How do you dream?

[TravelingGal]

Besides big flawlessly cut diamonds, that is.

Do you dream in color? B&W? Can you touch, feel, hear, and taste? I''ve heard somewhere that you can''t smell in dreams because you can''t smell when you''re asleep...something about that''s why people can''t smell smoke when they are sleeping, hence fire alarms.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I definitely dream in color. Don''t have any recollection of touch/feel/hear/taste though.

Not sure I 100% believe that you can''t smell in your sleep. One time the happy hubby and I went to a French Bistrot for dinner. He had the "peasant chicken" which as far as I can tell was just chicken and GARLIC. He ate several dozen garlic cloves (not I''m not kidding) before it suddenly dawned on him that they weren''t little potato pieces. The next morning about 3 o''clock I was woken up by the most horrible smell in the world--and I realized it was my HUSBAND. Couldn''t bear to be near him, asleep or awake, for three days.

 

[Odilia]

Definitely in color (at least I''ve never noticed B&W), and can''t say for sure about the senses, but I think I can feel, and probably hear, because sometimes I incorporate external things (like noises) into my dream, and wake up to realize that.

I have another dream question: If you can remember your dreams, does that mean you were sleeping well, or poorly?

 

[jcrow]

color. and i know i at least hear in my dreams because i have dreams where i can hear exactly what''s going on and see exactly what''s around me and i can''t wake up. i try to scream and get someone''s attention and i can''t. i wake up sweating bullets. i HATE those dreams. it''s usually when i fall asleep with the tv on or in the car when the radio is on or something. not sure about the other senses.

i''ve heard that you remember your dreams- or was it just DREAM??- when you are about to wake up.

 

[Kaleigh]

I dream in color. I can definitely hear, but not sure about taste and smell....

 

[Rod]

I''m amazed when people say they dream in color, or they hear sounds in their dreams and even more amazed when people recount their dreams in vivid detail. This makes me wonder what''s wrong with me, because I do not have a clue if I dream in color, or hear sounds in my dreams. Plus, I can not recount details of dreams at all. Once upon a time, many moons ago, I owned an AMC Pacer (car for you younger people) and I had a recurring dream which was a nightmare. That one I remembered and it always had the same conclusion. I died driving my AMC Pacer (no hysterical laughs from the gallery on that one - my Pacer was cool, at least to me). But I got rid of the Pacer and to my knowledge, the dream was never repeated again. Otherwise, I don''t recall my dreams at all.

 

[anchor31]

I dream in colour, and they can be extrememly vivid. When I start a new summer job or a new term at school or when I have exams, I often dream that I wake up late and start running around to get ready, and when I wake up I''m like: "Huh? Wasn''t I up already?"

 

[oshinbreez]

I dream in color.

There was one dream that I had interpreted because of how vivid it was.

There was also a dream where I actually "felt" a kiss. It woke me up, and my lips tingled for days afterward.

 

[phoenixgirl]

I dream in color and can hear and see. I'm not sure about tasting, although the other night I dreamt about donuts and woke up craving them.

I wake up a lot in the middle of the night, so I think that's why I remember my dreams more often. We should be getting a white noise machine soon in the mail, which I think will help me stay asleep. When the A/C or the radiators turn on and off or when people open their screen doors in the alley, I wake up.

OK, this is going to sound really weird, but I used to always have these dreams where I was being chased by evil demon creatures or some such thing, and suddenly it it would dawn on me mid-dream that I was dreaming. I would try REALLY, REALLY hard to wake up, and I would often go through several cycles of believing I had woken up and stopped the nightmare, only to realize that I was still dreaming (usually because I tried to move but couldn't or something illogical happened and I realized it couldn't have been real) and try again. But during the parts where I was trying to wake up, I would actually dream I was lying in bed waking up. It was really frustrating, especially because I just really wanted to get away from the scary presence in my dream and felt very powerless. My body felt like it weighed a ton, and despite my best efforts I would just lie there motionless. The weird thing is that since I do move in my dreams, I was somehow cognizant enough to realize that my body wasn't responding in real life, but not enough to regain consciousness.

Now you're going to think I'm even weirder, but this happened a lot back when I was very religious (I was sort of brain-washed by a very gung-ho youth group that I would call a cult . . . and whose leader turned out to be a pedophile, although luckily for me he went after boys, not girls), and once my world view changed, the dreams with the scary beings that I had to wake myself up to get away from stopped.

If anyone has any insight into the whole realizing it's a dream and trying to wake up, only to realize again and again that you have failed thing, please let me know! Since then I still have nightmares from time to time, but nothing where I feel that danger is as imminent as I did back then. Back then I really felt the bad things would get me if I didn't wake up. Now I usually just have dreams where it turns out I'm supposed to teach math instead of English and I don't what to do -- you know, the standard issue anxiety dream that's easy to interpret.

 

[kcoursolle]

I''m a very creative person...in my sleep. I dream of the strangest things, being in the circus, living the life of a shark, killer trees in the forrest, etc. ......I do not use drugs, but I have the weirdest dreams. All of them are in color and extremely vivid. I usually remember them for about half a second after waking up, and then I forget them.

 

[cutes814]

I dream in color. I can see, feel, move, cry and talk in my dreams, cannot taste or smell though. I''ve had dreams where they seem so real, I can feel it for days.

 

[TravelingGal]

I dream in color, and it is very vivid. I also hear, touch, and can feel in my dreams. Up until a few years ago I could not taste in my dreams (I actually didn''t think it was possible.) I had a recurring dream that I was about to bite into a big mac, and I always woke up before I did, which bummed me out for some weird reason. Then a couple of years ago, the dream didn''t end, and I got to eat the big mac...I remember it so well! Ever since then, I can eat and taste in my dreams...which is great for my diet.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 9/19/2006 6:28:07 PM
Author: phoenixgirl
.


If anyone has any insight into the whole realizing it''s a dream and trying to wake up, only to realize again and again that you have failed thing, please let me know! Since then I still have nightmares from time to time, but nothing where I feel that danger is as imminent as I did back then. Back then I really felt the bad things would get me if I didn''t wake up. Now I usually just have dreams where it turns out I''m supposed to teach math instead of English and I don''t what to do -- you know, the standard issue anxiety dream that''s easy to interpret.

This happens to me a lot too. Not sure I can provide any insight though. I just try to wake up in my dreams, and then I do wake up, only to realize I''m still in a dream. It''s frustrating, and it does usually happen when I am stressed.

 

[jcrow]

phoenixgirl, i''d like to know what it means too. when i am trying to wake up it''s not always a bad dream other than that i can''t wake up. it''s not like i''m running from something or someone or dying or anything. but, it''s very very scary just the same cause i feel paralized and in my head it''s like if i can''t move and can''t speak how long will i lie here before someone notices? when will they try to wake me? or will they?

the best way for me to explain these dreams i have is like you hear about patients that the anesthesia wears off and they are actually awake but paralized during surgery? like they can hear and feel and are alert to what''s going on but that can''t move or speak so no one knows what''s happening to them? scary!!

oh, what that reminds me i can feel in my dreams. lots of dreams i have involve teeth. lots of times my teeth are knocked out or they crush in my mouth in their gum pocket. and in my dreams i feel with my tongue the area to know that that''s what''s happened. oh, or the front bottom row of teeth are like knocked down flat. ewe.

 

[lizz]

I dream in color and usually with a sense of humor.

 

[qtiekiki]

I dream in color. I can touch, feel, taste, hear and talk in my dreams. My sister (when we used to share a room growing up) and DH tells me that I talk in my sleep. Sometimes they would think I am talking to them, so they would ask me "what did you say?" and I would repeat what I said. Sometimes I say random things that don''t make sense and other time I make small talks. The other weird thing is sometimes I would go to a place or see a scene/situation and I would think I''ve seen this place or scene/situation. At first I couldn''t figure it out, but then I sometimes realize that I''ve seen it in my dream. It''s like deja vu. I tell DH that I''ve seen the situation before, and he just doesn''t believe me (probably because he doesn''t remember the details of his dreams, but does remember dreaming).

 

[MINE!!]

IN COLOR!!!!!! OF COURSE!!!!

In my dreams.. I can fly and I can shrink up really really small...

 

[Curls]

I dream in color and I''m pretty certain I have all the senses except smell and taste. I often wake up confused thinking my dreams were real because they are so vivid. Several times I''ve had to check on something, like see if I really did spit a piece of gum on my closet floor (don''t know why I was dreaming that) or double check that I''m still in my home or make sure there is not a snake on the floor.

For some reason all my nightmares involve me being chased by someone or something and I''m always on the run. A big giant dog the size of a house, the mob, the government, family members, random strangers, tigers, elephants, the list goes on. I wonder what the Freudians would say about that?

 

[tanuki]

I dream in color and I haven''t noticed any of my senses not working, but it did take me until I was in my 40''s to realize that whenever I dreamed that I was reading something - I wouldn''t be able to actually read the page I saw in my dream.

The letters looked like they came from some bizarre alphabet and the words weren''t actual words.

So I could never dream I spent time reading a novel.

 

[hlmr]

Date: 9/19/2006 9:41:06 PM
Author: Curls
I dream in color and I'm pretty certain I have all the senses except smell and taste. I often wake up confused thinking my dreams were real because they are so vivid. Several times I've had to check on something, like see if I really did spit a piece of gum on my closet floor (don't know why I was dreaming that) or double check that I'm still in my home or make sure there is not a snake on the floor.

For some reason all my nightmares involve me being chased by someone or something and I'm always on the run. A big giant dog the size of a house, the mob, the government, family members, random strangers, tigers, elephants, the list goes on. I wonder what the Freudians would say about that?

With Freud, everything revolves around sex, but this sounds more plausible:

1) Being chased or attacked
More than 80 percent of people dream they're being pursued or attacked, although who or what is attacking or doing the pursing varies from place to place. These dreams are a natural response to life stress, Garfield says.

The origin of this dream dates back to an era when humans fought off beasts or other tribal members to survive. The "monsters" of today more often are emotional beasts, she says -- fear, anxiety, anger, hatred and envy.

ETA: Curls, your avatar is too cute for words!!!!

 

[Curls]

ETA: Curls, your avatar is too cute for words!!!!

lol, thanks hlmr!

Thanks for the info too. I had no idea that 80% of people dream of being pursued or attacked. That makes me feel better. I thought I was just unaware of some subconscious paranoia problem, but apparently I''m just normal.

 

[Rachie]

Date: 9/19/2006 5:23:06 PM
Author: old-fashioned girl

I have another dream question: If you can remember your dreams, does that mean you were sleeping well, or poorly?

I''m not sure what it means if you remember your dreams but I don''t think that it is a sign of whether you are sleeping well or not. There are 4 stages of sleep and then there is REM sleep. Everyone goes through these stages while sleeping and you dream in each stage. You remember more of your dreams in stage 1 and in REM because you are closer to being awake. In the later stages, you are in a deeper sleep and unless you are awakened while in a deep sleep, you are less likely to remember those dreams. Some nights you may not remember your dreams because you may have been in the later stages longer than other nights. You would be in these later stages longer if your body needs more rest. Alcohol, medicine, and other things can also influence how you go through your sleep cycle.
Ok, now that I have gone off on a tangent, I dream in color and can definitely hear things and I am sometimes able to manipulate my dreams. My dreams are usually vivid and can bring about strong emotions. I used to have a recurring dream about an alligator chasing me up the stairs of a tall building when I was younger. I still don''t know what it meant. Oh well, it scared the crap out of me though.

 

[Lorelei]

I dream in colour, often that I am flying, can jump over a building like the Bionic Woman

and I often have recurrent dreams which are weird to say the least

 

[Ellen]

I dream in color, and can hear and speak, don''t recall if I can taste. After I turned about 20, the only time I really remembered my dreams was when I was pregnant, and now the only time is when I eat something sweet before bed. I know that sounds nuts, but it''s happened so many times, there''s no doubt.

Not that I eat something sweet before bed that often, I don''t.

 

[portoar]

I dream in vivid color . . . and I can hear too. However, one of my most vivid and memorable dreams had no images at all! I dremed I was on a sailing ship, and we were sailing in the dark. The movement of the ship, the feel of the wind on my body and the sound of it in the sails, the creaking of the ropes and the wood, the murmer of conversation. There was another ship sailing beside us. It''s hard to describe the feelings of exhilaration and adventure I had sailing in that ship at night, pitch black, rushing onto who knows what in the dark.

However my most vivid dream in color was very peaceful, I was just walking through an amazing rainforest, filled with the color and sounds of exotic flowers and birds, and a small babbling brook at my feet. I was awash with feelings of peace and joy.

Then again, I once had a dream where I and some others were tied to a spit and going to be roasted alive. . . the heat and flames were almost unbearable. We had a button or lever we could use if we chose to put us closer to the fire and end our misery sooner. I was really worrying over that lever, trying to work up the courage to pull it so I wouldn''t suffer.

 

[portoar]

Oh yeah, and I used to have a recurring dream that I was lying in bed ready to drift off, and a giant (I mean basket ball sized) insect would start buzzing around on the ceiling. I''d become very afraid it was going to drop on me and would wake up yelling in a panic, wake up my partner and insist there was a giant insect on the ceiling. He would reassure me there was no giant bug and evenually have to turn on the light to prove it. I always woke up pretty disoriented from those, and I had that dream a total of maybe 10-15 times, each time totally convinced about the giant insect. He was a saint to put up with it.

 

[hilbake]

Date: 9/20/2006 9:18:47 AM
Author: portoar
Oh yeah, and I used to have a recurring dream that I was lying in bed ready to drift off, and a giant (I mean basket ball sized) insect would start buzzing around on the ceiling. I''d become very afraid it was going to drop on me and would wake up yelling in a panic, wake up my partner and insist there was a giant insect on the ceiling. He would reassure me there was no giant bug and evenually have to turn on the light to prove it. I always woke up pretty disoriented from those, and I had that dream a total of maybe 10-15 times, each time totally convinced about the giant insect. He was a saint to put up with it.

I had the exact same thing when I was going through a period of extreme stress. I would dream that there were spiders in the bed or on the wall (and I''m really afraid of spiders) and I''d try to move away. At this point I''d be awake, but I could still see them and would insist that they were there. I''d make my boyfriend turn on the light, but even then I was so scared that I had a hard time believing that it wasn''t real. I looked online and found out that they were probably night terrors link
So I moved to the other side of the bed where the alarm clock was (with light as bright as a night light), and I stopped having them.

 

[eks6426]

I have all my senses in my dreams. I have found that by altering the scent of my room, I can change the type of dreams I have. For example, lavender usually gives me more peaceful dreams. Cinnamom scents almost always make me dream about food. On the food dreams, I can taste whatever I am dreaming about and I often wake-up wanting more of it.

I''ve had the same reoccuring nightmares my entire life. One involves tornados coming and trying to get away from them...except I''m in the mountains and try to "get away" by climbing in a cave. The tornado dreams come when I am experiencing major life changes. Another dream is about a really, really deep swimming pool that is the basement of some room. I''m signed up for swimming classes as a kid and I have to get in, but the pool is something like 100 feet deep. Not sure what this one means as I actually like swimming. The last one is kind of comical...I dream about overflowing toilets. Walk into a restroom in a store and everything is overflowing. The funny thing is I actually know the restroom...it''s in Marshall Field''s (now Macy''s) flagship store downtown Chicago in the basement near the food court area. I had the dreams way before I ever saw that particular restroom and when I walked in there the first time I totally freaked out because I could "see" everything in it. It was all exactly like the details in my dreams. I still hate that restroom and pretty much avoid it whenever we visit Field''s.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I''ve had so many dreams where in my dream I have to go pee really bad and so I go and I sit there forever and pee and pee and pee and pee and never feel relief just to e-ven-tu-al-ly wake up and have to go pee LOL all I can say is thank GOODNESS I don''t actually relieve myself in my dreams!!!! lol

BTW I''ve experienced all 5 senses in dreams. Usually in color. Love lucid dreams where you''re in control. It''s fun to ask for gifts from the people you meet in dreams and see what they give you

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/19/2006 5:23:06 PM
Author: old-fashioned girl
Definitely in color (at least I''ve never noticed B&W), and can''t say for sure about the senses, but I think I can feel, and probably hear, because sometimes I incorporate external things (like noises) into my dream, and wake up to realize that.

I have another dream question: If you can remember your dreams, does that mean you were sleeping well, or poorly?

when I recall my dreams I usually feel more rested... the times when I don''t get good sleep I typically don''t remember them.