Dreams - disturbing or interesting

[Schrodinger's Dog]

In the past three days I have strangled my brother to death (he was being a right pain) Saved the world from annihilation with my super powers, and traveled to Liverpool (I can't remember why now, I remember I was staying there for a week for some reason) had a relationship which broke up after a day because her mates didn't like me. Dream women huh!

My favourite recurring dream is about vampires, it starts off all scary but usually ends up with me doing a Blade on their arses, all in the setting of my old secondary school, don't know why there? Probably some weird Buffy fantasy. Lots of vampire slaying fun though.

Anyway, since I can't find a recent thread about dreams, have you had any interesting ones? If so what were they?

 

[BryanP]

The only thing I can remember is that I was coming out of my garage at home (in my real home where my family lives). I was walking out, and some shaman looking lady told me to watch out. I looked towards the direction of her hand and saw some bummy looking lady.

Next thing you know I see a knife stuck right through her. That lady next to me threw a throwing knife at her and killed her.

I woke up right after.

I have no idea why I dreamt that, but I do remember dreaming it.

 

[lisab]

Recently I had a dream that I was flying over London (I've only been there once, about 30 years ago!). I was admiring all the church steeples and spires, when all of a sudden a big earthquake hit. Science dork that I am (even when I dream), I made sure that the tall towers were all oscillating at different frequencies, depending on the ratio of base width to height.

 

[matthyaouw]

A while ago I went through a spell of having recurring dreams that my alarm clock was going off and then waking to find it was still way to early to contemplate getting up. Gets quite annoying when it happens 3 or so times in a night.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I recently survived a barrage of nuclear explosions. When I saw the mushroom clouds appear, I hid in the back seat of my car and waited for the blast wave. Then I sneaked out of the car and hid behind a thick tree.

 

[tribdog]

Last night I dreamt that my girlfriend bought a great dane the size of a horse and named it after me and it carried me around with my head in its mouth.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

What I don't get is why would my subconscious create a woman who was exactly like women in real life? I've really got to hate myself if we're looking at it on a sort of fantasy level. Given I can imagine anything, I resort to imagining a bad relationship that failed, it was like a one night stand without... no actually it was a one night stand with no complications, maybe I'm looking at this all wrong, maybe my fantasy self is a bit of a player.

Tribdog that is officially the weirdest dream so far. I don't think I need to mention which is the nerdiest. I have trouble flying in dreams sometimes because I realize it is physically impossible for me to fly, which gets annoying.

My pet peeve is when you keep having to go to the toilet in your dream because you are desperate in real life, and the sad thing is no matter how much you go, the feeling you need to pee never stops until it becomes so frequent and so much a part of the dream you have to wake yourself up, and then there's that whole having to go to the toilet at 4 in the morning deal.

 

[tribdog]

If I prop up a bunch of pillows and sleep in a sitting position I can force a dream. Everytime I fall asleep like that I dream that I am awake and can walk around my house. It seems exactly like the real world until I try to turn on a light. The light won't go on which causes me to realize I'm dreaming and as soon as I realize its a dream I am no longer able to breathe. I panic for a few seconds until I really do wake up gasping for air.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

If I prop up a bunch of pillows and sleep in a sitting position I can force a dream. Everytime I fall asleep like that I dream that I am awake and can walk around my house. It seems exactly like the real world until I try to turn on a light. The light won't go on which causes me to realize I'm dreaming and as soon as I realize its a dream I am no longer able to breathe. I panic for a few seconds until I really do wake up gasping for air.

That's really odd, it sounds a bit like your position is making you suffer from sleep apnoea, but that only usually happens if you're lying in a prone position, or your extremely obese. Still that's the makings of a pretty good lucid dream, once you realize you're dreaming if you are not actually asphyxiating you can stop it, become God in your own fantasy realm and go onto control the world or *insert your favourite fantasy here*.

Does anyone else lucid ream, and do you find it harder if you concentrate too hard on the details, it tends to make me lose the thread of the dream, its a bit of an art. The vampire one starts as a nightmare, but once I realize I'm dreaming I turn the tables on the vampires and sooner or later I am in control, up to a point, it's boring if you control what is going to happen absolutely.

 

[lisab]

Ever since I read Feynman's Surely You're Joking, I've tried to do lucid dreaming. He talks about it in his book.

I've never been even remotely sucessful.

But I don't have a technique, I've just tried to meditate on it as I fell asleep.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Ever since I read Feynman's Surely You're Joking, I've tried to do lucid dreaming. He talks about it in his book.

I've never been even remotely sucessful.

But I don't have a technique, I've just tried to meditate on it as I fell asleep.

Oddly enough I've been able to do it since I was seven, and I couldn't for the life of me tell you why? It's not something I practised at it was just something I could do. So don't ask me? I think it might be something to do with the way you think or the way your mind works. If you're one of those people that will never accept the path of a dream or that people dictate anything outside of dreams, and you like to be unbound, maybe it works. But that is just me? I really have no idea.

I don't think I've ever been told anything that I couldn't find an alternative answer to, except one day I will die. I think it's a matter of freedom, I accept that some people are bound by there own restrictions mentally, but in dreams I know that I am not. In real life only bound by the stupidity of those who think everything is black and white. That sounds odd, but it's the only explanation I have. I just will never be told how to think by anyone ever if it makes no sense, no matter who I'm being told by: God the law or an authority figure.

It works in my dreams, it always has another solution just as there is only one way of life that is your own, everything does in dreams to? I'm waffling now, but I really don't know why? I think it's something that can be learned, but it takes something to break your own mental chains. It's up to you. I think Feynman was someone who didn't like being told where his thoughts could go? I think I was born that way, probably a disadvantage. But sometimes it helps you to dream what you want?

 

[lisab]

Oddly enough I've been able to do it since I was seven, and I couldn't for the life of me tell you why? It's not something I practised at it was just something I could do. So don't ask me? I think it might be something to do with the way you think or the way your mind works. If you're one of those people that will never accept the path of a dream or that people dictate anything outside of dreams, and you like to be unbound, maybe it works. But that is just me? I really have no idea.

I don't think I've ever been told anything that I couldn't find an alternative answer to, except one day I will die. I think it's a matter of freedom, I accept that some people are bound by there own restrictions mentally, but in dreams I know that I am not. In real life only bound by the stupidity of those who think everything is black and white. That sounds odd, but it's the only explanation I have. I just will never be told how to think by anyone ever if it makes no sense, no matter who I'm being told by: God the law or an authority figure.

It works in my dreams, it always has another solution just as there is only one way of life that is your own, everything does in dreams to? I'm waffling now, but I really don't know why? I think it's something that can be learned, but it takes something to break your own mental chains. It's up to you. I think Feynman was someone who didn't like being told where his thoughts could go? I think I was born that way, probably a disadvantage. But sometimes it helps you to dream what you want?

Ha! So are you the kind of person who, when watching a movie, starts thinking of all the ways it could be better? I do that. It's really, really tough for me to "suspend disbelief", like you're supposed to do when you watch a movie.

I think it's just that my thinking mind is totally "off" when I dream.

 

[Evo]

Science dork that I am (even when I dream), I made sure that the tall towers were all oscillating at different frequencies, depending on the ratio of base width to height.

:rofl: That's just sick.

 

[lisab]

:rofl: That's just sick.

Ha! It was so cool and realistic, and there was this blue dust cloud rising up from the buildings falling down!

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Ha! So are you the kind of person who, when watching a movie, starts thinking of all the ways it could be better? I do that. It's really, really tough for me to "suspend disbelief", like you're supposed to do when you watch a movie.

I think it's just that my thinking mind is totally "off" when I dream.

Oh yeah, but I think most people do that. To be honest I don't know why some people can do it without any effort and some people can't, it's a mystery. I don't try and do it, what usually happens is if the dream becomes horrible, scary or there is just something that makes you realize you are dreaming, then you do a matrix, and suddenly you know kung fu or you can fly away from danger or whatever. It's quite a good thing I think because you very rarely have bad dreams, and if they are unsalvageable you can always just wake yourself up. The first time it happened I was being attacked by a lion, which I simply made disappear. Why it happened then I have no idea.

 

[tribdog]

Last night I dreamt that I moved into a new apartment which was inside a fish tank. My neighbor was Ted Danson and he kept singing "I'm Ted Danson, Ted Danson. This ain't no mansion."
What does that mean?
Edit: Oh and there was something about feeding apples to a carnivorous pony too.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Last night I dreamt that I moved into a new apartment which was inside a fish tank. My neighbor was Ted Danson and he kept singing "I'm Ted Danson, Ted Danson. This ain't no mansion."
What does that mean?
Edit: Oh and there was something about feeding apples to a carnivorous pony too.

It means you have weird dreams, or if you're a Freudian you have secret desires to sleep with Ted Danson, or if your a Jungian it reveals severe trauma from childhood and a fear of being trapped by your father. Perhaps your father was the sort of person who scrutinised everything you did (thus the fish tank symbolises you being trapped under his eye) Ted Danson is not relevant he simply indicates a figure you admire or see as important.

Or you could just have weird dreams, see I'm going to go with Occam's razor on this one.

 

[Vanir]

I do the same as you. I simply realize I am dreaming whilst asleep normally and can begin directing the dream. And I do that thing with the movies too, I'm worse with sequels of movies that I like, I always have a rough idea of how the story could continue and it the sequel is always a much worse version...except for Underworld 2, I liked that sequel. But I totally had a cool idea for Highlander 2 and they just messed that one up.

Occasionally I have an impression a dream is regarding information, and those I just spectate and think about later. They usually involve dealing with personal trials. If I already know what it's about I can drop a solution bomb on it, changing the dream.
I don't seem to dream or recall dreams so often in recent years, but sleep okay.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Highlander 2 has got to be one of the worst sequels in history, it just made no sense, and was lame. Mind you Highlander 3 wasn't much better. I'd forget any movie but Highlander actually existed; there can be only one!

Underworld was a fine movie, and Blade 1,2&3 broke the sequel curse. There are some movies I don't think I could have done any better on as sequels, sadly there are some movies that I could of done better on after having a full frontal lobotomy.

One of the first rules of remembering dreams is to get enough sleep. If you get less than you need the likelihood of remembering them becomes less. I have always tried to get enough sleep, because I think it's an important health consideration, but it's not always easy.

Interestingly dreams tend to become less violent or scary the longer you are asleep, so by the time you wake up they are usually quite placid or enjoyable. This makes sense to me, and often explains I think why you often wake up feeling refreshed and more optimistic even if you don't remember your dreams.

If I had to make a speculation I'd say dreams and sleep generally is an effective way of dealing with stress for many species, obviously this doesn't always work though.

 

[tribdog]

For the record, I have never in my entire life admired or wanted to sleep with Ted Danson.

 

[Vanir]

Come now tribdog, this is a science forum. I'm afraid that's not a decision you can make.

: D