Dreaming...

[joal0503]

I find it difficult...at times dreams are emotional, powerful experiences...but other times they can prove to be absolute nonsense my brain spits out...

I started as a youth, I had dreams, I had nightmares, never really thought much about it.

And then I sort of dabbled with dreaming, attempted techniques to try to induce lucid dreaming. Specifically http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats. I have a pretty decent sound system rigged up, with some higher end audiophile equipment, so I thought what the hell? Ill give it a shot.

I was most definitely a skeptic. I didn't expect much, and assumed it was just silly nonsense. But after about a week of training myself with the tones, and getting a sleeping pattern consistent (which is terribly hard for somebody like me)...it started to have its effects. At one point, I could go to bed and expect to dream, I was dreaming on schedule, for about the first 3 days of the work week, I KNEW there was going to be heavy, lucid dreams, ...and it lasted for about 3 months of this sort of pattern.

Now what exactly I experienced, retained, and still remember...Im not going to divulge that (you probably think im crazy enough at this point)...but it was just highly interesting. I ended up quitting the regiment after the extended 3 months of dreaming...havent gone back, so occasionally ill get a few dreams here or there..but nothing ever quite like I did in the past.

I've known several people who have meaningless dreams, those who cant dream at all, those who simply dont remember what they do dream...

Experiences, thoughts, memorable ones?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXkAURgCV6Y

 

[TriflinThomas]

I have a hard time separating my dreams from my memories because my dreams are so lifelike. It's like bits and pieces of my dreams (not the entire dream) that get mistaken for memories. Also, doxylamine succinate (it's an otc sleeping aid) gives crazy dreams; the dreams are rooted in reality (read: stuff you've done the past couple days) but they're, for lack of a better word, slightly schizophrenic.

 

[IdeasNotTheProblem]

I have a hard time separating my dreams from my memories because my dreams are so lifelike. It's like bits and pieces of my dreams (not the entire dream) that get mistaken for memories. Also, doxylamine succinate (it's an otc sleeping aid) gives crazy dreams; the dreams are rooted in reality (read: stuff you've done the past couple days) but they're, for lack of a better word, slightly schizophrenic.

I often confuse actual memories with those from a dream. So much so, that I tend to attribute a lot of Deja Vu feelings to dreams I've had in the past, maybe of a similar situation/scenario/setting.

 

[joal0503]

Ive used a lot of sleeping aids over the years, cant say Ive ever come across any drug that actively induces lucid dreams...However, something thats sort of strange to note, taking AWAY a certain substance in my routine DOES have a tremendous effect..As a cannabis user...ive found that the times i take an extended break, i have extremely vivid dreams.

cannabis sort of blends reality with dreams on a conscious level...you take it away, the brain gets all confused? Not sure exactly what the neuroscience behind it is all about, all I know is that its a fairly common experience among heavy users.

As far as confusing dreams from real life...I dont think ive ever woken up and still felt like dreaming...but theres definitely been times when I know Im back in reality but simply CANT shake teh feelings/emotions generated from the dream Ive just had.

 

[TriflinThomas]

As a cannabis user...ive found that the times i take an extended break, i have extremely vivid dreams.

The only good thing about running out of weed ^

 

[INeedToPee]

taking AWAY a certain substance in my routine DOES have a tremendous effect..As a cannabis user...ive found that the times i take an extended break, i have extremely vivid dreams.

cannabis sort of blends reality with dreams on a conscious level...you take it away, the brain gets all confused? Not sure exactly what the neuroscience behind it is all about, all I know is that its a fairly common experience among heavy users.

i read somewhere that cannabis inhibits REM sleep, which is the period of sleep where dreams occur, so that could be it

 

[joal0503]

i read somewhere that cannabis inhibits REM sleep, which is the period of sleep where dreams occur, so that could be it

based off my limited knowledge, that sounds like it would make sense

 

[Puffy]

Fortunately, I don't have trouble remembering a dream every night or two, if I stay in the habit of trying to recall it as soon as I wake.

I'm quite confident that dreams are largely composed of memories. Every time I have a new experience it finds its way into dreams shortly thereafter, where it wasn't there before. I used to watch television/ play video-games for 8+ hours a day growing up which I majorly regret, as nearly every dream I have ends up involving a tv/video-game trope/scenario of some kind. It has the feeling to me of banalising something very beautiful. I spent a lot of time now trying to free myself from such artificial mediations.

Dreams seem largely personal to me, and rarely worth sharing. Just work through the associations, jarring juxtapositions, and see what meaning seems to coincide with your present situation. Usually enlightening, even if the meaning is just me bouncing off nonsense.

 

[SinChroniCity]

I often confuse actual memories with those from a dream. So much so, that I tend to attribute a lot of Deja Vu feelings to dreams I've had in the past, maybe of a similar situation/scenario/setting.

I do that quite a bit as well. For me it's like a familiar feeling, but I can't put my finger on it. Like a situational familiarity, but not for specific things.

I've only experienced lucid dreaming twice in my life, but both times were incredible; feelings of infinite possibility, the ability to fly, etc. However, now it seems that when I gain awareness in a dream, I just wake up.

Back when I waited tables, I used to regularly experience what I call the 'server nightmare'. I would find myself in a work situation that was high pressure, high expectations, but I could never get anything done. No matter what, I could not get my shit together and there was a constant feeling of dread and stress that spiraled downward, until finally I would wake up. Being a server wasn't always easy with an introverted personality, but overall, I think it was good for me. In some ways I actually enjoyed the stress during a rush, there's no time to think. I wonder why my mind would reproduce all that stress in a dream, but with no means to deal with it.

When I used nicotine patches to quit smoking, I had some VERY vivid dreams, there's even a warning about it on the box.

 

[ccmbeast]

I find it difficult...at times dreams are emotional, powerful experiences...but other times they can prove to be absolute nonsense my brain spits out...

I started as a youth, I had dreams, I had nightmares, never really thought much about it.

And then I sort of dabbled with dreaming, attempted techniques to try to induce lucid dreaming. Specifically http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats. I have a pretty decent sound system rigged up, with some higher end audiophile equipment, so I thought what the hell? Ill give it a shot.

I was most definitely a skeptic. I didn't expect much, and assumed it was just silly nonsense. But after about a week of training myself with the tones, and getting a sleeping pattern consistent (which is terribly hard for somebody like me)...it started to have its effects. At one point, I could go to bed and expect to dream, I was dreaming on schedule, for about the first 3 days of the work week, I KNEW there was going to be heavy, lucid dreams, ...and it lasted for about 3 months of this sort of pattern.

Now what exactly I experienced, retained, and still remember...Im not going to divulge that (you probably think im crazy enough at this point)...but it was just highly interesting. I ended up quitting the regiment after the extended 3 months of dreaming...havent gone back, so occasionally ill get a few dreams here or there..but nothing ever quite like I did in the past.

I've known several people who have meaningless dreams, those who cant dream at all, those who simply dont remember what they do dream...

Experiences, thoughts, memorable ones?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXkAURgCV6Y

You realize, to not dream at all would drive a human insane?
But you've got me interested in this Binaural beats method. Might give it a go.

I have two reoccuring themes in my dreams that I remember. One is this scroll. In one that I remember quite well, I was four wheel driving safari style over some rainforesty place with a group of people close to me (not sure if friends or family) and I had this scroll I had to protect. I remember we got lost, and I led the way to a cave. Everybody was looking around the cave walls as if we were tryingto find something specific, when I found a rock movable in a lever-ish way. I grasped the rock and dragged it down, and we found an entrance into this space. It was just a blue sky with cloud floors. We travelled by these small cloud things to a cloud room, which was like a flat cloud with a slightly hollowed out center where there were switch boards and small flashing lights. And there was this constant feeling of danger though everything looked really safe. Anyway, I never reached my destination （I knew not where it was, but it felt urgent and related to the scroll)
It was a very vivid dream, and I don't know why.

I have a moment that has kind or reoccured, but it's been different each time.
It's set in my primary school on a bit of limestone wall I used to climb on as a child. Anyway, there's this huge rock there (IRL as well) and I have to pass it.
The first time managed to scale the front of it (on the more 'dangerous' side, where there was a short drop), but the second time, as I considered climbing around the back, or over the top this time, a bunch of children suddenly ran in frot of me, and I was woken up before I had a chance to move forward.

I could give you more dreams, but I feel this is cloggy enough already (Y)

Edit: I also have no problem discearning dreams and memories. Except for one week, I kept thinking things had already happened IRL, when really I'd actually dreamt it.

 

[ccmbeast]

Fortunately, I don't have trouble remembering a dream every night or two, if I stay in the habit of trying to recall it as soon as I wake.

I'm quite confident that dreams are largely composed of memories. Every time I have a new experience it finds its way into dreams shortly thereafter, where it wasn't there before. I used to watch television/ play video-games for 8+ hours a day growing up which I majorly regret, as nearly every dream I have ends up involving a tv/video-game trope/scenario of some kind. It has the feeling to me of banalising something very beautiful. I spent a lot of time now trying to free myself from such artificial mediations.

Dreams seem largely personal to me, and rarely worth sharing. Just work through the associations, jarring juxtapositions, and see what meaning seems to coincide with your present situation. Usually enlightening, even if the meaning is just me bouncing off nonsense.

It's true, you mind cannot 'create' faces, but rather pulls them out of your memory whether you've seen the person once for a moment, of hundreds of times.
I also believe they are mostly consisted of memorys and left over/waste/side thoughts. I'm pretty open to any other theories too, as long as there is a logical argument supporting.
I love trying to find connections between my dreams and my current situations. And I find dreams pretty fascinating in general :3

 

[snafupants]

The last four nights I haven't been having very pleasant or interesting dreams. Oh well.

 

[Tinted Chaos]

I think that dreams are a combination of memories and emotions that the brain is trying to work through. I've had very vivid dreams my whole life and have always had an interest in them. To me they represent what my subconscious is working through.

Like SinChroniCity, I have had the weird stress related dreams about work. One in particular stands out where I woke up in my bed and people from work suddenly came in and started setting up for the day. (I work in film so they were setting up a film set all around me) I giggle about it now, but when I woke up that morning I was definitely freaked out.

There have also been moments when I would recall a brief memory and realize later that it was from a dream. This has been a more recent phenomenon as lately my dreams are very rooted in reality.

 

[DrSketchpad]

I've had several lucid dreams all of which had occurred before I was 10. Unfortunately at the time, I had no Idea what was capable with lucid dreams and always woke myself after becoming lucid. After learning what lucid dreams actually were, I haven't been able to have one yet ....

I haven't seen a reoccurring theme or object in my dreams yet, I mostly blame my inconsistent sleep schedule.

 

[Arc.Demi]

you may think am a bit crazy but ill say it any way ..
we have this theory in here that is not really logical but i do believe parts of it

it says that when you sleep a part of your soul leaves your body and go wondering in the past, present, future and even high in heavens and for that reason we see clips and pieces of the past, people we saw in the street in some random day of our life or people who passed away and for the same reason " Deja Vu" happens ..

what i believe is this next part ..
they say that dead people can connect to the living only via dreams ..
( it sounds even weirder but please bear with me )
i had this dream 1 week after my grandfather died , i was so young ( about 6 maybe )
so i cant say i dreamed him cause i missed him or cause am sad .. i was just worried cause my mother was so depressed and gloomy ..

he was standing in an all white room with this white robe and his beard got longer ( and yeah it was white ) ) his face was so bright as he smiled it was like he was telling me he's okay and not to worry .. i gave him back a smile and that dream ended

i had many other similar dreams and so do my mom and older sister, the people we dream about wont talk but their faces looked so real and full with meanings .. id wake up after such a dream having a different feeling than the usual dreams i have ..
so i was wondering it might have some logic in it somehow after all

( or maybe i was just possessed by something )

In here we believe that dreams and their meanings got allot to do with relegion and qura'an's words and meanings and that god wanted to give us a messege about somthing especially the dreams we have in the last quarter of the night ..

However since allot of u dont believe in god u can skip this last part but please tell me what u think about the theory above

 

[Cognisant]

Had a great dream last night, the most coherent part had me in a room with no air and low gravity, my body was mechanical and about halfway through assembly, the room itself is completely metal, dark with blue LEDs, there was machinery everywhere but the room was too dark for me to see properly. I felt at peace and patiently waited until a technician in a pressurised suit came along and attached me to the ceiling via a cable and gave me a memory stick which I slotted into my left arm, I then knew (having accessed the USB) that the cable was my power supply, I wasn't to touch it, and that I should head off towards the next room where my assembly will be completed. Now walking for what seems the first time (the USB told me how) I was heading down a hallway until I came to a junction, I could have kept going straight like I was supposed to but instead I detached myself from the power supply (immediately a timer appeared in the corner of my vision to indicate the few minutes I had to reattach myself) and headed up a narrow staircase into a brightly lit room with people in it. More technicians, no pressure suits, they seems unconcerned about my presence indeed if anything a little bemused by my curiosity, they were working on various things, one guy's scalp was metal with wires sticking out of it in clumps like spiky hair, I walked about investigating their projects feeling like a child that's been allowed somewhere they don't belong. Eventually my timer came down to it's final seconds, I was suddenly overcome with exhaustion, and at that point someone caught me before I fell over and the last thing I was aware of was the sensation of being unhurriedly carried back down the stairs.

 

[Duxwing]

Had a great dream last night, the most coherent part had me in a room with no air and low gravity, my body was mechanical and about halfway through assembly, the room itself is completely metal, dark with blue LEDs, there was machinery everywhere but the room was too dark for me to see properly. I felt at peace and patiently waited until a technician in a pressurised suit came along and attached me to the ceiling via a cable and gave me a memory stick which I slotted into my left arm, I then knew (having accessed the USB) that the cable was my power supply, I wasn't to touch it, and that I should head off towards the next room where my assembly will be completed. Now walking for what seems the first time (the USB told me how) I was heading down a hallway until I came to a junction, I could have kept going straight like I was supposed to but instead I detached myself from the power supply (immediately a timer appeared in the corner of my vision to indicate the few minutes I had to reattach myself) and headed up a narrow staircase into a brightly lit room with people in it. More technicians, no pressure suits, they seems unconcerned about my presence indeed if anything a little bemused by my curiosity, they were working on various things, one guy's scalp was metal with wires sticking out of it in clumps like spiky hair, I walked about investigating their projects feeling like a child that's been allowed somewhere they don't belong. Eventually my timer came down to it's final seconds, I was suddenly overcome with exhaustion, and at that point someone caught me before I fell over and the last thing I was aware of was the sensation of being unhurriedly carried back down the stairs.

You should turn that into a short story and see the critics fly into a frenzy; I loved it.

-Duxwing

 

[Cognisant]

Thanks.

But I don't know how it ends XD