Sam’s Friday Top 5: Dreams

As human beings, we have a plethora of dreams on any given night. Some we would characterize as nightmares, and some we would just call pleasant diversions. Often there are many that we don’t even remember, but usually a common theme comes through in our dreams. Have you noticed that in yours? Common themes are oftentimes things that are on our minds, that we’re focused on when we’re conscious. Then when we sleep they’re still there, waiting to attack our subconscious brain functions, or our dreams. I have several reoccurring dreams, and themes, that just keep coming back to my mind when I’m asleep. Here are my top 5:

5. I’m eaten by a bear.

Generally I’m with a group of friends (Hey, it’s a dream. I can have friends in my dream) around a campfire in the woods, when suddenly this huge grizzly bear comes out of the thick canopy of trees, just barges out into the clearing and everyone scatters. Everyone except me. I’m always sitting there transfixed until the bear just comes right up to me and eats me. Each time it’s different, but the end result is the same. I’m eaten by a bear. And I’m not sure if it’s trying to tell me that I’m afraid of bears, or the woods, or what, but it’s quite visceral, and I always wake up from this dream sweating.

4. I’m jumping off a building.

I know. You’d think this would be a nightmare, but it’s not. It’s actually one of my better dreams. I’m on top of a very high building, but somehow not a skyscraper. I have no idea why my subconscious makes the distinction, but it does. And I’m looking down, thinking about how high it is, when suddenly I jump right off the edge, as if I have wings. But I don’t have wings, and I’m plummeting to the ground, but it’s a good feeling, like this rush of air just pushing past me. I feel really calm throughout, but I never touch down. I usually wake up when I’m about halfway down. As with the bear dream, I have no clue why this one comes to me either, but I know I’m afraid of heights, so it’s kind of ironic.

3. I’m getting a root canal.

Don’t ask me how this one shows up. I don’t even know what really goes into getting a root canal. I’ve never had one (Phew!), and I’ve never seen one being done, but somehow my subconscious seems to focus on it. I’m sitting in the dentist’s chair for a routine visit, and it’s almost over when he looks into my mouth, frowns at the nurse, and tells me I need an immediate root canal or I’ll die. I freak out and try to get out of the chair, but they strap me down “asylum”-style and they have their way with me anyway. When it’s over I have no life left in me, but they always tell me it went just fine and they let me go home. But I don’t leave. I always just sit there drooling. Hmmmm. Odd. I really don’t want to ever have to get a root canal.

2. I’m going on a date.

This one is pleasant, but strange. No one has any faces in these dreams, and it’s always a different girl each time. I have no idea how I know it’s a different girl when none of them have faces, but I just know it. Anyway, each time is also a different place. Sometimes we go out to eat. Other times it’s a movie (and I always remember which movie we saw when I wake up). Still other times we go for a walk on the beach, or we fly kites, or various other adventures. At the end of each and every single date, I know I get this weird feeling about kissing her goodnight (maybe because she has no lips, or whatever), but I always decide to do it. And always just before we kiss she disappears, and I’m left leaning into empty air. Sometimes I even fall. I didn’t really date much in my life, so maybe that’s why this one is reoccurring. Who knows? It is pleasant, though, even though I never get to kiss anyone.

1. I’m sleeping.

This one is the oddest dream ever, but it’s the one I have most often. I would say that in any given week I probably have this dream at least three times. It’s simple too. I dream that I’m having an out of body experience, looking down at myself sleeping. Sometimes I’m sleeping on the grass outside the house. Other times it’s on the beach (apparently I like beaches in my dreams when I could take or leave them in real life). Still other times I’m sleeping on a futon in a dorm room, or on my house roof. Apparently I can fall asleep just about anywhere in my dreams. A couple of times I even dreamt I was sleeping in my own bed, and it felt so real, the see-through spirit of me floating overhead looking down on me sleeping under the covers. Yikes, I don’t think I should have ever read that Lois Duncan book!

Sam

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