I was talking to my good friend Lauren today about a bizarre dream she had last night and it got me thinking again about a subject that has been floating around the back of my brain as of late. She said that in general she usually doesn't remember her dreams. But that the times where she does remember them it is because she has thought about them during the day.
I've been asking some of my friends recently do they remember their dreams and the resounding answer seems to be no. This seems very odd to me because I usually remember at least part of my dream vividly the next day and usually for a long time after. Even if I get a good long nap I'll remember the dream that I had then to. I generally have dreams that are so complex and complicated that when I start to share them people look at me really weird. I can't help it if I'm the only one who is able to reactivate the national security defense system. Is it my fault that I was sent into France to infiltrate the Russian spy network that was trying to destroy the European economy. I thought not. So I took it to the internet (the ultimate source of truth to see what they had to say about remembering dreams. I found one interesting link http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/mindandbody/a/dreamcreate.htm. Which made me kinda happy because maybe I'm more creative than I thought.
I guess in my family we talk about our dreams a lot more than other people do. To get a little more unconventional than I have been, in my family especially my mom, we write down our dreams especially ones we think have some deeper significance. My mom has a dream book where she writes these down and sometimes she tells people about them. The weird part is when these dreams actually happen. My mom has weirded out a lot of her friends since sometimes it has taken months or years since she had the dream for them to happen. She will show them her book at the time and then remind them about when she told them when it happens. This has happened with me as well where I will dream something and then feel the need to tell someone about it. And then at some later time it will happen. Not exactly like my dream, but close enough to weird out my friends.
I've always wondered how this happens. My mom's explanation is that sometimes God will tell you things through your dreams that are meant for you to tell other people. I've always thought that (and this may sound a little new agey) people on some level are connected with each other, whether supernaturally or on some higher level of consciousness. And that some people are more "in tune" with this level of consciousness. And no I'm not talking about "The Force". Although I do love Star Wars. I learned how to read tarot cards a couple of years ago and for some reason I'm really good at it. Some people were asking me if I was psychic which I am not. But it made me think that maybe some people practice being more aware of what's going on with people in more non-verbal ways, which I like to do. I think maybe that could explain the dream thing too. Maybe it's something completely different from either what I think or what my mom thinks I don't know. Feel free to share your thoughts and as always, enjoy.
I am 50% Left Brain and 50% Right Brain. Interesting...
| You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained |
 Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports. |
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2 comments:
How interesting. I would definitely agree that some people are more in tune to some things (different spiritual or emotional realities) than others. I have heard stories and met people both within and outside the faith community. But I think it is also true that people are tuned into different realites- for instance, someone who is known to be spiritual would go somewhere and feel it to be a really peaceful place, while her spiritual friend would mention that she felt that it was a terrible and violent place. Or sometimes people who aren't "in tune" will have an observation that will turn out to be correct when those that are supposedly "in tune" won't feel anything. There is also the issue of self deception and convincing oneself of a feeling, and their have been sociological studies about normative group presure to do and feel things (interestingly, some of them focus on phenomena like speaking in tongues or giving prophecy, or being slain in the spirit as well as speaking words of knowledge). Anyway, all that to say that while I agree that such things exist, I don't believe everything that I'm told.
Dreams are interesting because there are numerous theories out there, many that work (meaning that they posit explanations that connect the dots of known reality adequately) for some people, but few that work for everyone. The thing is that none of them are scientifically conclusive (not even psychologically conclusive). Further, because they often involve "levels" of interpretation, it is difficult to hold them up to a standard to determine accuracy. For example, if I have a dream about raisins, someone could interpret that as meaning that I am headed for a long journey. If I don't take a long journey in the near future, the same person may say that another meaning is that I have now acquired some type of potentiality that will be manifest in force later. Well in 1.5 years I do go on a long journey, and they will say that they are right, on both counts. It is hard to prove or disprove something like that. There is also the matters of dreams that are forgotten, as well as all those dreams that we remember and don't pay a great deal of attention to. Then there is the issue of feedback, if we hear a particular interpretation, do we either pay more attention to events that could be inline with it, or even subtley change our behavior to bring about the predicted events?
There have developed in the last century (I believe) a method for "Lucid Dreaming," which involves journaling immediately upon waking up (most people actually remember at least some of their dreams immediately upon waking up, but then forget them soon after; there are various theories about why this is: shifting modes of consciousness, etc.). Anyway, I think one of the goals of lucid dreaming is to become conscious and able to control ones character within the dream (so that you can do what you want, and imbue yourself with super human qualiites).
Beyond Lucid Dreaming-type stuff (and predating it by several hundred years) is Tibetan dream yoga. It involves similar principles, but goes further towards explaining different dream states and how to manipulate them and use them to create conditions for buddhist practice. This is one of a famous set of practices known as the six yogas of Naropa. There is some interesting stuff on the internet, but one must be careful of who is writing and what is being written.
There was that girl in Acts who could tell the future and lost that ability but was liberated in the process. Sensitivity is perhaps a gift (sometimes a curse), but it is not the goal nor the primary means. If we regard it, we should assign it its proper weight and influence (which to me is not that much, at least when it is on its own). My two cents.
I wonder if salamanders dream about being able to breathe through their skin . . . oh wait, they can!
Anonymous:
I appreciate your "two cents" on the subject. You mentioned two things that I was thinking about at well. The first was about interpretations of a dream. For instance about the raisin. People can read all types of things into it. Give you various intepretations and then if one of them comes to fruition then they say, "See, I was right!". Although one of the dreams my mother had involved these people moving to a particular place in another state. Then through a weird set of events beyond their control they ended up there in the house my mom described with the same color. That's why it was weird. The other thing you mentioned was that sometimes if a person shares a dream with someone else this could affect that other person's behavior or attitude. They may try to go along the path that the person might have outlined. I know I have done this myself so it is completely possible. But as you say there is nothing conclusive on the subject.
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