Pregnancy & Dreaming

Many pregnant women report drastic changes in the nature and the content of their dreams, which sometimes causes alarm, anxiety and confusion. This article addresses the theme of dreaming in pregnancy and attempts to offer some explanations for this phenomenon. If you are pregnant and have any worries about your health and wellbeing, please do not ignore them. My bottom-line advice is to always seek professional medical attention for your own peace of mind. 

Often, pregnant women claim that their dreams are more vivid, intense and bizarre than usual, and strangely, there are some types of dream which seem to commonly occur in pregnancy. Fathers-to-be (or non-male partners in LGBT+ relationships where one partner is pregnant and the other is not) will also be likely to experience changes in their dreams - reflecting their mental and emotional processes as they prepare for a life-changing event, and perhaps some of their anxieties and concerns about the pregnancy and wellbeing of the mother and child. The nature and content of the dreams of the non-pregnant partner may depend on their gender and life experiences, so each dream experience, while some generalities can be drawn, will be unique to the individual.

However, in pregnant women, the changes in dreaming may also be caused by physical reasons as well - the dreaming mind is responding to changes in the body of the dreamer as much as their psychological or emotional state at this very significant stage in life.

Why does pregnancy cause changes in dreaming? One potential reason is that pregnancy causes huge disturbance in the normal sleep cycle, and therefore impacts on dreaming. 

Dreams mainly occur in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of the sleep cycle. REM sleep is a light form of sleep, where you are close to waking. Here is an illustration of the normal sleep cycle: 

In an average or typical sleep cycle, you will see that you go in and out of REM sleep periodically, with the longest period of REM sleep taking place just before you wake. This is why we tend to remember the dreams which happen just prior to waking up far better than those which take place at earlier stages of REM sleep in the sleep cycle. Dream recall is linked to to the recency of the dream: if you wake up while in REM sleep, you tend to remember the dream you just had better than if you had sleep through the night. 

The more times you wake up, the more times you will enter REM sleep, as each stage of the sleep cycle is repeated. The average person spends 20 - 25% of the sleep cycle in REM sleep and the dream state. This means that waking during the night increases the change of experiencing and recalling more dreams - this has been shown through research into sleep and dreaming. Additionally, pregnant women often require more sleep, and may be taking more naps in addition to sleeping for longer periods at night.

In pregnancy, many things can disrupt sleep and cause you to wake periodically during the night (body temperature; discomfort and cramping; movement of the baby in the womb; frequent need to urinate; general anxiety or stress etc) - all of these things will lead to increased periods spent in REM sleep and increased chance you will wake from a dream and remember it more clearly. Some research suggests that an increase in the hormones oestrogen and progesterone may be responsible for vivid, bizarre and memorable dreams during pregnancy. 

Additionally, it may be that certain vitamins, supplements, medicines, dietary changes etc, may be responsible for causing noticeable differences in the quality or content of the pregnant woman's dreams. If the woman has for example,  quit smoking (and is using nicotine replacement therapies which are known to have a huge impact on dreaming and the potential for nightmares) or recently given up drinking alcohol, or using recreational drugs, these lifestyle changes which accompany a healthy pregnancy, may cause an alteration in dreaming, just as they would in a non-pregnant person. 

'There is a greater amount of actual dreaming and dream recall when a woman is pregnant than at any other time during her life', says Patricia Garfield who has authored a book which covers this topic, Women's Bodies, Women's Dreams (1988). Garfield, who is a co-founder and former president of The International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD), states that 'the dreams will relate to her condition of pregnancy, the trimester she is in, and what is going on in her body at the time'.

All of the vivid, weird and bizarre dreams women report experiencing while pregnant can be a way for them to come to terms with their new role as a parent. Tore Nielsen, director of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at the Hopital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, in Canada, states that this is all part of the normal 'mental remodeling process'. In fact, some dream analysts and experts who work with pregnant women have suggested that discussing the themes which occur during pregnancy is a very useful stimulus for raising underlying issues related to the pregnancy, such as changes in the body or anxiety about their relationships or ability to cope with a new baby. 

The psychological state of a pregnant woman is undergoing a process of change and growth, which parallels what is happening physically to her body: 'Pregnancy dreams are nature’s way of assisting the woman through the process of transformation from woman to mother' claims Raina M Paris, author of The Mother-to-Be’s Dream Book (2000). Dr Nadia Bruschweiler-Stern a physician at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, is in agreement, claiming that the 'mental pregnancy' a mother experiences is just as profound as the physical one.

Obstetrician, Dr Gerard DiLeo explains that dreams act as a form of  'clearing-house' to help expectant mothers come to terms with both the physical and emotional transformation they are experiencing. He states: '[f]or first-time mothers especially, the bizarre dreams are a very real acknowledgement of the emotional investment of a pregnancy...This responsibility can weigh a bit heavy. I explain to my pregnant patients that strange, anxiety-producing dreams are simply the psyche’s way of processing all that the conscious mind is already rationalizing'.

There is a strong correlation between the stage of pregnancy and general themes which occur during this period:

First Trimester: 1 - 3 months

Conception

Nature / fertility / fecundity

Water

Second Trimester: 4 - 6 months

Changed architecture/buildings reflecting growth of body

Journeys and travel

Animals

Third Trimester: 7 - 9 months

Specific dreams about labour, birth and the baby

Common dream themes for pregnant women:

• DREAMING ABOUT CONCEPTION - dreams about conception are very common in early pregnancy. The conception may not be depicted as an act of sexual intercourse, it may be much more symbolic and metaphorical than that. Many women report seeing fish implant themselves into the bed of a stream, for example. A very common dream theme is for the woman to dream of being penetrated by a snake, or having a snake or serpent-like creature entering her body in some way. This about the symbolic significance of a snake - it is a very phallic object and likened to the male penis. The dream is one reflecting the process of sexual intercourse and conception. See also ANIMAL DREAMS, below.

• DREAMING OF LABOUR / GIVING BIRTH - this seems obvious: your mind and body is preparing for the event of birth. Anxiety dreams or nightmares about birth are very common in a first pregnancy, or where a woman may have experienced a previous traumatic pregnancy or birth. Some birth dreams will show unrealistic or morbid interpretations of what birth will be like, for example, the baby's limbs emerging from the woman's body suddenly, when she is in a public place, or the baby bursting through the flesh of her abdomen, like an alien. The dream is not a prediction of what the birth will necessarily be like, it is just a subconscious projection of something which naturally you are anticipating or even fearing. Desire and hope for an easy birth may be reflected in a dream where the baby simply pops out spontaneously, or appears from nowhere. Remember, that dreams may have the advantage of preparing us mentally, or providing some kind of psychological practice or training for something we will be facing in our waking life, so dreams about labour and birth may be a very positive occurrence for this purpose. Research has drawn conclusions regarding women who experienced short labours v long labours. A strong connection was found between dream content and length of labour. The results found that 94% of women who gave birth quickly had been assertive in at least one dream about birth, reflecting their self-confidence and mental empowerment. Of those who endured long labours, 70% had suffered nightmares about birth where they felt like victims who were inadequately prepared for the process of birth.

• DREAMING OF GIVING BIRTH TO ANIMALS OR INANIMATE OBJECTS - dreams of giving birth to animals or inanimate objects is very common. In Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams (1900), he reports of a woman dreaming of giving birth to a seal. Other common animals in pregnancy dreams include litters of kittens or puppies; laying an egg, or having a snake/serpent-like or reptilian creature emerging from the body. It may cause concern for the pregnant woman, who fears that dreams of giving birth to non-human offspring - or even monsters/alien-beings is a sign that their unborn baby is deformed or something terrible is going to happen, but this is not the case at all. These dreams are preparing the pregnant woman for the unknown, and usually the animal or object seen in the dream is a dream metaphor for the human baby, overlaid with the natural anxieties of the pregnant mother, who fears the unknown. The fact that some animals - especially baby mammals - cause instinctual nurturing feelings in humans should also be considered. The dream is preparing the pregnant woman for her role as a carer and protector of her baby (see ANIMAL DREAMS, below also).

• DREAMING OF THE APPEARANCE, TRAITS, GENDER OR NAME OF THE UNBORN BABY - many women will experience dreams in which they are able to see their baby and identify certain physical or personality characteristics. Some women report that the physical or personality characteristics are negative or undesirable and this causes fears of anxiety. This is a natural dream response to a fear of the unknown, and not a prediction of the future. While some women can see the gender of their child, others may not be able to clearly identify whether the baby is a boy or a girl, or what it looks like. This is again, the dream reflecting the natural, expected anxieties of the unknown. Dreaming of the baby's gender simply reflects that gender is a theme which is on the mother's waking mind - especially if the gender has not yet been revealed by an ultrasound scan. Dreaming of the gender may also reflect a latent preference to have a baby of that gender. However, dreams are not like looking into a crystal ball and  predicting the future, so any dream in which the baby's gender is apparent should not be seen as 'evidence'. Some women may dream of a name for their unborn baby. In some cultures, the name which appears in the dreams of the pregnant mother hold significance and are deemed to be a sign that this is the correct name for the baby, but for others, the dream is just a process of the imagination, and the names which occur in the dream have no special meaning.

• DREAMING OF A GROWN-UP CHILD - some pregnant women dream that their unborn child is grown-up. It may be because the mother is concerned that she will be soon responsible for a vulnerable and needy newborn, and the dream presents her with a matured child, who is less 'demanding' - showing her that she has the capability to raise the baby and protect it. If the mother is planning to return to work after the birth of her baby, the dream of grown-up children may reflect a worry that she will miss out on some aspects of her baby's growth and development.

• DREAMING OF YOUR PARTNER CHEATING - this is a common dream theme, especially in the second trimester, when the body is undergoing (sometimes drastic) changes and the frequency or nature of sexual relations and intimacy with a partner may be adapting. Many pregnant women have a loss of confidence in their body and sexual attractiveness, and waking concerns that their partner may be turned off by weight gain, or beginning to perceive them as a maternal mother-figure rather than sexy. These concerns are being reflected in dreams about the partner cheating or having an affair, and should not be taken as evidence that this is happening in reality. Instead, the pregnant woman having these dreams should attempt to discuss them with her partner so that he might be able to offer her some support and reassurance. 

• DREAMING OF DEAD RELATIVES - dreaming of dead relatives is a way of connecting the past (the family heritage or lineage) with the present and future - i.e. the new life about to begin with the birth of the baby. Pregnancy commonly causes dreams about the cycle of life, birth and death, because they are all concepts which are present in the conscious, waking mind as well. 

• DREAMING OF CHILDHOOD HOME / FRIENDS - dreaming of the past may be a reflection on the past self, in preparation for the new adventures of motherhood and changes which are coming with it. The pregnant woman may be saying 'goodbye' to her old identity, as she approaches her new one, as mother. It is not surprising that a new mother may reconnect with her own childhood self in her dreams, or even see herself as a child again.

• DREAMING OF MURDER / DEATH - as horrific as it seems, themes of death or violent murder often feature in the dreams of pregnant women. This isn't something to be alarmed about. Death in dreams should never be taken literally as a sign of actual death. Usually, death dreams are interpreted as signalling an ending or change in something. 

• DRIVING / VEHICLES - vehicles, on a basic level, symbolise a journey or the process of moving forward in life. This reflects the situation facing a new mother and therefore dreams of driving are common for pregnant women. Also consider the fact that vehicles may carry cargo or passengers - symbolically this reflects the physical state of the mother, who is carrying precious cargo, in the form of her baby. Dreaming that you are driving unsafely or in some form of accident may indicate natural anxieties and concerns about the child in the womb - the mother is like the 'vehicle' for the baby who is a 'passenger' in her body, and the 'safe driving' of the mother is necessary for the protection of her child. If the vehicle in the dream is difficult to steer or maneuver, it may be a reference to the changes in the woman's body, which make it physically harder for her to move freely

• JOURNEYS / TRAVELLING - again, the symbol of the journey can be interpreted as a possible indication of the life-changing journey the pregnant woman is embarking upon, either becoming a mother for the first time, or adding another child to her family. The journey may present itself as easy and taking a fast, direct route; or be a confusing, directionless or strenuous journey, where the mother dreams of being unprepared (not having packed a suitcase, unable to find travel documentation etc), getting lost or being confronted with obstacles. It is likely that the dream is reflective of her mental and emotional state at this time - she might be positive and optimistic and 'taking everything in her stride' or alternatively, weighed down, burdened and 'lost' in the enormity of the forthcoming adventure, unable to see which direction she is supposed to be travelling in. This is because everyone reacts differently to life's challenges. It may not necessarily be the prospect of motherhood which is causing anxiety in the dream, but other aspects of the mother's waking life, which is impacting on her stress levels. This is again a normal response, but if the pregnant woman has any concerns over her mental, emotional or physical well-being, the best thing to do is to seek medical advice to be on the safe side. It may just be that the woman requires some simple reassurance that everything is fine, or that she needs to reevaluate what it is in her waking life which can be changed to minimise and reduce her stress levels and help her relax in preparation for the arrival of her baby.

• BUILDINGS / ARCHITECTURE - pregnant women often dream of buildings. The building which appears in the dream may be a simple room or a huge soaring skyscraper. The building may be a factory or workshop of some kind, as these are common types of buildings which occur in the dreams of pregnant women. Think about the symbolism of the building and what it might represent - a factory is a place where things are assembled, put-together and produced - reflecting the process of growing a baby inside the womb. The factory is symbolic of the act of creation. Also consider that a room or building is a place where people can be contained within. The room or building may be symbolic of the pregnant woman's womb. It is also very common for pregnant women to dream of much larger, taller buildings as their bodies changes and grows in later pregnancy.

• BEING TRAPPED / SUBMERGED UNDER WATER - Often these dreams can reflect the fact that the pregnant woman is identifying with her unborn baby, who is trapped in the womb (in the amniotic fluid), but they may also indicate that she is feeling 'trapped' by the physical constraints - and pressures - of the pregnancy, or feels overwhelmed by the experience. The pregnant woman is aware that motherhood - to an extent - represents a loss or reduction in freedom; another human being will be dependent on her for survival, protection, support and care. It is unsurprising that this will provoke anxieties which are reflected in dream content. This shows that the pregnant woman is consciously aware about her forthcoming responsibilities and taking them seriously.

• WATER / SWIMMING - this is a common dream theme during pregnancy, especially in first trimester dreams. Think about how we all start life - in the amniotic fluid of the mother's womb. It is therefore also common for pregnant women to dream of water-dwelling creatures - such as fish. Tadpoles - symbolic of the developing foetus - are also very common dream themes in early pregnancy. As the pregnancy progresses, many women report dreams of swelling oceans, crashing waves and flooding. These dreams may relate to the changes in the female body at this time, or simply anticipations of 'waters breaking' - a sign that labour and birth is imminent. Swimming is an incredibly common pregnancy dream theme as well, as the uterus and other parts of the pregnant body fill with fluid.

• NATURE & FERTILITY SYMBOLISM - in the first trimester, it is very common for a pregnant woman to dream about symbols of fertility and fecundity. These dream symbols may manifest as gardens with flowers or plants in bloom, or ripe fruit. 

• BLOOD - this is a theme which frequently occurs during menstruation or pregnancy. For a pregnant woman, blood may represent the new life she is carrying. It may also be an indication that she feels exhausted, or emotionally drained. On a more literal level, given that pregnancy causes an increased blood flow, it may be that the dream is reflecting the woman's awareness of the changes within her body, or perhaps the fact she associates blood loss with the birthing process.

• DREAMING OF HAVING A NON-PREGNANT BODY - many women have dreams in which they are not pregnant - or they are, but show no physical signs to indicate this. These dreams may just be based on pre-pregnancy memories (we all dream about our earlier lives, such as regressing to childhood or previous situations we have been in), or simple anxiety about the changing shape of the pregnant body, and a normal desire to regain your former figure.

• ANIMALS - dreaming of animals, especially baby animals is another very common theme. These animal dreams can be either cute or threatening for some pregnant women. The nature of the dream and the animals which appear in it may be influenced by the woman's waking thoughts and feelings about pregnancy, her partner and her unborn child. Nurturing animals in a dream occurring during pregnancy may reflect the motherly instincts and protective qualities of the woman. This would also be the case if the woman dreams she is defending a vulnerable animal from an attack of some sort. A dream about a threatening animal may simply be a reflection of the woman's anxieties about the arrival of her child. In the first trimester, metaphorical babies may be represented by small animals that grow (during the course of the pregnancy) into larger animals. Siegel states that: '[i]n a way you can look at [these dreams as] almost as having an evolutionary value because the 9 month pregnancy is when the member of the species prepares to protect and take care of their offspring that’s coming...Part of this growing prenatal psychological attachment that begins [in dreams] continues on when the child is born'. As stated, above snake dreams appear to be incredibly common during pregnancy. Snakes generally relate to instinct and intuition, and during pregnancy, women tend to be more intune with their instinctual side. This may be why snake dreams occur at this time - it is a sign that the woman should listen to and respect her natural intuition.

• GAMES / SPORT - dreaming about games or sports is extremely common. This is symbolic of the excitement and thrill of pregnancy. Towards the end of the third trimester, many women report dreaming of boredom or waiting - especially waiting for a score or result. This is a reflection of the natural impatience for the arrival of the child. After 9 months of gestation, there is no wonder the pregnant woman is keen for the arrival of the baby, and bored of waiting in anticipation!

• CONTROL & POWER - many pregnant women dream of scenarios where they are required to be assertive and take control. This may be within the context of a nightmare, where they have to fight off an enemy or negative force, or a more pleasant dream where they acquire superpowers which they are able to use in imaginative ways. This is a sign that the woman is preparing for the birth of the child, and the challenges of being a mother. Taking control and gaining power are positive symbols of motherhood, preparing the woman for becoming the protector and carer of her vulnerable baby. These dreams may sometimes seem scary or daunting, but it is a sign that the subconscious is responding to forthcoming changes in the woman's life and the role she will be taking in relation to her child.

• EROTIC / SEX DREAMS - many pregnant women report an increase in erotic or sexual dreams while pregnant. There may be a psychological or a physical reason for this. Firstly, the woman may have some anxieties about her changing body and how pregnancy/birth/motherhood will affect her sexual attractiveness, relationship with her partner and sex life. A reduction in the amount of sex the woman experiences at this point in life, may lead to a compensation in the dreamworld - the sex dreams are 'making up' for what is not happening (or happening less frequently or with less intensity) in her waking relationship. Another reason is the fact that there is increased blood flow in the lower body and the growing baby is putting additional pressure on the pelvic area of the pregnant mother, which can lead to sexual dreams. Note that in non-pregnant women (and men!), laying on your front while asleep is known to increase the likelihood of erotic or sexual dreams due to blood being directed into the pelvic area and the pressure on the sexual organs/genitals from laying in this position.

• ACCIDENTALLY HARMING / ABANDONING / FORGETTING THE BABY - pregnant women may dream that they accidentally drop a baby, or that the baby they are holding in a dream breaks into pieces. Some women dream of losing or forgetting the baby - such as leaving it in a public place. These anxiety-dreams are also common after the baby's arrival. This is because the woman may be dealing with the overwhelming feeling of being responsible for protecting and nurturing their child, and fears and concerns about performing this task well are reflected in their dreams or nightmares. Dreams should not be taken literally at face value, but it is true that dreams also do reflect underlying concerns and worries, so if the pregnant woman has any doubt about the health of herself or her baby, she must consult a doctor, who will be able to check the situation and provide reassurance and advice. Nielsen suggests that dreams about accidentally harming, breaking, abandoning or forgetting a baby may be a sign the pregnant woman does not feel adequately prepared (psychologically) for motherhood. In interpreting the meaning of such dreams, attention should be paid to emotional themes, rather than the content. It is the underlying emotions which reveal more clues as to the meaning and significance of the dream, and unlocking these underlying emotions will enable the pregnant woman - or new mother - to discuss these issues and access the right support for her and her baby.

• DEFORMITY / MISCARRIAGE / STILLBIRTH - please try not to worry if you have nightmarish dreams of deformity in the foetus/baby, miscarriage or stillbirth. These are common dream themes, reflecting normal fears of the unknown and concerns about safeguarding and protecting your baby. There is no expectant mother who doesn't at least once, avert their mind to the worry that their unborn baby is at risk: every mother wishes for a healthy and happy child. The first thing to do, if you have dreams of this nature, is to seek medical reassurance. Doctors are typically very sensitive to the instincts and intuitions of pregnant women and will be able to act on  any real concerns, whether it be performing a health check on the mother or baby, or providing additional support which will help put the expectant mother's mind at rest. The other thing to remember is that dreams are not always reflective of reality in a literal sense; they are symbolic and complex in meaning. They are not an accurate prediction of the future or determinative of what is actually happening in waking life, even if they do correspond with real-life events and experiences. 

• GENERAL NIGHTMARES - nightmares tend to happen when we are at our most emotionally vulnerable or experiencing stress and anxiety about something in our waking life. Therefore nightmares which occur in pregnancy are completely natural, and may reflect a range of concerns faced by the pregnant woman, such as changes to her body; the pain of birth; coping with a new baby; or her relationship with her partner.

Common dream themes for expectant fathers:

There are 3 types of dreams which seem to be most common amongst expectant fathers, although of course, this doesn’t mean there are no other popular dream themes which may occur at this time:

• FEARS THAT FATHERHOOD WILL COMPROMISE MASCULINITY - during the first few months, men with pregnant partners are likely to have many more sexual dreams than usual, according to an intriguing study conducted by psychologist Alan Siegel in Berkeley, California. At the same time he is having an unusual number of sexual dreams, an expectant father often dreams of protecting and caring for his mate. The sexual dream theme usually reduces in frequency as the mother-to-be progresses into her second trimester. Early in their partner’s pregnancy, the fathers-to-be in his study dreamed of having sex with their partners, with other women, with prostitutes, or sometimes with other men. Siegel speculates that the protective feelings a man develops toward his partner and unborn child may be threatening to his masculinity. His sexual dreams and other traditionally ‘macho’ visions (such as triumphs on the football field or in warfare/fighting) may express a need to be more ‘masculine’ and offer subconscious reassurance. This research is premised on ‘traditional’ notions of masculinity, which is a perspective which comes under challenge in gender debates. Whether the father-to-be has anxiety over his masculinity and how this presents itself in the dream would largely depend on variable factors, such as socio-cultural contexts and whether the man identifies with traditional notions of masculinity or gender stereotypes in the first place. 

• FEELING EXCLUDED - during the second trimester, an expectant father's dreams become less dominated by sexuality and more protective and nurturing. He may find himself thinking and dreaming about his family or heritage. It is often common for the expectant father to experience himself being pregnant and giving birth in the dream. Although he recognizes the female’s unique role as child-bearer, these dreams may reflect his desire to share the experience and process of pregnancy and birth on a more physical level. Expectant fathers often feel left out at this stage of their partner's pregnancy. More than half of subjects studied in Siegel’s research dreamed of feeling excluded and alone. Confiding troublesome dreams to one's partner can help men overcome feelings of loneliness and keep the couple in touch, while trading happy dreams can increase confidence and intimacy. 

• ANTICIPATING / CELEBRATING FATHERHOOD - a father-to-be will often anticipate the birth of a child in his dreams just as his pregnant partner does. It is common for fathers dream of finding babies or of being given them, sometimes during elaborate ceremonies or rites which appear to have deep symbolic significance. While a woman may be dreaming of the work involved in her forthcoming labour, her mate may be concentrating on dream celebrations of the baby's birth. Dreams of this kind indicate acceptance and valuing of the child whose arrival is imminent.

ADVICE & GUIDANCE

Nothing in this article replaces the need to seek professional medical treatment if there are any concerns as to mental or physical health and wellbeing. Always trust your instincts and obtain proper advice if in any doubt. However, pregnant women may consider a few additional pointers on how to deal with the changes in pregnancy. 

First, take opportunities to communicate and discuss any issues - or dreams - with your partner. This can help in re-establishing intimacy and trust, and encourage your partner to share and empathise with changes emotional, psychological and physical changes during pregnancy that they may either be unaware of, or simply lack understanding in. Remember, this may all be just as scary or overwhelming for them, and being open and candid can help them feel connected to the experience and encourage them to provide support and care. 

Obviously eating healthily and wholesomely, taking regular, gentle (and medically-endorsed) physical exercise, staying hydrated and ensuring you are getting the right vitamins and minerals in your diet are all starting points for pregnant women. Consider adding regular meditation sessions as well - this will assist in relaxing and re-focusing the mind and reducing stress and anxiety levels at this crucial time. Meditation need not be complicated: if you are unable to participate in a guided meditation session in a group environment, find some Youtube videos which will teach you some basic techniques, or act as a guided session in the comfort of your own home. Alternatively, you could just play some relaxing music or other sounds and take some time out from your busy day to settle into a comfortable position, with your eyes closed and clear your mind, focusing on your breathing. A simple technique, such as this, can do wonders for your stress levels. 

Treat yourself to a spa session, specialising in pregnancy massage and/or aromatherapy treatments. It's always pleasurable to pamper yourself and escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life, but pregnancy can cause extra tension, both physically and mentally, whether it be aching muscles, water retention, exhaustion or just the result of hormonal fluctuations taking their toll on emotions. Indulging in enjoyable and relaxing treatments can be beneficial for the mind and body, and gives a pregnant woman an opportunity to focus on herself before the arrival of her baby. Involving your partner in massage tailored for pregnant women (with the assistance of a book or kit) can also help with intimacy and getting your partner to feel more involved.

It is essential that pregnant women get enough restful and restorative sleep. If you are having difficulty sleeping, consult your doctor, and ask about natural sleep aids and remedies which are safe to take during pregnancy. 

Dream 592

'Don't F*ck with the Chuck!'

Dream date: 22 March 2016

This is Day 23 of my Dream Incubation Experiment. You can read the details and methodology of my latest Dream Incubation Experiment by clicking HERE. 

Scene 1: My Former Childhood Home in Pine Grove, Sheringham - Day

I was with a dream character friend - a male. He seemed to be based on a person I know in real-life, but it was unclear who it was. It may have been my female friend, NN or a male I know in real-life, but in the dream, he had a different appearance (he was just a young, white adult male of medium height and build, with brown hair). I do not know what his name was in the dream. We were in a room which was basically the same as my parent's bedroom in my former childhood home in Pine Grove, Sheringham. I could tell this, because of the position of the window and bed; and the large double built in wardrobes, which had overhead cabinets, which opened from the bottom. 

Somehow, my friend and I had got possession of a Chucky Doll, although it was much smaller than in the movies - about the height of a Barbie Doll, but much wider (so the same chubby build you would expect of Chucky). We were both terrified and decided that we had to ensure our safety by taking precautions and getting rid of Chucky, before he 'came to life' and started to kill people, most likely beginning any killing spree with us as his first victims. At this stage, he was a normal doll, with no movement, speech or autonomy, but we knew that this was a pretense and he was actually alive and waiting for the right moment to come to life. There was a sense of panic and dread amongst my friend and I.

Instead of killing Chucky, or disposing of him in some way, we decided to wrap him up in silver electrical tape or masking take, so that he was bound like an Egyptian mummy. I kept saying to my friend: 'Do it [i.e. bind him] more, just use all the tape!' because I thought my friend was being too restrained about how much tape he was using to bind Chucky and I thought it would be better to  go overboard than take risks. I took Chucky from my friend and started to bind him with more and more tape, until he looked like a cocoon, with only his head showing. I had made sure I used the entire reel of tape, as I didn't trust that my friend would have used enough if I left it up to him.

For some STUPID reason (I cannot emphasise the stupidity levels enough here) we decided to put the Chucky doll in the overhead cabinet and leave a huge sharp knife in there as well.  The knife had already been bound with the same type of silver electrical/masking tape. We thought we would be safe now. I have no idea why we left the knife with Chucky in the same cabinet. We locked the cabinet. This all felt like a good decision.

Some other events/conversations took place, I cannot recall what.

Scene 2: My Nan's Garden, Sheringham - Day

I went out, leaving my friend at home. I cannot recall where I went or why, but I remember returning to the house. Although the interior of the house was that of my former childhood home in Pine Grove, the exterior (front and back, it appeared) was that of my Nan's house. I went out to the back garden - it was a bright, sunny day in summer. The garden was filled with a number of male dream characters, who I did not know, but who were friends of my male friend. The boys were all playing a game of football at the top of the garden. 

I walked over to my friend and was horrified to see that he had removed Chucky from the cupboard and partially unwrapped the tape, so that he could play with him! Chucky was now only wrapped in tape from the waist down, so that his legs resembled a silver mermaid tail, bound together (or you could say, it looked like he was inside a sleeping bag from the waist down). The Chucky doll was facing forward, balance on my friend's feet, and was holding each of his hands. I noticed that Chucky's hand were actually moving, meaning he was 'alive'. I said to my friend: 'Why the hell have you untaped him?!' I was so angry! My friend said: 'His legs are still taped, so it's fine'. I demanded that my friend make all of his friends leave so we could sort this situation out. My friend protested: 'I just wanted to play a game with Chucky!' but I insisted his friends leave and we re-bind Chucky with more tape and put him back in the locked cabinet.

We went upstairs, back to the bedroom. I looked in the overhead cabinet and discovered (with a sense of horror) that the knife was now missing. I said to my friend: 'Where's the knife?!' to which he replied: 'It's fine, it got blunted anyway'. I did not believe him, because I had an image in my head of the blade having been made to look even more jagged and sharp, rather than blunted. I said: 'Where's Chucky?' because I could not see him. 

My friend said: 'I left him downstairs...' At this point in the dream, I was so angry and frustrated by my friend's stupidity and carelessness that I felt like I might explode in rage. I was screaming: 'We need to take him hostage again!' I dashed downstairs, but could not see Chucky anywhere. My friend joined me. He said: 'He won't be dangerous, he will just be hiding from us' but I did not want to take any chances and I did not want Chucky hiding from us in the house. I thought it would be incredibly unsafe and we would end up as murder victims. 

I decided that the best thing to do would be to report the matter to the police, who could come and make the house safe for us by finding Chucky and getting rid of him. As we left the house, I was looking at the row of houses, to see if I could spot anything odd in any of the windows. It was dusk/early evening and the sky was darkening, but looked a pretty lilac colour. There were a number of children playing on the street outside, which was the road my Nan lives on. The houses were the houses in this neighbourhood, and the house we had been in had the front of my Nan's house, although, for some reason, this house was recessed slightly back from the adjoining terraced houses, making it difficult to see the windows when standing on the street, just slightly to the side of the house. I was standing outside my Nan's neighbour's house, looking up at all the upstairs windows. I was sure Chucky would be at the window of my Nan's house, taunting me. I saw faces pop up in a window, and was sure one of these faces was his, until I noticed it was my Nan's neighbour's house, on the other side (this is how I discovered that my Nan's house was obscured, being recessed back a short distance). The faces at the neighbour's window were of 2 small children, a boy and a girl. I was relieved. I noticed that there were faces of children at every window, but I still could not see into my Nan's windows, as I was standing at the wrong angle. I left.

Scene 3: The Police Station - Evening

I went to the police station and started to fill in a crime report. I was sitting at a very long yellowish-orange wooden bench, which had glass partitions all around it. The room was empty other than the desks and the glass partitions. The report form was a long folded document, a bit like a brochure. There were lots of colours and images on the form, and boxes to tick. It seemed more like a survey or a competition entry than a crime report form. I was confused as to whether I was filling in the right form, and kept opening it out to check. I cannot recall what was written on the form, but I was finding it very difficult to note down the relevant information in the sections provided on the form, as the printed questions did not seem to relate to crimes or offences, just random irrelevant matters. I thought I might 'override' the specified questions and just write down the information about Chucky which I thought was relevant. I was writing in bright blue ink. I am not sure where my friend was at this time, as he was not with me when I was initially filling out the crime report form. 

There was a short passage of time. I then became aware that my friend had joined me. I said to him: 'You need to fill out your report form now'. My friend agreed. I still had some more of my own report form to complete, so we sat next to each other and started writing. I then noticed that my friend's form was partially filled out in bright blue ink, and he was already on the 3rd or 4th page of it. I checked my own form, and the answer sections were completely empty. I said: 'You're using MY report form!' as it was clear my friend had just started to fill in the form I had already been writing on, leaving me with his blank one. My friend laughed and said that it did not matter, but again, I was feeling so angry towards him. After we completed the forms, I said (based on reading this requirement at the end of the form): 'We have to take photographs now'. I am not sure exactly what photographs we had to take as a requirement to submit a police crime report form, but I think it might have been a photograph of a knife, because my friend said: 'I didn't even bring the knife...' I said: 'We've got to take photographs' to which my friend said: 'Let's not take the photographs then...' I was so annoyed and frustrated again. I stood up abruptly and stormed out of the room, out of the police station (which was not a police station I recognise from real-life - it was a very small one). My friend followed me out. He seemed unfazed and even happy. I said: 'We're in danger now! We can't go home! We need to get a bus somewhere so Chucky doesn't find us!' My plan was to get on a bus and travel out of town so Chucky couldn't hunt me down and kill me. I was walking in the direction of the bus. It was still dusk and the sky was still a purplish colour. My friend was standing still on the pavement behind me, a short distance away. I turned to look at him and said: 'Come on! We need to get the bus!' My friend stood still and with a smile on his face said: 'I didn't bring the change for the bus'. I was engulfed in the strongest rage imaginable, as my friend had ruined things again, and kept placing us in danger.

I woke up.

TIME: 22:00 - 05:30 hours (I woke up from this dream)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES: NONE OF NOTE

Dream Information:

• I first (attempted) to what Child's Play 3 (1991) with NN, at her home when we were 9 years old (we convinced our parents to hire the video for us, even though it was an 18 certification). We were both too scared to watch it through to the end. To 'calm down' from the experience of watching this  movie, which was highly unsuitable for us (given we were both at the age when we still had dolls in our bedrooms!) we played Super Mario Bros on Nintendo. Note that in Sheringham, my former childhood home in Pine Grove was about 5 -10 minutes walk from my Nan's house. NN's house was equidistant, being positioned in the middle of both houses, so I would often walk round to NN's and then we would walk up the road to my Nan's together. This is why I got the impression the male dream character in this dream was based on NN
• Around the time I first watched the Child's Play 3 movie I was obsessed with mermaids - this obsession started in early childhood and will most likely continue for the rest of my life. My collection used to contain a lot of random finds from charity or thrift stores, antique shops etc - if it had a mermaid on it, I had to own it. NN, as my best friend, also became interested in mermaids, but her collection only really extended to mermaid dolls (see Day Residue, below)

Dreamsigns:

• The fact we had a Chucky Doll - the whole dream was a dreamsign!
• The house in the dream became a composite of my former childhood homes in Pine Grove, Sheringham, and my Nan's house in Sheringham 

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• Reference to a child-killing psychopathic stalker - a fictional murdering doll in this dream, but the theme is the same

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• The day of this dream I had been trying to describe a track (to DL) by UK hip hop artist Jehst which I said contained a possible sample of 'video game music and the spilling coins from Super Mario (who does collect coins in the game), but in fact it is Sonic the Hedgehog who 'spills' rings when he touches an enemy or enemy item, so in my mind, I had mixed up both games in my mind - the coins from Mario, and the spilling/sound effect of the spilling from Sonic. It turns out, that the Jehst track I was referring to - 'Sounds Like Money' does sound like it uses a video game sample at the beginning, but doesn't seem to when you see the sample credits
• A couple of days before this dream I had been in an internet discussion about toys from the 1990s, and I mentioned that I loved trolls - I then mentioned the fact I had one of the larger troll toys (my main collection was made up of the pencil topper trolls, but you could also get larger versions, which were about the size of a Coke can). I had a mermaid (merman?) troll
• The day of this dream I heard a reference (in a different crime documentary - I cannot even recall what I was watching), to Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, the killers of toddler, James Bulger. These 2 murderers (who were 10 years old at the time of the shocking offence; and 11 years old at the time they were tried and convicted as adults) were said to have been influenced to torture and kill an infant after watching Child's Play 3 and being influenced by it (this is only assumed - the precise known facts of the case are riddled with speculation, inaccuracy and  rumour, given both defendants were given anonymity following conviction, preventing a lot of disclosure about the case, meaning the media concentrated on sensationalising the known facts to the point that the average person would be unsure what was proven fact or press-created exaggeration). In his police interview, Thompson had stated how he was obsessed with troll dolls. I have researched the Thompson & Venables case extensively, as this was the subject-matter of my Masters thesis, and the case also features heavily in my current PhD thesis, which is on the theme of defendant anonymity orders. The Bulger murder case gave rise to the notion that 'video nasties' were responsible for childhood violence - and even children committing murders. This created a 'moral panic' about such movies. In addition, there have been further crimes, involving children and adult offenders who were alleged to be influenced by the Child's Play movies, such as the case of teenager Suzanne Capper in 1992, who (before being burned to death and abandoned by the roadside) was tortured extensively, while a soundtrack of Chucky's voice saying 'Wanna play?' was played to her on a loop
• A couple of day before this dream, I had mentioned a birth deformity, where the legs of the baby are fused together, giving the impression of a mermaid's tail. DL said he had never heard of this before. The very next day I saw an online news report about another child who had been born with this condition (I think she was from Peru) and had been given the nickname of 'the Mermaid Girl'
• The day of this dream I had got a knife out of the kitchen drawer so I could use it to open a bottle of hot sauce. I noticed that the end of the knife had a piece chipped out of it, leaving a sharp, jagged blade
• On the day of this dream, of my friends (online) made a reference to 'getting blunted', meaning to get stoned from smoking a blunt (a cannabis joint rolled with a blunt wrap or cigar skin and containing no tobacco). I think blunts involve the use of far too much weed for me to ever roll one out of my own supply, although friends such as EB (see below) used to smoke them quite often and I think the first day I ever met EB (when he was a 17 year old) we smoked a watermelon-flavoured blunt in his car
• DL and I were also joking about a piece of conceptual art we could 'make' based on 'a pile of knives' (it's an intricate concept based on a conversation I once had with RBA, so I won't go into further needless explanation, other than to say this was a possible influence for the knife in the dream)
• Just before I went to bed and had this dream I saw a number of police cars driving around campus, and saw a police helicopter doing a search
• I took a bus journey (to DL's house) on the day of this dream, but first had gone to the shop specifically to get change for the bus, as often the driver will not let you pay with a banknote larger than £5 (the cost of a return ticket is £4.30, but very often the bus driver just gives me a young person's ticket in error, because he made the assumption and didn't ask if I was a young person or adult
• The day of this dream I had a conversation with DL in which I said that there were very few of my previous partners or friends who I ever feel I can communicate with with no ambiguity or misunderstanding. I meant that there are only a few people whose mode of expression (especially in text form) matches, mirrors or compliments my own to the extent that there is no mistake as to meaning or tone. The only people I can say this about are DL, RBA and CEC. I think this conversation may have influenced this dream, in which there were so many communication problems and misunderstandings between my dream character friend and I that I was enraged and frustrated by his actions throughout the dream. The dream seemed to be more about this problematic friendship than the fear presented by Chucky
• The day of this dream - still in conversation with DL about friendships - he said how much he disliked EB, my former best friend (EB was also a friend of RBA when RBA lived in my local area). I referred to a story EB told me about how he dropped out of a Photography course in college (and subsequently lied to his parents, pretending he graduated with a degree because he couldn't face telling them the truth). EB's coursework had allegedly got destroyed in an accident and he had not been bothered to re-do the work. I said to DL that since it was photography, it wouldn't be too much of a burden to get a deadline extension and take photographs again - not as awful as having to re-write a dissertation. If you love photography and have some talent or skill, it shouldn't be too hard work to take more photos, even if they are different to the originals
• Like Chucky, EB has bright orange (well, ginger), tufty hair and freckles - he has visited my Nan's house on numerous occasions

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:

This dream was clearly related to my Dream Incubation Experiment - it involved a serial killing doll dream character! However, again, I wasn't the 'serial killer' in my dream, but once more in the role of potential victim. My subconscious mind really doesn't want me to be the evil murderer in my dreams! This dream involved 2 strong, clear emotions: fear and rage. The rage was directed solely at my dream character friend, who was so incompetent, ignorant and careless I was continuously angered to the point I could have probably killed him in this dream! I found this a very interesting dream to experience, and thankfully, although I experienced intense fear in the dream, it wasn't experienced as a nightmare. 

I feel that the 'friend' in this dream was strongly influenced by EB, especially given the conversations I had had with DL on the day of the dream. However, this recognition was not present in the dream, only my waking mind. It was consolidated in my waking mind, when I then thought: 'EB and Chucky have physical similarities!' EB - much like the dream character friend in this dream - is one of the most frustrating people to spend prolonged amounts of time with. He always ends up in some negative or problematic situation because he is flaky, lazy, paranoid yet careless, changeable, immature, unreliable, dishonest etc etc - this causes him massive personal problems (such as the time he once got 7 parking tickets at the same time - many of them for continuing to park illegally in the same location after already receiving an earlier ticket - none of which he could afford to pay), as well as having an impact on other people who associate with him. I won't go into further detail of the type of instances which illustrate what kind of person EB is, because it would be pointless. I would conclude by saying that EB is the type of person you should befriend if you want to die early from stress or spend a life sentence in prison for murder.

Dream 591

'She'd Rather Eat a Casserole'

Dream date: 21 March 2016

This is Day 22 of my Dream Incubation Experiment. You can read the details and methodology of my latest Dream Incubation Experiment by clicking HERE. 

This was a bizarre dream, which took place during a 12 hour sleep. The first section of the dream was experienced as if I was a passive observer, watching a movie, although I was in the same location as the dream characters. They did not react to me as if I was really there and I did not communicate with them either. This dream was linked to my Dream Incubation Experiment because it involved a serial killer, who I did not actually see in the dream. The dream was recalled extremely vividly. 

Scene 1: Sheringham High Street - Day

I saw a dream character beside the arcades in Sheringham High Street. It was a bright, sunny day. She was a petite white female (about 5 foot tall and very slim) with long, straight black hair - almost as long as my own. he was a teenager or a young adult. She was running around and generally 'messing about', having fun (I don't know how to describe what she was doing, because she was just 'playing' like a child might, jumping, skipping etc). I knew she was 'rebellious' and she made me think that she was 'similar to myself', although I am not sure what I was basing this assumption on, other than she was around the arcades, where I spent most of my own childhood, trying to 'hang out' with the older boys and playing arcade machines. Not much else happened in this scene. I have included 2 images which show the amusement arcade and where the female dream character was in this scene. 

Scene 2: A Family Home (Location Unknown - I do not know where he lived as a child) - Night

I was then in a big family home with a group of dream characters, one of which was the petite black-haired female from the earlier scene. I counted that there were 4 dream characters, but in fact there were 5 - I saw 5 individuals, but kept thinking '4'. These dream characters were: 

1. the 'petite brunette' (already described)
2. the 'petite brunette's' elder brother, a young adult male with dark hair 
3. 'petite brunette's boyfriend' (a mixed-race young adult male)
4. a 'blonde male' (a smartly-dressed young adult who seemed 'posh')
5. a 'blonde female' (the 'blonde male's sister - tall, slim with short hair)

We were in the home of one set of siblings (either the blondes or the brunettes) - it was unclear. All of the dream characters were wealthy and posh and knew each other, although the brunette female and her boyfriend was 'rebelling' against their conservative upbringings, and were 'naughty', whereas the blondes were very upper-class and 'nasty' (I clearly got the impression that they were judgemental and materialistic). All the dream characters were of proximate age, and were part of the same social circle. We were in the kitchen of the home, which was large and posh. The brunette female was drinking from a bottle of alcohol. I was just a passive observer - there was no interaction with the dream characters at all, as if I was invisible. The dream characters were planning to break into a large, mansion which was currently empty. It was close to the house we were currently in, which seemed to be in a very fancy neighbourhood. The brunette female's brother said he had to study and could not go with them. 

Scene 3: The Mansion (Location Unknown) - Night

I was then walking through the huge, dark mansion with the 4 dream characters who had decided to break in and explore. The mansion was much like the interior of the Palace of Versailles, Paris, although in my dream, it was simply a residential home somewhere (I am not sure where) in the UK. It may have been in Sheringham (as the first dream scene with the brunette female had been located there), but Sheringham does not have such hugely affluent areas, with massive mansions - it is a small seaside tourist town. The 4 dream characters were wandering around the mansion - the blonde male (who was taking lead it seemed) was saying; 'The owners are on holiday for the rest of their lives' - the indication was that they would not be returning to the mansion. 

The blonde male and the mixed-race male walked down a huge spiral staircase, which led down into a ballroom, which was empty. The floor was shiny and there was a lot of gold decoration in the fittings and fixtures. It was dark - no lights were turned on. The only piece of furniture I saw was a large double-doored wardrobe which was against the wall, opposite the stairs (which ended in the middle of the floor). The blonde male said: 'There will be lots of costumes in here' and went over to the wardrobe. I could see the wardrobe was white, with gold decoration. I wondered: 'Is the gold just lines, or is it a [then I used the wrong word for what I wanted to describe] trompe-l'œil?' (trompe-l'œil is an artistic technique, translating as 'deceive the eye' - hyper-realistic optical illusions, which I learned about when I studied History of Art at university). What I meant in the dream - because I saw the shape in the dream - was 'fleur-de-lis' (I still could not recall the word when I woke up, but DL informed me of what I meant, after I likened the shape to the Adidas logo and described it as 'French'). It makes sense that I saw a French heraldic symbol, associated with the French monarchy, in a mansion which appeared to be modelled on the Palace of Versaille! I thought (as I looked at the wardrobe, which had it's doors open, so I could no longer see the gold design on the exterior): 'It would be better for literature if it was trompe-l'œil' (I still meant fleur-de-lis, of course - I only realised I used the wrong word when I woke up, because I know what trompe-l'œil means). I have no idea what the reference to 'better for literature' means. 

The 2 males were being loud and silly, jumping around in enjoyment of finding the wardrobe full of clothes. There was a lot of general horseplay. I did not know where in the mansion the 2 females were - other than express references to them, I never physically saw them again in this dream.

The blonde male opened the wardrobe doors even wider, to reveal that the wardrobe was full to capacity with children's clothing - ornate and decorative gold and white dresses. He said: 'The building is surrounded by a child-killer, so we have to stay with the dresses'. The indication was that the perimetre of the mansion was being stalked by a serial child-killer, who was trying to find and murder the children of the family who lived in the mansion. The dream characters wanted to stay inside the mansion until he was gone. I seemed to be able to access their internal, unspoken intentions and motives. I thought: 'Why don't they call the police and get him arrested so we [note: I included myself in 'we' rather than thinking 'they'] can leave?' At this point, I was aware I must be watching this scene from within the mansion, as I felt annoyed we were stuck inside due to the child-killer waiting outside. 

I then found myself in a lift/elevator, going downwards, to the ground floor. I was with someone I know from real-life, but I cannot recall who (I have the notion that it was my Mum), as I was facing the back of the lift, where the buttons for each floor were. I was telling this person: 'Both the girls (the dream characters) are going to university - the brunette [I probably used a name to refer to her, but I cannot recall it] is an Art student, and the blonde one [again, I probably used a forgotten name] is a bit older, and wanted to do Art, but ended up doing English' (note: my first degree was in English Literature & History of Art). I then left the lift/elevator and stepped out into the ground-floor hallway of the mansion, which was still dark. The hallway was so large, it was more like a room in itself. There were many doors, leading to reception rooms and suchlike, along the walls. The hallway gave the impression of being circular. I saw the blond male in the back of the room, having just walked down a flight of stairs which were directly in front of me. He walked towards an open doorway, leading to another room. I was standing in front of the door, which was the entrance to the mansion. I was waiting to leave and was hoping someone would drive over and collect me. 

I then had a 'realisation' - it was if a number of years had passed in a moment and I was accounting for what happened to the dream characters in the intervening years between being young adults breaking into the mansion, and the present thoughts I was having (although, still in the mansion, having not left). 

I 'knew' in this moment that the blonde female had joined the army and been stationed in a warzone. While she was serving in the army, the police (or someone else in authority, it wasn't clear) had 'investigated' the mansion following reports/suspicions of a 'haunting by a ghost'. During the investigation into the haunting, the police (or whoever) found forensic evidence (fingerprints) from the blonde female, which resulted in her being arrested for and convicted of burglary, meaning she lost her job in the army and 'become a failure'. I wondered why the others had not been arrested for burglary and thought: 'It wasn't a ghost, it was a serial killer!' I did not become aware of the absurd dream time logic, which meant I was still at the 'scene' of the historic 'burglary' and aware the dream characters - still youthful - were also in the mansion (because I could still see the blonde male in the background, standing in a doorway between the dark hall and another room, where the light was now on - I think it was a kitchen).

Scene 4: 'London' - Day

I then found myself in the back seat of a car. My Mum and a couple of other (non-recalled) persons with in the car. I could not recognise where we were - there were some buildings and a hill, beyond which was an expanse of water. My Mum said: 'We're in London now' and then the car - she was not driving - reversed and I saw a big roadsign on the pavement, which stated we were indeed in London. This was a dream conceptualisation of London - not a part of it I have seen in real-life, and not particularly reminiscent or similar to what I know London to be like, although of course, it is a very diverse city, with urban and suburban areas. We were there on a short holiday it seemed. We drove to a large place - it seemed to be a massive building - the size of a department store, but not as commercial-looking. It seemed like an older buildings, and I was sure (in the dream) that I had been there before, it looked so familiar (it doesn't feel familiar to my waking mind however). 

The building had exposed reddish-orange stone walls. As we walked through, I saw 2 pubs/bars...one was entered via a doorway (so was a separate room from the part of the building we were in), while the other one - which was opposite this, about 2 meters away, with only a small wall with archway, in between - was recessed into an alcove of a red-orange stone wall - the bar was literally carved into a hollow section of the wall and therefore I could see the server - a female - working behind the bar. There were no beer pumps/taps. only a large selection of spirits and wines behind the server. In front of the alcove-bar was a free-standing wall, with an archway cut out of it. It seemed to be part of the design of this bar, but was not a structural-support, more like a decorative aspect. There were some seats/bar stools. I said to my Mum and the other dream characters: 'That's my favourite pub to visit'. I  had the feeling that I had visited this pub one Christmas, as it made me think of Christmas. We turned left, and then sat down in a bay window, which was some kind of waiting area. The sun was shining in through the window. Very shortly, we left this area, to go and eat a meal from one of the establishments within this big building. I wanted to go to the bar/pub which was opposite the one in the alcove (the one in the alcove only served drinks, not food). However, my Mum wanted to go to a restaurant which was on the other side of the building (although not far away, as everything was visible wherever you were in this section of the building). I have produced a diagram (below) to illustrate what this dream scene location looked like). Annoyed, I had no choice but to go along with what my Mum and the rest of our group wanted.

Once we were in the restaurant, which was more like a brightly lit canteen, decorated in white and pale blue, with large floor-to ceiling windows (looking out at the sea - there is no coastline in London), I noticed that our group comprised of my Mum, my Nan, my cousin HM, and 2 random male dream characters - both white adults. We sat at a formica table, one table away from the window. There was a family of diners sat between us and the window. I was seated with my back to this family. I could see that most of the tables were occupied with customers. I wondered what type of food would be served in this place. Before I could ever look at a menu, my Mum returned with a platter of food which we would all be eating from. 

It was a large roast pork, bright pink with a weird, gelatinous texture, making it look unappetising (I hate roast pork, and my Mum knows this!) The pork was sitting on a large platter of boiled potatoes, peas and a sea of gravy. As my Mum set the platter on the table, the gravy (there was so much) splashed onto the table. I was so angry that my Mum had ordered this food for all of us. I said: 'I don't want to fucking eat this shit!' and then wondered if I was upsetting or offending the other diners, as I had shouted it loudly (note: my family swear openly, so I have always sworn - and spoken my honest, unfiltered mind - in front of my family, there is no censorship in the way I speak with them, so the way I expressed myself in the dream was not odd or bizarre - what was odd was my Mum ordering the pork dish, without consultation, ignoring my dietary preferences). 

My Mum said (mockingly): 'She'd rather eat a casserole!' She said this as if a casserole was boring - even though my Mum likes casserole. I wondered why she thought I wanted casserole, so I asked: 'Who mentioned casserole?' My Mum (still mocking me) said again: 'She wants to eat casserole in that pub over there!' and gestured to the direction the 2 pubs I had wanted to go to/referred to as my favourite were. I could see these pubs (because the wall of the restaurant we were in had a large glass window, like a store front. My Mum started to serve the meal into white bowls for each of us. My Nan, cousin and the male dream characters were laughing at me. I was so enraged, I stood up. I screamed: 'No! I'd prefer a steak, cooked blue, with all the blood dripping out or a Nandos. And I would eat THE WHOLE FUCKING CHICKEN!' (in fact, both these meal options are favourites of mine, so I would prefer to eat them over a roast pork meal). I then looked around again, because I heard some chairs scraping, indicating someone was getting up from their seat. I wanted to check that my shouting/swearing/description of blue steak dripping with blood, had not caused them to be disturbed. It was clear that they were not paying attention to me anyway. I then noticed a large, obese male standing beside our table. The table was against the wall on one side, so this man was standing next to my Mum, who was standing carving and serving the pork. He looked like he was in his 30s or 40s and had glasses and thinning black hair. I thought he looked like he had a learning difficulty or mental health condition. His white shirt was partially unbuttoned - he was so fat, his shirt and grey trousers were badly fitting. He had a confused look on his face. I saw he had a hearing aid for his left ear. I then realised he was part of my group - and was waiting for my Mum to sit down (between me and him) before he took his own seat. I wondered how he knew my family.

I woke up.

TIME: 15:00 - 03:00 hours (I went to sleep very tired and decided not to set an alarm, so that I could just sleep as long as I needed to)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES: I took my Vitamin B6 (100 mg) - which I take every day that I remember, as part of this Dream Incubation Experiment, just moments before I went to sleep, rather than an hour or 2 before, as I usually do. I had not eaten a single thing for approximately 36 hours (I only eat when I am hungry and had not been hungry enough to eat the curry I prepared) - it is now 05:45 as I write this, and I am still not hungry! (I am not on a diet and I do not ever restrict what I eat - I eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and work out periodically through the day, using a system of body-weight resistance/strength-building exercises, like press-ups/squats etc. I had worked out just before I went to sleep and had this dream and had felt very healthy and strong from the exercises)

Dream Information:

• None of note

Dreamsigns:

• In the dream, 5 was counted at '4'
• I was a passive observer in my dream - it was as if I was invisible, just watching the dream happen in front of me. I could also access their unspoken thoughts, intentions and motivations
• The long passage of time which occurred in a moment within the dream, even though I remained in the same location as the earlier scene, as if only seconds had passed
• London was on the coast

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• Reference to a child-killing psychopathic stalker
• My cousin HM as a dream scene character

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• I used to play Mortal Kombat 3 in the arcades in Sheringham - the day before this dream I had been playing Mortal Kombat X on android, which is the best mobile game I have ever played and has convinced me to buy this for PS4, so I can have the full console experience. I cannot say how much I love the Mortal Kombat franchise - it was part of my childhood!
• A short period (more than a week, less than a month) before this dream I had watched The Supersizers Eat the French Revolution (S02E03), which was largely set in the Palace or Versailles, as Giles Coren and Sue Perkins (who I both LOVE) were experiencing the daily lives and eating habits of King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Slightly off the topic of dreaming, but an interesting fact - the programme highlighted how hygiene was such an issue in the Palace of Versailles - there were no effective methods of regular sanitation in the 18th century and the costumes were so elaborate and decorative that they were rarely changed or cleaned - women wore their huge powdered wigs for days on end, resulting in rodent infestation. Due to the restrictive nature of the clothing (wealthy men and women would often be dressed by others - especially women who had to be squeezed into tight corsets) and the lack of toilet facilities, courtiers at Versaille would urinate in the corner of the rooms. The Palace would only be cleansed of the accumulated filth twice a year, at huge expense - it would take up to 2 weeks each time to do this huge task. To mask the constant smell of body odour, urine and general dirt, the scent of oranges would be used liberally. Below I have uploaded some images of the exterior/gardens at Versaille, and also some of the interior, including the famous Hall of Mirrors
• In relation to the erroneous use of trompe-l'œil, bear in mind it translates as 'deceive the eye', which I knew in my conscious waking mind. A few days before this dream, I wrote an article on the possibility that dreams create false memories - see: 'Dreaming & False Memory Syndrome'. To illustrate, I used my own example of a 'false memory' created within the dream itself - in the dream, I falsely remembered watching the scene where the woman's eyeball is sliced with a razor blade in Un Chien Andalou - see Dream 585 - 'I've Seen This Before'. This is a way in which the concepts of eyes and deceit were linked in my mind, hence the reference to trompe-l'œil, a French word (note how the film Un Chien Andalou also has a French title despite being made by  Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí, who are both Spanish), which I thought of in a location which reminded me of being inside a French palace, observing a symbolic design associated with French royalty and heraldty
• A couple of days before this dream, I had a dream about my cousin HM - Dream 587 - 'My Nan Takes my Side', in which I was doing my cousin's homework and thinking it was odd that she had such a difficult assignment when she was not academic or interested in higher education, whereas I am academic and find intellectual challenges stimulating. To expound upon this in relation to the current dream and its meaning - I (as noted above) did my first of 2 undergraduate degrees in English Literature & History of Art (both subjects being referred to in the dream), whereas my HM, whose mum (my aunt VF) re-married a soldier in the army, was brought up in a military environment (on an army barracks) and later married her husband, who is also in the army. The day before this dream, I watched a documentary about Pete Doherty, in which he described his youth growing up in an army barracks (so similar to the experience of HM). I then read about Pete Doherty - who was famously arrested for the burglary of his bandmate and best friend, Carl Barât, leading the break-up of The Libertines. I then read about Amy Winehouse's friendship with Doherty. You will probably be aware of my love of Amy - I recently posted a series of pictures and a Youtube video where my hair and makeup was styled like hers. I constantly get told I resemble her. Note, that when I was then looking up the Wikipedia entry on Carl Barât, who later formed the band, Dirty Pretty Things (so, much like the Palace of Versaille in the 18th century), I noted that he is of partly French origin and his father worked in armaments (his mother was an anti-armaments protestor). In 2005, he had a tumour removed from behind his ear, leaving him partially deaf - this is an interesting fact to learn, based on another aspect of this dream, which I recount both above and below. I was not conscious of any of these facts about Barât until writing up this dream and I am still not entirely convinced that they were hugely influential on the dream content, even though there are a number of strikingly coincidental references and allusions
• The day of this dream I had watched a documentary about a gang of paedophile child-killers, including Sidney Cooke - there was a discussion about DNA evidence in the documentary. The forensic expert mentioned that some people shed/leave more DNA than others, simply by touching an item
• My Mum told me that she, my Nan and I would be going for a meal to celebrate my Nan's birthday in April. My Mum said we would go somewhere in Norwich, so asked for recommendations because I live in the city, whereas she lives in Sheringham and only knows a few of the pubs. I recommended 'The Reindeer' because it serves very good roasts (we are meeting on a Sunday). This may be the reason why I associated being with my Mum and Nan, getting a roast dinner, and seeing a pub, which in the dream I said was 'my favourite', which I also linked to 'Christmas' (reindeers being a popular symbol of Santa Claus and Christmas generally). Note that my actual favourite pub in Norwich - and one I have taken my Nan to on many occasions when we are together in the city - is actually called: 'THE MURDERERS'!!! It is a city-centre pub, so although my Nan and I have eaten here many lunchtimes, it mainly serves bar snacks and fried foods, whereas 'The Reindeer' is known as a gastro-pub. When I described 'The Reindeer' to my Mum on the phone, I had said: 'It serves suckling pig' (because I know my Mum likes pork, even if I hate it!) and my Mum had been pleased to hear that, hence why roast pork may have also shown up in this dream
• A couple of days before this dream, I had watched a TV show featuring Stewart Lee, a postmodern comedian, who does very 'meta', self-aware stand-up which almost antagonises his audiences. He is brilliant and very under-rated in my opinion. On the TV show, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, which also features my comedy icon, Chris Morris, the camera panned and I noticed - for the first time - that Stewart Lee has a (very discreet) hearing aid in his left ear (I just Googled this, and note that the hearing aid was only recently acquired by Lee, who has suffered hearing problems for a while)

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:

This dream was clearly related to my Dream Incubation Experiment - there was a clear reference to a child-killing serial killer! However, I was not myself a serial killer, and I did not see this dream character in the dream. It is interesting to note that in al of my dreams, the 'serial killer' or 'psychopath character' is always described/depicted/experienced as a 'stalker'. I found this dream to be hugely significant and fascinating. I am unable to stop thinking about it. It was so vivid and easy to recall in great detail. Also, after beginning to write up my report and analyse the contents of my dream, I was able to see that the references within it were multi-layered and incredibly complex. This is one of my all-time favourite dreams!

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR DREAMS: 3 TECHNIQUES

Dreams: Dream Interpretation, Dream Incubation & Lucid Dreaming

My New Social Media: Tallulah La Ghash on Snapchat, Instagram, Tumblr etc

Hi Dream Explorers!
I have a lot of new social media platforms which you can add/subscribe to/follow me on! All the links are below - click on each link which will open in a new page! Some of them are in the process of being set up and having content added, so bear with me while I get everything organized!

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Here are some recent photographs of me, rocking an Amy Winehouse-inspired style! 

Dream 590

'I Hate LARPING!'

Dream date: 20 March 2016

This is Day 21 of my Dream Incubation Experiment. You can read the details and methodology of my latest Dream Incubation Experiment by clicking HERE. 

Scene 1: The Field Outside my House on Campus (Norwich) - Evening

For the real-life context of what was happening at the time of this dream, see Dream Information section, below). In short, there were some LARPERs outside my house, making a disturbance, which I could hear during my sleep, and kept waking me up from my sleep, which not only caused me to have broken sleep, but also influenced the content of my dream, as you will see. 

I was outside and it was late afternoon, almost dusk. There were some LARPERs nearby, and I had come outside to smoke some cannabis, in private. I was annoyed that the only location I could find was beside a fallen tree (I was sitting on the tree) in the middle of the grassy field on campus. The campus did not look exactly how it does in real-life, but I cannot describe what was different. I started smoking a spliff. I then saw a male dream character approaching me. At first, I thought it was a member of security coming to punish me for smoking cannabis, but as he approached, I noticed he was just dressed in a similar uniform (without the high-vis yellow jacket). He was quite young - 20s or 30s and white, with brown hair and a very 'average' or 'normal' looking face, which I cannot provide a good description of, as there was nothing distinguishable about it. I did not recognise him, but he seemed to know who I was. He was holding a magazine. He said: 'I thought it was you, because I recognised your trainers and hair'. I looked down and noticed I was wearing my white Adidas shelltoe trainers (throughout my life, these have been the brand of trainers I have re-purchased the most, so they are somewhat associated with my style; it is also quite easy to recognise me from my hair alone, as so many people tell me). The male did not seem to mind - or even notice - I was smoking cannabis. He didn't mention it. He held the magazine open and showed me a double-page spread, which was mainly recalled as 'white' (I cannot recall any words or images).

Scene 2: The Childhood Home of a Friend (Location Unknown - I do not know where he lived as a child) - Day

I was then in a scene which I knew was in 'the past'. The location I was in was the childhood home of TT - completely imagined in the dream, as I have no information about TT's family life or childhood or where he lived as a child. The house was a large, traditional family-style home in the countryside. The furniture was rustic and homely, and I was in the lounge. There was a large bay window, showing the front garden, and beneath the window, a long sofa, on which a number of children were sitting. TT (aged about 4 - 5 years) was kneeling on the sofa - looking out of the window. I was aware that this was a child's birthday party, hence why there were so many children present. I have no conception or awareness of how old I was in the dream scene, as I was a passive observer of the action, rather than an active participant. Two males - adult relatives of TT - entered the room. One of the males had a child riding on his shoulders, the other male had balloons - a bunch of balloons, carried in his hand, which were different shapes and sizes, but all white in colour. The male with the balloons said: 'I'll get the rabbits out' and this excited the children in the room. 

Scene 3: An Interior (Location Unknown - but some elements of my Norwich Home i.e. Bathroom) - Time Unknown

I was then in a different interior - I am not sure where, by my Mum and other dream characters were present and it felt familiar in the dream. I thought: 'It would be terrible if I smashed the screen of my mobile phone' and then decided to check to make sure the phone was OK. I noticed that the screen was broken in 2 places - one at the top and the other bottom left. I was annoyed, and could not recall how my phone would have smashed without me knowing at the time. I went into the bathroom - this was very similar to my own bathroom in my real-life home, but I am not sure if this was my actual house, as the rest of the interior was different. I was trying to 'swipe' the screen to use my phone, but the smashed screen was preventing it from working and the glass felt jagged and dangerous under my finger, so I gave up. I went back to my Mum and said that I needed to pay for my phone to be fixed. My Mum said: 'It will cost £80 and that's a lot of money'. I then tried to calculate how long I had left on an 18 month contract to work out if it was worthwhile getting the phone fixed, or waiting for an upgrade. I (correctly) calculated that my Mum was with me in October 2015, shortly after my birthday when we got this mobile on this contract, and it is currently March 2016, meaning I have had this phone for 6 months, and am therefore one-third of the way through the contract (this means, that in the dream I not only got the dates right, but was able to perform a maths task and get a correct and logical answer - given I have problems with numbers and dreams tend to make mathematics confusing or absurd, this was quite interesting!). I said: 'There's too much contract left to be stuck with a broken phone', which my Mum said she agreed with. I kept looking at the phone in dismay, but also thought: 'At least I had it for 6 months before I broke it'. 

I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

TIME: 11:00 - 15:00 hours (I am not sure when this dream took place, as I had a very broken sleep and recalled it when I finally got out of bed, rather than at any point I woke up during the sleep)

LUCIDITY: NO

SPECIAL NOTES: NONE OF NOTE

Dream Information:

• I real-life, when I took this sleep (which was intended to be a nap), there were some LARPers outside, on the field at the back of my house. I have posted 2 images, below, which show where my house is (obscured in photo by a tree), where the LARPing took place, and a a larger shot of the field/lake, to show how much open space there is on campus (the lake is actually 'Broads' and is a popular area for walks, as on the other side of the lake is forest (which I walk through at night, by myself, because I am fearless!) and a nature reserve. LARPing usually seems to be done on a Sunday and I have always hated it. LARPing is Live-Action Role Playing - players dress up as historical or fictional characters and then use fake weapons to stage a fake battle. The players at my university were dressed in sort of Lord of the Rings-style costumes and had wooden swords. When they inflicted an attack on an opponent, they pretend to hit him (they were all male) with a sword or other weapon (players also have a shield for 'defence') and then shout (extremely loudly): 'Single!' or 'Double' or 'Multiple' - I guess this relates to the number of hits made in a single attack. The attacked player would lay on the floor for a moment and they rejoin the game, so there isn't even any in-game logic, making it a realistic re-enactment. For some reason, these LARPERs decide to play their fantasy game right outside residences, where they were disruptive and annoying (all I could hear for several hours was 'SINGLE! SINGLE!' (ironically, these players are probably single if they do this in their spare time) and pretend screams of pain. I have no idea why the players couldn't just move away from the buildings, given there is a huge amount of space all around them, and they were causing chaos near houses and public walkways. 

Dreamsigns:

• The university campus looked different from how it does in real-life, but only subtly so
• I visited the childhood home of someone I know (a little - I met him as a friend of a friend on one occasion and then added him as a Facebook friend) - this dream scene took place 'in the past' (i.e. TT's childhood)
• My real-life bathroom was part of a different interior

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• A party
• A broken screen on my mobile phone and me calculating how long I have left on my contract when deciding whether to pay for a new screen

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• The LARPing taking place outside my house (very audible from my bedroom) while I was asleep and having this dream
• The night before this dream, DL and I had been watching The Jonathan Ross Show and I said that one of the guests, a Welsh actor (Taron Egerton) who I am completely unfamiliar with, was dressed 'like an off-duty policeman' - his outfit was similar to the uniforms worn by university security - black trousers, jumper and tie, with a white shirt
• The night before this dream, I had uploaded a photograph onto my Facebook, commenting that I had added a filter to make it look like a low-quality photo, taken in the 1990s with a bad camera. TT had commented, saying that there is no need to insult the 1990s (as a joke) - TT would have been a very young child in the 1990s, as he is a couple of years younger than myself

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:

This dream was clearly not related to my Dream Incubation Experiment, and I did not have any particular waking thoughts or emotions associated with it, other than the fact I was impressed by the fact that I could recall dates and perform simple maths in a dream, something I actually struggle with in waking life!

* If I recall anything else about this dream, I will record it below.