Last night I had the strangest dream – where have I heard that (sung) before? As with most (of my) dreams, there was no logic to the sequence of events. A series of problems was presented and no answers were forthcoming. I met people I hadn’t seen for years, who were in fancy dress as teddy bears. I went into a lift with half a dozen others but which further people couldn’t access, so it was secure in a worrying sort of way. With no money or credit cards I had no means of paying for travel home and as I had forgotten my mobile ‘phone I was unable to contact anyone. I woke up feeling slightly mystified but neither relieved nor upset. It’s unusual for me to remember my dreams in much detail, but this one will remain with me for some time. Gerard Culpeper was another vivid dream, here.
Apparently, humans dream for about two hours every night and the dreams may be as short as five minutes or as long as twenty. They occur during the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep when the brain is more active. Some people claim that they never dream but perhaps they simply don’t remember.
Events that have been experienced during waking hours are processed through dreaming. Research has shown that creativity and problem-solving skills are enhanced while dreaming, and memory and learning are strengthened.
Some dream themes are very common and experienced by a multitude of people. They include being chased, being naked in public, being able to fly and pregnancy. I wonder if any men have dreams about pregnancy?
One familiar dream is about falling. Whenever I have that dream I wake up with a start just before the fall finishes. Awakening is accompanied by a pounding heart and a sense of relief.
A recurring dream is of being late for work. There was always a stressful element to travelling to work – perhaps there is for everyone. The more one has to rely on other people, the more anxiety is created. Will the train be on time/running? Will the bus break down? Will the traffic jam ever ease?
Some dreams are pleasant and provide a cushion against hardship and deprivation. One lady who had been in a hellish concentration camp during the war dreamt constantly of beautiful, tasty meals. Once she was free, she never had that dream again.
Sometimes, people are aware that they are dreaming and may even be able to exert some control over what is happening. This is known as lucid dreaming and has been studied since ancient times. Aristotle said, “often when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream.” Such an experience occurs quite frequently and is not usually frightening, unless it is during a nightmare. Research suggests that half of all people studied have had lucid dreams at least once in their lifetimes but only a small percentage have them regularly.
Dogs and cats dream. A dreaming cat twitches whiskers, paws, tail, and other muscles and may emit little noises, perhaps experiencing again the thrill of the chase. A dreaming dog twitches all over, ‘runs’ and howls or barks. It can be very noisy at night if dogs, cats and humans are all engaged in reliving the day’s events as they sleep.
