Well, I was going to post something completely different, but a dream made me change my mind. Sure, I could have ignored the strong impulse, but that wouldn’t have felt right (and don’t most people, when it’s all said and done, want to feel right?).
I had a simple dream last night, so mundane and realistic that it wasn’t until I was watching the water drain away that I realized my tub wasn’t plugged up. I could have sworn it was; I saw it not drain properly, and I remember the distinct feeling of dismay at having to clean it out again (nasty, nasty job). It was only when I tried to resolve this confusion that I realized I had dreamed the incident—it was a vague memory, barely distinguishable from other memories that I take as fact, as personal history.
I was annoyed for about two seconds. Then I laughed, wondering how many more of those types of dreams I’ve had, how many false memories I have swimming around in my head. That would be an uncomfortable thought if I let it, if it weren’t so fascinating. This dream—this careless dream—I had “caught in a lie” only because the proof was in front of my eyes (and so soon after waking).
I have thought about this all morning, driven by the urge to share it with someone.
Hell, the very first piece of erotica I ever wrote was from a powerful dream in ’88 or ’89 (sadly, I lost my original, dated notes). I had awoken with the completed story in my head, having dreamed it all: the accident, the discovery, the strange and philosophical underpinnings, and even the ending. I skipped classes that day to make certain it was all recorded, and I remember clinging to each detail as I ignored my cramping hand in the feverish drive write it down before I forgot important pieces.
I’ve had several important plots unfold in my dreams, especially in the past several years that I’ve been serious about my (non-serious) writing. I always keep a small voice recorder by my bed, and my computer is just four urgent steps away.
In fact, I learned that I can condition myself to be more receptive to dreams, and have used that technique to mine whatever place those dreams come from. Though, after a few days of that, I become so tired that I have to turn it off (it’s a conscious willing before one sleeps to remember or not remember the dream details).
Do you guys pay attention to your dreams, or shrug them off? Do you have the luxury of hunting for the real thrill- or joyrides? Have you made your peace with the nearly uncontrollable nature of dreams?
Sweet dreams,
Kev
I sometimes have weirdly prophetic dreams, but mostly they are the usual mindless drivel left over from a busy day.
I do find that the period just before sleep is great for sifting through plot ideas, or composing poetry. What’s really annoying is that more often that not, the poetry is forgotten by morning because i’m too sleepy to get up and jot it down.
I used to pay more attention to my dreams when I was younger and used to try and write them down to analyze them. Now that I am wife and a mother of two kids under the age of 5 I just don’t have the time.
I try to pay attention to my dreams. It’s frustrating when I know I had a good dream that I want to remember than forget it one I start to write it down.
The dream world can be a beautiful place though
Hugs, Danette
I don’t pay much attention to my dreams, but occasionally one will make me cautious for one reason or another. Strangely enough, I don’t recall any recent dreams. I wonder what Freud would say about that. LOL
Deidre
I almost always have dreams that are weird. They always are a mixture of everyday life, the books I am reading or anticipating to read, and whatever I watched on television. Sometimes I wake up knowindg a book in my head but almost as soon as I open my eyes its gone. So I’m sticking with reading. I even dream about regular things sometimes too.
Caitlin
Oh yeah, I forgot the dream I had the other night was that about how I forgot to do the laundry and didn’t have clean clothes. See I really do dream about regular things sometimes.
Caitlin
I dreamt that when I ate gummy fish I turned into Neptune. I always think it’s cool when I dream about my characters.
D.N. Lyons’s last blog post..This is my *official* blog.
I sometimes solve real life problems in my dreams….. no not world hunger, just things like how to arrange my books so they all fit in my house!
Yeah. I had a dream where I climbed a giant tree, and when I got to the top, it was level with the land. And then I flew up and grabbed hold of a floating island and rolled over and over in the sky holding onto the mountain at the top, and the island had shrunk to about the size of an inner tube.
D.N. Lyons’s last blog post..This is my *official* blog.