Dream 508

'A Victorian Shoe Shop'

Dream date: 21 September 2015

Day 14 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 14 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1: A Boat at Sea - Day
My step-brother was present - there was a boat and we were sailing at sea, but there were other dream characters there as well - this is all vague. We were catching fish using fishing rods, but the fish were all metal. They had hinges so they could bend and move - like real-fish, but they looked like sculptures rather than organic animals. 

There was also a small child in this dream - she was white with blonde hair and was being adopted by someone - I do not think it was a member of my family - I think it was my mum's friend, CC as she was in the dream, with her daughter, KC. I think they were on dry land watching us sail in the boat, which makes me think that we were not a long distance from the shore, which I assume may be Norfolk (where I and CC and my family live) - but the exact location was not known to me. At first I had not seen the shore, or them standing there, so I think I only noticed we were a short distance from inland at this point in the dream. I started thinking about the Victorian period - and specifically the appearance of shoe shops in that era - I could see a visual image of a Victorian shoe shop, although it looked sepia - to represent the fact I was looking into the past, I guess.

Scene 2: A School - Day
I was taking a class in a school, but it wasn't my university. I am no sure what the class was, as I only found myself in the hallway, which was airy and white, with long windows and potted ferns. It reminded me of a holiday villa.

I cannot recall anything else about this dream, other than I think I went to North Norfolk with some dream characters.

TIME: 03:00 - 08:10 hours (I do not know when this dream took place)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• CC & KC have a last name containing the word 'cod' - a variety of fish. This exact verbal association - a dream involving CC and visual representations of fish has occurred in a recent previous dream

Dreamsigns:

• The fish were all metal
• The school looked like a holiday villa

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• My family as dream characters
• Association of CC and fish

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• The night before this dream I had been watching Masterchef Australia and they were doing an elimination challenge featuring fish
• A few days before this dream, DL and I had watched The Great British Bake Off and it was 'Victorian Week'
• 2 days before this dream I watched a documentary on the notorious paedophile and murderer, Sidney Cooke,and in it, there was footage of a shoe shop which was used as a venue to meet rent-boys
• I am currently rolled in a class (20 credits of a Masters Degree in Teaching Skills) which will start shortly and recently have been offered a contract to teach 2 subjects (in law) at my university

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
This was a boring, very brief and vague dream with no reference to Kurt Cobain. The dream didn't seem to have much narrative and didn't leave me with any impact other than disappointment not to have been successful in my Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream project by Day 14, which was the cut-off point I had set based on my previous dream incubation experiment successes within this time-frame.

Interpretation/Analysis:
This short dream seems to have no clear connection to my dream incubation experiment. I think my dream was quite fragmentary and vague because I had interrupted sleep. Recently I have been going to sleep at an earlier time than usual and waking up in the morning because I have been busy at work. Last night I was on duty for work and received 2 calls in the early hours, which meant I went to bed very late, but still woke up in the morning to attend to some university work. I only got 5 hours of sleep, instead of my usual 8 hours on average.

* I have forgotten large sections of this dream - or perhaps not even dreamed them at all. It just seems a very fragmentary, disconnected dream compared to some of my others. If I recall anything else about this dream, I will record it below.

I am thinking that I should perhaps continue with my Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream, because I was showing some initial breakthroughs - and to be honest, even my less relevant non-lucid and lucid false awakening dreams were more interesting during this experiment. By analysing my dreams in terms of a set frame of reference which I have reinforced into my subconscious mind by using cognitive methods (both using the traditional dream incubation methods, effective lucid dream induction techniques focusing on memory, intention, auto-suggestion - and my own version of immersion; engaging in a focused, conscious manner on my desired subject-matter as regularly and consistently as possible). 

I have been able to see my subconscious process these goals and ideas in an amusing and insightful manner, even reinforcing some of my previously researched areas of dreaming - such as 'dream speech' and how the dream can incorporate quite complex puns. The self-analysis I have been doing - which I hope to write as a longer report, shortly - has given me a new perspective into how my dreams are working and the way my sleeping mind processes information of the day. I have been doing the very same exercise for the last few years on-and-off anyway, so it seems to make sense to continue in the same vein of the previous 14 days and see what happens. 

I am not setting myself a time-limit this time - it will be an open-ended project which will continue until I have a successful dream incubation. The only main difference between my Dream Journal posts now and the ones I was writing prior to commencing this experiment are the sub-headings, consistent methodology, and inclusion of specific relevant links to other posts, which may be of help to anyone either hoping to conduct their own dream incubation or learn how to lucid dream.

Dream 507

'Lots of Accidents!'

Dream date: 20 September 2015

Day 13 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 13 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1: Pine Grove, Sheringham - Day
I was in a house in Pine Grove, Sheringham - where my former childhood home is, although the house I was in, with my mum, my stepdad and my nan was not my old home. It looked like a normal house, with nothing out of the ordinary. It was a sunny day. My family and I were looking out of the window at the road - which seemed wider than it should. Suddenly we saw a huge white lorry turn over and the driver and passenger fell out of the windows. We all realised that this was a terrible accident.

Scene 2: A Department Store/Mall - Day
I was then in a department store or shopping mall, which had 2 floors, the second one being a mezzanine level. I was on the lower floor, watching action taking place on the second floor. By the railing, there was a small tent/marquee-like structure which was being used for 'business consultation'. There were many dream characters wandering around, making the shopping mall look like a normal real-life one. At some points, a dream character would enter the tent/marquee (which was grey in colour) to speak to whomever was inside regarding business plans. Every time a new dream character entered the tent/marquee, it would tilt backwards and throw them over the railing, meaning they fell several meters down to the lower floor. These dream characters would then lay injured and prone on the tiled floor - unconscious or dead. Just before I woke up from this dream I saw a white female dream character enter the tent/marquee and get thrown down to the lower floor. Her boyfriend stood outside the tent/marquee, screaming: 'Someone help her!' in a panicked state. I woke up.

TIME: 00:00 - 09:50 hours (I do not know when this dream took place)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• My stepdad is a lorry driver

Dreamsigns:

• The lorry fell over and the driver/passenger fell out of open windows
• The actions of the tent/marquee

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• My family as dream characters

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• A few days ago, I was travelling down the motorway in a bus for work - myself and a student helper were going to meet new international students at the airport to transfer them to our university. I saw a Turner's Lorry and mentioned that this was the company my stepdad used to work for. I recalled (at this time) seeing a photograph of an upturned Turner's lorry in my former boss' office (at the law firm I worked in) - I guess my law firm had been involved in litigation resulting from this event

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
This was a boring dream with no reference to Kurt Cobain.

Interpretation/Analysis:
This short dream seems to have no clear connection to my dream incubation experiment. 

Dream 506

'Two Boyfriends & Lots of Bad Behaviour!'

Dream date: 19 September 2015

Day 12 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 12 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1: A City Street - Day
I was standing on a street which was clearly in an urban area as the buildings were tall and reminded me of central London. It was a bleak day. A car pulled up at the curb and my mum and 2 male dream characters got out. One of the dream characters looked like a boy I went to school with, PM - who used to be a massive Nirvana fan and styled himself on Kurt Cobain. This was my boyfriend in the dream. The other male was someone I also know from real-life, but I cannot recall who it was. My mum and the males were meeting me so that they could take me to a birthday meal. 

Scene 1: A Restaurant - Time Unknown
We went to a restaurant and my family were all there - and perhaps some other dream characters. The table was filled with food, including fried chicken and some of my favourite Turkish dishes. I could see a big bowl of patlican ezmesi (smoked aubergine and yoghurt dip). Note that PM's first name is 'Pat', short for 'Patrick'. I was incredibly angry that the food had been ordered without me being able to choose any of it - even though many of the dishes were things I would have chosen from the menu myself. I put my hand into the patlican ezmesi and shoved a load of it into my mouth, getting it all over my face. I then threw all of the food off the table onto the floor in a temper and started shouting: 'You shouldn't have ordered it for me!' The family members were angry at my ungratefulness and rudeness and left. Only 'Pat' remained with me. I saw him sitting on a pile of bricks outside the restaurant. He was wearing brown trainers, a brown/beige cardigan (which I recall the real PM wore back in the 1990s) and had eyeliner on. He was sitting with his knees raised and bent and smiled at me as I looked at him. 

'Pat' came up to me, in a friendly way. I said: 'Fuck off! Go away!' and he left. I instantly felt regret and used my mobile to text him, saying: 'Come back'. There was no response, so I decided to call him. I reached the voicemail which indicated his phone was turned off. I know that the words spoken on the voicemail made sense in the dream, but were random and nonsensical (I cannot recall what they were, just that when I woke up, I realised they did not form a comprehensible sentence, although they were English language). I then went onto Facebook and decided to post a status, intending to ask for anyone who knew 'Pat' to contact him on my behalf and ask him to come back to me. Instead of posting it as a status, I wrote it in the chat/personal message window. I wrote 'Does anyone know Pat Smear?'

Scene 3: A Flat - Time Unknown
I was in a rented flat. It was not one I know of from real-life, but it looked pretty ordinary. In the living-room, beside the front door was an office, which was owned by the landlord. It had a desk in it. I went into the bathroom, which I shared with another family who were European (I am not sure where they were from). The family had left dirty nappies/diapers and used sanitary towels all over the bathroom floor. I used some rubber gloves to pick them up and place them in a bin. 

It was then the next day. The European family were leaving the flat via the front door. The landlord called me into his office and showed me a handwritten letter - which was from the European family, informing the landlord that they were quitting their tenancy and it was my fault. I saw the word 'Embassy' written in the middle of the curly, fancy blue writing. The landlord was angry with me because he thought I was losing him money. He was a young Chinese male, with shoulder-length hair tied back in a ponytail. I called AWB into the room - and asked her to defend me and inform the landlord that the European family had left sanitary items and shit-filled nappies/diapers in the bathroom, which I had been forced to clean. AWB backed me up and the landlord was pacified, saying: 'Sorry, I didn't know they were the enemies'. I then - immediately - started a relationship with the landlord. I have tried to create an image of what he looked like (with photo-editing) below - although in the dream he had longer hair. The fact that I became the landlord's girlfriend was unspoken. I just knew he was now my 'boyfriend' - although I do not know his name and am not sure if it was ever mentioned/known in the dream.

My boyfriend and I went into the lounge and sat down. There were long  white sofas arranged in an L-shape in the middle of the room, which was well-lit, with an electric heater.  AWB joined us - in the dream we were friends. I knew that in the dream she was from Peru (she is not, she is white British). Her skin was much darker than usual and her face was an odd-shape. The best I can describe it is that she looked like a baboon, with a long, simian face (see image below, which I created by morphing a photograph of AWB with that of a baboon). She was conversing with us (I cannot recall what was said) but at some point my boyfriend said: 'She's been described as a necroid monkey' - meaning AWB. I was aware that my boyfriend was very rich. I saw (in third-person perspective) the top of my head. My hair was still black, but at the roots, it was light brown and fuzzy in texture. I wondered why it looked like this.

Scene 4: A Picnic - Night
My boyfriend and I then went to a picnic in a park in the middle of a city (I am not sure which city this was specifically, but it was in the Midlands and I had moved there recently). I could see other dream characters also picnicking - and there were fairy lights strung up to illuminate the area, which was very picturesque and charming. I noticed that there were lots of small white pieces of plastic tied into my boyfriend's hair. He started to untie these and then opened them out to show me - they were wraps containing large quantities of cannabis. 

Scene 5: A City Street - Night
My boyfriend and I started to walk through the streets of the city. We were in a residential area and there were lots of red brick terraced houses. I could see many street corners at the same time and the area was well-lit. This scene is a little vague - I recall that we met some people also walking in the streets - who were friends of my boyfriend - including 2 females, one of whom had a white headband holding her black hair back. They wanted to buy drugs from my boyfriend and he sold them some (I am not sure what drugs these were). These people invited us back to their home which was nearby, but my boyfriend said that we had to go to a shop first. 

Scene 6: A Corner Shop - Night
My boyfriend and I entered a corner shop just a short distance away. There were a few other dream characters in this shop, browsing. My boyfriend went to a shelf and looked at what food the shop was selling. I went to an aisle and started browsing the shelves there. I then realised I had some heroin on me, except it looked like rocks of crack cocaine. This was in a clear plastic baggy. I was worried about possessing drugs and so placed them in a polythene carrier bag and walked over to my boyfriend. I then realised that I also had a live baby in the polythene bag. I then realised that the police were about to attend the shop and search me for possession of the heroin. I then put the bag containing the baby on a shelf and took the small bag of heroin out and hid it in a tray of sweets/candy. My boyfriend and I left the store. I began to feel guilty and thought I had better go back into the shop to retrieve the heroin before a child touched it and perhaps consumed it. I was anxious because I kept imagining a child overdosing from heroin and it being my fault.

There was some reference to Chino Moreno from Deftones (one of my favourite musicians from one of my favourite bands). I do not think he appeared as a dream character, but we were talking about him or looking at a picture of him. I am not sure when this part of the dream took place in the sequence of events.

I think I may have forgotten some aspects of this dream.

TIME: 19:00 - 08:30 hours (I do not know when this dream took place)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• Pat Smear was a founding member of the American punk band, Germs and guitarist for Dave Grohl's band Foo Fighters. He used to contribute live rhythm guitar for Nirvana and appears on Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York session/live album, From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (1996)
• AWB is an 'enemy' - we have only met once, but fell out prior to this, when she started to date my ex-boyfriend and we got involved in a stupid altercation. DL told me that AWB had once stated that people mistake her for 'being Chinese' although she does not look Asian in any way - she looks completely Caucasian!

Dreamsigns:

• My behaviour on the restaurant 
• The voicemail facility on 'Pat's' mobile phone was incomprehensible 'dream speech' but I understood it in the dream
• Posting a status on Facebook could be done via the chat/personal message window
• Pat Smear - who looked exactly like Kurt Cobain was the name of my boyfriend in the dream, although I think the dream character was actually PM, a boy from my school
• AWB was from Peru
• AWB looked like a baboon
• My hair was a strange texture at the roots
• I had heroin on me, but it looked like crack rocks

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• Food as a dream theme - in particular shoving a huge amount of food into the mouth in an impolite way during a family birthday party
• My hair having a different appearance

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• A few days before this dream I was discussing patlican ezmesi with a half-Turkish colleague, but she did not know this dish
• The day of this dream I had been helping with new student arrivals at my university and had to deal with a disgruntled mother who had discovered that the kitchen of her son's accommodation was dirty, with rotten food in the fridge. She blamed 'the Chinese students' for being messy
• The day before this dream I had told 2 colleagues that I used to date a Chinese man and liked Chinese culture
• My colleague has just returned from a holiday in Peru
• A couple of days before this dream I watched a documentary about Edmund Kemper ('the Co-Ed Killer'), serial killer and necrophile
• The day of this dream I had been discussing the texture of my hair with 3 girls I was working with
• A couple of days before this dream I had been speaking to a colleague who comes from the same home town as AWB - and we had been discussing Midlands slang words
• The day before this dream I had been discussing childbirth with my housemate, who is a trainee doctor and has to attend at a birth when she does obs and gynae as a module
• The day before this dream I had been watching the Vogue '73 Questions' series online - in the Blake Lively one, she recounted an incident when her mother brought a child back from a yard sale

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
This dream contained a clear reference to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana so I woke from it in a positive mood. I enjoyed this dream a lot as there was a degree of story progression and I recalled most of it very vividly. I particularly enjoyed Scenes 3 - 6, when I was dating the drug-dealing Chinese landlord!

Interpretation/Analysis:
This dream had several clear connections to my dream incubation experiment theme - first of all PM was always known as a Kurt Cobain look-a-like while at school, and definitely styled himself on him - I think 'Pat' in the dream was PM (as they looked the same and share the same first name!). 'Pat Smear' is a definite Nirvana reference also! In the dream 'Pat' (the boyfriend) was dressed in a brown/beige cardigan similar to that worn by Kurt in the MTV Unplugged performance, in which Pat Smear also features. I also dreamed about heroin - Kurt Cobain was a notorious heroin addict. I feel that this was a very positive dream in light of my dream incubation experiment and I am confident that I might have a successfully incubated dream about meeting Kurt Cobain in the next couple of days, as clearly the 'seed' for this dream has been 'planted' in my subconscious mind!

* Although this dream was very vivid, I feel that I may have forgotten some aspects of it (in particular events happening in Scenes 3 - 6). If I recall anything further, I will record it below.

Dream 505

'Double-Rape'

Dream date: 18 September 2015

Day 11 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 11 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1: A House - Time Unknown
I was watching a male dream character (unknown in real-life) who had a long golden amulet necklace with a prominent ruby in it. The male was young, white and with ginger hair. He was sitting on a step, so I saw him in profile. I cannot recall what he was wearing. He was telling someone (I cannot recall who) that his girlfriend, Scarlett Johansson had given it to him as a lucky charm.

I was then with my mum, in a dark room in the same building, and was aware that she had been raped twice, by 2 different (unnamed in the dream) men - both of whom I seemed to know in the dream (and real-life as I recall). My mum did not seem to be upset or anxious about the ordeal - I am not sure if I just knew about the rapes or whether she told me about them at this stage. I was worried, and walked through to a bedroom in this house. I laid down on the bed (white bed linen, no other details about the room recalled) and suddenly found myself being raped by a male, MR, who I went to school with, but whom I have not seen in many years. The rape did not involve force or any pain and MR did not say anything to me. I lay there passively, waiting for it to end. I was then aware that I was experiencing my mum's rape and MR was one of the rapists - I was re-living the rape vicariously, and although it felt like it was happening to me, it wasn't the case. 

Afterwards I walked back into the room where my mum was (it was unclear what type of room this was, and it was quite dark, with a white sofa against one of the walls). I realised the room was filled with bookshelves, making me assume it was a library.

I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

TIME: 00:30 - 08:50 hours (I do not know when this dream took place)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• None of note

Dreamsigns:

• I experienced the physical sensation of my mum being raped

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• A room with books as a dream scene location

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• The day of this dream I saw a news article about Scarlett Johansson (there were some photographs of her out walking)

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
This dream was not as awful as it sounds. In the dream, I felt worried, but i did not feel any strong emotions, even after I experienced the physical sensation of being raped. There was no reference to Kurt Cobain.

Interpretation/Analysis:
This dream seems to have no clear connection to my dream incubation experiment. 

* I have forgotten some of the aspects of this dream which occurred after Scene 1 - I think that I did recall further parts of this dream upon waking, but because I did not record my dream immediately, the memories faded. However, because I am sure that I did remember them initially, If I remember anything further about this dream, I will record it below.

Dream 504

'Stir-Frying Vegetables in a Supermarket'

Dream date: 17 September 2015

Day 10 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 10 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1: A Supermarket - Time Unknown
I was in a supermarket, selecting fresh vegetables from a refrigerated cabinet beneath which was a hotplate. On the hotplate was a wok - I was stir-frying the vegetables I selected.

A dream character - I cannot recall who it was, but it was someone I know in real-life, said something to me and I turned around. The shelves behind me were filled with books - so the other side of the supermarket was a bookshop.

I think there was more to this dream, but I cannot recall what happened next.

TIME: 23:00 - 10:30 hours (I do not know when this dream took place)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• None of note

Dreamsigns:

• None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• A bookstore as a dream scene location
• Food as a dream theme

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• None of note

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
This was a boring dream with no reference to Kurt Cobain.

Interpretation/Analysis:
This dream seems to have no clear connection to my dream incubation experiment. 

* I have forgotten some of the aspects of this dream which occurred after Scene 1 - I think that I did recall further parts of this dream upon waking, but because I did not record my dream immediately, the memories faded. However, because I am sure that I did remember them initially, I am confident that they may resurface at some point. If I remember anything further about this dream, I will record it below.

Dream 503 (LUCID FALSE AWAKENING)

'My Hand Got Bitten by a Skull'

Dream date: 16 September 2015

Day 9 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 9 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1:My Bedroom (Lucid False Awakening)
I woke up in my bedroom and it was dark. I was aware that this was a false awakening and I had sleep paralysis. I tried to shake myself and use willpower to get rid of the sleep paralysis, which did work to a degree, but I was completely unable to get out of bed, which might have enabled me to transform the experience into a full lucid dream. I then realised that I could see my chair - which in real-life was beside my bed, as I had been using it to place my laptop in easy viewing distance while I fell asleep. I could no longer see my laptop, and my duvet was obscuring my vision - I was unable to move it down so that I could see more clearly.

Sitting on my chair - only partially visible above the duvet which was covering my face, I could see a dream character - the top of their head. I touched the head and realised that it was a male with short hair, feeling 3-dimensional, solid and realistic. I tried to touch the rest of this dream character's face, as I could hardly see anything. The rest of the face was a skull - bare bone. Suddenly, as my hand travelled down towards the mouth of this skull, it bit my hand very hard - the teeth felt like normal blunt human teeth and I could feel that there was a tongue in the mouth. It didn't hurt so much as clamped down hard, preventing me from moving the bitten hand. I could not remove my hand from the skull's mouth and it was swirling it's wet tongue around which felt disgusting, in addition to the fear I was experiencing, even though I knew this was a dream. I then fell asleep properly.

Scene 2: My Nan's House in Sheringham - Day
I was in my bedroom at my nan's house in Sheringham. PS was with me and he was telling me that Jeremy Corbyn, newly elected Leader of the Labour Party (the Opposition) - a staunch socialist - was running a poll on dualism (the idea that consciousness/mind is separate from the physical brain). I was telling PS that I believe that the consciousness/mind is part of the physical brain because I am an atheist who does not believe in souls or the separation of consciousness from the brain. Everyone in the United Kingdom was going to be asked to state whether they believed in duality or monism. PS then told me that he had to go to university and would see me later. I walked him to the front door to see him out. I was aware that another dream character was present - I cannot recall who this was, but it was a male who I know in real-life. 

While I was standing in the hallway, I was called into the living-room by CJS - PS's mum. She wanted to show me her new hair - which was shoulder-length and dark brown. She was posing and preening and asked me what I thought of the new hairstyle, while looking at herself in the mirror above the gas heater. I said the hair looked nice, but I had to leave as I was expected elsewhere.

Scene 3: Sheringham - Day
I was in the street in Sheringham, standing near the Town Clock in the centre of the high street - and was with various members of my family - my mum, my nan, my cousins JC1 and JC2 - and my aunt (the mother of my cousins) - KC. We were trying to organise a birthday party for JC1 and we were all tasked with getting supplies. I was aware that I had very short hair, with a fine, straight texture. I was wearing my hair in a ponytail and was aware that it lacked volume and was very greasy, which concerned me. I wanted to go home and wash it before JC1's birthday celebrations. I then found myself in a house in Sheringham - although it was neither my nan's house or my mum/stepdad's flat. I do not recognise this house from real-life, but in the dream, it was the house of a family member. We were in a kitchen I think, because there was a large wooden dining table, painted white. Food and drinks were on the table. 

I told my mum that my hair was greasy and my mum produced a large bottle of a special shampoo which she said she had bought to help my hair and remove the oil from it. The shampoo was an exotic fruit scent and bright red. I was grateful that my mum has going to help me sort out my hair. I then noticed that all of my family were assembled in the room ready for the party. I touched my hair and realised it was already clean, without me actually washing it. JC1 was sat at the table - he ate a whole white iced birthday cake in one huge mouthful and everyone cheered.

TIME: 00:30 - 05:50 hours (I do not know when this dream took place, although the false awakening seemed to take place immediately after I fell asleep)

LUCIDITY: YES - Lucid false awakening

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• None of note

Dreamsigns:

• The false awakening situation
• The poll being organised by Jeremy Corbyn
• CJS in my nan's house
• My hair was very short and fine in texture
• My hair was already clean without me washing it - just seeing the shampoo seemed to resolve the problem with the oil/grease
• JC1 was able to eat a whole family-sized birthday cake in a single mouthful

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• PS as a dream character
• My nan's house as a dream scene location
• JC1 as a dream character

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• Jeremy Corbyn has been receiving a lot of media attention - some feel that a strong socialist leader of the Labour Party is the most positive change in British politics (I fall into this category) while those with pro-austerity, right-wing, conservative views have seen his successful election as leader as an extremely negative event
• The day of this dream I had seen a Facebook friend post a comment asking how many people believed consciousness was separate from the physical brain
• PS has just started a university course
• JC1 has just started a university course
• A few days before this dream my new housemate SH and I were discussing our respective hair textures - SH has short, straight, silky hair, whereas mine is very long, thick and course in texture - we were comparing how often we need to wash our hair. SH said she has to wash her hair everyday to prevent it from being oily, whereas I rarely have to wash my hair as it never gets greasy

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
The lucid false awakening aspect of this dream was very scary - although I was pleased to have some lucidity. There was no clear reference to Kurt Cobain - so this dream does not seem to relate to my dream incubation experiment in any way.

Interpretation/Analysis:
There was no clear connection to my dream incubation experiment.

* I feel that I may have forgotten some aspects of this dream. If I remember anything further about this dream, I will record it below.

Dream 502

'Fenugreek Seeds were Disgusting Fish & Trilobites'

Dream date: 15 September 2015

Day 8 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 8 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1: A Market Stall at a Festival - Day
I had a market stall in a festival, but I wasn't selling anything - the items in my covered stall were my personal possessions. Everything was piled up in a messy way. I wanted to find my fenugreek/methi seeds, which I had sprouted in some water. I was looking in boxes and lifting things, trying to find the seeds. I then saw a tank of murky water with some very disgusting, ugly looking fish (large - the size of rats) and trilobites - these were all white and slimy looking. I was aware that these were my 'sprouted fenugreek seeds' - I had left them in damp conditions for so long they had transformed into the ugly sea creatures in the tank. I was horrified and scared, and ran out of my stall. I know my mum's friend, CC was present in the area. I then entered a building which was on the site, and found my cousin, JC1. JC1 looked identical to - and was dressed as - Kurt Cobain, wearing ripped jeans and a red plaid shirt. He dived onto the floor suddenly, then got up, telling me he would help me by getting rid of the fish/trilobites from my stall so I wouldn't have to see them again. I was pleased. 

While I was waiting for JC1 to get rid of the fish/trilobites, I wandered around the building I was in, which was dark and filled with dream characters (attending the festival). I saw FV, being led by a female dream character (unrecalled), who was holding his arm and guiding him through the crowds. FV came up to me and stood behind me, pressing his pelvic area against my butt. I could feel he had an erection and this was his way of showing me he was sexually aroused. I did nothing - I just stood there, submissively and let him do whatever he wanted. This made me feel aroused. He started rubbing himself against me in a sexual way, which gave me a sexual response. While this was happening, I had a floaty feeling - as if I was levitating in an unstable, shaky way just a short distance away from the surface of the ground. 

Scene 2: A House - Time Unknown
I then found myself in a house, which in the dream was my new home, but not a location I can recall from real-life. It was very dark in the house and it was quite messy/untidy. There was a TV in the middle of the room (it looked like one from the 1990s, on a stand) with a games console which looked like a huge VCR. The disks for the game were also huge - they looked like vinyl records in the sleeve. I was aware that the games were Sims 3 base game and the expansion packs - which had to all be loaded separately. I wanted to take these games to somewhere else, so that I could play them. I was aware of the presence of another dream character, who I cannot recall, or remember seeing - although I felt that I was not alone in the house. I kept thinking about the games, which were scattered on the floor. I then noticed that the room was a bedroom. I could see that underneath the bed, an astray had spilled onto the floor, from the window sill - the window being above the head of the bed (this mess being caused by the previous resident of the room/house). I was anxious to clean up and sort out the room, but I didn't have any cleaning materials available. This was causing me considerable stress. I think my mum was present in the room at this point, as I was speaking to someone and my memory (post-dream) is that I was talking to a close family relative (female).

I think there was more to this dream, but I cannot recall what happened next.

TIME: 02:00 - 08:45 hours (I woke up from this dream)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• It is believed that consuming fenugreek regularly can increase lactation in mothers - or temporarily increase breast size in other females. In Middle Eastern/Arabic harms in ancient times, women were fed fenugreek to enhance their natural assets. Periodically, I will use fenugreek to increase my breast size and have found that it does make my breasts fuller (the size they are when I am premenstrual or on my period). I sprout my fenugreek seeds for a few days in a damp container, because it makes them easier to consume in salads, curries or stews
• CC's last name is 'Codling'
• JC1's younger brother, JC2 (my godson as well as cousin) is a massive Kurt Cobain/Nirvana fan

Dreamsigns:

• My fenugreek seeds were disgusting fish and trilobites swimming in a tank
• My cousin JC1 was identical to Kurt Cobain
• The games console looked like a VCR and the games disks looked like vinyl records

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• A market stall
• FV in sexual circumstances
• Sims 3

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• The night this dream took place I had been thinking of sprouting some more fenugreek seeds - the reason I am hesitant to do this often is because the spicy sweet aroma of the seeds can come through your sweat and I dislike smelling of fenugreek, because bathing does not stop this temporary side effect
• The day of this dream I had been discussing the size of various fish with DL - while we were watching the contestant chefs prepare fish dishes on Great British Menu. I mentioned 'cod' - CC's last name is 'Codling'
• On the day of this dream I had been reading about an episode of Friday Night Dinner, which made reference to the father character's trilobite collection - I have never watched this show
• The day of this dream I had been looking at images from Peep Show posted on a Buzzfeed article - one of the images was a captioned screenshot from the episode in which 'Mark Corrigan '(played by David Mitchell) is 'seduced' in the stationary cupboard at work by 'Dobby' (Isy Suttie), who without warning backs her butt into his pelvic area and gyrates against him, causing him to 'cum in his pants' (i.e. ejaculate)
• 2 days before this dream I saw a Facebook friend posting comments about vinyl records
• Ashtrays have just been installed outside my residences at university to help keep the general area clean and tidy

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
I feel this was a successful dream as there was a clear reference to Kurt Cobain - my cousin was his doppelganger, and I noticed this in the dream, so I woke up positive about this.

Interpretation/Analysis:
This dream seems to have a clear connection to my dream incubation experiment theme, which is a very positive sign. I have also found that other aspects of day residue are easily incorporated into my dreams, which gives me hope that if I continue with my dream incubation techniques that soon I will be successful.

* I have forgotten some of the aspects of this dream which occurred after Scene 2 - I did recall them clearly upon waking, but because I did not record my dream immediately, the memories faded. However, because I did remember them initially, I am confident that they may resurface at some point. If I remember anything further about this dream, I will record it below.

Dream 501

'Dropping an Atomic Bomb on Sims'

Dream date: 14 September 2015

Day 7 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 7 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1: Bridgeport Map from Sims 3 Game  - Night
I was in Bridgeport City - the world map which comes as part of the Sims 3 'Late Night' expansion pack (see images, below). This is the world I use when I play Sims 3 as it is an urban city environment. I was actually in my own Sims game - the map was customised the way it is in my current game - I was standing outside the house of my current Sims family - 'the Loves'. My male Sim resembles Kurt Cobain and he is a rockstar. His family name is a reference to Courtney Love, Cobain's wife. Below is an image of a Sim Kurt Cobain - it is not my character, but it is better than the one I made, as game mods were used.

I did not see 'my Sims', but I was aware that they lived in the house I was standing outside. I was looking out towards the city and was with another male dream character (unrecalled, but my friend in the dream). It was night, but I could see clearly, as there were lots of bright lights, illuminating the scene. 

I decided to throw a grenade at the city. A computer game menu popped up and I could select what I wanted to 'buy' - the options were all weapons. I selected (with a cursor) the grenade. I am not sure how the cursor worked, as I did not have to manually select, I did this with my mind. Encouraged by the male dream character friend, I threw the grenade towards the main populated part of Bridgeport City. I then realised that the grenade was an atomic bomb and it was shortly about to blow up, which scared me. I knew I was safe in my location and would not be caught in the blast, but I did not want to see an atomic bomb, so I covered my face and looked away. I woke up.

TIME: 23:00 - 10:15 hours (I woke up from this dream)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• None of note

Dreamsigns:

• I was in my Sims 3 game

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• Sims 3

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• I haven't played Sims 3 for a while, but I follow a Sim players page on Facebook and had seen some posts about Sims 3 the day this dream took place
• I was watching episodes of Fresh Meat - in Season 3 there is an episode in which my favourite character, Violet 'Vod' Nordstrom (played by Zawe Ashton), accompanied by a counsellor, throws a grenade she has stolen from an RAF base over the moors as a way of venting anger towards her mother

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
I have a fear of atom bombs, so this dream was a little bit scary, although not a 'nightmare'. I didn't have any specific waking thoughts or emotions regarding this short dream.

Interpretation/Analysis:
The fact that I dreamed about my Sim family's home - and my male sim resembles Kurt Cobain (and the family name is 'Love' - a reference to Kurt's wife Courtney Love) may have been completely coincidental, although I feel positive that this may be a sign that my dream incubation seed has been successfully planted.

Dream 500

'Politicians Get Sexual in Special House'

Dream date: 13 September 2015

Day 6 of 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment - Kurt Cobain Dream

This is Day 6 of my 14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment. Click on the red link to access the article which explains the experiment and contains all relevant links.

Scene 1: My House in the Dream - Time Unknown
I am not sure if I was 'me' in the dream - or someone else, as I did not specifically see what I looked like. I felt like me, but I had a different set of family circumstances. My mum had dark hair, which was shoulder-length and I had a younger sister, who also had shoulder-length black hair. I was in the kitchen/living area of our house, which was small and dark, but quite ordinary looking, with a large wooden table, which we were standing around. I was packing a suitcase because I was going away on a special holiday to an unknown location. The items I was putting in the suitcase did not seem to have any recognisable or practical use - they were trinkets or just small, weird decorative items - many of which were white with a lacy, or highly textured finish. I cannot describe them any better than this. The suitcase was slowly filling with these weird objects and I saw that my clothes were underneath. I felt very privileged as I has been specifically selected (I am not sure how) to go to the location. I did not think that I would miss my family and was eager to go.

Scene 2: The Special House - Time Unknown
I then found myself in the special house. It had a circular interior and the walls were painted a bright blue, with white or cream panelling or borders. There was a mezzanine level and I stood on there, looking down at the lower floor. I noticed that the toilet was just in the middle of the room, with no privacy, but assumed that this was OK because I would be alone in the house anyway. I went back downstairs and wondered if I needed to study. Straight in front of me was a door leading to my bedroom. I had a look in this room, and found it was an ordinary (but still circular and nicely decorated) room which reminded me of a hotel or boarding house.

I was aware that a period of time passed while I was in the house.

Scene 3: My House in the Dream - Time Unknown
I was back in my family home and wanted to go to the circular blue house again, but was aware that my time there had finished and I probably was not allowed to go again. It seemed as if someone else would be able to visit there now. My mum/sister were pleased to see me, but I just wanted to go back to the house. I then made arrangements to go - I checked my suitcase was packed (I do not think I had even unpacked, but I needed to check my little ornaments were still there, which they were, in addition to a number of paperback books which I am not sure I had seen before). I am not sure how my return visit to the house was arranged, but I was excited to be given another chance to return.

Scene 4: The Special House - Time Unknown
I went back into the special house. I cannot remember travelling between my family home and the special house at any point in the dream. I walked down the stairs from the mezzanine level and saw that David Cameron and Nick Clegg were present. I was not happy, as I thought the house was only being inhabited by myself and I wanted to be alone. Both politicians were dressed in suits and as soon as I got down to the ground floor (to the spot outside 'my bedroom' door, both Cameron and Clegg started hugging and kissing each other passionately. Cameron was running his hands up and down Clegg's body in an erotic way. I thought that I needed to escape in case they invited me into a threesome/threeway sex situation, but although Cameron winked at me over Clegg's shoulder, acknowledging that I was watching them, they didn't want me to take part and continued their sexual activity. I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

TIME: 20:30 - 09:15 hours (I am not sure when this dream took place)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES:  14-Day Dream Incubation Experiment:

1. MILD Technique 
2. Tholey's Combined Technique
3. Dream Incubation methods
4. Dream Visualisation methods

Dream Information:

• David Cameron is the Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party. Nick Clegg is leader of the Liberal Democrats Party. Following a 'hung Parliament' in the 2010 elections, Cameron and Clegg made a Coalition Government - Clegg was the Deputy Prime Minister, and generally regarded as an ineffectual, sidelined politician

Dreamsigns:

• I had a different family in this dream
• I saw the Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal DemocraTS Party being sexually intimate

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• None of note

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• I have seen references to David Cameron, Prime Minister in the media recently, which is usually a regular event on a daily basis
• My boss and his assistant who I work for at university are called David and Nick - I had been on a night out to a gay bar with both of them (and the rest of my colleagues) on a work night out at the end of my training week

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
This dream did not have any associations or references to Kurt Cobain or Nirvana, and wasn't a very pleasant dream towards the end, as I do not like either David Cameron or Nick Clegg and did not want to watch them getting it on with one another. I did enjoy being in the special blue circular house as it felt so calm and peaceful there and the atmosphere reminded me of another feeling/memory, which I cannot put my finger on. I guess this is an example of dream deja vu. Certainly this dream had a strange feel to it in terms of the way it felt like I was remembering or reliving a real-life experience (when I woke up and thought about it).

Interpretation/Analysis:
This dream does not seem in any way connected to my dream incubation experiment theme!