Dream Incubation Experiment #2 - Dreams 188 - 191

Regular readers of my Blog will know that a while ago I undertook a Dream Incubation Experiment (which you can read here). I did not have any success with this particular experiment as none of my dreams for that week seemed to be related in any way to the 'problem' I was hoping to resolve. I have therefore decided to conduct a second experiment with the hope of achieving better results this time.

The basic technique I will be using is the same as described in my previous Dream Incubation Experiment which can be viewed by clicking on this link. I will also be using binaural beats to enhance my possibility of achieving a good outcome. My method of using binaural beats can be found by clicking on this link.

I am adopting a slightly different approach when recording the results of this Dream Incubation Experiment - I will post the full dream record below each image of my handwritten dream journal notes rather than on a separate page, as I normally would do when recording my dreams. This will make it easier to track the experiment throughout the week, without having to click on various links and navigating to other pages.

This week my desired dream scenario/topic is: Improving my social life.

Dream Incubation Day 1 - 10th November 2013 (Dream 188)

I was in my bedroom, but it appeared to be very different from usual - although the bed was facing away from the door, which is how my bed is positioned in real-life. The light in the room was very dim and hazy. I am lying in my bed. ED entered the room - I am not sure how I saw this, as I was facing away from the door. ED was holding £350 in his hand - which I knew was intended to buy some secondhand DJ decks. ED gave me the money and got into the bed. I immediately got out of the bed and went to wash myself and change my clothes. I was actually wearing the clothes I had gone to bed in (in real-life) - a blue strapless sundress and black leggings. I changed into polka dot knickers and a yellow vest. As I entered my bedroom again I could see that ED was texting a female, named 'Lynn Sawyer' - I am not sure if he was writing messages on a laptop or a mobile phone as I could only see a screen up close. The text was about me, but it was written in a strange language, where all the words were only 3 letters long - although I could actually read it. The text from ED read: "She wore polka dot knickers and the money was down the front like a square cushion". I felt relieved that I had kept the money safe. There was a scene change and I was standing on a bridge in an urban environment. The sky was a strange luminous grey-blue and there were flashing arcs of bright light, which were beautiful, leaving me transfixed, staring up at the sky. I wondered if these arcs of light were UFOs. I was then sitting in the back of a car, driving along the urban streets, still looking at the sky. Someone said: "No, it's the army" - meaning that the army was responsible for the bright flashes of light.

In my waking-life I asked ED if he knew anyone called 'Lynn Sawyer' and he checked his Facebook, but he did not know of anyone by this name.

Dream Incubation Day 2 - 11th November 2013 (Dream 189)

I was in a hospital corridor with PS - it was a very long hallway with chairs on either side, against the wall. I was not sure who was waiting for medical treatment. I was holding a folded up newspaper. The scene then changed and I was in a hospital kitchen/canteen, where there were many other people (patients) sitting at tables. The lights in this room were very bright. Broadcaster Jeremy Paxman was present - he looked a lot older than usual. He was dressed in a bathrobe and pyjamas. He was in a bad mood and said to me: "Next time, don't put too much butter in my pasta!" I agreed I would not, but I could not remember cooking pasta for him. I was then back in the hospital corridor with PS and we were walking down the corridor towards the exit doors. I realised that PS was the patient and had received some form of medical treatment, although I was not sure what this was.

Dream Incubation Day 3 - 12th November 2013 (Dream 190)

I was with my family - my mum, my stepdad, my nan and some other my cousins, in a seaside town. It was not Sheringham, where my family home is based, but a different town altogether. We were standing in a large caged area, which had a tall chain-link fence. The weather was bright and sunny. EB was present, with his family. I have never met his parents, but they appeared in the dream. They were all on holiday also. EB had a daughter, who was approximately 3 - 4 years old and wearing a fancy party dress (light blue). She was behaving in a way I considered to be naughty as she was restless and insisting she wanted to go to the beach. I wanted to go into the town (for the shops), but due to the way everyone else was prepared to go to the beach and the fact that I felt I should cooperate as EB's daughter was a young child on holiday, I agreed we should go down onto the sand to keep her happy.

Dream Incubation Day 4 - 13th November 2013 
No dream recalled.

Dream Incubation Day 5 - 14th November 2013 (Dream 191)

This was a very long dream, but unfortunately I went downstairs before I recorded it and therefore forgot a lot of the details. I have only managed to record a very small amount of the dream. I was in a shop with my mum, which also appeared to be a canteen. There were bright lights and very long tables at which many strangers were seated. My mum and I were then watching a scene in front of us. A man with no legs was competing in some form of sport which involved throwing himself down on his belly and sliding along a wet, blue plastic sheet. We then got a close-up view of his 'legs' (he did actually have legs) - the shins were raw and bloody. My mum said: "He shouldn't do that in his condition". There was also some reference/symbol of neckties, although I cannot remember how this appeared in the dream.

Dream Incubation Days 6 & 7 - 15th & 16th November 2013
No dreams recalled.

Overall, this Dream Incubation Experiment was a little more successful than the last one - mainly because I was asking to dream about my social life and the majority of my dreams involved close friends of mine. I would need to analyse the content of these dreams further to see exactly what interpretations I can draw from them, as it is a little unclear exactly how they relate to the dream scenario/theme I was trying to incubate.

Youtube Video - A Basic Introduction to Lucid Dreaming Techniques

Here is my first ever Youtube video - I am really sorry that the audio didn't synch with the visual footage, but hopefully you will find it useful anyway and I hope to make more videos with better editing software in the near future.

Dream 187

I was in an outside setting - a beautiful garden full of leafy bushes and flowers. The sun was shining. I was sitting at a table opposite the screenwriter and actress Julia Davis (my favourite female television personality). She had some cups in front of her on the table and was showing me these strange things which were plastic (I think) bees which clipped onto the side of the cups. They opened up to reveal a folded-up skeleton in the bees' bellies. The scene then changed and I was in my house in Norwich, although it looked very different. In reality, my room is on the first floor, opposite the bathroom, and my housemate lives on the second floor. In the dream, the first floor was a long corridor, adjacent to the stairs and there were two rooms beside one another - but about six feet apart. Mine was the one closest to the top of the stairs. I had a single bed in this room - the same as I do in reality, although this dream room was much bigger. I decided to go into the room next door, which was unoccupied and take the single bed and the wooden base of the bed from there and put it together with my own to make a double bed. When I tried to do this, I got confused and I could not seem to work out how to fit the two bases of the beds next to one another and place the mattresses back on top. There seems to be a recurrent theme of unsuccessfully moving furniture in my bedroom - see Dream 186. It seemed like an impossible task (yet it should have been a simple matter of putting them next to each other). I was really struggling to do this when a middle-aged man came into my room. He told me that I had to put the second bed back in the other room as his daughter was moving in and needed her bed back. As I looked at the two beds, I realised there were in fact three - I already had two beds in my room! I took the third bed back into the room next door and found my new housemate in there, with her brother or boyfriend. They were moving her belongings into the room. The girl was young and white with curly mid-brown hair and a very round face. Her brother/boyfriend was tall with brown hair. I did not talk to either of them, but I went over to her bookshelf and started to rummage through her possessions. There were a lot of books on Marilyn Monroe (I collect Marilyn Monroe books) and I took some of them from the shelves with the intention of keeping them for myself. I looked on the bottom shelf (I was kneeling on the floor) and saw there were several books on Elvis Presley and wild flower collecting. Laying across the top of these books was a copy of Scarface (1983) - one of my favourite films, which I had spoken about to a friend earlier on the day I had this dream. There was a window next to the bookshelf - I looked out and saw that instead of the normal scene I would expect to see outside my house (i.e. university campus), it was Sheringham High Street - the same view I would see if I looked out of the window of my friend's flat (he lives in Sheringham High Street). It was a bright sunny day.  

The plastic bees were similar to this - except the opening was on the belly of the bee, instead of the back. Inside this gap was a plastic skeleton (see below) - folded up. These were clipped onto the outside of the cups Julia had in front of her on the table. She detached one from a cup to show me the skeleton inside

Julia Davis

Sheringham High Street - the general view from the window of  the new housemate's room

Dream 186

Dream date: 8th November 2013

I was on a stage in front of an audience. The lights were quite dim and the stage was large - I think I was in an auditorium. I was staring out at the audience from the edge of the stage. Next to me was Courtney Love, about to perform a solo set. She was wearing a white dress and white high heeled shoes. She was shouting something out to the audience, who were throwing pieces of screwed up paper onto the stage and shouting back to her in a hostile manner. I thought: "She's a has-been". I was then in a room which was supposedly my bedroom, but it looked very different to my actual room. It was well-lit and the furniture was of the same type as I have in my room, but the shape of the room and the lay-out were not. I was trying to move the furniture around in the room - it was really hard because the items, such as the bed and desk and cupboards, were really large and heavy and I was having to drag them across the floor. Every time I had almost got the item of furniture into the location I wanted it, I would find a small bald man in the exact place I intended to put it, preventing me from moving the item there. There seemed to be several of these small bald men, or perhaps just one, who could teleport or move very quickly without me seeing him do so. I kept turning around trying to see where he was going so I could choose where best to place the furniture. I was getting really frustrated and the room was becoming a mess because the items of furniture were stacking up in the middle of the room and crowding it. I wanted to place the furniture around the edges of the room, against the walls, but this was where the small bald man kept moving to. I cannot really recall much else about his appearance. I did say something to him - I cannot recall what, but I was expressing my annoyance. I am not sure if he responded to me. The scene then changed and I was in another location, but I was not sure where - I could see myself in the third person. I was drinking something which was a coffee and a glass of wine simultaneously - I cannot describe what this means, other than it was one drink, but both coffee and wine at the same time. I was dancing wildly with a group of Indian men wearing black suits and bowties. 

The day before I had this dream I watched a documentary about Courtney Love called Courtney Love: Behind the Music (2010).

Courtney Love

Interpreting popular dream themes (4) - Crocodiles & Alligators

Since I have had two dreams with the recurrent theme of a crocodile, I thought this would be a great opportunity to explore the meaning of this dream theme/symbol. The theme of the alligator also has very similar meanings, and so can be treated as largely analogous to the crocodile in terms of dream interpretation, although there are some important distinctions to be made.

It seems that crocodiles/alligators appear surprisingly frequently in dreams, although the meaning is dependent on the contextual dream clues, although it is safe to say that because these creatures are perceived as predatory, danger/threat is the key to meaning. Typically, because there are distinct similarities between crocodiles/alligators, they are considered to be interchangeable in dreams. However, alligators are generally less aggressive than crocodiles and are more likely to avoid contact with humans. Therefore, in dream symbolist terms, an alligator represents a less immediate threat than a crocodile and this threat can be avoided more easily once it is detected. An alligator may represent an enemy who appears more of a threat than they are in reality. Alligators may also symbolise the potential to transform a threat or danger into a benefit of advantage.

To see a crocodile in your dream is supposed to represent freedom, hidden strength, the wealth of wisdom and power. However, it can also forewarn of hidden dangers – someone near you may be giving bad advice. Because crocodiles are amphibious and live in water and on land, they also symbolise both the conscious and subconscious; the rational and the emotional. It symbolises the ability of the dreamer to move between the physical/material world of waking life and the emotional, repressed world of the unconscious. It may be that the dreamer is on the verge of accessing some new awareness and something lurking below the depths is surfacing. They may refer to the unforeseeable or unknown. The crocodile may also symbolise an aspect of the self – i.e. an aggressive or ‘snappy’ attitude. It may represent the fact that you are insincere or displaying false emotions (also known as ‘shedding crocodile tears’). Alternatively, a friend or associate may be ‘shedding crocodile tears’ to gain the sympathy or confidence or the dreamer, while secretly plotting their demise. Therefore, this may be representative of a Machiavellian colleague or acquaintance.

Crocodiles may also represent the soul and deep desires – it may be that the dreamer is in fear because he has no control over them and anticipates becoming consumed by them. The crocodile may signify a fear of death – or being eaten up by a fear of the same.

Other similar interpretations of the crocodile symbol point to deceit, treachery and hidden instincts. It may represent the need to adopt a new perspective on a given situation. In some theories, the symbol of the crocodile may refer to healing powers and qualities. It can represent the fact that the dreamer is thick-skinned or insensitive – or needs to become moreso.

Crocodiles/alligators may be a symbol of generalised anxiety, or the fear that something is about to overwhelm or swallow you. In some dream interpretation theories, the idea that crocodiles emerge from the water to lay their eggs on land is symbolic of the dreamer’s confrontation with eternity and the idea of the individual self merging with the collective consciousness. A crocodile dream may represent new changes and beginnings in waking life or intuition – awareness of spiritual insights or steps which must be taken in the future.

Crocodiles have acute senses of hearing and seeing – this means that the crocodile may symbolise the need to observe but not be seen. Because of the water association, crocodiles may be interpreted as referring to clear sight into emotional worlds – representing a dive into emotions to seek fluidity, cleansing and healing. Because the crocodile relates equally to both water and to earth, it may signify a sharp focus on reality and a firm grounding/balance. This reflects duality – as does the physiology of the actual crocodile itself, which is armoured on top, yet soft and vulnerable underneath. Crocodiles and alligators are also thought to symbolise timing – to let nature take its course.

To dream that you are running away from a crocodile indicates unwillingness to confront a painful or disturbing aspect of your subconscious – there may be some potentially destructive emotion that you are running away from and refusing to acknowledge or own up to. To dream that you are chased or bitten by a crocodile denotes disappointments in love or business. To dream that you are raped by a crocodile indicates feelings of violation or being taken advantage of in some way – the crocodile is symbolic of a person who is ruthless, insensitive and treacherous. They have a strong hold on you despite your efforts to break free from the unhealthy relationship. To dream of walking a crocodile or alligator represents being in control of those who are a threat. Feeding one symbolises an action which has been done to appease those in your life who are threatening. Wrestling a crocodile/alligator refers to sparring with, or defending yourself, from minor enemies or frustrations/annoyances in waking life. If you dream that you are the crocodile or alligator then this may symbolise predatory behaviours or indifferent attitudes in waking life. If you dream that you are killing or maiming the crocodile/alligator then this symbolises intellect – shooting a crocodile represents the need to test intelligence in some way. Swimming with crocodiles reflects the dreamer’s connection with physical, emotional and material needs, although to dream of swimming with several crocodiles represents betrayal by ones hopes and faith. To dream of stepping on a crocodile’s back symbolises an expectation that trouble is looming and a warning that no-one is to be trusted. If the crocodile or alligator is deformed, some interpretations suggest that this is a sign that the dreamer needs to develop more ‘masculine’ traits in order to perform well or succeed in some aspect of their waking life. Dreaming of a crocodile or alligator in captivity represents access to some unique part of the dreamer’s character – a tame crocodile reflects the attainment of power and influence in the dreamer’s waking life. A blue crocodile or alligator is strangely said to represent a strong fear of a positive situation. Crocodiles/alligators in dreams are often associated with feeling judged; attempts at being more discerning; a need to evaluate someone or something; taking a stand against someone or something; or a representation of your own character flaws or strengths. The crocodile/alligator is also an ancient symbol of the deep unconscious mind, aggressiveness, or assertiveness. If the dream involved a crocodile or alligator ‘laying around’ inert, this is said to be a symbol that someone is trying to negatively affect your life, wellbeing or overall happiness. A dead crocodile/alligator refers to major success beyond the dreamer’s expectations.

Crocodiles and alligators appear in many ancient myths and legends. Crocodile mythologies are part of the Australian Aborigines’ culture – the crocodile was the selfish keeper of fire until the Rainbow Bird stole it from him while his back was turned. The crocodile also features in several African myths where typically, it appears as kings or gods or simply symbolising regality and kingship. The reason crocodiles are often held in such high regards stems from the fact that they are able to walk on land and swim in water – thus, they exist in two realms, rather than one. Kings were similarly regarded as belonging to two separate realms, as it was assumed that they came to people via ‘divine right’. The most widely known crocodile god is Sobek – the ancient Egyptian god with the head of a crocodile. Crocodiles were worshipped in ancient Egypt because of their great power and due to the belief that if they were appeased, any encounter on the Nile would result in death.  Sobek was also associated with pharaonic power, fertility and military prowess, but served additionally as a protective deity with apotropaic qualities. Sobek is associated with various Egyptian creation myths – some believe that he climbed out of primordial chaos and laid eggs from which the earth sprang. The overall theme in these ancient mythologies appears to involve power; the ability to simultaneously inhabit two realms; royalty; and creation. If the dreamer relates positively to crocodiles and is unharmed in the dream or able to control the creature, they typically this would suggest personal power symbols. Given that crocodiles are associated with the Shadow archetype, if the dreamer has a positive encounter with a crocodile, this may be interpreted as the dreamer making good progress in integrating his own Shadow. In some cultures, the crocodile – as a symbol of fertility – is perceived as a feminine theme, referring to the Great Mother. Crocodiles are good, nurturing and fiercely protective mothers - they help the eggs to hatch, then gently carry them to the water. The Egyptian goddess, Tawret, had the tail of a crocodile and frightened spirits who may mean to harm a pregnant woman or child. She also helped spirits ‘re-birth’ into the afterlife.

In Islamic dream interpretations, the crocodile represents a policeman. A crocodile seen in the water is a reference to someone in whom nobody can place to their trust, whether friend or foe. Another Islamic interpretation of the crocodile states that it symbolises a thief of dishonest merchant. If a person is pulled into the water and killed by a crocodile, Islamic interpretations suggest that he will be caught by the law or someone in authority who will force the dreamer do something the dreamer despises – and dreaming of an escape suggests successful evasion. Generally Islamic interpretations of the crocodile symbol stress insolence and sins; unlawful enrichment or earnings; fear and depression. Seeing a crocodile on dry land is perceived as a more positive symbol than if one is observed in water. To dream of dragging a crocodile out of the water or to see yourself eating crocodile flesh refers to a triumph against an enemy or opponent and their weakness and humiliation.

In the Hindu chakra system, the crocodile governs the sacral chakra (‘Svadhisthana’). This is a developmental energy, as the sacral chakra is a power-centre of creation. The crocodile in this chakra encourages creativity and balance. This chakra-crocodile goes deep into our emotional core and resurfaces with dynamic creative power. In many Native American tribes, crocodiles and alligators are symbols of status and power. Because they are easily comfortable on land and water, many tribes consider them as creatures responsible for creation. The crocodile or alligator is a mediator in many Native legends, because it emerged from primordial waters in creation myths and brought forth the sun and the earth. Mayan legend tells of four crocodiles supporting the entire world - keeping its delicate balance in check by the strength of their backs and with fierce determination. The crocodile or alligator appears in Mayan astrology too - in their zodiac, those born under this Day-Sign are instinctively superior and sensitive to criticism. Those with the crocodile or alligator animal totem should examine their fears, both conscious and subconsciously. People born under the alligator/crocodile sign of the Mayan zodiac also have access to incredible, primordial power. They are open to new beginnings, and often see opportunities where others see nothing. The name ‘crocodile’ comes from the Greek word ‘kroko deilos’ meaning ‘pebble man’. This refers to the crocodile’s scaly skin and also the ‘water dance’ performed to attract a mate. In some interpretation, this is said to relate to a need for enhanced creativity in making connections with others and the garnering of new partnerships by unorthodox means.

Crocodile

Alligator

Sobek & Taweret - Ancient Egyptian god & goddess 

Dream 185

Dream date: 5th November 2013

I was standing on Sheringham promenade, by the sea. It was daytime and very sunny/hot. There were lots of people there, standing around and having fun, doing tourist-type things. Suddenly I noticed that there were lots of small (around the size of an average cat) crocodiles floating in the air, at head height. I became scared and tried to run from them - in the direction of the town centre, but the crocodiles were flying at my head in a menacing way. I started screaming for help as I thought they might bite me. I saw RD and called out to him to save me. He started laughing and said the crocodiles were just kites on string and there was no way they could hurt me. As I looked back I saw a group of 'ravers' flying the crocodile kites and realised he was right - they were not real and could not hurt me. This is the second 'crocodile' dream I have had in the past few days. Strangely, my housemate had told me of a childhood nightmare about crocodiles/alligators (she was not sure which), which may have inspired these dreams.

Dream 184

Dream date: 2nd November 2013

This was another nightmare. I was in a house - I am not sure where exactly, but it felt familiar and my family were there. I had been receiving mail which included badly drawn (very childlike) pictures of me laying horizontal across the middle of the page. Above the drawing of me was a drawing of a crocodile, and the at the bottom of the page was the word 'TOMORROW'. I had a flashback, which informed me that these pictures were being sent by a person currently in a mental institution (a female whom I am unable to identify, but knew in the dream). This person had razor-sharp metal teeth (like the crocodile in the drawing, which was intended to represent this crocodile woman). The pictures were a threat that the person (crocodile woman) was shortly about to be released from the mental institution ('tomorrow'?) and would be coming after me to kill me with the sharp teeth - i.e. bite me to death and eat me. I felt very scared and wanted to formulate a plan to escape this imminent death. I then became aware via text message that BT, a girl from my university, had been in the mental hospital with the crocodile woman and it was she who had told that person how to find me (i.e. disclosed my address). BT had herself been released from the mental institution and was on her way to find me so she could report back to crocodile woman. I text BT telling her (falsely) that I now lived in Wroxham, in an attempt to throw her off my trail. I then travelled to Wroxham to see if my plan worked. It was night time and I was standing outside a house which had open curtains and all the lights on inside. I could see BT through the window and hear her telephone conversation (she was using a mobile). She was telling the crocodile woman that I did not live in Wroxham - my plan had been foiled! I then returned to my nan's house, in terror, wondering what else I could do to escape BT and the crocodile woman. It was daylight and I was standing on the frontdoor step. I noticed that I was holding a piece of paper. It was another childish drawing of myself, with the crocodile on top of me and the word 'TOMORROW' across the bottom. I felt helpless and panicked.

Dream 183

Dream date: 31st October 2013

This was a horrible nightmare - perhaps not a coincidence that it occurred on Halloween night! I was going on some sort of field trip with lots of other people - former students of my old high school, although we were now all adults. The field trip involved going to an old, dark warehouse where we would be given guns to shoot zombies. I was not sure if it was a game or reality. I found myself detached from the group of students on the field trip, standing in a corridor, which appeared to be my former primary school. There were lots of people around, but none of my own group. I stood there for a moment, hoping I would spot someone. I then wandered into the warehouse. As soon as I got inside I realised I did not have a gun. On the floor was a pile of ragged old clothes, but as I approached it, I realised it was a zombie, lying in wait. It seemed to be the zombie of NW - a boy from my primary and high school. The zombie tried to attack me, and I pushed it away and started running through the dark warehouse. I came to a dead end. I sat down in the corner, against a dusty wooden wall, and loads of zombies swarmed at me from all sides. I could see their nails - which looked like long, sharp false nails worn by women, pink in colour. They started scratching at me and it was immensely painful. One of the began sexually assaulting me, scratching at my inner thighs until it reached my vagina. I thought I should give up and let the zombies kill me as I had no weapons with which to fight back. I suddenly found myself in a light room again. I checked a watch/my mobile phone (I am not sure which) and discovered it was 1:40 pm. My field trip was scheduled to start the zombie game at 2 pm. I felt anxious as I now had to re-enter the warehouse and fight the zombies again, but this time I hoped I would be given a gun. I located my group, all standing in a queue, ready to enter the warehouse and begin the zombie fight. I felt tried and worried.

Dream 182

Dream date: 25th October 2013

I was in a deep dark rocky cavern, watching a car crash into a wall. The car was a convertible and there were five people seated in it - a middle-aged bald man was driving. A ledge was sticking out from the side of the cavern, and as the car crashed, the heads of the people were smashed into the ledge. The bald driver was decapitated and I saw blood and brains fly everywhere. The scene then changed and I was standing on a pier, by the sea. It was daytime, but it was cold and the sky was grey. There was a massive computer screen standing on the pier, which was showing a tourist website upon which people could review hotels and travel companies. There were lots of posts by 'Alan "Whitey" Synder' who I instantly recognised as being Marilyn Monroe's long-term makeup artist and friend. I felt excited and wondered if I could get in contact with Whitey so I could interview him for my Marilyn Monroe book. I then realised that Whitey must be dead by now and this would be impossible (he in fact died in 1994). I also saw the name 'Thalia' which brought back a memory of a girl I used to attend university with (in real-life I had been telling my housemate about my former university and could not recall this girl's name). The scene changed and I was suddenly my aunty, VF. She/I was hugging my dog Kelli (now passed away) and I was aware that Kelli was dying. I felt guilty because the family were going to be eating a nice meal together and Kelli was only allowed to eat bread and water as she was unwell. I was crying uncontrollably. I then thought that if I could cry like this on demand, I should audition as an actress and use Method acting to portray such emotions. I felt optimistic and thought that some good may come from my dog's death. I woke up from this dream feeling emotional and confused.

Dream 181

Dream date: 22nd October 2013

I was in a massive superstore with PS, trying to buy a 'ball catcher'. This was a plastic device which could catch a ball of any size. I was aware that I was going to be playing some form of racquet sport, hence needing the ball catcher. We were looking at several and PS found one that was very cheap. He showed me that it could catch a tennis ball, but I was arguing that the ball he was demonstrating this with was not actually a tennis ball. We walked around the store for a while (there were lots of toys in this shop) and then went to the checkout. At the tills, there was a short, bald Eastern European man who was having some form of mental breakdown. He was screaming and threatening suicide (standing at the front of his queue). I felt alarmed. I was then in another shop - this time it seemed to be a supermarket. I was standing in a queue for the till again, when I saw the same Eastern European man. He was again, screaming at the cashier and threatening suicide. I went to the staffroom of the supermarket, which was located directly behind me. I called 999 and asked to be connected to an ambulance. The operator put the ambulance driver on the phone and I started to tell him that there was a suicidal person in the shop who needed medical assistance. The ambulance driver on the other end of the line was really incompetent and kept asking me lots of silly questions and saying he would be there in 15 minutes, then saying he could not come at all. I was getting frustrated. Then my mum's friend RT (who is the mother of one of my own friends) and another person entered the staffroom.They were aware that I was calling an ambulance for the Eastern European man and started accusing me of doing the wrong thing. They were shouting at me in an angry way and telling me I should not have called an ambulance. RT told me that the Eastern European man had calmed down and said he was fine. I then told her and the other person (unknown) that I was trained in recognising problems and had followed the right procedure. I then told them about the earlier incident at the checkout in the superstore when I had been paying for my ball catcher. I told them these were not the actions of a person who was 'fine' and it was clear he needed professional help. RT and the other person then started crying and apologising to me, telling me that I had done the right thing. I was still holding the telephone, and decided to hang up on the incompetent ambulance driver. The scene changed and I found that I was with RT's daughter NN, sitting on a  grassy plateau, high above Sheringham town. This plateau was surrounded by houses and we could look out for miles around us at countryside and trees and red brick buildings. It was a hot sunny day and we were eating a picnic. The birds were singing and the people around us were coming out of their houses to enjoy the sunshine. It felt so calm and serene and I was totally happy.

Dream 180

Dream date: 21st October 2013

I was sitting in my nan's living room with various members of my family. Danny Dyer came in and I was aware that he was my 'new best friend' (I dislike Danny Dyer in real-life). He was leaning over, close to my face and telling me jokes which were not funny. Everyone in the room was getting bored of him. He then told me that for fun he likes to call the actors in Eastenders (Dyer is about to join the cast of the soap soon) by their character names rather than their actual names. He thought this was hilarious, but I did not find him funny at all. I then had a view of a theatre stage, upon which Steve McFadden (who plays Phil Mitchell in Eastenders) was standing, performing in a play. Dyer told me that 'Phil' was especially annoyed at being constantly referred to by his character name. My family and I just wished Dyer would leave.

Danny Dyer

Steve McFadden aka 'Phil Mitchell' in Eastenders

Dream 179

Dream date: 3rd October 2013

I was shopping with an unfamiliar male, who I knew in my dream. The shop was just aisles and aisles of makeup. The shop was quite dark, but the shelves with the makeup were brightly lit. The makeup brand was Sleek (a brand I had researched on the internet in real-life). The products looked huge and prominent - much bigger than in real-life. I was selecting which products to purchase when the male approached me (he had been looking at items on a different aisle). I was asking his opinion about eyeshadow palettes, eyebrow kits and bronzer/highlighter compacts. I felt very happy to be in the shop.

Dream 178

Dream date: 1st October 2013

I was in a very dark room which looked like a science laboratory, with experiments occurring. TS was in the room amongst other, unfamiliar people. I walked to the back of the room which appeared to be a department store. There were shelves and counters full of luxury items. I approached a display which had several makeup palettes and compacts - it was some kind of designer brand. I noticed that the price of each of these was £27, but I did not have enough money to buy any. I was then in a pharmacy with my mum, shopping. I saw stands of makeup - this time much cheaper than that I had previously seen in the dark laboratory. I was testing the makeup on the back of my hand and my mum was getting impatient with me.

Dream 177

Dream date: 3oth September 2013

I was in a strange house which was very well lit. I received a message on my laptop from a person I do not know, but felt kind feelings towards. It seemed to be a foreign student. He told me that he was stranded in Scandinavia and needed to get to Norwich. I replied to him, telling I would help him. I began wandering around the strange house, trying to find someone who might be able to assist me in helping the foreign student. There seemed to be quite a few people, standing or sitting in various rooms of this house, but no-one seemed to want to help me. I sat down on the floor beside two people - I think they were both female, but I cannot recall clearly. On the floor were several hypodermic needles - syringes which had been used for injecting heroin. I felt disgusted and wanted to get away from them, but was not sure if I had accidentally touched them. I asked the two people if they had seen me touch the needles, but they were too doped up on drugs to respond to me, so I walked away. I then found myself in my kitchen in Norwich (new home!). EB was sitting at the table and I asked him if he had a new girlfriend and he said: "Yes". We were reading magazines. 

Dream 176

Dream date: 22nd September 2013

I was standing in front of an unfamiliar car with my stepdad and EB. The car was broken down, but we were happy because it was a hot, summer day. My stepdad was showing me some old photographs, although I cannot recall what they were of. He said to EB: "We should all get high" and EB started rolling a joint. We engaged in some conversation, but I do not recall much about this dream.

Dream 175

Dream date: 17th September 2013

This was a false awakening/semi lucid dream, which was quite scary as I did not have sufficient control of the action. I woke up (false awakening) in my bed at my nan's house. There used to be a second single bed in this room, from when I shared the room with my mum. This bed was moved some time ago and in its place are boxes and bags of my clothes, shoes and books from when I moved house and needed storage. However, in this false awakening dream, the second single bed was still there, beside my own. This is how I knew I was still asleep and dreaming (hence this being a semi-lucid dream). On the second bed, there was a strange accordion-like object which was inflating and deflating and making some sort of moaning/wailing noise. It really scared me as I was not sure what this was. The room was completely dark, but moonlight or a streetlight was coming through the small gap in the curtains, illuminating the accordion. I tried to call out for someone to come into the dream to help me, but failed. My voice was audible, but no-one was coming. I then willed myself to wake up, but instead re-entered a normal dream state (although I cannot recall what happened at this point). Shortly after, I had another false awakening. I became aware I was still asleep and dreaming, because the second bed with the moaning accordion was still in the room. I felt terrified. I then heard the music from an ice cream van outside the window. I was far too frightened to get up and look out of the window at the ice cream van as I felt as if something awful might happen or I would see something even more scary if I did so. I tried to ignore the accordion, but the moaning was getting louder. Again, I tried to call out to someone to save me, but nothing happened. I assume I then went back into a normal sleep once again.

Dream 174

Dream date: 15th September 2013

I was in a strange town at night. I was aware that I had to get a smart outfit for a job interview, but there were no shops. I then found that this town was a composite of Sheringham and Norwich. The streets looked like the Riverside area of Norwich, but I was outside a pub called The Crown, which is located in Sheringham. I was anxious about not having the right outfit for the interview. I then found myself in the back of a taxi, which had some cupboards behind the back seats. I started looking through the cupboards and discovered that they were filled with my clothing. I tried to find a suitable outfit for the interview and eventually was successful. I decided to get dressed in the back of the taxi, but found the clothes and shoes I had selected were in a dirty, crumpled heap in the footwell of the taxi and I could no longer wear them. I was then outside again, still at night. I was standing by the train station, wanting someone to come and help me, but I felt stranded. 

Dream 173

Dream date: 11th September 2013

I was in a strange house with EB. I became aware that he was living with an old man who was a paedophile. I was begging EB to leave the paedophile's house, but he seemed happy to live there with him. I thought the old man might be abusing EB in some way. The old man came into the room. We were standing at a breakfast bar on which there was a pint glass filled with crabs. We were using bits of Blu Tack to kill the crabs in the glass. I then found myself in the centre of the room with EB, who was dressed in Victorian-style clothing. I was pulling him by the hand, trying to get him to leave, but he said the paedophile had three nice dogs and that is why he wanted to stay living with him. I saw the three dogs - one was a Doberman Pincer breed and the other two were Staffordshire Bull Terriers. I went to the front of the house, which was an Indian restaurant, managed by the paedophile's son. There were people seated at small round tables. In the centre of the tables were small umbrella shaped objects, with very orange curry pouring down them. This was the way the food was served in the restaurant, which was quite dark. I could see a doorway with a light on in the room - this was the kitchen. I stared at the curry umbrellas and felt confused. 

Dream 172

Dream date: 6th September 2013

I was in a dark hospital room and to my right side, an unfamiliar woman was giving birth. I left the scene as I felt uncomfortable being in there. I was then walking around and became aware that a large, knobbly stick was protruding between my legs, from my vagina. I tried to remove it, but it was stuck fast. I was becoming anxious. I approached the bottom of a staircase, where several unfamiliar people were seated on the stairs. I tried to crawl up the stairs. As I was struggling to do this, I was sexually assaulted from behind, but I could not see my attacked. The stick was still in my vagina. I eventually got to the top of the stairs and found myself in my bedroom at my nan's house. The stick was no longer in my vagina. I gave birth to a dead bird. It was yellow and looked like a canary.

Dream 171

Dream date: 5th September 2013

I was with EB looking at a plate with massive prawns on it. They had huge, ugly monster faces with extremely large eyes. I was using a pin to blind them and they were letting out sharp, high-pitched screams.

Dream 170

Dream date: 2nd September 2013

I was in my nan's living room - standing by the curtains which were drawn shut. I could hear noise - as if it were coming from a mezzanine level positioned above the top of the curtain rail. It sounded like a commotion. I then had a view of what was going on above me on this upper level. Marilyn Monroe was hanging over the side of a railing. She was wearing the white halter-neck dress from The Seven Year Itch. Her eyes were closed. Someone told me: "You killed Marilyn!" I became aware that I had stabbed her with several knives and I felt very upset and angry with myself, and not sure why I would have killed my icon. I was then downstairs and leaving my nan's house - it was evening, but the lights were on. My nan was screaming obscenities at me - her face was seen in close up and she was furious. The scene changed and I found myself returning to my nan's house after spending an unrecalled period of time elsewhere. It was late at night. I went into the living room and saw CC there with another female. They were both high on drugs. CC waved my laptop at me - or at least a purple laptop (my laptop is purple). It was all scratched up and broken. CC told me there had been an accident, but she could get hold of some stolen goods and replace the laptop. Her and the other female started dancing manically around the room while I watched.

Marilyn Monroe

Dream 169

Dream date: 21st May 2013

I was standing beside a train track (daytime) with an unfamiliar male. We were going to take part in a tennis tournament. I kept looking at a digital clock, which read 08:38 am. The tennis tournament was due to start at 9 am. The male said: "We should go to work first". I was annoyed at this suggestion as there was clearly no point due to the time. I said: "There's only 20 minutes left, we won't get paid enough". I noticed that there were other persons present, in particular a jazz band. Someone volunteered to go to work with the male in my place. I was confused, as they were only due to earn 1 pence for the amount of work that could be done before the tennis tournament. This was less than the cost of the train to get to work. It was still daytime, but the sky was now very dark. I was in an unfamiliar location, but I did not observe much of the surrounding environment or many other details. My recall of this dream was poor. 

Dream 168

Dream date: 20th May 2013

I was driving a black, trashed car. In real-life I cannot drive, and it was the same in the dream. I kept crashing into barriers and walls and I was unable to park the car either. I was near a very steep ledge/drop and feared that I would accidentally drive over the edge. Two unfamiliar people were trying to push the car, and I saw this in the third person perspective. It was a hot sunny day and I could see sunbeams reflecting off the metal of the car and myself in the driver's seat. My stepdad approached and said: "Brixton has been destroyed!" I then saw a video of flooding with lots of rubbish floating in the water. It looked like a giant moat around the city of London. My stepdad and I were then in a restaurant. EB was in there, with an older man. Both my table and EB's table were asking the waiter to bring the bills. Our bill came and it was the wrong one. It was for £13. EB and I compared our bills, which were handwritten (very badly) in thick black marker pen. The scene changed and it was day. I saw an unfamiliar man washing the outside of a sky blue camper van, which had a skull logo and "Sinn Fein" written on the side. I was then in a dark room inside a nightclub - it seemed to be the VIP section. It was a long room with sofas around the edges. I met Andy Warhol (who remained silent) and Francis Bacon (standing in front of me, loud and friendly, praising me). I noticed that there was a large empty space in the centre of the room and I felt anxious.

Andy Warhol

Francis Bacon

Dream 167

Dream date: 17th May 2013

I was looking at a computer screen when I was told by an unfamiliar male that EB's real name was "Frank". The scene changed and I was now looking at a maze-like spiral staircase - it was very complex and difficult to describe as it both resembled a flight of stairs and a maze at the same time. I realised I was on the UEA campus, but it looked very different from reality. I was looking for NR's room, and eventually thought I had found it, but when I climbed the stairs, I realised I was in the wrong room. I started to play chess with a Chinese girl in this room, and I told her I could not find my own room. On a desk in the Chinese girl's room were some files relating to my job as a Senior Resident. It was a beautiful hot summer day outside. The scene changed and I was in the old Waveney Terrace block (where in real-life I used to live, and work as a Resident Tutor. This block has since been demolished so new halls of residence could be built). I was in the kitchen with some other students. I could see trays of scones, covered with mashed up red fruits. I was aware that NR had made these. I started eating them. I noticed there was a lot of dirty washing up piled in the kitchen and I felt anxious. I started cleaning up. VW, an old school friend, was present in the kitchen.

Dream 166

Dream date: 16th May 2013

I was laying in a bed with an orange duvet on it. There was a massive baby laying next to me, wrapped in a red blanket. While still laying in the bed, I heard a strange noise which sounded like a mixture of whining and shrieking. To my right side, I could see a big white balloon expanding and deflating by itself. I felt scared. I went into what appeared to be my nan's bedroom, where I saw my mum and stepdad sleeping in the bed. I went into another room, this one unfamiliar. My cousin HM and her husband RM were in bed. The light was on and the bed had a polka dot duvet. The scene changed and I was in fourth room, this one unfamiliar. There was a strange long-armed male with black hair. His arms were so long and thin that I felt scared. There was a computer in the middle of the room and from the screen I could see that I had been doing some online food shopping. I then went and laid down in the bed which was in this room, against one of the walls. Whilst laying in the bed I felt the strange long-armed man hug me from behind - his grip was very tight and I felt unhappy and claustrophobic in this situation. I wanted to escape. I looked to my right side and saw two single beds. In one, my cousin HM was laying - as a small child, about 3 - 5 years approximately. She was curled up in the foetal position. EB's cat then jumped through the window onto HM's bed and HM appeared to be an adult again. There was a scene change and now my mum and I were in a large clear box with huge glass walls. Outside it was a lovely summer day. A small white figure approached the box - it looked like an Oompa Loompa, or some kind of dwarf. It started kicking the glass walls, trying to break them, but failed to do so. My mum and I laughed with relief.

Dream 165

Dream date: 15th May 2013

I was in a fancy brother/strip club. It was dark and there were some bright neon lights of all different colours. Some girls from high school were working there with me, including DB. We were employed as dancers and had to waitress - we were carrying drinks on trays. This seemed like quite a classy establishment. I was wearing a white frilly bikini. I went upstairs to a well-lit room, in which there was a double bed with a beige duvet cover. A grey-haired man was sitting on the bed, wearing a business suit. He offered me £500 to have sex with him. I sat on the end of the bed. He was sitting against the pillows at the top. The door (to the right side of the bed) opened and EB came into the room. He had £20 in his hand. I left the room with EB - we entered a small room which looked like my nan's living room, but also like a bathroom/toilet. EB told me not to have sex with the businessman. I was thinking about the £500 and was confused about the decision. I told EB that he himself was there to pay for sex with one of the girls and he told me he wasn't, saying: "No, a dance". He asked me to go with him and leave the £500. I was still confused and it seemed like I was taking ages. I went back into the bedroom and saw that there was £30 left on the bed alongside a hotel brochure. I wasn't sure if the £30 was to pay for the hotel room or a gift for me. The businessman was no longer there, but EB told me to keep the money. I could then see the footage of myself and EB in the room as if I was viewing it on CCTV. There was a scene change and I was in a long, dark room with some other people also. EB was there again, and about to leave. I asked him to stay. He was wearing bright red trousers and I sat on his lap to stop him from leaving. The scene changed again and I was in an unfamiliar house with members of my family, including my mum and stepdad. My stepdad said: "Do you want drugs - they are for women who are nine months pregnant and they have LSD in them". He showed me a box. My mum said: "You might as well try them". We were then sitting outside in my nan's front garden on a row of deckchairs, seated behind a row of beautiful flowers. It was sunny and we were all happy.

Dream 164

Dream date: 14th May 2013

I was in a strange town which was unrecognisable. It was made up of lots of narrow, dark streets and it was night. I walked down a dark alleyway towards a public toilet - this was a small, square, brick building. Inside the public toilet was a familiar-looking male - tall with dark hair, but I could not recognise exactly who he was. I just realised that I knew him. We were going to smoke cannabis in the public toilet. The male left and I awaited his return before lighting the joint that was in my hand. There was no door to the toilet - I noticed this while being left alone inside. It just had a door-shaped opening at the front. I now noticed a second male - tall and thin and also dark-haired. He did not look particularly different from the first male who I was acquainted with within the dream. I then was able to see the interior of the toilets and myself and the second male from a third-person perspective as if watching movie footage of the action. There was some form of physical assault between us. The scene then changed and I was out in the streets again, but this time it was daylight and there were a lot of shoppers and passersby on the streets. I could see tall buildings, like skyscrapers. I saw the second male standing in the doorway of one of these buildings and noticed that he had a large, very square gold front tooth.Noticing this sparked a 'memory' and I remembered that in the public toilet he had bitten my right middle finger. There was some pain in this finger and I looked down to see that there was a scar. I was then in a clinic of some sort, talking to a female. I said: "I've been raped". My finger was still sore. The female told me I had to report the rape. I was then on a residential street, which I did not recognise. My mum told me that we had to go somewhere and that it was my fault we were late. She phoned for a taxi, and when it turned up, it was actually an ambulance. It was raining and I could see steep, grassy banks at the side of the road. We stopped at some traffic lights and my view was through the windscreen of the ambulance. I realised that my mum was no longer in the vehicle with me and I told the driver we had to go back and collect her. The scene changed again and I was in my nan's back garden. PS was there, telling me about some twin sisters. He had a telephone conversation with someone. When he finished, he told me that one of the twin sisters had died. He showed me some photographs on his phone - I was being critical about them. The girl in the photo had mid-brown hair and was wearing white mittens. PS was very upset. I asked him if the dead twin was his girlfriend and he said she was. I continued to criticise her in a nasty way, being very vindictive. I saw the sin shining brightly on some flowers. 

Dream Incubation Experiment

Tonight (Monday 13 May 2013) I am going to commence a series of experiments in dream incubation. As I have been practising dream techniques for a while now, I feel I am ready to make some serious attempts at dream incubation. This is how my experiment will operate:

I will choose a desired dream scenario/topic at the start of the week (Monday). I will record my chosen topic on this Blog. Throughout the week I will try to incubate (‘planting the seed’) the desired dream, by concentrating my waking mind, throughout the day, on the possibility of experiencing it in a dream-state; and thinking about the desired dream during the period before falling asleep. This is a technique described in a study by Deirdre Barrett at Harvard University (Barrett’s Study on Dream Incubation (1993), Dreaming, vol. 3, no. 2) and described in her book, The Committee of Sleep: How Artists, Scientists and Athletes Use Their Dreams for Creative Problem-Solving – And How You Can Too (Crown Books/Random House, New York: 2001). Dream incubation can be used for problem-solving or simply recreation. I will record my dreams as they occur, as normal, and compare the results with my dream incubation aim.

This week my desired dream scenario/topic is: A successful legal interview for a pupillage.

Dream Incubation (Day 1 - 13 May 2013)

These are the notes that I recorded as soon as I woke up. This dream will be posted as usual on my  main Dream Diary (Dream 163), but I also want to comment on it here. Clearly, the first day of dream incubation did not work, as the dream was not about legal interviews/pupillages. However, there are some strange elements, which reflect what happened in my waking life the day before I had this dream. For example, there is clear evidence of the Light and Mirror dream control experiment (follow link for article) appearing as a topic in this dream. I had been typing up this experiment (on a laptop) shortly prior to going to bed. The reference to laundry and piles of clothes may come from the fact that I had a huge pile of washing in my bedroom which I had been planning to sort out yesterday, but had forgotten/not bothered to do. I put it in a large laundry bag to keep it separate from my clean clothes. My nan asking me about whether I was studying politics may have been because we had had a conversation about politicians earlier in the day, and while I was typing up the Light and Mirror dream control experiment she asked me if I was doing my university law work, to which I had replied 'no'. I saw some pigs in a Norfolk field a few days before I had this dream, which may have influenced the image of the pig in the dream. Also, earlier in the day, I had cooked some curry in a big saucepan on the cooker and my nan had asked me if I wanted her to stir it. Further, I had spoken to my nan about my ex-boyfriend returning to Burma and the fact my late granddad originated from 'Bermondsey' in London. There had been some publicity about the local carnivals which would be happening this summer, and the neighbours who I saw walking past the window had been visited by an ambulance earlier in the day, because one of them had suddenly fallen ill. My nan had been watching the ambulance arrive from the living-room window. My nan and I had decided also that we would go to Norwich in the week and would visit UEA while we were there. Last time I was at university I had been standing outside Suffolk Terrace, trying to enter the library via the late-access door (I failed, because my swipe card wouldn't work).

Dream Incubation (Day 2 - 14 May 2013)

I had in fact been sunbathing a lot in the garden which appeared in this dream, which may account for that appearing. I am not sure where the other references come from - particularly the gold tooth and getting bit. When I was very young (from about 13 years, throughout teenage years before university) my friends and I used to go into the public toilets to smoke. I had recently been down the seafront and bumped into my old friend SF, who I had not seen in a very long time. She is now a mother and was with her young son. I saw her when I was going for a walk with another friend, and the very spot she was sitting was one of our favourite locations when we were kids. There was no observed affects from the dream incubation experiment. This dream is written up in full at Dream 164.

Dream Incubation (Day 3 - 15 May 2013)

This dream was SO strange - not necessarily the bit about working in a strip club, as I have done that before when I needed money and actually enjoyed the experience (it was nothing like in this dream, however - the dancers were not allowed to be alone with the clients and we were not propositioned for sex either). The strangest bit was my family trying to encourage me to take drugs, as that is not something that would ever happen in reality, although they might encourage me to seek medicine for anxiety if I am currently experiencing problems with emotional/mental health. This dream is recorded at Dream 165. Again, there is no known affect from the dream incubation experiment.

Dream Incubation (Day 4 - 16 May 2013)

Again, this dream, like all the others seems to be proving to me that my dream incubation experiment has not been working. I am not sure what may have influenced this dream. I spoke to HM on the telephone around the time of this dream and in my nan's house where I am currently living, there are many photographs of me and HM as children hanging on the walls, which may have inspired me to dream of her as a child. This dream in recorded in full at Dream 166.

Dream Incubation (Day 5 - 17 May 2013)

This is really weird, as until now (some months later when I am updating my Blog after a hiatus - from having no internet available) I had forgotten this dream - mainly because it wasn't particularly significant in terms of content. I had applied for a job as a Senior Resident at university (the same job was previously called Resident Tutor) and I am able to say now, sitting here on campus, that I luckily did get the job! Obviously, that was on my mind at the time of having this dream. The odd thing is though, recently EB and I were talking about what we should call him if he needed a fake identity and I said: "Frank". I had totally forgotten that I had a dream in which he was called 'Frank' and I have no idea why that came to mind, other than my nan had been talking about Frank Sinatra and I had mentioned Frank Sinatra to EB. We also both like Amy Winehouse, who's first album was called Frank and we had laughed about the drugs helpline, Ask Frank. This dream is recorded at Dream 167.

Dream Incubation (Day 6 & 7 - 18 & 19 May 2013)

So, clearly my dream incubation experiment was not successful. I am not sure why, but can guess that perhaps one week is not long enough for a first time experiment such as this to work. I think I will try this again in the near future to see if I can achieve better results.

Dream 163

I was in a classroom which was well-lit - it was as if I was back at school. I was with a group of unfamiliar students - all young people, one of whom was a tall white male with black hair and a white T-shirt. He seemed to be taking control of our group. We were sorting bundles of clothes for a charity collection of some sort. We were aware that a group of businessmen would be coming to take the clothing collection soon. I was then engaged elsewhere in the room, with a project entitled Switch & Mirror (a clear reference to the dream control experiment I had been writing about prior to falling asleep- follow link to see article). I was typing my project on an old-fashioned PC, but kept making spelling mistakes, especially with the word 'switch' which kept being typed as 'scitch'. The scene changed and I was outside the Suffolk Terrace block at UEA, in the dark. I was seated in front of the PC (on a desk) still typing, and the dark-haired male was with me, helping me. I was then at my nan's house, standing next to her at the cooker in the kitchen. She was stirring a large cooking pot. There was a very pink pig on the ground, between my legs. My nan asked "are you studying politics?" and I said 'no'. I was then in the bathroom, with the PC balanced on the edge of the bath, while I sat on the toilet, typing. I was still making spelling mistakes. I then experienced a false awakening, in my bedroom (no lucidity). Outside my window (which is second floor), I could see the heads of our neighbours and their family members, walking past the house. They were discussing a visit to 'Burmsy/Bermsy' carnival. My nan entered the room at this point, with a laundry bag of clean washing - I could see a sparkly skirt and denim hotpants (which I own in real-life) on the top of the pile. 

The Light & the Mirror Experiment – Testing the limits of dream control

This article is based on research by Stephan LaBerge and Lynne Levitan (2007) into methods of control in lucid dreaming. LaBerge and Levitan stated that it may be possible to test lucid dream control by setting predetermined experiments enabling the dreamer to attempt to achieve certain goals. The definition of ‘control’ within this context is the “ability to determine or influence the course of events” within the dream scenario. 

The dreamer's actions are causes which lead to consequences and effects. However, there must be some distinction between voluntary and involuntary control. Voluntary control means that the dreamer decides to produce specific effects and takes steps to cause them. Involuntary control refers to unintended consequences of the dreamer’s actions. There are many different ways of controlling dreams. One method which does not require a state of lucidity is predetermination – selecting the scenario or subject of the dream prior to sleep. This is very similar to the concept of ‘dream incubation’ in which the dreamer seeks to induce a dream about an important or desired topic in order to answer a relevant question or resolve a conflict (see Patricia Garfield, Creative Dreaming (1995) in which she suggests that a motivated dreamer can choose to dream about desired topics and produces evidence in support of her thesis). 

Post-hypnotic suggestion has also been utilised in order to elicit particular dream topics, again with some degree of success, as described by Charles Tart, Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain (1988). It should be noted that success in creating a specific dream scenario does not imply an ability to control the sequence of events within the dream. Concurrent control is the ability to alter or determine the course of the dream in ‘real-time’ i.e. as it is happening. This type of dream control is not limited to lucid dreams – any time the dreamer makes a choice or decision in a dream, this is a form of dream control. The dreamer may be unconscious for the reason for making this choice, but the decision nevertheless originates from the self. However, dreamers possessing full lucid consciousness within a dream are able to make deliberate choices and actions with full knowledge that they are experiencing a dream and are able to observe their effects on the course of the dream narrative.

A wide range of theories about the possibility and limits of dream control exist in dream discourse. On one end of the spectrum, some dream researchers deny the possibility of deliberate dream control and even the notion that lucid dreaming is a proven phenomenon. Their beliefs tend to stem from a flawed philosophy that sleep is an intrinsically ‘unconscious’ state with a lack of cognition and mental awareness. LaBerge and Levitan prefer to use the operational definition of sleep as ‘lack of perceptual awareness of the sleeper’s environment’. Without consciousness, clearly a dreamer would be wholly unable to will anything. 

Other scepticism surrounding the possibility of conscious dream control emerges from dream researchers who employ dreams to help subjects achieve better psychological or emotional balance. A large extent of dream-based theory operates on the premise that dreams simply happen to dreamers rather than being events created by the dreamer. Thus, the ‘creator’ of the dream is the subconscious – completely disconnected from the conscious ‘ego’. LaBerge and Levitan state this cannot be accurate as it would prohibit us from recalling our dream experiences – events which do not reach the conscious mind cannot be accessible to the memory. 

The dreaming self – who experiences and reflects on the events of the dream – is the self-aware, conscious ‘ego’, although it may not be aware that the present dream environment is an entirely mentally-constructed world which is not guided by sensory information from the physical reality. In Ullman & Zimmerman, Working with Dreams (1979), the authors – who assert that dreams are a product of the unconscious – argue that a dream is a form of natural resource flowing through the self, shaped by life experience. The flow of this natural resource cannot be changed by urging a new direction upon it. However, if there is an effort to make a change in direction possible, this flow will consequently alter as required. 

This means that there must be more than conscious intent to alter the flow of the dream – there must be a genuine emotional investment. Therefore, dreams are predetermines ‘plays’ programmed out of the dreamer’s current psychological processes, which are nothing like waking-life. In regard to lucid dreaming, the authors state that although the dreamer can influence the subsequent course of a dream once lucidity has been achieved, the element of control occurs only within certain limits i.e. within a predetermined framework. This implies that dream control is restricted to actions appropriate to the original dream scenario which has its own defined boundaries and rules. This would mean that whatever part of the mind which determines the original dream scenario has primacy over other parts of the mind (within the dream-state). 

Despite evidence that some dreamers can pre-determine (incubate) specific dream scenarios and topics, for the most part dream scenarios appear to originate from some source which is not part of the conscious mind. However, there is no solid evidence for Ullman and Zimmerman’s theory that dream control is limited by the framework of the original dream scenario and many dreamers refute this, based on their own experience. For example, Tibetan Buddhists – creators of ‘Dream Yoga’ believe that it is possible to control every aspect of dream imagery and use dream control as a method of comprehending the illusory nature of all experiences, with the ultimate goal of transcending the Relative and embracing the Absolute. In “Doctrine of the Dream State” from Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines, translated by Evans-Wentz, the dreamer is instructed to realise the form or matter of the dream imagery in all its dimensional aspects is entirely subject to the dreamer’s will once mental powers have been sufficiently developed by the dreamer. The dreamer learns from actual experience – resulting from psychic experimentation – that the character of any dream can be changed by transforming or willing that it shall be. A step further, he learns that all forms in the dream-state and all multitudinous content of dreams are merely ‘playthings of the mind’ and therefore are as unstable as a mirage. He will then gain knowledge that the essential nature of form and sensual perceptions in the waking state are equally as ‘unreal’ as their reflexes in the dream-state. 

The Tibetan Buddhists, however, were not given to sharing their personal dream experiences and so it is not possible to examine the nature of their dreams and their efforts and successes in controlling them.

Some notable Western dream experts give insight into their experiences and what they have been able to accomplish. The Marquis d’Hervey de Saint-Denys was an extraordinarily successful lucid dreamer who wrote instructively about his dream experiences. In his study, Dreams and How to Guide Them (1867) he stated that those dreamers who perceive their dreams to be a mere succession of mechanically produced impressions over which there is no possibility of control may lack the necessary will or effort to produce any results in dream control. Therefore, attention and will are the two essential elements necessary in taking the first steps in directing and modifying the course of dreams.

One of the most prolific lucid dreamers is Alan Worsley, who is thought to be the first dream researcher able to signal lucidity with eye movements, in controlled experiments within a dream laboratory. He states that “non-lucid dreams use many principles that can be used in lucid dreams. For instance, it is likely, in a non-lucid dream, that if one believes that one looks into a book about a certain subject, one will find relevant pictures in it. In lucid dreaming, one can use this principle by deliberately selecting a book about a subject which ones wishes to study.” Worsely has documented his attempts to influence dreams, rating the various tasks as Easy, Medium and Difficult based on the percentage of times he was able to succeed at them. He finds that all attempts to penetrate dream matter with his dream body as ‘Easy’. Additionally, making sounds by striking items or speaking is also rated as ‘Easy’, as is reading simple words or short phrases, although reading long phrases is ‘Difficult’. He has never been able to suddenly turn on a light in a dark room, although he has been able to do so easily in a light room. Flying close to the ground was ‘easy’ but this task would become progressively more difficult the higher he would try to go.

LaBerge and Levitan suggest that because dreams are illusory in nature it should be (in theory) possible to experience anything imaginable. Thus, failures at dream control may arise due to an insufficiently strong imagination or not believing that a certain experience is possible. On the other hand, there may be psychological limitations on the ability to influence and control dream imagery. Their theoretical approach to dream control is based on the notion that perceptual experiences in dreaming arise from the same areas of brain activity involved in producing perceptual experiences in waking-life. This may be why people sometimes have difficulty in distinguishing dream experiences from waking experiences and have to employ special techniques to recognise that they are actually dreaming. 

Physiological constraints in dream perception may occur if the brain area is not in a state conducive to the desired dream experience. For example, it may be difficult to make a dark dream light because the visual cortex is not sufficiently active during the dream-state. The authors wish to see further research into the relationship between dream perception and brain activity to test this hypothesis. The NightLight Study (Freefall issue - no. 4, vol. 4) was designed to assess how successfully dreamers would be at accomplishing certain well-defined tasks whilst experiencing a lucid dream-state.

Light Switch Tasks

The dreamer is tasked with finding a light switch indoors, turning it on and seeing what happens. They then must turn the light switch off and see what happens. Next, they must turn the light switch on and off by willing it to happen and observe the results. In subjects, these tasks were counterbalanced, so some subjects used the physical switch first and some used ‘magic’ first.

Mirror Tasks

The dreamer is tasked with finding a mirror and observing their reflection. They then must move their hand to their face, whilst watching in the mirror and observing how their reflection behaves. Next, they must pass through the mirror and see what is on the other side.

Results of the Tasks 

These tasks represented a variety of types of dream influence – ranging from tasks which are easy to accomplish in waking and impossible in waking. In addition, some tasks might be impeded by brain state. The purpose was to see what effect belief might have on the outcome of the task. The subjects were asked to try to perform each task in the waking-state, prior to attempting the same tasks in a lucid dream-state so that they were well-rehearsed in the required procedure. They then had to try each task at least once during a lucid dream. They did not have to complete all tasks in one single dream, but instead, could utilise as many lucid dreams as necessary to attempt each task. So that they would not forget details, the subjects were asked to awaken immediately after the experimental lucid dreams and report on their experiences.

27 subjects submitted reports – 14 women and 13 men.  In total there were 65 lucid dream reports, an average of 1.4 per subject. The maximum number of reports from a single subject was four. The reports were assessed by a judge, who rated each task as a ‘success’ or ‘failure’. The results of the tasks received scores of ‘expected’ if the result achieved the goal or ‘unexpected’ if something unpredictable occurred. Examples of ‘unexpected’ results included “the [light] bulb slowly filled with what appeared to be thick, black tar”; the outside porch light coming on instead of the room light when the switch was used; a hallucinogenic breakdown of the reflected mirror image (finger detaching from hand/holes appearing in face/finger disappearing into mouth); or a reflection which did not resemble that of the dreamer. ‘No result’ meant that no effect occurred at all – for example, no reflection in the mirror; or seeing grey swirling mist instead. When passing through the mirror, an ‘expected’ result would include an ability to move through the mirror and finding oneself in a different setting. ‘Unexpected’ results included moving through the mirror, but finding oneself in a “world of cartoon-like images”; whilst ‘no result’ meant that the subject found the mirror to be solid and unyielding, not allowing them to pass through to another setting on the other side. The results revealed that using a switch and willing a light to come on were both found to be equally easy by subjects. There was a greater amount of ‘no result’ in the task requiring the subject to will the light to come on, but this was not statistically significant overall. 

The data showed that it may be easier to will a light to turn off rather than on, although LaBerge and Levitan suggest that this conclusion may be premature, as prior to willing the light off, the subject had been able to successfully will it to turn on and stated that there may be a condition in which if you can turn a light on in a dream, you can also successfully turn it off. Subjects also had no problem in performing a simple task such as looking at their reflection in a mirror, although it was likely that the dreamer would perceive an altered appearance (as opposed to their waking appearance). This occurred in 41% of the subjects. In 12 cases (28%) the subject’s image transformed as they watched in the mirror. It was reasonable to expect that passing through the mirror to another setting would be the task which subjects found to be the most difficult. 

However, almost half of the subjects were able to do so, and 86% of subjects were able to pass through the mirror at least once, even if they did not experience a new dream setting on the other side. An example of an ‘expected’ result for this task was found in the report of one subject who imagined the mirror to be like water so that they were able to easily slide through. When fully through the water, they rose to the surface to find themselves in a bright, sunlit backyard swimming pool with a roof shelter.

The lack of large differences in the ease of accomplishment of the various tasks in this experiment is interesting. Lucid dreamers are able to exert a large amount of control over their dream experiences, although it is far from perfect. Most notable in the results was the lack of reluctance in the mirror images to show normal reflections and in some cases, the occurrence of fascinating instability of the image. Self-image is an incredibly psychologically-loaded concept – with complex internal representations, which the authors suggest may be responsible for the differences in waking and dream perception of the subjects during the mirror task. The instability points to the most prominent difference between waking and dream perception – because dreams change and may be in a constant state of flux. Dreamers can exploit this in lucid dream induction, by examining written phrases repeatedly and watching for changes to occur. 

An interesting question is whether perceptual instability results from the lack of anchoring sensory input from the physical senses or from a brain-state which is peculiar to REM sleep patterns (when dreaming occurs). Marquis d’Hervey de Saint-Denys and Alan Worsley observed something which they referred to as the ‘light switch phenomenon’ – the inability to change the illumination of a room on demand. LaBerge and Levitan’s study shows that sometimes this phenomenon is present and sometimes it is not. Some subjects who were able to turn on the light reported no concurrent change in general illumination whilst others reported a significant increase in brightness. 

A key target for research would be to discover what the brain is doing in both circumstances. Further, although the passing through a mirror to a new setting task should be the most difficult – and in some cases, impossible for certain subjects, a separate study published in Omni (April, 1987) reported that 51 subjects attempted to arrive at a particular pre-determined target by spinning in a dream. 18 (35%) succeeded in arriving at their target, therefore showing that it is not only possible to create a new scene in a dream, but also to create one which is specifically desired. It is the view of Tibetan Buddhists that all dream images are transmutable and this experiment provides support for this theory. If a dreamer is able to control the stability of dream imagery; create lasting dream-scenes/objects and exert an influence over the dream environment, it may be possible to achieve a state of virtual reality, almost without limit.