Friday, May 05, 2006

z z z z z z z z z z z.... Dreams

Dreams are a fascinating thing... you can have all different kinds that mean all sorts of different things. There are scary dreams, stress dreams, funny dreams, nightmares, happy dreams, sexual dreams... you name it and you can dream about it.

When I was in college, I had a human development class and we started analyzing dreams. Our task was to wake up after every dream and write down the specifics of the dream. This may sound, to some, like an impossibility, but it's not. It's really amazing how powerful the mind is and what a person is capable of doing during sleep.

If you tell yourself, in the right way, to wake up after every dream, you will do it. We were all successful and what I found was that I wasn't getting any sleep. It was tough going for a while but I learned a lot of interesting things. One very specific thing I learned was how to manipulate my dreams, which has proved successful to me w/ nightmares. Matter of fact, I really don't have them any more... maybe every once in a while but it's been a long time.

I think my favorite dreams are of flying. I haven't had one of these in such a long time but I love them. There's nothing like the feeling of flying through the air w/out any fear. You can take off w/out any problem, fly so fast and land so easily... gosh, only if it were true in real life, huh.

I also absolutely love water dreams. I've had many a dream where I can breathe under water. There'll be a whole world under the water and it all seems so natural - the living under water and breathing w/out a problem. I can't remember all the details of the last one I had... but I remember parts of it. These are such calming dreams... both the flying and water ones. When I've awaken from these dreams, I've always wanted to be able to do the things that I did when I was asleep. The underwater world fascinates me to no end.

Stress dreams really get to me. Some of my LEAST favorite stress dreams are going to school w/out my shirt on or w/out my shoes or just one shoe. The weird thing is that no one seems to notice except me. I walk around completely paranoid of someone noticing but they never do, and usually when I've forgotten a shoe, I can never remember where it is. I've also had dreams to where I was naked at the pool and swimming around and so afraid that someone would see but they never do. I can never remember where my bathing suit is... it's so odd.

I used to have a lot of dreams about school. I would go to school and, come to find out, it's the last day and I have exams but I'm not ready. I can't remember where any of my classes are and I can't even remember where my locker is to get my books. I always hate these kind. They're always so frantic and so full of full blown stress. My sympathy to all you that are having these dreams... they suck.

One dream that I used to have a lot was of ppl chasing me and trying to kill me or trying to sneak into my apartment to kill me. I remember these dreams, almost every detail. I remember the apartment, the way it looked and I remember how the men were climbing up the outside beams to the porch to try to kill me and how I'd be inside hiding and watching them, and waiting. I could never find a place to hide that would protect me. I always knew they were going to get me no matter what.

Well, one thing I learned was how to confront ppl and circumstances in your dreams. I was taught how to approach the situation and it has really worked. The last time I had that dream was prob about ... hmmmmm.... 10 years ago, maybe less, I can't remember. It was the same dream but this time I screamed out asking the men what they wanted and what they were doing. They never answered me but they were gone in a flash and I woke up... I've never had this dream again. This is not to say that I haven't had other scary dreams and/or nightmares because I have and sometimes I stop it and sometimes I don't remember to do it.

I talk in my sleep during dreams especially if I'm mad. I've been known to swing my arms and hit you on accident - but never by accident in my dreams. ;) I've fallen out of bed w/ dreams.. but thankfully not in a long time. Oh yeah, when I was younger (not a little child), I would dream that I had to use the bathroom (which I did in real life), I'd get out of bed, make my way to the bathroom... and then... almost w/out fail, I would sit down and A L M O S T go to the bathroom. I learned real quick how to stop that.

When I was a teenager, we'd pull tricks on my cousins. I'd spend the night w/ my cousin and we'd sneak into her brother's room after he fell asleep and stick his finger in warm water... we always thought he'd wet the bed, but he'd just wake up and get pissed (literally!)... one of her brothers, I heard, used to sleepwalk and he'd stand at the top of the stairs and use the bathroom down the stairs. I'm sure he's never lived that down.

8 comments:

Ali Al Saeed said...

Dreams are remarkable things. I've always been awed by their powers. I think personaly dreams have a very obscure significance. I don't look at them in the traditional sense. That might be notable from reading QuixotiQ and my other short stories.

By the way, I am still waiting to hear your comments on QuixotiQ?!?;)

Um Naief said...

Actually, I saw that in your book today. There's a part that I've marked especially about that, I think on pg. 84.... I found it fascinating that I wrote this blog and then to read something quite like it in your book. I just started reading it again. Got out of reading while on vacation even tho I had hoped to do it... but.. I'm now in it again. I should be finished by tomorrow. :)

Um Naief said...

And... I almost forgot... WELCOME BACK Ali !!! I hope you had a nice time and things went well.

Um Naief said...

oooooh, Ali... I know it.. something's going to happen to Aaron... Christina is having the same dream as Guy... I dont even want to go further because I'm afraid something is going to happen to him.

When I mentioned the pg. 84.. it does talk about dreams, but I looked and what I thought was really good was the reference to how how you pray for change and then when you get it... well it hits them that maybe it wasnt exactly what they thought it would be...

Anyway.. I hope you get this msg.

Ali Al Saeed said...

Thanks tooners, and welcome back yourself (bit late i know, sorry!) seems that you had a great trip. I did read you posts about it.

As for what you said, well, I'm glad your finding it exciting. The really good parts should follow any page now!

BTW I've been meaning to contact Hisham, do you have an email for him? or could you please ask him to email me?

thanks

Um Naief said...

Ali, he tried calling you but no one answered. He doesn't have your email.

stoneßu∂∂ha said...

"...going to school w/out my shirt on or w/out my shoes"

heyyy! whats wrong with that... this is why some of us went to school in FLA!

another trick, tell yourself to dream away, before you goto sleep.

i am somewhat of a creative person, so i rather enjoy my dreams. and telling myself to do so and then remember the delicious moments first thing when you wake up, and then as the details flit away...

i thought of writing them down, but so much fun to have unique once in a lifetime dreams that last just the early day...

Um Naief said...

I'm fascinated by dreams. I think I will tell myself to dreamaway and see where it takes me.

I write down many and have written poems about some...

I guess I'm never amazed at how magnificant the mind is... to create such splendor.