I dream every night and I dream in color. If I get up to go to the bathroom and my dream is interrupted I can pick up where I left off and finish it. I do recall my dreams the next morning.

I also have the strange ability to change what's happening in my dream if I don't like where it's going.

Is there any reference to this in your book?

Everyone dreams every night. I dream in color, but rarely remember my dreams unless I wake up in the middle of one or something during the day triggers a memory.

I do dream and sometimes remember them, sometimes not. I am allergic to mold and at certain times of the year, I take Singular. I have learned to take it early in the morning as one of the side effects is strange dreams. Definitely.

Do some people dream in black in white?

tina

I dream every night and I remember them. Most common dream is, I am moving from one house to another, it never stops. I'm constantly moving from downtown high rises to old homes and then I move to the street and wake up crying. I don't need a dream book.

"Do some people dream in black in white?"

I read an interesting article once, that mentioned that during the middle of the last century everyone started to report dreaming in black and white - something that had never been reported before in such huge numbers. This phenomenon changed just about the time that color TVs became ubiquitous and everyone began dreaming in color again. Interesting.

Something strange happened to my dreaming about 15 years ago. The scenes in my dreams were scrolling - just like the scenes on a computer monitor. I also dreamed a lot of text - big fields of black and white text. This does not happen anymore. (Thank you animated sidebar advertising!) I think viewing YouTube and so many other websites that are color and animated, as are 99.9% of websites nowdays, returned my dreaming to what it had been.

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Everyone dreams.

If you are remembering your dreams you are not getting proper sleep. You only remember dreams if you are awakened during the REM stage of sleep. REM is the deep restorative stage of sleep. If this stage is disrupted by an alarm clock or sleep apnea or needing to get up to use the bathroom or something, one does not get the full benefit of sleep that they need.

"If you are remembering your dreams you are not getting proper sleep. You only remember dreams if you are awakened during the REM stage of sleep. REM is the deep restorative stage of sleep. If this stage is disrupted by an alarm clock or sleep apnea or needing to get up to use the bathroom or something, one does not get the full benefit of sleep that they need."

Is that definitely true for everyone? My DD will sleep as long as she wants and then come down and tell us her dreams, no sleep apnea afaik...Can she be remembering them if she's not getting woken up/disrupted? And does it mean she's not getting enough sleep? Sheesh, she's asleep half the day! Maybe she needs more still? (or maybe it doesn't apply to adolescents?) TIA for any leads/info on that.

I always wondered about the dreaming in black and white thing. I thought that if people did dream in black and white it must have been a pretty recent (in the history of mankind) occurence, as there was no concept of black and white imagery (other than sketches) before the advent of photography.

And yes, I dream. Many times I waken from a dream that I can't totally remember, but know that I would rather still be in that dream than awake, getting ready for work!

I taught myself lucid dreaming, and it's a great technique for solving problems, etc. I don't put much stock in generic dream interpretations--our dreams are our brain's way of tidying up.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Control Your Dreams

When I dream I know I am dreaming -

Mona, I can impact my dreams too! I will say/think/dream 'No, I don't want to dream about this' and take my dream in another direction.

I don't remember all my dreams but some are vivid. I read that some medications can have a huge impact on dreams.

I don't remember all my dreams but some are vivid. I read that some medications can have a huge impact on dreams.

I can attest to that! I have taken meds that make my dreams feel sooo real. I have woken up feeling just awful after yelling at family members in my dreams.

I'm more likely to remember my dreams when I have time to wake up in a leisurely way. It also helps if I immediately describe the dream aloud. I don't do that often now, because I don't want to bore the socks off my husband. My dreams are generally elaborate and highly symbolic. I like detail is most things, so detailed, complex dreams fit my mental processes. The symbolism became very obvious when I described a rather violent dream to friends when I was in college. The all howled with laughter at my puzzlement. They immediately recognized what I did not. I had murdered my automata theory class in the dream! I started keeping a dream journal for awhile after that.

I rarely dream of people that I know in recognizable human forms. They may be present in some other form. Sometimes different facets of me are represented by various characters in the dreams.

I've had very few scary dreams. Only 3 of them were really terrifying. One was when I had a very high fever as a child (the only black and white dream I can recall); one was during the surgery to remove my tonsils (ether was the drug; the images were in very vibrant colors); in one I viewed an ordinary object from an unusual angle and simply had to scream when it moved. (My partner said I was indeed whimpering in my sleep.)

Some dreams are purely entertainment. Those have a movie-like quality. Thus, if something happens that would be scary in reality, it isn't scary in the dream because I'm very aware that I'm dreaming. I'm aware of being able to manipulate the action is that type of dream.

Then there are the very obvious problem solving dreams. My favorite example goes way, way back to when I was a computer programmer. I had this dream in which the humans in it moved such that their actions were symbolic representations of the section of code I was having difficulty with. Over and over. But, by golly, I woke up knowing exactly what to change to make the program work the way I wanted!

My dream symbols never really matched anything in dream analysis books, but it's usually clear how the dream related to what I was doing or thinking about.

I dream a lot, always have. A few years ago I started keeping a dream diary because I was having so many recurring themes. Some dreams really bothered me, not that they were bad, just stayed with me and kept me wondering all day. So once I started writing them down, I was able to see patterns and what the dreams related to in real life.

I had sooo many dreams where I was having to lead people from danger and I was getting so resentful in those dreams. After writing them down, I realized it had a lot to do with my old job, and after I'd changed jobs I quit having those tiresome dreams. I realized this after I reread my dream diary.

So now when I have recurring themes, I try to read over the old dreams and I can see the pattern and try to address it. I try to keep them written down when I remember them. And I also keep track of the emotions those dreams had for me when I woke.

I also have a tendency to yell and talk in my sleep, but I wake up when I do that. DH talks in his sleep, but it's unclear what he's saying and he never remembers doing it.

This thread has made me think of a song. It is now stuck in my head. Anyone remember The Everly Brothers? Yes, I had older sisters.
-Gd

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Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

When I feel blue in the night
And I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

FADE
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

Goldie! That's one of my favorite songs, my uncle would sing it all the time when I was growing up! We still sing it (sang it around the campfire after family reunion). Though the "old-timers" stumble over the words, I remember the whole thing!

I don't tend to remember my dreams, though when I was pg I know I had some doozies. Sleeping better now that the kids are older (or not sleeping when I get hot flashes, for some reason when I wake up sweating or when DD calls, it's never during REM sleep).

Like mona and golddust, I'm also able to change the direction of my dream or wake myself up if it gets too scary. Then again, there are times I can't do it, like I'm not paying enough attention to what's happening and I lose control of it. I dream in color, and I also can feel pain in my dreams (like if a dog or something is biting me in the dream--once I dreamed that a fish hook got stuck in me). I once read that sleeplessness is harmful for people not so much because of the lack of sleep, but because of the lack of dreaming--probably because the REM stage is most restorative.

Wow.

mona - Very cool that you are able to change the direction your dreams are going. I have a wedding tonight, but will check the book tomorrow to see if there are any references to the ability to control dreams. I've also been able to get up during a dream and fall back to sleep for a continuation...

cyn - In the past I would dream and not remember until something triggered a memory of having a dream. Now, I am keeping a dream journal. I do make a point of writing down the dream details as soon as I come downstairs.

tina - I dream in color. I don't ever remember dreaming in black and white, but have probably done so. I've only recently made a point to journal the dreams.

newdawn - DH has recurring dreams similar to yours. He dreams that we go back live in his bachelor apartment. lol

dilly - I don't know for sure that I am not getting proper sleep because I can remember my dreams. Perhaps. However, I have only recently started my dream journal, and am making a point of recording my dreams upon getting out of bed. The dreams are always "nightmares". While there are some that are disturbing, and I am awakened by them. That is actually what started me keeping a dream journal.

fly - Not in total agreement about the poor sleep/dream connection.

terriks - Funny you mentioning wanting to go back to sleep to continue a dream rather than getting up to get ready for work. I have some dreams that I want to continue... Also, I think some foods (for me) trigger more dreams - definitely finding that if I eat peanut butter before bedtime, I am guaranteed a dreamy night.

ideefixe - Thanks for posting the link. Going to check it out in the a.m.

golddust - Again, very cool that you can control the direction of your dreams. No meds, but it makes sense that meds could cause dreams. I think I've seen some meds advertised on tv that have a "dream" side effect.

yoga - That's why I am keeping the journal - just to see if the dreams are related to things I am thinking or people I am interacting with. I do believe they are.

pesky - I have started to keep a journal of the dreams along with what I've done during the day. Great idea. Now noticing a pattern with some dreams "starring" people I've interacted with, or have talked to the during the day prior to the night time dreams.

ajsmama - Now that you mention it, I do remember having dreams whilst pregnant with DD. Scary ones. Weird, huh?

jboling - Another dream controller. Wow, I hope I can learn to do that!

Thanks for contributing your experiences everyone!