Tuesday 31 January 2017

Dream 769

'Weird Building'
Date: 30 January 2017
Time: 22:30 - 06:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: A Strange Building - Time Unknown
This dream is very difficult to describe and was experienced as something between a dream and a nightmare. There was just a terrible sense of foreboding and danger attached to it, although nothing very scary actually seemed to happen. 

I was with a female dream character who I perceived as being my twin in the dream, although she looked like a younger version of myself. We were stuck in a very strange, maze-like building, which no escape. The building was made up of long corridors with many many red doors on both sides. There was no other decoration in these hallways - just blank walls and red doors. Sometimes you had to turn a corner and the doors were not always evenly spaced or where we expected them to be. The building was endless and infinitely big. It seemed 'abandoned' - or at least, it seemed that it had no purpose other than to trap people in it and drive them insane as there was no entrance/exit, only the same red doors with no indication of what was behind them.

Each red door opened to a different room, and each room was very weird. I cannot recall every room we went into or what happened, but I will describe the ones which stick in my memory.

One of the rooms was completely filled with demolition and junk - it looked like a load of building materials had been piled into the room from floor to ceiling in a very haphazard and dangerous way. My twin had become trapped in some cables and bricks and I had to help free her so that we could leave the room. This took ages and we were both scared and panicked. 

Some of the rooms were completely empty and dusty - with no proper lighting and bare floorboards.

One of the rooms had stray dogs in it - just wandering around or laying down in an empty room which was quite dark.

One of the rooms was filled with used syringes and heroin paraphernalia (just spread across the floor) and we were scared to go inside in case we caught AIDS, so we stood outside the room with the door open and looked in.

Some of the rooms were furnished like normal houses/hotel rooms, but were unoccupied. Other than the dogs (and the final room we entered - see below), we saw no other people in the building. 

It felt like we were trying to get out of the building, but knew we could not - and therefore were trying to find the 'best room' out of all the bad ones. 

The final room we entered was a classroom. My twin and I were 'late' to the class, which was being held by a mature male dream character - white with a grey beard and glasses. He looked like a stereotypical university professor. There were other dream characters in the class - they seemed to be people I knew from high school or university perhaps. Everyone seemed familiar and well-known to me. The desks were all facing the front of the class, which was a room which gave me a sense of deja-vu, although I cannot place it in a real life memory. It didn't really look like a classroom, it was more makeshift than that - as if the class was being held there because it was the only room available. I had a strange feeling about being in this room, it was eerie and ominous. The lighting was poor and there seemed to be a lot of random objects littering the floor around the sides of the room - normal items, but making the room look messy. My thoughts when joining the class are difficult to describe, but I felt that this was the room we were 'supposed' to be in. The class was starting and the professor told me that I needed paper to write some notes. I did not have any paper with me, as I had not come prepared for the class. I asked another student - who happened to be VB (a girl I went to high school with, but have not seen for many years, other than when she was tagged into one of my other friend's Facebook photographs) if  could borrow some paper. She handed me her A4 notebook for me to tear out a sheet of paper. I asked her if I could take several sheets of paper, as I wanted to take as many notes as possible. However, I soon realised that she had used every single page of the notebook - it was filled with recipes for bakery items, written in blue ink. I could not find a single clean sheet of paper. 

I asked the professor if he had any spare paper and he handed me a very nice red leather-bound notebook - A4 sized. I was very pleased with this. I noticed that he had a large pile of these notebooks on his desk and they looked expensive and high quality, so I wondered why he was giving them away to students free of charge. The class began - the professor was a dictator and the class was him listing all of the people he had brutally murdered - they all seemed to be male politicians or world leaders. I found this to be a strange class and then I realised that this was why I felt slightly anxious about entering this room. 

There was more to this dream. I have the feeling of the dream memory being just at the edge of my recollection. I know I have tried to explain it this way before, but it's a similar feeling to when people describe something as being 'on the tip of their tongue' - a word, piece of information or memory is just slightly out of reach, like a carrot dangled on a stick in front of you. 

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 
  • I had a 'twin' who was a younger version of myself
  • We were in a very strange building - all events which took place in this building were dreamsigns

Day Residue
  • The day before this dream I had been showing my housemate SC and ML photographs of my younger self
  • On the day of this dream I had seen a Facebook friend (who is an active member of the online lucid dreaming community) sharing a video (which appeared to be a Minecraft let's play) which was described as showing the most terrifying building with a jump scare warning. I hate jump scares, so I did not watch the video in full, but at the start, the 'player' was walking through a weird scary house/building
  • On Saturday 28 January 2017 I went to see Trainspotting 2 at the cinema. This had scenes of a building filled with trash/demolition/debris/building materials from reconstruction/renovation work (Mark Renton, played by 'my bae' Ewan McGregor is involved in a scene where is he almost hanged by cables) and of course, heroin use and syringes and reference to AIDS
  • The day of this dream I had been chatting to my housemate SC about teaching classes
  • The day before this dream R3A and I had talked of 'murder' in a different context
  • The current political situation across the world is pretty terrifying and it feels like we are on the brink of another war

Waking Reactions: 
I am not sure how this dream is related to my Dream Incubation Experiment. I think that this dream is subconsciously meaningful and it certainly felt that way while dreaming it and after I awoke from it and recalled what happened. As stated above, I know I have forgotten parts of this dream - if I recall anything further (and it seems as if I might, as I have that 'brain itch' I often get when I have temporarily forgotten part of a dream) I will record it below.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Dream 768

'The Best Place in London'
Date: 29 January 2017
Time: 23:00 - 05:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal fragments
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: London - Day
I was in London - I am not sure which area of London, as I think that it was my subconscious imagination creating new places for the dream. I was with a female dream character - I think it may have been a transgender male-to-female person who I know online, so I will refer to them as NG. There were other people with us, although I cannot recall who was there at the start of the dream, which involved us trying to use the tube (the underground train system) to get to a particular place in London, although none of us seemed to know which line to take or which stop to get off at. It was all confusing and there was a sense of urgency or at least need to get there by a certain time. At first there were a few occasions where we went to the wrong place - we would get off the train in the tube station and realise this, and then have to get back on a train to go somewhere else. I cannot recall exactly what happened or was said between us during these scenes, but it was frustrating.

Eventually, I thought we needed to be somewhere called 'Friars' (there is a tube stop called 'Black Friars' but it was not here), as 'Friars' was only a short walk from what I thought was our intended location - a simple walk across the street. 

On street-level, it was a very sunny day and we were in an urban area. I could see that there was a lot of traffic at a very wide intersection, and many tall buildings that you might see in Central London. We were running across the street after we saw a sign which pointed in the direction I thought we should be walking in. 

Suddenly we came to a courtyard. It looked older - the architecture of the buildings was not modern, but I cannot describe them well, although this scene was very vivid to me. The buildings were around the outside of the courtyard and were made of red/orange brick/stone (I think this is actually called 'brownstone') - they seemed to be based on Georgian townhouses, but with some ornate architectural detailing at the top (see images, below). They formed a square. In the middle of the square there were a number of tables and chairs - like an outside cafe, where dream characters were sitting in the sun enjoying drinks or conversation. There was a narrow alleyway between 2 of the buildings. I walked down it and saw that it was filled with more tables with many dream characters sitting there. The thing which was most striking was that the whole area was filled with beautiful luscious flowers of all colours - in planters and hanging baskets, which made the area look exotic and just breathtaking. I thought this was the most amazing place I had ever seen in London. It felt like the happiest place on Earth to me in the dream and I wanted to stay forever. I noticed there were snapdragons, which are one of my favourite flowers.

I then left, because I needed to find NG and the other people we were with. I cannot quite recall what happened after that, but I remember that shortly after I left the square with flowers, I wanted to return there and show it to the other dreams characters I was with, but had forgotten which tube station we needed to go to. I eventually found the same area again, and everyone with me enjoyed seeing this place and the beautiful flowers. 

I then found myself on a train, sitting next to my Nan and opposite NG and a green person who resembled Dr Seuss' Grinch. NG was sitting between his feet, as if she were a small child and she was holding a book. The Grinch was scary and although he was with the group I was part of, I was afraid that he might turn against me. He had an aggressive demeanour, so I wanted to keep him happy. Everytime he spoke to me, he got up close into my face and pointed his finger at me. My Nan was being annoying - she was trying to interrupt the Grinch and I was worried that he might snap and become angry. She was trying to show him something in a book. To try and keep the Grinch on my side, I told my Nan that she needed to sit elsewhere on the train and leave him alone, which she did. 

I cannot recall what else happened in this dream.

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 
  • The square with flowers seemed to be fantastical and special
  • The Grinch dream character

Day Residue
  • On the day of this dream I had a conversation about when I lived in London
  • On the day of this dream DL told me that I like 'ugly architecture' because I like 1960s architecture - especially Brutalism (my favourite type of buildings looks 'Soviet' or 'institutional', although there are other period styles I like as well, such as Georgian)
  • The day before this dream I mentioned Kew Gardens to my housemate SC
  • The day of this dream I watched Nostalgia Critic review Dr Seuss (1904 - 1991) movie adaptions - one of which was How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957) which was adapted into The Grinch (2000). Like Nostalgia Critic (Doug Walker), I detest the way in which some of my favourite childhood books have been interpreted and portrayed by Hollywood

Waking Reactions: 
I am not sure how this dream is related to my Dream Incubation Experiment. However, it was a very enjoyable dream and seemed significant - at least going to the area of London where I saw the flowers aroused some extremely positive feelings in me and I wanted to stay there forever.

I have forgotten some aspects of this dream, but if I recall anything further, I will record it below.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Wednesday 25 January 2017

Dream 767

'Benches for Children'
Date: 24 January 2017
Time: 20:00 - 23:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Dream fragments
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: My Kitchen, Norwich - Time Unknown
These are dream fragments which occurred while I was falling asleep - they felt like they were thoughts/daydreams of my waking mind and where not situated in any specific time and place within a narrative, but were more like independent, abstract ideas.

There was a bench which was 'intended for children to sit on' which was to be destroyed and I wanted to protest against it. I did not see the bench of the children - this was just a thought.

Standing in my kitchen, in my flat (this was obviously related to a location, but was not like I was actually there experiencing this as a series of actions, more like a weird 'false' memory) - my housemate SC and I had to deal with a large blue object - it was a bright electric blue (very similar to THIS COLOUR) and seemed to be made of plastic. It had to be lifted from the work surfaces and put on the floor, but it was so cumbersome, it kept hitting against the sink. It reminded me of swimming pools. 

Piano - somewhere in Central London. Memories of visiting this location with EB several years ago (and him talking about something historical while we sat outside a building which may have been a church or some other form of grand public building set off from the main street).

Prosthetic limbs in white surgical stockings on the floor.

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 
  • None of note

Day Residue
  • None of note

Waking Reactions: 
As these were 'dream fragments' as opposed to a full, narrative dream, I do not think they are related to my Dream Incubation Experiment. 

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Tuesday 24 January 2017

Dream 766

'Arranged Marriage'
Date: 23 January 2017
Time: 23:30 - 07:45 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: A Domestic Interior, Location Unknown - Time Unknown
I was in a situation where both CEC (a long-standing female friend of mine) and I were both living in the same home. CEC (in real-life) is married to a Pakistani man, and in the dream, someone connected to her husband had arranged a marriage for me - but it was a forced marriage and I did not want to be married to the man in question. He was Asian (not sure of his heritage) and not friendly. He was in his 20s or 30s and had short black hair and a complexion very similar to my ex-boyfriend, SL (who is of Asian heritage). My 'husband' also had an alcohol problem - and would sleep with empty alcohol bottles in his bed, meaning there was no room for me to sleep there. At one point in the dream I was standing beside the bed, looking down at him and the bottles. 

I was telling CEC how depressed I was in my forced marriage, but she was telling me that I had to put up with it and try and see things more positively. I was scared that I would be forced to have a sexual relationship with my new 'husband'. There was a scene which involved him being behind a door and me trying to avoid opening the door and confronting him.

There was some action which involved me formulating a plan to evade my new husband or defeat him in some way. I cannot recall the details of this part of the dream, but I was speaking to CEC about what I wanted to do and she was trying to persuade me to stay and make my marriage work. I did not feel safe. I was also aware that my new husband was going to try and force me to convert to Islam and this offended my atheist views. I felt trapped and extremely unhappy. There was a suffocating, claustrophobic feeling to this dream. 

I entered what appeared to be a conference room in the house. It was brightly lit with a yellow light and filled with men. On one wall, adjacent to the door, was a huge projector screen, showing a still image of women lined up. The men in the room were 'sexists' or 'misogynists'. I started speaking to the room, telling the men that they should not question women over motherhood and child-bearing. I said words to the effect of: 'It's offensive to see women as walking wombs. When you question a woman about motherhood, you don't know if she has fertility issues; recently suffered a miscarriage; gone through an abortion or had children taken into care. Motherhood is not a positive concept or 'goal' for all women'. I felt like I was speaking to deaf ears - none of the men agreed with me, but I felt like I was waging a war.

I cannot recall anything else about this dream. 

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • Rejection of marriage and motherhood

Dreamsigns: 
  • I was being forced into an arranged marriage

Day Residue
  • On the day of this dream I had seen a post written by an Asian male on a 'shitposting'/meme page I follow on Facebook. He had made a status saying he thought sex was disgusting and never wanted to experience it (I am not sure if he was being serious or not). I had commented on this thread (I wrote 'Is this a meme? Delet this' - as a joke, because his post was out of context with the rest of the content shared on the page, which tends to be topical memes). This led to the OP and another male of Asian heritage (Mohammed) having a conversation with me. OP told Mohammed that I was married. I had asked why he assumed that and corrected him. OP and Mohammed then started joking with me that they would force me into an arranged marriage, so to continue the joke thread, I started pretending I was male
  • On the day of this dream I had a conversation about religion and music on a Hip Hop Debates page I am a member of on Facebook (the question asked by the OP was whether it was immoral to make reggae music if you are not a Rastafarian). I had contributed to this debate because I felt the OP had conflated atheism and secularism and I wanted to clarify the distinction between  the concepts (rather than participate in the substantive debate which I had no special interest in or views upon)
  • The day before this dream a Facebook friend had been attempting to flirt with me and I had stated that I hated sharing a bed with anyone as I like my own physical space when sleeping (and am not a fan of 'snuggling' although there have been a couple of men who I have enjoyed sleeping next to)
  • The day before this dream I had seen an online article which criticised attitudes towards women whereby they are constantly being asked whether they have children - or if they do not, why they haven't had children or why they do not want to have them. I find it incredibly sexist and aggravating. I had also had an online conversation with a male about this topic (separately) after he repeatedly asked me why I did not have children or want them in the future. I had raised the same objections to this line of questioning as in Scene 2 of this dream
  • CEC has children from a previous relationship, but they do not live with her
  • Feminism has been a huge topic in the media over the past few days following the Women's March in America which focused on current topics such as Planned Parenthood funding, abortion rights and sexual assaults (as a result of newly inaugurated President Donald Trump's heinous quote of 'grab them by the pussy'). It is said that the March was the largest protest in American history
  • The day of this dream I dyed my hair blue-black (see Recalled Dream Scene - below)

Waking Reactions: 
I am not sure if this dream was related to my Dream Incubation Experiment. In fact, it seems to reflect my conscious, waking thoughts on marriage and motherhood - and a significant amount of Day Residue as indicated above. I disliked this dream intensely, because of how it made me feel while I was dreaming it (also stated above). However, I did not wake up with negative emotions, despite the dream content feeling negative within the dream itself.

I was extremely pleased to wake up to the news that Ewan McGregor had refused to be interviewed by the awful Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain as a result of the negative, distasteful comments Morgan had made about the Women's March. I am proud that my icon supports feminism and LGBT rights amongst other worthy humanitarian causes and charities!

I may have forgotten some aspects of this dream as it seemed much longer and more complex than my recall when recording it (now, several hours after waking). If I remember anything else related to this dream I will record it below.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

* Recalled Dream Scene (24 January 2017, 19:30 hours)
I realised that I had cut my hair to shoulder-length, but could not recall this happening, so it was a surprise to me in the dream. My hair looked and felt nice, but I regretted cutting it (it is waist length) and hoped it would grow back soon. I think I must have looked at myself in a mirror, or seen myself in third-person perspective, because I was also aware that my hair was no longer black, but a dark brown colour instead.
Memory Trigger: This memory was spontaneously triggered while I was laying in my bed.

Dream 765

'Jealousy & Abuse'
Date: 22 January 2017
Time: 22:00 - 06:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: My University Campus, Norwich - Day
I was at my University campus, which appeared slightly different. I wasn't aware this was my University while in the dream, only on reflection. I was outside the 'Registry' building, but it looked different - more like a composite of this area and also the train station in Sheringham (see Google Maps images below). 

I was standing watching a male dream character (known to me in the dream) smoking a cigarette outside the Registry building. This was an adult white male wearing light coloured clothing. I then became aware that this man was actually smoking cannabis. As I watched, a cartoon bolt of lightening came suddenly (with no thunder to warn of a storm) and struck the male dream character on the top of his head. I was shocked, but not scared. I didn't see what happened to this dream character. 

I walked a short distance away, round a corner and found a small square of concrete surrounded by grass. On the concrete section of the ground was a fox, which was laying on it's side. I perceived the fox to be an 'enemy' - or at least I did not like it. I was trying to summons it to me so that I could catch it. I am not sure what happened. 

Scene 3: An Exterior, Location Unknown - Evening
I was then in another exterior scene, although I am not sure where this was. There was a grassy bank and I was at the top of this, with a number of dream characters, including one female who was a composite between CDF (a female friend of PS, who is on my Facebook friends list); GS (a female student who I have met during the course of my employment on many occasions); and SH (a girl from my former primary/high school). The thing which links all of these random girls is that they share a certain facial appearance and have what I would describe as a typical 'English' complexion with pale skin, rosy cheeks and mid-brown hair. They are all of a similar build also. In the dream, this composite female dream character was neither a friend nor a foe, but was working with me in relation to something. There were other dream characters present and it seemed as if we had set up some kind of 'office' on top of the grassy area as we had laptops and other items which led me to think we were 'working' on something together. The female (I will refer to her as 'Sarah' for ease) was showing or telling me about emails/text messages sent between my ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, all of which related to me. These emails/messages appeared before my eyes in the space in front of me - black text on a white background. I am not sure how the words appeared in the dream (i.e. whether they were 'readable' in the normal sense), but I could read them perfectly in the dream. The font was Helvetica or Ariel. The messages were all abusive in that they criticised me and referred to me as 'fat' and 'insane'. I felt these were unjustified and wrong and I became angry. I was also wanting to get back together with PS and felt that this would now be impossible as he had revealed his true feelings about me in these emails/messages. I also felt that Sarah was on the side of PS and the new girlfriend, rather than me - despite the fact she was telling me she was 'neutral'. We argued - I was saying I was still in love with PS and I wanted Sarah to help me win him back and Sarah was telling me that she could not help me because PS was happy in his new relationship and she did not want to get involved. I got up from the grassy bank in temper and walked down from it, so that I was on lower ground, looking up at Sarah and the other dream characters who were still sitting (with laptops and other items) at the top. Sarah tried to pacify me and call me back up, but I resisted and started to run away, shouting something. 

I cannot recall what else happened in this dream. 

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • Ex-boyfriend (PS) as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 
  • I was at a dream scene location which was a composite of 2 different familiar areas
  • I saw a dream character get struck by lightening - the lightening looked like a cartoon
  • I was trying to summons a dead fox
  • 'Sarah' was a dream character composed of 3 different females known to me in real life
  • The events regarding my ex-boyfriend PS 
  • I could see emails or messages in the space in front of me

Day Residue
  • A few days ago I mentioned that I dislike foxes as I see them when out in the forest and worry they might attack me
  • The day of this dream I saw the Facebook profile of CDF - a friend of PS from London
  • On the day of this dream I had visited the Blog of AWB, someone who PS dated a couple of times after we had separated - I had been angry after finding out that AWB had told PS that I was 'mental' (PS informed me of this, because we were still in contact at the time; I had been annoyed, because AWB seemed to be immersing herself in my circle of friends and now moving in on my ex-boyfriend who had supported me a lot during a mental breakdown I suffered around the time I started this Blog. Given AWB had the same form of mental health issues, I thought she had been extremely mistaken and nasty in the way she allegedly spoke about me to my ex)
Waking Reactions: 
I am not sure if this dream was related to my Dream Incubation Experiment. However, again there was the recurrent theme of an ex-boyfriend and in particular, PS. In the dream I was very jealous of his new relationship and annoyed about the messages which had been sent between him and his new girlfriend - and in reality, I would probably feel the same if these series of events happened in real life. 

I may have forgotten some details about this dream, as it was a long and complex one, which I seemed to recall very vividly upon waking (but did not write down immediately). If I remember anything else, I will record it below.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Dream 764

'Screamo Band'
Date: 21 January 2017
Time: 20:00 - 01:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: Sheringham - Late Afternoon/Dusk
I was with my Uncle, GC and we were in Sheringham. I know this, because I could vaguely see the Playing Fields (it is not a 'field' - it is a small play park with basketball hoops and swings/slides/roundabouts - see images below) in the distance. It was late afternoon, almost dusk and the sky was darkening. My Uncle was building something - or working on - connected with a shed or wooden buildings. The door of the building was open wide, but I did not look inside. GC then 'shifted' the position of the building (I am not sure how he did this), so that we were now directly overlooking the Playing Fields and I could see our location properly (Cromer Road, Sheringham). There was some conversation between GC and I. 

Scene 2: A Bookshop, Location Unknown - Time Unknown
I was standing in a queue at a bookshop. We were lining up alongside some shelves, with a single line of books displayed on the top shelf. There were many dream characters, but I only knew the person (cannot remember who - or even their gender) in front of me, who was the person I came here with. I knew I had returned to the shop to collect a book which I had previously seen here. I started looking at the books and realised that there were many Marilyn Monroe books (which I collect in real life) - too many for me to buy. Every time I looked at the books, there was a new Marilyn one I had not seen before. I was annoyed because I wanted to buy all the books to add to my collection, but was unable to, despite the fact that the books were fairly inexpensive.

Scene 3: An Exterior (which looked like the garden of a former flat I lived in on York Street, Norwich) - Day
I was then in a garden area - it was daytime. I thought this was the garden of a former home I rented in York Street, Norwich - but at the same time, I knew that Cromer Road, Sheringham where I had just been with GC (which is 25 miles away) was just round the corner. In the garden were members of my former hardcore/screamo band (I was the only female in the band, and the lead vocalist). The other members of the band were present - SL (my ex-boyfriend); DS (who is Irish); ST and IC. We were getting ready to perform a live show, but were quite unprepared. I was dressed in a strange outfit - which involved a black skirt and mismatched shoes - one black ballerina pump-style slip on and a black biker boot. On my ankle was a strange anklet, with a large yellow rectangular shape attached to it. I thought that this might make a good stage outfit (because it was so bizarre), but at the same time, I was confused as to why I wore it and considering changing it. I walked down a short flight of concrete steps to where my band were gathered with other dream characters, some of which were my family members, including my Mum, Nan and Uncle GC - who was talking about the building project he had been doing in Scene 1. Everyone was in a good mood and we discussed my clothing and the forthcoming live show, which was due to take place that night. I was looking at my mismatched shoes and decided to change so that I was wearing a pair of matching biker boots. I was also considering getting a large pink love heart tattooed on the back of my neck - I saw an image of what this would look like if I lifted up my hair.

I then saw that DS was re-writing some of my lyrics. In the dream, he was actually Scottish, rather than Irish. He was re-writing a particular song so that it was about 'Edinburgh' (which is where he was from in the dream). The new lyrics were complex and appeared to be written in a different language, which worried me, because I had no idea how I could learn these new lyrics by the live show. I thought I would fail, but DS was telling me that it would be fine and I would do well. The lyrics were very long (much longer than a typical song) and written in pencil on a sheet of paper. The song was going to be titled 'Edinburgh' too. Everything around us appeared to be dark when DS and I were discussing the new lyrics - although the mood was still quite positive. I could see DS had an electric guitar on a shoulder strap. 

I cannot recall what else happened in this dream.

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • Ex-boyfriend as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 
  • My Uncle could move the landscape
  • Cromer Road, Sheringham and York Street, Norwich were located very close
  • I was with my former band members and getting ready to perform a live show that evening
  • I was wearing mismatched shoes
  • DS came from Edinburgh - and 'Scottish' was a different language

Day Residue
  • A few days before this dream I had been telling DL about a small extension my Uncle had built for my cousin JC2, which was in the garden of their family home (so he can have independence) - JC2 is a music student and musician
  • A few days before this dream I had mentioned to a friend that I had been in a screamo band while studying for my first undergraduate degree
  • The day before this dream I had been telling a friend about someone I once dated who wore an electronic tag on his ankle following parole from a prison sentence
  • I could see what a tattoo would look like on the back of my own neck
  • I had been discussing the possibility of travelling to Edinburgh for the Trainspotting 2 (2017) premiere - so that I could meet Ewan McGregor - however, I got the date wrong anyway, as it took place on 22 January 2017, rather than 27 January 2017 (which is the cinematic release date)

Waking Reactions: 
I am not sure whether this dream was related to my Dream Incubation Experiment - again it involved one of my ex-boyfriends, although there was no romantic theme to this dream. I think that I had had a desire to return to making music of some kind, which has been a conscious wish, and the dream appears to reflect that, as I felt positive about the live show we were going to perform, other than the fact that DS was changing my lyrics and making them difficult for me to learn in a short time. I guess, this was a fear of failure dream in part.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Saturday 21 January 2017

Dream 763

'Matchmaking Ex'
Date: 20 January 2017
Time: 21:00 - 00:40 (I woke up from this dream due to a notification from Facebook Messenger from R3A)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: Travelling Down a Road (Location Unknown) - Dusk
I was on some form of public transport, travelling down a road which had trees/bushes on either side and seemed to be in the countryside or suburbia. It was dusk and the sky was a deep blue colour. I could see tall buildings in the distance, and I seemed to only be partially aware of my destination. I was very concerned that I would be late and not arrive there 'on time' for whatever it was I was heading towards. This filled me with frustration and anxiety.

Scene 2: A Classroom - Time Unknown
My destination appeared to be some form of school or learning establishment and I found myself in a classroom which was bathed in a bright yellow light. I was sitting on a long wooden bench in this room - I was alone, but there were other dream characters present (students of the school, not sure if they were known to me or not). I saw there was a door in front of me, and from round the side of the open door, my ex-boyfriend from high school (my first ever boyfriend), MS (who now works at my University, although I am not in contact with him) peeped. I could see that he had his septum pierced and was wearing an intricate silver ring there. MS approached me and said that he was 'going to set me up on a date; with one of 2 male friends of his. I was not interested - I was more interested in him. I was still sitting on the bench and he was leaning over me from the side. He looked like his younger self.

I cannot recall anything else about this dream. 

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • Travelling down a road on public transport
  • Getting back together with an ex-boyfriend

Dreamsigns: 
  • I was interested in getting back together with an ex-boyfriend

Day Residue
  • On the day of this dream I had been writing new poetry - about my romantic and sexual life, and had thought that I should include a poem about my first ever boyfriend for completeness
  • On the day of this dream I had computer issues - my friend DC, who I usually ask for help due to the fact he has a PhD in Computer Science commented on my Facebook status - he is a colleague of MS
  • On the day of this dream I read an online article - with images - about septum piercings
  • The day before this dream I was contacted on Facebook by a male friend who was a mutual friend of MS when we were at high school (he was in the year below us)

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was not related to my Dream Incubation Experiment - unless the notion of getting back with one of my ex-boyfriends is a sign of a subconscious desire presenting itself in my dreams. There is no one ex-boyfriend who I wish to rekindle a relationship with. I am not even keen to have any kind of committed relationship. However, I am aware that I have issues with wanting to date new people who I do not already know as friends (I have always dated friends of friends, or acquaintances, so people with whom I already have some form of relationship). I had been discussing this with my housemate SC recently. My dreams about getting back together with exes may be reflecting this reluctance to meet new people and my reliance on 'familiar territory'. 

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Friday 20 January 2017

Dream 762

'Seaside Boarding House'
Date: 19 January 2017
Time: 19:00 - 00:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Dream fragments
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: A Boarding House in a Seaside Town - Day
I was in a very old boarding house in a seaside town - the house was large and dark and had a number of secret tunnels in the walls. To access the secret tunnels, you opened a hatch and then had to use your arm-strength to pull yourself up and through a vertical tunnel, which would lead to a different room. I was doing this action, but every so often I would come to a hatch/tunnel which was too narrow - or in some way too difficult - for me to lift myself through, so I had to use the stairs and walk in the normal way.

Some of the hatches/tunnels had books in them.

I know there was more detail to this dream, such as me knowing more about the hatches/tunnels and the presence of other dream characters, but I cannot recall.

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 
  • The entire dream narrative/action

Day Residue
  • I fell asleep watching an adaption of Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party (1957) - the adaption is from 1968. This play was set in a dilapidated boarding-house in a seaside town in South-East England - a setting which I very much liked, as I love trashy old English seaside towns and the typical buildings you see there

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was not related to my Dream Incubation Experiment - it seems to be entirely based on Day Residue.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Dream 761

'French Language, Teeth & Tongues'
Date: 19 January 2017
Time: 22:00 - 06:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: The Forest Area by the Lake, University Campus, Norwich - Day
I was in the woodland (nature reserve) area beside the lake on my University campus. I started walking back towards the main part of campus, across the field. During this time I was 'learning French' or at least there was thoughts/verbalisations linked to 'learning French language' which I cannot explain. I cannot recall what words were used or whether they were actually French.

As I exited from a thicket of trees (where I often go to write poetry) and headed down the dirt path back to the field, I saw my former primary school teacher, Mrs Grint, standing on the edge of the path which joins to the field. In the dream, I 'recalled' that she had been my high school French teacher (she never worked at my high school or taught French). As I approached her, she started to talk about French lessons and how I was being held back from proper pronunciation of French words due to the 'state of my teeth'. I showed her my teeth by opening my mouth wide and telling her that I brushed them several times throughout the day. She then told me that I was 'tongue-tied' (I do in fact have a short tongue due to where the frenulum is situated) and that I should get an operation to correct it. We were walking at this point and it was a sunny day. My environment looked as it would in real life.

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 
  • The abstract nature of 'learning French'
  • The fact my primary school teacher, Mrs Grint, was falsely recalled as being my 'French teacher' at high school - and that she was on campus at my current University

Day Residue
  • I often walk to the areas which featured in this dream
  • About a week prior to this dream I had been discussing learning new languages with DL, SC and NB (a colleague and friend at University)
  • On the day of this dream, one of my Facebook friends had been writing rude comments on my status in French and we had been having a joke about how they sounded 'classy'. I commented that we didn't learn these phrases when I did GCSE French at school
  • On the day of this dream I had been trying to pronounce the word 'impasse' and asked my housemate SC to say it for me first
  • I had been thinking about my teeth
  • I always think my tongue is a lot shorter than average!

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was not related to my Dream Incubation Experiment, but instead appears to be related to Day Residue

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Dream 760

'Gifts & Phones'
Date: 18 January 2017
Time: 22:30 - 06:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: Sheringham? - Time Unknown
I think this dream took place in Sheringham (or at least in the county of Norfolk), but I cannot say for sure. All the scenes appeared to blend into one.

I was back dating my ex-boyfriend, HL. I lived with my Mum and my Stepdad in a family home, where the dream started. My parents were telling me that I had to look after a mobile phone for them. It was a white phone, which did not appear to be a smartphone, as the screen was very small and was not a touchscreen. They were expecting a phone call from a man who they knew, but I did not. I did know that this man was supposedly 'evil' and did not want to take the call from him, but my parents were adamant that I had to, because they were going on a holiday or trip. I took the phone with me and HL - we left the house.

We were at a train station and HL had some shopping bags - he had been buying me expensive gifts. I was not especially happy. While standing on the train platform, I started to play with the mobile phone my parents had left me in charge of. I was wondering why it was not a smartphone, and seemed to have mistaken it for my own, as I was confused about why it had a traditional keypad rather than a touchscreen. I compared this phone with HL's, which was a white iPhone.

I think there was more action involved in this dream, but I cannot remember it. 

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 
  • The situation with the mobile phone
  • I was living at home with my parents in a different house
  • I was dating HL again

Day Residue
  • On the day of this dream my colleagues and I had been discussing anonymous phone calls made to our work phone during on-call duty shifts
  • I had been receiving a lot of sexual harassment and abuse from random men who had been unintentionally added to my Facebook friends list by a glitch
  • On the day of this dream I had been discussing previous relationships with SC

Waking Reactions: 
I am not sure if this dream was related to my Dream Incubation Experiment - it seems to be more influenced by Day Residue, at least in part. I am certain that I do not want to get back with any of my ex-boyfriends, and certainly not HL who I dated many years ago.

I think I have forgotten a large amount of detail about this dream, as I am certain that it was longer with a more complex narrative plotline. If I recall anything further, I will record it below.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Dream 759

'Toilet Paper Supplies'
Date: 17 January 2017
Time: 06:45 - 12:00 (I woke up from this dream due to an alarm)
Type of dream: Dream fragments
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: My Bedroom, Norwich - Evening
I woke up in my own bed in my flat in Norwich. This was not a false awakening - it was perhaps a dream-within-a-dream, although I cannot say for sure. I got out of bed. The light in my room was on. The room was largely similar to how it should be in real life, with some differences - there was a large map of the wall above my desk and the small cupboards next to my desk were not there, just wall space. 

I was aware someone was trying to enter my ground-floor flat by the window (climbing through onto my desk). This did not worry me as much as it should. I stood beside the desk and opened the curtains, to see that it was one of the University Security Officers (DD1), an older white man. He said to me: 'This is a drug's bust!' I was not worried.

I then saw a hole in my wall beside the desk, with a bare foot coming through, as if the hole had been kicked in. I was aware that on the other side of this wall was my housemate SC's room (in real life, his room is on the other side of the wall against which my bed is). I poked the foot, thinking it was SC's - and hoping that this would make him stop putting it through to my side of the wall. From the other side of the wall SC told me that the foot belonged to his girlfriend, ML. I saw that it was a small female foot and I apologised. 

Scene 2: My Bathroom, Norwich - Day
I was then in my bathroom with SC - it was day because there was a small window above the toilet (which is not there in real life and would not be possible as this wall is joined to the kitchen of the flat next door, not an exterior wall). We were discussing the need to purchase more toilet paper. SC told me that 'an extra roll had been left' because 'DT (our boss) knew I would be staying for an extra day'. In the dream this made sense to me. 

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 
  • My bedroom and bathroom had a changed appearance
  • The Security Officer climbed through my bedroom window to do a drugs bust
  • ML kicked a hole in my wall

Day Residue
  • Over the Christmas vacation at University, DD1 came round to my house to borrow a kettle of hot water, as a student had shit on the floor/wall of the foyer of the Bed & Breakfast facilities next door. He had joked: 'This is a drugs bust!' when I answered the door (my colleagues know my sense of humour well!)
  • I recently posted an old image (from my previous accommodation on campus) from an incident where a badly repaired wall had been 'kicked in' accidentally by my foot while sleeping (it was a hollow plug socket, which had not been filled in before being plastered over, leaving it extremely weak - see image below). When some Maintenance workers came to my flat to install a new oven we had joked about the photo, as the Accommodation Office had initially told me that it was intentional damage which I would have to pay for, before Maintenance attended and confirmed that it was not at all my fault, but rather the result of very shoddy workmanship
  • On the day of this dream I had checked to see if I needed to restock on toilet paper, but found our cleaner had left us 2 packs

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was not related to my Dream Incubation Experiment - it seems to be drea fragments based solely on Day Residue and actual real life experiences.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment:

Monday 16 January 2017

Dream 758

'Working Mice'
Date: 16 January 2017
Time: 03:00 - 07:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

This dream is part of my Dream Incubation Experiment - where I ask my subconscious mind: WHAT DOES MY HEART DESIRE? You can read the introductory post (and watch the accompanying Youtube video by clicking HERE - opens in new window)

Scene 1: On a Bus (Sheringham?) - Day
I was on a bus during the day. I was sitting by myself, in a window seat on the left side (when facing the front). I had a basket with me. I was aware that 'something bad was going to happen' although I cannot say what it was - it was just a feeling of apprehension and anticipation of a terrible event which was forthcoming. I did not feel scared, but I was worried. This scene is a little hazy in my memory. I recall that I looked to the right side of the bus and saw a male friend - ODG, sitting with another male I know, SAS, in a seat a little further down the aisle. 

ODG saw me and indicated that we should get off the bus together, which we did. I remember dismounting. However, it then seemed like we were still on the bus, but right at the front, in a discussion with the driver. It felt like there no sides to the bus - like we were travelling through the air. I could see the ground - it was a gravel road and there were houses on either side, which looked like stone cottages. It was a very rural area. I assumed it was Sheringham. as I said to ODG and the driver of the bus, who was a middle-aged white male dream character: 'My Nan lives on the road next to this one'. Even in the dream I was aware that this was not true, but ODG and the driver both started talking to me about the location of my Nan's house as if they also knew where she lived.

Scene 2: An Unknown Interior - Night
ODG and I were then in an interior location - which was very dark. The only thing I could see in this room was a large table, on which there were a number of anthropomorphic mice (they were mice sized and looked real, but acted like cartoon mice) who were stitching clothes and making art - the clothing they were sewing and the paper they were drawing on were 'human sized'. I was not shocked by this - it seemed normal. The mice could speak to us as well, and we had a conversation, although I cannot recall what was said. There was much more detail to this scene than I can recall. 

I remember holding one of my arms above my head, but I do not know what the reason for this was.

I was then holding a very small piece of astroturf - it was about the size of a post-it note folded in half. I was writing my name on it. It looked pale yellow when I was writing on it (in black biro), but before, it had looked like regular, green textured astroturf (fake grass). I noticed that my name was written as it should be in real life - i.e. the correct letters in the correct order. I thought this was 'surprising' (this could have triggered a reality check and lucidity, given it felt like I was on the brink of realising that I could write properly in 'a dream' which is usually not the case, and is a good Dreamsign if noticed). 

I think there was more action involved in this dream, but I cannot remember it. 

Extra Information: None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 
  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 
  • The situation with the bus
  • The anthropomorphic mice stitching clothing and creating art
  • I was writing on astroturf

Day Residue
  • I saw ODG post on Facebook before I had this dream
  • On the day of this dream I was 'cleaning up' my Facebook friends list due to a series of incidents of abuse/harassment and threatening behaviour from men; I noticed that SAS (who was never a good friend, more of a friend of a friend) had deleted me from his friends list
  • I fell asleep while watching a documentary about Frida Kahlo (1907 - 1954) - the last thing I remember is the section about a serious accident she experienced when a street car collided with the bus she was travelling on, causing her lifelong health problems

Waking Reactions: 
I am not sure if this dream was related to my Dream Incubation Experiment, however it was very bizarre and complex. The memory was quite vivid when I first woke up, but given I had only had 4 hours of sleep, or less, I was so tired and didn't record it immediately. Therefore, I am pretty sure that I may have forgotten further aspects of this dream, but if I recall them later, I will record them below.

Here is my Youtube video where I describe my current Dream Incubation Experiment: