Monday, May 19, 2014

I've got dreams, dreams to remember...

I've noticed people talking or writing lately about their recurring dreams, which is something that has always fascinated me.  There's a great old movie with Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman called "Spellbound," which I think I saw when I was at summer camp, about an amnesiac accused of murder (Peck) who is protected by a psychiatrist (Bergman) - the mystery of the murder and the guy's identity is unraveled by psychoanalysis of the guy's dreams.  It's been 30 years and I only saw it that one time, but I still remember the movie vividly because I was so fascinated by the dream analysis part.

Image from the movie Spellbound - the dream sequences depicted in the film
were designed by Salvador Dali.  Image from Selznick/United Artists/The Kobal Collection
For whatever reason, notwithstanding all the therapy I've had, no one has ever asked me about my dreams.  And maybe dream analysis is bullshit, who knows?  Plus any therapist probably would have considered my recurring dreams to be utterly prosaic - standard anxiety dreams (taking a test when you didn't realize you were enrolled in the class and haven't studied; realizing you're in public and not wearing any pants) that everybody has.

But lately they've gotten more interesting, at least to me.  Now I'll have the dream that I'm in high school or college and taking tests that I haven't studied for/didn't realize I was enrolled in, but during the dream I realize that I've actually finished school and don't have to be there at all if I don't want to.  I'll think, "for god's sake, I don't have to take this shit.  Not only do I already have my high school and college diplomas, but I have a juris doctor degree as well."  So I start out anxious, but then within the body of the dream, make myself realize that I have no reason to be.

Another one that I have ALL THE TIME now, and cannot figure out at all, is what I call the space dream (physical space, not outer space).  In the dream, I'm in a house - sometimes it's mine, sometimes it belongs to someone else - that just goes on and on.  Every hallway leads to another room, another space, and it's kind of delightful - I'm filled with a sense of limitless possibilities.

Or maybe it's my brain's way of telling me I should take out a home equity loan and build out my attic.

What are your recurring dreams?  What do you think they mean? 

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