Dreaming memories

[Buttercup]

A rarity for me, but I did dream memories last night: Of doctors I worked for at age 25. They were exactly [looks, dress, mannerisms, voice/inflections] as I recall in waking.

In the dream I was newly hired. The daily routine played itself out. Even the morning sunshine en route to work and humidity in the air were felt in the dream.

The only difference was the office layout. I didn't recognize it, and in the dream realized [puzzled] that -- but ignored it and went on with work.

It was like reliving that job and being 25 again, lol.

You?

[pzkpfw]

I get the reverse...

I don't always remember my dreams when i wake up, but sometimes when I do, I remember having dreamed them before (or at least had dreams in the same "setting"; e.g. I'm sure I've dreamed of being in the same combined car wrecking yard and apple orchard more than once.).

[Then again, it could be a false memory - a kind of deja-vu thing.]

[closetgeek]

That always happens to me when I dream about houses. There is always some secret passage to a whole new wing to my house, that I never knew was there before. For some reason I never question that.

To dream of being 25 again though? How nice that must have been...oh wait, at 25 my kids were 5, 3, and 2...can I go younger?

[Buttercup]

Lol! Sure, closetgeek -- if you please.

A few years ago I dreamed of being 12 again. It was a beautiful summer day in my hometown, running with friends in a favorite store to buy candy or whatever.

[Josh]

I have two weird dream stories. I was sitting in a subway a couple of years ago with some mates. I'm pretty sure we were attempting to eat our height in subway ... but I digress ...

We were sitting there and I had the strongest feeling of deja vu and said so to my friends. Usually, deja vu episodes last a second or less ... but this kept on going. I said "I've dreamed this". One of my friends gave his theory on what deja vu was ... all very scientific. I said "Yeah, but I can tell you what's going to happen next. An asian guy will walk through the door." ... we all looked up and a few seconds later an asian guy walked around the corner and into the store. Very strange.

Another incident ... which is actually one of the weirdest things to ever happen in my life also started in a dream. When I was very young, living in New Zealand, I had a recurring dream ... or nightmare ... where my father and I were kidnapped by pirates (in Oriental Bay in Wellington, New Zealand - a vertiable pirate hot spot). It was always storming. We always managed to escape by jumping overboard. We'd try to swim to shore but I always woke up before we made it. In every dream, we were always chased by one particular pirate who, everytime, almost cut us down with a sword. Fast Forward to Australia ... i'm 20 years old (so that's 11 years ago) walking down the street. I look up and right in front of me is the face of that pirate. He looks older but I'm certain it's the same face. He looked like he was homeless. I can only imagine what my face looked like ... like i'd seen a ghost. And here's the strange bit ... He keeps walking towards me .. looks at me and stops .. also looks like he's seen a ghost and says in an accusing voice, "YOU!" Then he rambles something incoherent and walks off without paying me any more attention.

I'm still trying to figure an explanation out for that one.

[Josh]

And while those were both weird instances of dreaming .. my weirdest dream to date would have to be one I had a few months ago.

I dreamt I was an orange ... sitting in a fruit bowl. No moving, no nothing. Just there ... being an orange.

[closetgeek]

I had a dream once that John Lithgow stole my purse. That was pretty weird.

Buttercup, when I have the back to school dreams, everyone else is the child version of them, that I remember, but I am always the age I am now. How nice of a dream that must have been. Occassionally, I will have a dream that I am back in the house where I grew up. It's always summer and even in my dreams I can smell the blackberry bushes. I miss that, when the air smelled like honeysuckles, and especially around mid July when it smelled like cucumbers. Too bad most of the time, all I smell around here is the sulfur from the sprinklers.

[Buttercup]

Josh: I dreamt I was an orange ... sitting in a fruit bowl. No moving, no nothing. Just there ... being an orange.

Wow. I don't recall hearing of a dream like that before.

Closetgeek:I had a dream once that John Lithgow stole my purse. That was pretty weird.

Lol! I dreamed once that William Shatner kissed me. Passionate, like Rhett and Scarlet!

Occassionally, I will have a dream that I am back in the house where I grew up. It's always summer and even in my dreams I can smell the blackberry bushes. I miss that, when the air smelled like honeysuckles, and especially around mid July when it smelled like cucumbers.

It's said that the sense of smell is rarest in dreams.

[raptorthang]

What I find as an adult is I never have nightmares. Dreams will involve stress or anxiety but never overwhelming fear. I might be 'sort of' scared...being shot at or there's an air raid, etc. Usually, however, just awkward situations...didn't attend class all year and it's the final test....traded our house for a run down shack...forgot to feed the hamster since 'whenever' ...find myself flying a jet fighter when I have no idea what to do.., etc. I could be in high school, in university...especially back in the army but usually the same feeling of inadequacy...everyone is in uniform and I'm in my pajamas trying to find parts my uniform and so on

The one written by closetgeek about a passageway in the house is one I've had also. Except in my dreams it's very narrow and has to be squeezed into...usually by standing on a chair and then getting as flat as possible to fit through.

-never been an orange and never been an orange kissed by Captain Kirk

[Gemini]

I dreamed I borrowed Adam Baldwin's lighter. I don't think I returned it.

[jokergirl]

I get the reverse...

I don't always remember my dreams when i wake up, but sometimes when I do, I remember having dreamed them before (or at least had dreams in the same "setting"; e.g. I'm sure I've dreamed of being in the same combined car wrecking yard and apple orchard more than once.).

[Then again, it could be a false memory - a kind of deja-vu thing.]

I don't think it's a Deja vu thing. At least not all of the time. I can definitely remember different dreams of mine that play in the same places.

[Buttercup]

Raptorthang: What I find as an adult is I never have nightmares. Dreams will involve stress or anxiety but never overwhelming fear. I might be 'sort of' scared...being shot at or there's an air raid, etc. Usually, however, just awkward situations...didn't attend class all year and it's the final test....traded our house for a run down shack...

Interesting. I've had a few "semi-sorta nightmares" after 35 -- but yes, mostly "bad dreams" are anxiety based: Such as having to return to elementary school because my H.S. diploma is "no good" and being humiliated. Or I inexplicably quit my good and secure job, and now am scared and want it back.

[Fazor]

I rarely "dream memories" in the way you're referring to it (though I believe most or all dreams are memories being pieced together through unfamiliar connections).

The one I remember most was of being at my grandparents house. It was after my grandfather had passed away (my grandmother passed years before that). There was a room at the back of the house that had been a friend of the family's bedroom (He worked with my grandfather; moved in after the factory had closed down, lived there many, many years). He too had passed. His room had been converted to a bathroom; but it was a large almost public-restroom type affair. Anyway, it was dimly lit and felt alien (as it should; since it didn't really belong there). I went to the sink to wash my face and hands, and suddenly knew that when I looked up into the mirror, I'd see my grandfather standing behind me. Sure enough, there he was in the reflection.

It wasn't a scary feeling; it wasn't a happy reunion. It was just ... odd. I hadn't thought about him in a long time. We weren't particularly close; though we spent a lot of time up at their house growing up. It was just shocking to see someone clear as day, when they've been dead for years...even in a dream. It jolted me awake; and to this day remains one of the few poignant dreams that I remember long-term.

[KaiYeves]

I had a bad dream last night that the Museum of Natural History got a new director who fired Neil Tyson and replaced all the good exhibits with really boring ones about fertilizer. So I complained out loud, but the new director was watching on a security camera and sent guards after me and my brother. We ran past a wall covered in big newspaper bits about one of the shuttle disasters and then I woke up.

[Euniculus]

I occasionally have dreams where I'm screaming at people. Probably just a way of venting frustration.

A couple weeks ago, I had this bizarre dream where aliens invaded and turned us humans into food items. I got turned into a bag of rice.