Who puts stock in dreams?

Dreams are pretty much being practice. And our daily lives affects to what we practice in dreams.

I wouldn't make any decisions based on what I happen to practice. I just hope that the practicing brings some result per se. Dreams per se are too vague, those value is in the practice.

I get clear indications of future events in my dreams but only when needed to dart a path through the ruckus and survive. It can be especially confirming but generally speaking, I dream the same nonsense as a cat or dog.

At times I tend to agree - but what about dreams where you wake up and say, "Whoa...that was rather vivid." And then spend the rest of the day thinking about the dream and it's possible meaning.

I can think of a few times where I saw something in a dream that influenced me later. Kind've a left brain/right brain thing maybe. Dreams have helped a few times to think outside the box and come up with a solution to something I couldn't consciously figure out.

Love the lightpainting this guy did, BTW.

I don't think the meaning of the dreams as I already know it; it's practice.

But I do think dreams; especially fun sexually related. And if something practical comes up in a dream, I use it, as I would if it comes to my mind when awake. Although the end result of the dream practices is to help you when awake, so many decisions are somewhat affected by dreams. You don't have to remember the dreams to get the benefit.

That's an interesting statement.

You're saying the dream stays buried in the subconscious and may or may not be acted on later...whether you know it or not.

It gets cerebral - just thinking about it.

Partially the reason I brought this up was I had a dream last summer (no, not that kind, ) about an old girlfriend - and decided to look her up and drop in for an unexpected visit. It'd been 30 years since we last saw each other...a long time. We'd kept loosely in touch on facebook, with no commitment to seeing one another.

I was glad I did. Without getting too personal, she was suffering from a debilitating medical condition - similiar to my wife...and it was good (for both of us) to touch base and do some reminiscing.

Likely wouldn't have made the trip had it not been for the dream at the time...

That sounds like somewhat of a contradiction.

You say you dream nonsense (like many of us)...but you get "clear indications of future events".

Dog nonsense - I'm sure I've dreamed a few times of peeing on a hydrant.

If I have purpose in life my dreams have purpose as well, life is one big contradiction though yes

No, the dream per se doesn't stay. You know, it is practicing. It shapes you, it shapes your behavioural models.

Very simplified explanation is that you stuff information in your brains when awake, and when you are sleeping your brains organize it, studies its meaning and makes some practices (dreams) based on this new information.

Absolutely Genuine Reply:

Last night I had a bizarre dream. I was waiting to get my haircut and I suddenly started pissing myself. I couldn't stop! My jeans were soaked, it was dripping off the chair, and forming a huge puddle on the carpet. The guy next to me didn't have shoes on, just socks, and it started to go all under his feet. He didn't seem to notice, but I was mortified! As much as I tried, I couldn't stop pissing! It was a ridiculous amount by the end - Like someone had used a fireman's hose in the room... I pretty much wanted to cry...

I mean this isn't a silly GFY story - It was very real to me, and I felt completely ashamed of myself. I jumped over the back of the chair and ran away as fast as I could, horrified at the ramifications - Then, I woke up...

My first thought was had I wet the bed? No I had not. Did I desperately need to take a piss? No, not really... So I couldn't think why I had dreamt that - Especially so vividly. I don't think to be honest, I have ever dreamt about pissing myself EVER... So I got on the computer and looked up the interpretation...

Basically the urine was negative thoughts and energy I need to expel. It suggested that the reason I had the dream was because I was worried about something, and I couldn't change it - Hence not being able to stop pissing - and the man next to me not noticing, meant that in the greater scheme of things, it didn't matter... I thought for a minute and it hit me... It all made perfect sense... Turns out that I know what it meant...



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You see, I have to have one of my front teeth pulled next month, completely changing my appearance. I will be getting either a clip in denture, or if I really hate it, an imbedded false tooth a month or so after... But I will still have my front tooth missing for about a month or so. I'm dreading it really, cause its got to happen, but it is only temporary, and not being one for vanity, at the end of the day (The Greater Scheme Of Things) I'm still 'Me' with or without a front tooth...

But although I have not been 'actively' worrying about it - My subconscious has, and it manifested itself thus into the dream. Fitting perfectly with the interpretation. So yes, there is certainly a connection from the dreams and real life. Its gut feeling and the subconscious mind sending you a message. So I say certainly heed your dreams - They don't all just come from nowhere, but I certainly prefer to use my concise mind to make real life decisions...

PS: Fun fact about dreams? You mind cannot 'Invent' faces - Every face you see in your dreams, even strangers etc, are faces you have seen in real life. Perhaps on the TV, perhaps on the street, perhaps in a photo etc... But EVERYONE you see, you have seen before. Cool !

Cliff note Version?
Yes - Dreams matter, but are not magical

I like to believe in that sort of thing. I've had thoughts/dreams/premonitions about people and things that "came true". Humans could've had more senses at one point in time. Like birds that can follow magnetic lines to their destination.

Perhaps it's not so much as 'believing' - but just acting on them.

I only remember a fraction of the dreams I have - most people are the same. And out of that fraction only a few are vivid enough to make me think about them later in the day.

To say they lack magic is to say N,N-Dimethyltryptamine is boring

A decade ago I had a brutal tooth infection that fucked me up for several weeks. I'd had them all my life, but this one topped them all. I told the wife at the time if there'd been a loaded gun in the house...she'd be collecting my life insurance.

I went 72 hours without sleep - and ran a temperature of 104F. I was hallucinating and going completely ape-shit. But I had this freaky dream about having the teeth pulled and things getting back to normal.

After I finally killed off the tooth infection, I contacted my doctor and booked an appointment to have'em all extracted.

29 teeth pulled at once.

Never regrettted it. Dunno if I'd have man'd up and had the balls to commit to the procedure without the weird dream.

yes, foresight is common in dreams, especially if under stress.

Crank it!




(rip DJB)

In Gestalt therapy, one interprets the events, characters and surroundings in a dream as manifestations of himself, and is encouraged to inventory everything in the dream and analyze how each feels about him, as though the manifestations are sides of himself he hasn't addressed clearly or honestly, as well as his own feelings upon realizing them in the dream. It's the opposite of looking for symbolism from the inside out. All well and good, for example, that you think the one-eyes black cat in your dream represents your girlfriend; more importantly, what does the cat think about you?? That's where your real fears illusions are.

Just a thought.

most of my dreams are weird random ish but still I put total stock in the relevance of dreams. I got the idea for my thesis from a dream (the paper that ended up shifting the course of my eventual vanilla career in a wicked direction), I got the idea for my most ambitious (and lucrative) adult work from a dream.

A slightly creepy but still apt example; eons ago I started talking to a guy but way early on something was putting me off about him...I couldn't pinpoint it but I started having dreams about him chasing me, hurting me, killing me. Really intense, more nightmares than dreams. What was really odd was that I kept seeing expressions on his face IRL that I saw in my dreams, even though he was nothing but funny and kind to me at the time.

I broke it off cuz the dissonance concerned me, and several years later I started seeing his name and face in the papers when he was arrested and convicted of killing his girlfriend. He also evidently had a few prior domestic assault convictions.

Dreams are badass, and I think anyone who actually takes the time to think about them upon waking has the opportunity to have a better life than they would otherwise. Dreams are like exploring ideas and realities without heuristics, pre-conceived notions or social norms; the essence of free thinking.

really great post.

in my mid twenties I'd have a dream almost every night about trying to reach a train on time, but I was so loaded down with bags (a little too on-the-nose symbolism; I'd expect better from my dreams but I digress) that I'd miss the departure. Sounds basic but they were really distressing, I'd wake up with a huge ache of loss like there were things I needed to expel to live the life I really wanted. When the recurring dream became too much I started writing down all the things I wanted to change about my life, and most importantly I started following through on that list. The dreams stopped, haven't had one of those in over a decade. The real bonus though is that I'm free from the IRL clutter that used to clog my brain, and I didn't even connect the two at the together initially at the time.

about the tooth though; I get the worry and the concern over stigma (back in Canada I did a ton of anti-poverty volunteering and dental issues presented the most difficult barrier to overcome for those trying to improve their lives among those 30 plus, so believe me I know what a tooth removal means in terms of stigma) but it's one month of your life. Even better? Nothing else about you has changed. Use the month as an opportunity to weed the assholes out of your life; no one who matters would care about a dental issue.

Remember that, and hold your head high

i always dreamnt havin sex with Tori Black.

I don't dream that much because I take sleep meds but previously I did put a lot of stock into my dreams.

I think your subconscious is much smarter than your awake conscious and if you can somehow become a lucid dreamer...you are right where you need to be. Lots of information can flow. It's all what you pay attention to.

Did you have a recent dream that is making you think twice about something?

I want to hug you after your dream. That's sad you were so embarrassed. I'm glad you found meaning and that it made you feel a little better.

As for the tooth issue...why don't you just get a bridge? It's more expensive yes, but you will immediately have a tooth there and you never have to take it in or out.

It's basically a 3 or more tooth connection. The tooth to the left and right of missing tooth also are covered and then a false tooth in between them.

Somewhat, yeah. The content of the dream stayed with me through the entire day - usually I forget'em not long after waking up. But it was a vivid dream with a lot of detail, and rather unconnected to anything in real life.