loved that person… The face wasn’t familiar. I had a boy with him little angel with curly hair looking just like his dad. The dad had rough hands when I touched them and then I was carrying another pregnancy. I had to leave, my mom again totally unfamiliar said we don’t look the same. Then I came back again the sex was amaaazing. Don’t understand whats going on. This came after dreaming about flying with a guy I knew only for another guy to… Read more »
Be cautious, be careful. Sounds like you have intercepted with an angel from above. Your child will be a very special child maybe. Be careful when you are also being attacked in your sleep, demons also lurk around, & will try to intercept while you carry the child, discern people & special signs where-ever you go, stay safe. Discern the one who takes you away, he may or may not be the one. however, you are the only one who can decipher your dream/s.
I had a dream about that my bf had planned a fancy meal so our teacher as we were on a trip helped organise it but he said Iwe had to look good there was fairy lights then he never arrived so I went to his parents shop and he was in shower then I just woke up
I always dream about the father of my kids 20 years divorced it’s always him and there have been. A few since then I am friends with him and his wife we all get along and in person I love him but not in love with him even though I divorced him it’s me that gets rejected in my dreams?
Question, How does it feel when the shoe is on the other foot? Not an interpreter and if I am we both learning something new today lol. Though my intuition said see how she feels when she got rejected. Would you make that same decision if the clock was rewinded. Maybe it was to show you how he felt or what he was experiencing which led to his new beginning and yours. Not trying to be in your personal business or anything like that. Is that a lingering question in your mind. What would my life be like if I… Read more »
Sounds like you may still have some unresolved feelings. Only you can decipher your own dream.
I’ve always have this prophetic dreams but it takes months or even year/s before the dream will happen and mostly during that time I will realize that I see this scenario in my dream it’s kinda creepy but in the same time awesome since it looks like I can predict the future xD
I have been dreaming of walking in a cemetery. This happens a few times lately. The latest being last night,” entering an old cemetery in China with a lady companion. I remarked that the scenery was so beautiful even though the cemetery was a very old but neat and tidy one situated in a bowl shaped landscape.
I had a dream were my joints had little Stubbs at the end but still had the rest of the arm or leg and I was able to fabricate anything I wanted from the stubb( it had three rows of small air holes and a botton) but I never needed to press this bottom to fabricate anything because it was controlled by my brain yet I could also think of figurative things or stuff like an app on a computer and would appear on my screen.
I have scary dreams and it feels like they will happen in my future. I did have a dream and it also happened in real life. Why?
I just woke up from a dream where I must’ve been fighting with my husband ( we’re not in the best place at the moment) and I went to use the bathroom and I looked in the toilet and found all these stolen phones he had put in there. When I picked one up it had photos of my best friend (they can’t stand each other IRL) and she was naked but covered in the pink bubbles I saw at the car wash today while washing my car… and she was giving birth…. She also had two people with her.
Caution, check out who the baby your best friend is carrying? Husband is hiding something from you. He may have a secret life without you knowing. Sounds like your husband could be cheating on you with your friend.