The Meaning of Dreams

[Sir Eltor]

A note from Bill: This interesting post was made yesterday on my personal Q&A thread, here. I felt unable to respond with any real authority, so thought it might be valuable to copy it here to start a new thread in which everyone could offer their knowledge, experiences and views.



Hi Bill [... snipped...]

I'm really intrigued about dreams and am interested in your thoughts .

( at about the age of 7) I used to have a reoccurring "nightmare" of being chased and cornered, but suddenly after a handful of times i finally realized that i could flap my arms and escape, fly straight up and look down upon the perps at about a height of 50'. Every since that time, no more nightmares and have had flying dreams of soaring as fast as jets .

1) What do you make of being able to realize that you're dreaming ,inside the dream, and are able to control certain aspects while dreaming ?

2) Do you feel that while we dream, some incredibly vivid, that our subconscious gives us hints to unlocking mysteries of ourselves and humanity?

3) Have you ever encountered of having a certain, one person or entity, make the most cameos within all dreams you can ever recount of having?

4) Have you ever dreamed inside a dream? Wake up in a dream, only to find that you're still dreaming?

5) What is your personal fondest, craziest dream that has made you jot it down, being so significant ?

confession : I do have a reoccurring nightmare : being a student in junior high and always being the last kid in the hallways, stuck at my locker because i could never remember the lock combination. This would have me leave the school and take on new adventures . Guess you could actually see it as a blessing, now that i really think about it.

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Some recurring dreams from years ago.

1. I was back in school. Could not remember the schedule of which class to be in. (Reincarnation and lessons)

2. Reenlisted in the Marine Corp. In the air wing. Thinking this is not too bad, some of my friends are here. (Be of service)

3. Back in the Marine Corp. My uniform was not squared away. (??)

4. Walking along the sea shore during a storm with large threatening waves. Somehow I knew I would not be hurt. (Earth changes, financial collapse)

5. Snakes. I needed quick discernment if the snakes had poison. If the snakes had poison I would kill them. (Reptilian connections)

6. Flying dreams were always the best. (Freedom)

7. Looking for my car in a large parking lot. Having trouble finding it. (returning to this reality)

[RogueEllis]

Almost every night.

In my dreams I can not walk. And I know it is only a dream. So I will tell myself it's only a dream except 'Surprise!' I still can't walk! Thus realizing the dream inside the dream. When the dreams get too awful I am able to tell myself to kick hard enough, or even to lift my head up, and I can "break free" from the dream. I had to do that last night, as I dreamt I was thrown in a car trunk and needed to escape. At first I couldn't do it all the way, and could only get half-way out of the dream and only part-ways awake and back-in-bed. Then I kept trying and was able to lift my head and wake up. It's difficult sometimes. It take determination.

I am curious about this as well.

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Dreams within dreams. I was able to count 3 levels once. A few other times, only two.

[leavesoftrees]

Posted by RogueEllis (here)
Almost every night.

In my dreams I can not walk. And I know it is only a dream. So I will tell myself it's only a dream except 'Surprise!' I still can't walk! Thus realizing the dream inside the dream. When the dreams get too awful I am able to tell myself to kick hard enough, or even to lift my head up, and I can "break free" from the dream. I had to do that last night, as I dreamt I was thrown in a car trunk and needed to escape. At first I couldn't do it all the way, and could only get half-way out of the dream and only part-ways awake and back-in-bed. Then I kept trying and was able to lift my head and wake up. It's difficult sometimes. It take determination.

I am curious about this as well.

The fact that you are having this dream every night suggests that the subconscious mind is trying to get a message through to you. Is there a situation going on in your life where you feel trapped and paralyzed?
I was reading an article about dreams today where a man found that he had lost the ability to lucid dream. After considering this for a while he realized that he had been abusing his ability to get out of dream situations through becoming lucid. This meant that he wasn’t working through the situation that the dream was placing him in and was instead simply flying away.

[RogueEllis]

Posted by leavesoftrees (here)

Posted by RogueEllis (here)
Almost every night.

In my dreams I can not walk. And I know it is only a dream. So I will tell myself it's only a dream except 'Surprise!' I still can't walk! Thus realizing the dream inside the dream. When the dreams get too awful I am able to tell myself to kick hard enough, or even to lift my head up, and I can "break free" from the dream. I had to do that last night, as I dreamt I was thrown in a car trunk and needed to escape. At first I couldn't do it all the way, and could only get half-way out of the dream and only part-ways awake and back-in-bed. Then I kept trying and was able to lift my head and wake up. It's difficult sometimes. It take determination.

I am curious about this as well.

The fact that you are having this dream every night suggests that the subconscious mind is trying to get a message through to you. Is there a situation going on in your life where you feel trapped and paralyzed?
I was reading an article about dreams today where a man found that he had lost the ability to lucid dream. After considering this for a while he realized that he had been abusing his ability to get out of dream situations through becoming lucid. This meant that he wasn’t working through the situation that the dream was placing him in and was instead simply flying away.

Yes, actually and wow, because that makes a lot of sense. Do you think if I cure what ails me in real life, then what ails me in dream life will be cured?

[Rosemarie]

When I was in my early twenties I had for a whole week a dream that all my teeth fell from my mouth. Somewhere I read it meant death. So in a time before internet I could not google it to know if it was truth or not. My father flew airplanes and helicopters and I was just waiting for a call to tell me he has died ..... one morning I got a long distance call from San Francisco and this good friend told me my future husbands brother had killed himself. I never had that dream again. coincidence ?

Now that I can google what it could have meant it says anything from an inferiority complex ( never ever ) worrying about saying the wrong thing, somebody in my family sick (no) not sure about my physical appearance ( never ) getting old ? ( i was 22 so I din’t think so.

When I was very young I used to dream I was in a skateboard and it did not stop. I used to wake up tired.

Lately I am dreaming constantly but I do not remember what I dream, but I know there are several dreams each night because I wake up lots of times. One day I dreamt I was WALKING from one tree canopy to another.

I have had one lucid dream lately. Would love more.

[Ratszinger]

Posted by Sir Eltor (here)
A note from Bill: This interesting post was made yesterday on my personal Q&A thread, here. I felt unable to respond with any real authority, so thought it might be valuable to copy it here to start a new thread in which everyone could offer their knowledge, experiences and views.



Hi Bill [... snipped...]

I'm really intrigued about dreams and am interested in your thoughts .

( at about the age of 7) I used to have a reoccurring "nightmare" of being chased and cornered, but suddenly after a handful of times i finally realized that i could flap my arms and escape, fly straight up and look down upon the perps at about a height of 50'. Every since that time, no more nightmares and have had flying dreams of soaring as fast as jets .

1) What do you make of being able to realize that you're dreaming ,inside the dream, and are able to control certain aspects while dreaming ?

2) Do you feel that while we dream, some incredibly vivid, that our subconscious gives us hints to unlocking mysteries of ourselves and humanity?

3) Have you ever encountered of having a certain, one person or entity, make the most cameos within all dreams you can ever recount of having?

4) Have you ever dreamed inside a dream? Wake up in a dream, only to find that you're still dreaming?

5) What is your personal fondest, craziest dream that has made you jot it down, being so significant ?

confession : I do have a reoccurring nightmare : being a student in junior high and always being the last kid in the hallways, stuck at my locker because i could never remember the lock combination. This would have me leave the school and take on new adventures . Guess you could actually see it as a blessing, now that i really think about it.

It is all dream! Every last part of it mental, 'Gods' dream if you will. I once had a vision, no, dream, no astral travel? I really don't know. I was aware of this light! I saw and felt the presence of this great light so intense, so resonant it was shaking me and I felt I would vibrate apart and as it neared I had no choice but to bow down before it. I recall asking out loud as I did this, "Are you part of my dream or am I part of yours?" And it answered "" and I woke up on my bed in a cold sweat already sitting up in bed.

Years later someone recommended a book titled the Tibetan Yogas Of Dream and Sleep and in the first chapter it begins, "This is all dream" It sounds to me like what you did was face your own demons of your own making. I had to do the same as a young man often waking on the ceiling looking down on myself. I would tell myself it is just dream. I have come to the realization that we are something that is aware! We can say this much for certain that I am sure of, yes we are something. Something that dreams and is aware of this. God is something also that dreams and is aware of it through our awareness I believe. So in effect we are all something that dreams that is aware just like God because we are God.

I think we are actually in the sleeping stage now and that we are more awake in what we here call sleep to be honest. I know I have a entire circle and friends and even a lover in my 'other life' there anyway.

[Peter UK]

Posted by Rosemarie (here)
When I was in my early twenties I had for a whole week a dream that all my teeth fell from my mouth. Somewhere I read it meant death. So in a time before internet I could not google it to know if it was truth or not. My father flew airplanes and helicopters and I was just waiting for a call to tell me he has died ..... one morning I got a long distance call from San Francisco and this good friend told me my future husbands brother had killed himself. I never had that dream again. coincidence ?

Now that I can google what it could have meant it says anything from an inferiority complex ( never ever ) worrying about saying the wrong thing, somebody in my family sick (no) not sure about my physical appearance ( never ) getting old ? ( i was 22 so I din’t think so.

I would say the most likely interpretation is being unwise in a given situation. For instance your future husbands brother killing himself may not have been the wise choice. That message or communication I would suggest was picked up by you because you were able to be receptive to it without significant distortion. Symbolically teeth could be said to pertain to wisdom.

[Peter UK]

Posted by Sir Eltor (here)
What do you make of being able to realize that you're dreaming ,inside the dream, and are able to control certain aspects while dreaming ?

Lucid dreaming. It's a well known phenomenon with a lot of documentation and research. Stephen LaBerge has done a lot of work in this field.

[Sue (Ayt)]

Once during an afternoon nap, I got stuck in the strangest loop of false awakenings. I thought I got up from the nap and went to the front door to get the mail, and then suddenly realized that I was still on the couch napping. It was quite "real". But I did need to get up as I had things to do, so I sighed and got up (again?) to get the mail and got to the front door again, and same thing again! Still on the couch napping. I tried to force myself to actually get up, and again, thought that I did. Same thing. Five time this happened, and I was getting very frustrated as I really had to get up, and really thought that I was up. Five times. I guess these are called "false awakenings", but it was becoming rather scary after the first time.

[louisecroukamp]

From a very young age I started having a recurring dream that I was in shark infested water. I was usually alone in the middle of the ocean and surrounded by dark water. Sharks would always be nearby.

On some occasions I was saving other people from the sharks and trying to outsmart them.

Although they always feel threatening in the dreams, never once was I harmed or attacked, although I was chased a few times, I was never caught or bitten.

I still have these dreams to this day and I always had a major fear of Sharks. But I am an animal activist and I've done protests against the shark fin industry and I care deeply for them.

I am currently arranging a shark dive for next winter so that I can try to get over my fear of them and make friends once and for all.

I always said that it has something to do with my past life. I feel strongly that I may have been killed by a shark before, or that I may be killed by one in this life, like maybe it is a warning... Not too sure!

[Peter UK]

Posted by louisecroukamp (here)
From a very young age I started having a recurring dream that I was in shark infested water. I was usually alone in the middle of the ocean and surrounded by dark water. Sharks would always be nearby.

On some occasions I was saving other people from the sharks and trying to outsmart them.

Although they always feel threatening in the dreams, never once was I harmed or attacked, although I was chased a few times, I was never caught or bitten.

I still have these dreams to this day and I always had a major fear of Sharks. But I am an animal activist and I've done protests against the shark fin industry and I care deeply for them.

I am currently arranging a shark dive for next winter so that I can try to get over my fear of them and make friends once and for all.

I always said that it has something to do with my past life. I feel strongly that I may have been killed by a shark before, or that I may be killed by one in this life, like maybe it is a warning... Not too sure!

Could these sharks represent aspects of yourself that are emotionally charged?

[louisecroukamp]

It's very possible, highly likely actually. I'm an empath a feel every little thing on an extremely deep level, there may be a very strong connection between these sharks and my emotional state!

[Peter UK]

Posted by RogueEllis (here)
Almost every night.

In my dreams I can not walk. And I know it is only a dream. So I will tell myself it's only a dream except 'Surprise!' I still can't walk! Thus realizing the dream inside the dream. When the dreams get too awful I am able to tell myself to kick hard enough, or even to lift my head up, and I can "break free" from the dream. I had to do that last night, as I dreamt I was thrown in a car trunk and needed to escape. At first I couldn't do it all the way, and could only get half-way out of the dream and only part-ways awake and back-in-bed. Then I kept trying and was able to lift my head and wake up. It's difficult sometimes. It take determination.

I am curious about this as well.

Is it possible that this is about not being able to walk away from rather than not being able to walk?

[Ratszinger]

Posted by RogueEllis (here)
Almost every night.

In my dreams I can not walk. And I know it is only a dream. So I will tell myself it's only a dream except 'Surprise!' I still can't walk! Thus realizing the dream inside the dream. When the dreams get too awful I am able to tell myself to kick hard enough, or even to lift my head up, and I can "break free" from the dream. I had to do that last night, as I dreamt I was thrown in a car trunk and needed to escape. At first I couldn't do it all the way, and could only get half-way out of the dream and only part-ways awake and back-in-bed. Then I kept trying and was able to lift my head and wake up. It's difficult sometimes. It take determination.

I am curious about this as well.

My sister was doing this when her daughter Holly got out of control and she couldn't do anything to control her. Nearly every night Cathy would dream this and talk of being locked up unable to hit someone or unable to walk, unable to get up out of bed, or from a chair. I forget all of them. The day Holly was arrested for changing a prescription for pain pills to try to get more pills and they took her to jail it all stopped. While Holly was jailed she slept like a baby. Holly got out a brief time, the dreams started again. Trial can sentence and she got five years and Cathy slept like a baby for five years. Holly gets out of prison the dreams start again and a gal on the radio of all places put it together for her on some morning talk show that the emotional lock up and inability to help her daughter was the reason for her dreams. Something in her daily life was emotionally locking her up and she was unable to express the stress so it translated this way at night. Anyway it sounds similar to me to Cathy. I somehow missed this yesterday but today it struck me that perhaps something in your daily life is behind yours too! Something going on a lot like the dream practically daily that is out of control in your daily life or that you can't budge and so you take it to bed with you maybe? Just a thought.

[RogueEllis]

Wow. Both of these insights I've never considered and they could both be true! I'm so glad this thread exists. I get prescribed a sleep medicalization and a medicine that is supposed to help with nightmares but this is actually digging at the problem firsthand it feels. Thanks guys, I really appreciate the feedback.

[Peter UK]

Posted by Sir Eltor (here)
Do you feel that while we dream, some incredibly vivid, that our subconscious gives us hints to unlocking mysteries of ourselves and humanity?

Posted by 161803398 (here)
I had a recurring dream when I was a child and before I went to school. I am standing in a yellow apartment. The apartment has 2 rooms and a hallway. The first room has old books and a table. Everything is made of wood. In the middle is a hallway with an old style telephone on the wall. The hallway leads to the living room where there is a big glass window. Looking out I can see a huge field of green grass and tall white buildings in the distance. Its very sunny outside. I start off in the living room and walk from there to the odd triangular shaped room with books. I am there when the telephone rings. I answer and a woman's voice asks if a particular woman is there. On hearing the woman's name, I become terrified. I wake up. I am terrified as long as I remember the woman's name.

I used to ask people what they thought that dream meant. Only a few years ago, a friend of mine who is quite brilliant said past life (room with books), present life ("living" room - get it?) and future (looking out the window at the tall buildings in the distance). I was surprised that I didn't figure that out myself.

I would say that's a fairly proficient answer to the question.

[bettye198]

Just two nights ago I had a dream within a dream. I think, perhaps it is a way for our subconscious or even superconscious to remember the message, if there is one to discern. Same as repetitive dream in same night. In the dream which is insignificant to explain, I knew I was dreaming and also knew the next step of the last action I took. That was weird of course but regardless, it alluded more to something I needed to remember. Maybe that is why we grew to love the movie Inception which alludes to that concept. Anything to make us think that this reality is an illusion, huh?

[Ernie Nemeth]

I've had so many prophetic dreams that I've lost count. Trouble is they did not all come to pass. Worse, there was no way to know the difference. It was confusing to say the least.

My solution, as always, was to reject dreaming altogether. To my way of thinking, this life is a dream, a very vivid dream, and at night when we sleep we're actually awake in our real, eternal lives. So dreaming, I determined, was merely practice for the 'real' thing - this 'life' when we 'wake'. Why would I want to practice the art of delusion? I'd rather shape my reality by some semblance of truth.

I don't dream anymore. What I do is grind my teeth to compensate, I think. Do you know how much tooth you can grind away in 20 years? I do.