The first thing you should do when you realize you're dreaming is smile (subconsciously, of course). Because things are about to get really interesting.
It's what happened to me a couple of nights ago when I went to bed around 3am after having taken a 3-hour nap in the late afternoon. (Really, not a good idea for sleeping patterns. Although I don't regret what it did to my dreaming patterns.)
One of my favorite things to do in dreamland is flying. So, given the opportunity (and the right dream setting) I fly as much as I possibly can. But this time, it was actually flying, or rather a sense of floating or weightlessness, that actually tipped me off to the fact that I was, in fact, not awake. Because you can't actually fly (or float) in real life. Duh.
Okay, I thought to myself, let's have some fun with this. So, I proceeded to do my darndest to try to influence the reality of my dream. Oddly enough, I was only partially successful. I wanted to fly (or float) and so I did, but I was only able to fly (or float) around some really dull stairwell type things (although being able to fly around in them was much better than, say, walking around on them).
Second, I really, really wanted to dream that I was being kissed. Really, really well. By someone really, really hot. Unfortunately, I just couldn't seem to conjure anyone up. I just kind of floated around these stairwells and accidentally set fire to the stove of a boss I had a few years ago. (Sorry, Marsha! That part, I assure you, was not intentional.)
So, I learned a valuable lesson during this dream session: even when you should be able to manipulate your reality into anything you can dream up (ha! 'dream up?' get it? aha...oh, nevermind) that doesn't necessarily mean that you actually can. Because I couldn't. I mean, I could a little, but not entirely.
So what does this mean for waking life? Maybe that dreaming, while beguiling, isn't really the place to find full satisfaction (i.e. kisses from hot boys)? Or perhaps that manipulating reality is something best left to non-mortal and not-unconscious folks? Or that flying/floating is really the best way to travel around boring stairwells?
Whatever it is, it was an entertaining night. And it makes me wish, oh so fervently, that I could know I was dreaming every night.
Because maybe my kissingly-hot boy conjuring would improve with practice.
6 comments:
I've never had a dream where I could fly well. It's always, "wow, I can fly! Let's take a break and come back." so when I come back to flying, I can't do it anymore. It is SO UNFAIR!
Anyways.
There's a name for being able to control your dreams. I can't remember what it's called, but it's in my notes from psychology last year. They've done tests on making people aware they are dreaming whilst asleep. Often when you know you're dreaming, it doesn't last long. Your body makes you wake up.
I'm not sure you really want physically realistic dreams. In my experience, they tend to be something I'd definitely prefer NOT to remember. Inhibitions tend to be gone in dreamland, right and wrong redefined (or at least our ability to act rightly), and in general I think it's a can of worms that is much more comfortable when it's closed.
On a happier note, I love dreams of flying. I've had so many and such realistic ones (particularly as a child) that a portion of me believes that I really could do it while waking too.
Funny - my dream-flying has gotten better over the years. For some reason when I was younger, I'd have dreams where I knew I was SUPPOSED to be able to fly, but I could never manage to get more than a few inches off the ground. Very frustrating.
Fortunately, when I dream about flying these days I can do it fairly effortlessly. Which I appreciate, because it is dang fun. So Nerd Goddess, there is hope. (P.S. You have a way cool name.)
I don't know what everyone else is talking about. I really can fly! Peter pan is a very good friend of mine. *dashes off to neverland*
Cathy, you're absolutely right. I've been downright embarrassed by some of the things I've done in dreams, which brings up the interesting question: how accountable are we for actions we take in dreams? I hope not very.
I hope not, either, but I still usually tell the Lord I'm sorry just in case. :)
I think some of my questionable dream behavior is how I would act in life if I didn't have moral restraints (e.g. I might lose my temper at a dream person, when in real life I'd work to keep it in check). However, I think other questionable choices just part of the bizarre scenarios we don't think to question in dreams.
In those cases, I sometimes accept behavior or circumstances as normal at first, then later I or another dream person will start to question whether that's really OK. It's as if deep down I know something is wrong, but I temporarily forget.
In the next life, I'm really curious to know how this whole dream thing works.
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