Everyone dreams. Whether you remember your dreams or not, you're doing it while you sleep.
So what do dreams mean and where in heck do they come from? Are dreams messages sent to us from a higher power, or are they your hindbrain's inability to settle down when the body needs to check out?
Dream experts lean towards the latter but don't dispel the former. At least the more open-minded ones.
Dreams are scientifically explained as part of your brain still feeding information and images to the front brain while you sleep, like that kid at the sleepover who tries to keep everyone up all night with her incessant talking. Dreams are like that - "Hey, don't go to sleep, I want to tell stories!"
I'm particularly fascinated with dreams, seeing I remember my last dream every morning when the alarm clock goes off. If you want to see what I'm dreaming go to #strangedreams on twitter. I think I'm the only person who posts there. Lately I've been dreaming a lot about having a relationship with a really cool guy, about 30-40 years old, in a position of power, handsome, loves me like crazy but I'm still insecure about whether it's going to last. This probably sounds like a romance novel and I'm thinking my dreams lean this way right now because today I launched my second book in a novel series called Dream Jumper and the hero, Jamey, fits this description. I think I'm taking the body of Tina, the heroine, which is good because she has way more fun than the dog or the best friend on Maui. She gets to share dreams with Jamey and be loved like the world is coming to an end.
Dreams can be helpful if you order yourself the right kind of dream. Yes, you heard me. You can actually order yourself a specific dream. I haven't gotten to that part in my book on dreaming yet, but I know it can be done.
When you think that we're lying in this prone state for 6-9 hours a day, re-charging, doesn't it make sense to dream smartly? Dream of something useful? I haven't figured out how yet but I have successfully ordered a dream. And successfully ordered what I do not want to dream about.
My recurring theme in dreams is a large house, with many rooms, doors, mazes, traps. Often the top floor is haunted and I don't want to go up there. The emotion I feel about the top floor is so scary, so deep a feeling that I can't really duplicate it in real life. Have you ever dreamed of something or someone and felt so strong, you wondered how to achieve the emotion in your waking self?
Dreams can be highly entertaining but also set the tone for your day ahead. Have you ever woken after a disturbing dream and felt that heavy dread all day because of the dream? Or felt that in loveness after a particularly wonderful romantic dream?
That's where I am today- my dream last night was wonderful, even though I couldn't seem to do anything right in my boyfriend's business and his employees resented me, he loved me so much!
I like to analyze dreams and it was with this interest I wrote my third book - The Dream Jumper's Promise - which dealt with dreaming, dream sharing, lucid dreams, false awakenings, and went on to become an Amazon Bestseller. When I speak at Book Clubs we almost always end up talking about dream interpretation.
Today I published my second book in the Dream Jumper Series - The Dream Jumper's Secret. In this storyline, Jamey Dunn is able to enter dreams, sometimes unwillingly, and now, the woman he loves is doing it. Figuring out the strangeness and intricacies of dream jumping leads them into dangerous territory.
In both books, I talk about lucid dreaming, which is when you are able to say "Hey, this is only a dream." Have you ever done that? My first lucid dream was at 5 years old when I told my kindergarten teacher she could throw me down the stairs because it was only a dream. Then there's wake induced lucid dreaming, the holy grail of dreaming, sometimes known as WILD. That's when you go from being awake to being in a dream of your choice and are able to do anything you want like fly. Or date Channing Tatum.
There are fun books out there about dream interpretation. For example, if you dream of losing your teeth the experts say that you are anxious about a transition. The haunted house dream means unfinished emotional familial problems. Supposedly if you dream of an attic, it symbolizes your brain. So my brain has family problems, I guess.The experts say when you wake, write down the key parts of the dream or you may lose it fast.
The book I'm reading about enhancing your dream life is called Dream Like a Boss, by Ryan Hurd. It's been really enlightening and is written in a funny, hip style.
Pick it up if you're dreamer http://amzn.com/B00HKN3ZW0
Of should I say, if you're interested in your dreams.
Do you have a recurring theme in your dreams? Do tell...
Great post, and I love your Dream Jumper series. I'm one of those people who hardly ever remember my dreams. Bits and pieces of them usually pop up a day or two later, in a sort of deja' vu situation. The ones that do stand out are nearly always having to do with crisis situations. Like we're being invaded and are having to gather resources and run for our lives. I've had several like that. Weird, right? Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something, I have no idea. All I know is that, I'm too set in my ways and out of shape to run too far or too fast. Lol!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Kimmie! Everyone must have been busy your particular week. Sorry!