Saturday 24 June 2017

Dream 843

'Housebreaking in NYC'
Date: 22 June 2017
Time: 05:30 - 11:45 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall 

Scene 1: New York City, USA - Day
I was looking at an image of New York - an aerial shot of the city, which was fairly normal and how I would expect it to look in real life. I thought the image was a photograph, but then it 'zoomed in' and I realised I was travelling to New York. When I was 'at ground level' (I did not experience the sensation of travelling downwards, it was as if the scene in a movie changed and one minute it was zooming into the city and in the next moment, I was standing looking at the scene in front of me) I saw that I was in an area which looked very rural or suburban at least. I was walking down a dirt track which had forest on either side of me. It was daylight and the sun was shining. This area felt very idyllic and pleasant to me. I knew I was '5 minutes walk' from the main NYC city area (i.e. Manhattan etc) - this turning into the forest area, was just outside the urban part of NYC, which even in the dream I found to be odd. I walked down the path and found that it led to a single large family home - normal looking, made of brick, 2-storey - but one I would expect in suburban UK rather than in NYC. There was a sign on a jagged piece of grey slate (on the side of the dirt path), pointing to the house - this was the house sign. The house was detached and the only one I could see in this area. I walked up to the house and entered it, I think through the front entrance, which I cannot recall. I also do not know how I got into the house - i.e. whether the door was open; whether I had a key or whether I broke in.

The house was empty - no-one was home. I only saw one room, which was the kitchen. I recall this room very clearly. It was very old-fashioned, but in a contemporary way, as if this was a deliberate design - this is how I perceived it in the dream. The room was large, with a wooden kitchen table. It was light, airy and spacious. The floor was bare concrete and the walls were bare brick. There was only furniture around the edges of the room - the kitchen appliances looked like they came from the 1970s or 1980s and were basic and cream in colour. The room was untidy and lived in - there was a plastic laundry basket of dirty clothing on one of the counters and various items associated with a kitchen/dining area left laying around. There was an artist's easel in front of the kitchen sink which looked like an industrial sink made of stainless steel. I saw a baby's highchair and items indicating children lived in this house. Just off the kitchen was a corridor which had a bright royal blue carpet. This led to the entrance of the house, although I cannot recall walking down the corridor or being in any other part of the house than the kitchen. Opposite this door, in the kitchen, was a large window and patio door, through which I could see not only the garden, but beyond this, the skyscrapers of NYC. 

I really loved this house and the location.

Scene 2: An Unknown Interior - Day
I then found myself back in the UK, although I am not sure where I was. I wanted to go back to the house in New York, so I did - immediately - I did not seem to have to travel, I just wished myself back there. 

Scene 3: New York City - Day
I found myself back on the dirt track leading up to the house. I walked up there until I reached the slate sign pointing to the house. This scene was basically a repetition of that at the start of Scene 1. I entered the house again - and cannot recall seeing any other part of the house, other than the kitchen where I found myself again. The kitchen looked identical to how it had when I was there last time. I was aware that the family who lived there would soon be returning. I was uninvited and did not want to alarm the homeowners, as my intentions for being there were not malicious or criminal - I just loved being in New York and loved the house. I heard someone return - via the main entrance of the house. I moved so that I was in plain sight - I was standing in the kitchen in front of the door leading to the hallway, which meant I was in full view of the person entering via the front door. I saw female dream character - aged between 30 and 40 - white and slim with shoulder-length straight blonde hair. She was wearing a jumper and jeans and was carrying shopping bags. I decided that I should announce my presence before I was discovered, so I could warn the homeowners that I was in the house, so I shouted out: 'Hi! Don't worry!' I could see that there were some bookshelves in the hallway. When she saw me, the female dream character started to scream in shock and terror and dropped the shopping bags onto the floor at her feet. A male - same approximate age and white, with brown hair and some facial hair - emerged from another room off the hallway, to see what his wife was screaming about. I said: 'I'm not a criminal, I'm a friend!' 

I was joined in the kitchen by the family - it seemed that they had immediately recovered from the shock of me being in their house uninvited and were happy for me to be there. They were welcoming. They were all American, but spoke with English accents, which I thought was odd, even within the dream. The husband was an architect and the wife was an interior designer - they were both very modern and fashionable - what I would describe as 'hipster'. They had a baby and another young child (about 3 years old and blonde - not sure of the gender), who were being looked after by their grandmother (the mother of the woman), who took them out into the garden to play. 

I sat and talked to the husband and wife, telling them how much I admired their unusual home. They told me they were planning to expand the family by having more children. We were talking about normal, everyday things and everything felt friendly and natural. 

The woman started showing me some of the materials she was planning to use for an interior design job she was doing. The 'paint' she was using were actually a number of eyeshadow palettes, with neutral toned makeup in them. I noticed that in one palette, which was made up of dull brown, grey and black shades, there was a beautiful, glittery gold colour. I told the woman how much I loved this colour and she agreed with me that it was 'unusual'. I swatched the colour onto my hand, thinking how pretty it looked.

I cannot recall much else about the action in this dream, other than the conversation with the husband and wife continued and I felt very at home with them, and constantly admired the way they had decorated their kitchen so that it appeared to be 'shabby chic' and almost unfinished. I was also constantly in wonder that this forest area was a 5 minute walk from New York city. The woman told me that both she and her husband worked in skyscrapers in the centre of Manhattan and that they could reach their work in just a short walk. At some point, she was feeding the baby in the high chair while we sat at the kitchen table - the man was sketching a building plan, using the easel. 

We talked about 'the beach' and I knew they meant the coastline of NYC, but in the dream I had forgotten that NYC is an island (I only recalled this when I woke up and then remembered that I had been to the Hudson River shoreline when in New York and visited one of the piers). I saw an image (I guess in my own mind, rather than being there in person, although I am not sure) of a coastal area, but it looked more like a UK coastline than one associated with NYC. I wondered if I was confused and was really looking at Lowestoft in Suffolk (which also has docks). I cannot recall much about this aspect of the dream, other than the confusion and questioning if this was a local beach or still New York.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 

  • NYC was different - it had a forest-like area just outside the city
  • The action in the dream repeated
  • I could travel between the UK and NYC in the blink of an eye
  • I broke into someone's house, then became friends with the family
  • Eyeshadow palettes were 'paint' to be used in interior design

Day Residue: 
  • I vaguely remember looking at an image of an aerial shot of NYC just prior to this dream (recent)

Waking Reactions: 
I actually loved this dream - I enjoyed the location and felt very content. I would love to go back and visit the NYC of my dreams (I have visited NYC in real life and loved the experience) - I know I have had previous dreams about NYC in which it is depicted very differently (more provincially and more reminiscent of the UK suburbs) from how I would expect in real life and these dreams intrigue me.

I have tried to find some images to illustrate this dream. Obviously, I have not been able to find anything which reflects what I saw in the dream accurately, but the images below give some very vague idea. A little research has shown me that there are many areas of New York state (and NYC itself) which do look similar to that seen in my dream - albeit not quite as close to the centre of Manhattan as in my dream.


Dream 842

'Turkey & Chicken'
Date: 22 June 2017
Time: 20:30 - 03:50 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: My Nan's House, Sheringham - Day
I was in my Nan's house in Sheringham, sitting on the sofa. A male friend - it may have been DL (although I recall a former friend EB being present, so it may have been him) was sitting in front of me on the floor. My Nan served us both a plate of roast dinner. My friend's plate was piled high with food, while my own was half empty, with all the food pushed to one side of the plate. At first, I thought I had no potatoes on my plate, unlike my friend, and given this is my favourite part of a roast dinner, this annoyed me. I then looked again and realised I had 2 small roast potatoes. This annoyed me, as my friend had more and I wanted a large amount myself - mine was barely enough to feed a small child. There seemed to be no vegetables on the plate other than the 2 small roast potatoes. I wondered if the meat was turkey or chicken. I was disappointed to reach the conclusion that it was turkey (I hate turkey), but when I looked again, I saw I had both turkey and chicken on the plate. The chicken looked normal, but very white, while the turkey looked grainy in texture, square in shape and grey in colour. The meats were sitting in gravy. I wondered where my yorkshire puddings were, as my friend had a pile of them on his plate. I asked my Nan and she said: 'You don't like yorkshire puddings'. I argued with her about this and was very unhappy with my dinner. 

Scene 2: My House, Norwich - Time Unknown
I was in my own flat in Norwich, in the kitchen, standing beside the counter where the kettle is. I looked at the shelf where we keep the condiments and spices, and saw that a large mirror was installed there. The mirror reflected the bathroom (this would be impossible, given there is an interior door separating the lounge/kitchen from the section of the flat where the bathroom and bedrooms are, and even with the interior door wedged open, you could not have seen inside the bathroom due to the angle. In the reflection of the mirror, showing the bathroom, I could see my flatmate SC taking a shower (standing in the bath) with the shower curtain open. He was obviously naked and I felt embarrassed to see him, but wondered why he had left the bathroom door open, knowing I was home. I quickly looked away, hoping that he did not know that I had seen him, but when I looked up at the mirror again, I realised that SC was staring at me, making eye contact in the reflection of the mirror. This made me feel uncomfortable and awkward and SC looked like he felt the same way. 

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • Education

Dreamsigns: 

  • The food on my plate kept changing every time I looked at it - and the turkey looked strange
  • The mirror installed in the kitchen of my house, which reflected the interior of the bathroom
  • The behaviour of SC

Day Residue: 
  • I cooked chicken for DL (2 days before)
  • We had the glass inset to one of our interior doors replaced after SC accidentally broke the glass by letting the door slam shut in the wind

Waking Reactions: 
There is not much to say about this dream - it was not a positive dream, and I was annoyed in Scene 1 and embarrassed in Scene 2


Dream 841

'Piercings & Prawns'
Date: 21 June 2017
Time: 04:00 - 13:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Weak recall 

Scene 1: Location Unknown - Time Unknown
I saw R3A - I was looking down on him from a very slightly elevated position. R3A was dressed in camouflage and had a number of piercings (yellow gold hoops) in his right ear, which I found odd as he would be highly unlikely to wear multiple earrings in real life. 

There was an unrecalled scene relating to prawns

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 

  • R3A had multiple ear piercings

Day Residue: 
  • I had been talking online with R3A (recent)
  • I watched a Pixiwoo video on Youtube in which Nic Haste showed her new ear piercings and discussed the process of getting them pierced (recent)
  • I had been thinking about buying prawns (same day)

Waking Reactions: 
There is not much to say about this dream - it was clearly influenced by Day Residue.

Dream 840

'Unicorn Hair & Crocodiles'
Date: 18 June 2017
Time: 22:30 - 07:15 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: Location Unknown - Time Unknown
I was trying to dye my hair - ombre, meaning that I was bleaching the ends of it, so that it gradually went from black at the roots to blonde at the tips. I applied the dye myself and then tried to comb it in the the midsections a little, so that the colour faded rather than having a stark contrast. I discovered that the hair dye I was using had somehow got onto the roots of my hair, in big random patches, so there were big areas of blonde throughout the rest of my hair, which was still black. I saw myself in third-person perspective. I was dismayed by the state of my hair. I realised that my Mum was present and I started moaning to her about the way my hair looked. I then saw myself in third-person perspective again, and noticed that the blonde hair dye was actually bright pink. I thought this looked better than the blonde, but wondered how the colour of the hair dye could have changed by itself. A third look revealed my hair to now be completely multi-coloured in pastel colours along with the bright pink. The streaks of colour were all bleeding into one another and I then saw - in third-person perspective - how this dye had looked when being applied to me hair. Even though I had originally dyed my own hair (when applying the blonde dye which turned out to be bright pink), I saw another person (I only saw their hands) had dyed my hair. This had been done beside a basin and instead of carefully separating each section of hair and applying the coloured dye in a way so that they remained distinct, I was annoyed to see that the person dyeing my hair had wet it using water from the basin and then haphazardly applied each colour, leaving each section touching the rest, causing the colour to bleed and become a big mess. This annoyed me, because I knew they could have taken more care. My Mum was telling me that my hair looked great. I started to believe her.

Scene 2: A Nightclub - Night
My Mum and I then went to a busy nightclub (unsure where this was). We were on the dancefloor, holding drinks (red coloured alcoholic drinks in plastic glasses with straws) and other clubbed were pushing and shoving as the dance-floor was so crowded. I was not having a good time, but my Mum was. Her friend, CC was present, although I cannot recall how she was involved in this dream.

Scene 3: The Path towards the Lake, Campus - Day
I was then walking down the gravel path which leads round to the lake on my university campus. I take this walk in real life several times a week. It was daytime and I am not sure if I was alone or with DL (who often accompanies me on this walk). I saw a crocodile on the path. I was not at all scared, and I thought to myself 'a crocodile is a very common dream theme'. However, this was not a lucid dream, as I was not consciously aware I was dreaming. In fact I can state that I felt awake and experiencing 'real life' - I was thinking about dreaming as something different from the state I was experiencing at this point. It was as though I was simply remembering that crocodiles are a common dream theme because the sight of the crocodile made me recall writing an article about the symbol of the crocodile in a dream. I just stood and stared at the crocodile, which was blending into the gravel slightly as it was a similar colour, which made me think that it was more brown than green. It did not do anything - it was static. I then realised that I was staring at a Lacoste logo (a crocodile) on the front of a male dream character's polo T-shirt (I think the shirt was blue). I did not know the male, he was just standing in front of me, slightly closer than where I thought I had seen the crocodile.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 

  • The way the hair dye worked - transferring by itself and then changing colour and having been applied by myself and then thereafter, by another person
  • I saw myself in third-person perspective
  • I saw a crocodile on my university campus - and then became aware it was simply a Lacoste logo on a dream character's shirt

Day Residue: 
  • I have seen a lot of examples of the 'unicorn hair' trend posted online, but I also saw a male student (from my university) who had dyed his hair pink and turquoise to match his clothing and crocs (mismatched - one pink, on turquoise) and then mentioned this to SC and ML, specifically using the term 'unicorn hair' (recent)
  • I bought some hair dye (black) as I am planning on dyeing the roots of my hair soon (1 day)
  • The reference to the male student wearing 'crocs' may have led to the appearance of the crocodile in my dream - see my post 'Interpreting popular dream themes (4) - Crocodiles & Alligators' which was referenced in this dream (recent)
  • I think (I am not sure) that I may have mentioned how crocodiles are a common dream theme in a conversation with DL while we were walking on the gravel path on campus, sometime ago - I have a vague recollection, or at least deja-vu in respect of being in this location and thinking about crocodiles as a common dream theme (time unknown)

Waking Reactions: 
I found this dream to be really weird.Scene 1 & 2 were pretty annoying, as I was unhappy with my hair and was not enjoying myself in the nightclub. However Scene 3 was really bizarre, as not only did I recall writing the article about dreaming of crocodiles (without actually being aware that I was dreaming) but to see the image become something else, was a classic Dreamsign, which unfortunately did not trigger me to become lucid or at least, perform a reality check.

Dream 839

'Female Darth Vader'
Date: 16 June 2017
Time: Time Unknown
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: Unknown (Exterior) - Day
I was with DL and I showed him a meme. This meme appeared as a 3-dimensional hologram on the palm of my hand, which I was holding out to him. It was cartoonish and animated, like a gif, as the same movement was repeated in a constant loop. I know we were outside and it was daytime, as the way I was holding my hand out to show him the meme, meant I could see the sun and blue sky in the background.

The meme was of Darth Vader from Star Wars - drawn in quite a simplistic manner. The Darth Vader character was straddling a black Star Destroyer, which was more of a torpedo shape than the iconic cheese-wedge shape associated with them. The Darth Vader was grinding back and forth on the Star Destroyer, in a sexual way. 'He' then threw open his cloak to reveal he had a female body, wearing a black bikini (see the image, below, which is a photograph I found online - this is pretty much exactly how the cartoon Darth Vader in my dream was depicted, albeit the image I have attached is a photograph of a real life person in cosplay). The animation of Darth Vader grinding on the Star Destroyer, then opening the cloak to show the bikini looped continuously. DL was angry with this and started arguing with me, saying that Darth Vader should never be depicted as a female, and this was all wrong. I started accusing him of misogyny and sexism, saying that Darth Vader could be represented as a female (note: I do not believe Darth Vader should ever be depicted as female within canon - but it is fun to depict him as female in fan art or cosplay etc). DL and I continued to argue about the female depiction of Darth Vader.

I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 

  • A meme was a 3D animated gif-like hologram which sat on the palm of my hand

Day Residue: 
  • Both DL and I are members of meme-sharing pages on Facebook. I love Star Wars memes the best
  • I had uploaded a form of 'boomerang video' (a video which loops) on my Facebook, where I responded to the sexism of random men approaching women in the street and telling them 'smile!' I pulled a random face in the video, and one of my friends told me that watching the video continuously loop made him feel like he was going insane (recent)
  • I had referred to wanting to cosplay as Anakin Skywalker (i.e. Darth Vader) - something DL and I refer to as 'Tranakin' as I would essentially be a transvestite Anakin, given he is male and I am female
  • The way Darth Vader was straddling the torpedo-shaped Star Destroyer was in a similar way to how Major Kong straddles the bomb in Dr Strangelove (1964), by my favourite director, Stanley Kubrick - I had seen scenes from this movie while watching something (only tenuously related to this movie) on Youtube
  • I had been randomly discussing King Kong (1933 & 2005) after hearing Karl Pilkington mention it on a recording of The Ricky Gervais Show on XFM (recent)
  • I had been watching a Nostalgia Critic review of Tank Girl (1995) - I was a massive fan of Tank Girl (the comic) when I was younger, so I looked up some of the art work - and saw an image of Tank Girl wearing torpedos as a bikini - see below (recent)
  • I had read some online articles about whether Star Wars is sexist or not - and some opinions (from fans) that the recent movies (Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)Rogue One (2016)) pander to feminism due to their female lead characters. I had then discussed this issue with DL, who like me, has absolutely no issue with strong female lead characters in Star Wars (recent)
  • I had been watching an Youtube review (cannot recall which channel) which critiqued the all-female remake of Ghostbusters (2016) (recent)

Waking Reactions: 
I loved this dream as I found it so funny. On the surface, it is a very simple dream, but when I started analysing my potential Day Residue, there is a degree of complexity in how various themes and stimuli have been woven together to produce this dream.

Dream 838

'Special Guest, Paddy McGuinness'
Date: 15 June 2017
Time: Time Unknown
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: A Domestic Interior - Time Unknown
I was with a female dream character - who was known to me in the dream, but who I cannot recall in real life. I was telling this dream character that Paddy McGuinness (UK celebrity) would be making a special appearance in the children's section of a library. I was telling the dream character friend that they must remain calm and not be overwhelmed by meeting McGuinness. I had a secret that McGuinness was really an impersonator - a lookalike I had hired to stand in for him. 

Scene 2: A Children's Library - Time Unknown
I sent the friend off to meet McGuinness, but then found myself entering the children's library with the friend. I was confused as I assumed they had left before me, and I recall thinking that I hoped they would make a good impression on the McGuinness impersonator and did not realise it wasn't the real celebrity. I was wearing a lanyard around my neck (I actually keep my house keys attached to a lanyard in real life, so this is something that I often have on me). We turned a corner and saw McGuinness sitting at a table, alone. He was also wearing a lanyard around his neck. I then realised that this was the actual Paddy McGuinness, not an impersonator. We sat down to talk to him. He was showing us children's crayon drawings - one was of Easter Eggs, and underneath the image of colourful easter eggs, it was labelled, in children's writing with the caption: 'Osta Eggs' which I read as 'Easter Eggs'. The other drawings were of crude children's representations of men and women in sex positioned - pornographic, but not explicit. McGuinness was not holding the drawings - they appeared (on 4A paper, landscape orientation) in the air in front of my face.  

I found McGuinness to be friendly, but I cannot remember the specifics of the conversation that we had with him, other than it seemed to last for a while and I wondered how he was able to dedicate so much time to meeting us, as he was a celebrity.

I cannot recall what else happened in this dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • None of note

Dreamsigns: 

  • Paddy McGuinness was making an appearance - but it was a lookalike/impersonator, arranged by me
  • My friend left before me to meet Paddy McGuinness at the library, but we arrived together
  • I saw the word 'Osta' but was able to read it as 'Easter' and in the dream, did not notice that it was misspelled
  • The drawings appeared in the air in front of my face

Day Residue: 
  • I had been talking with DL about when I was an undergraduate at the University of York, working as a part-time cleaner for the local council. One of my jobs involved cleaning the children's library, which I enjoyed. I quit the job because I didn't want to pick up used syringes from the public toilets, which led to a dispute with my supervisor, who argued that protective gloves were sufficient to prevent communicable diseases (1 day)
  • I had been watching the scene in the library in the TV mini-series of Stephen King's IT (1990)
  • I was listening to The Ricky Gervais Show on XFM (Youtube video recording) in which he mentions Bono from U2 (DL also separately mentioned Bono in a contemporaneous discussion). This brought to mind a scene from I'm Alan Partridge (S02E05 - 'I Know What Alan Did Last Summer) in which he gets someone to impersonate Bono as he has lied to his Ukrainian girlfriend, Sonia about being friends with Bono - Paddy McGuinness is of Irish heritage, like Bono
  • I may have subconsciously been aware of the recent death of Sinn Fein politician Martin McGuinness (1950 - 2017) who died in March - Irish politics has been in the media recently as a result of the smear campaign to discredit  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (as an IRA-sympathiser) during the run-up to the 2017 General Election which resulted in the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) negotiating with the Conservative party regarding formation of a minority coalition government

Waking Reactions: 
This was an interesting dream to analyse as the Day Residue which may have been involved, was interwoven in very interesting and complex ways, although of course, this is merely assumption on my part. The word 'Osta' or 'Oster' did not yield any clues as to why this word appeared in the dream (other than the fact that words appear differently in dreams) - a search on Wikipedia revealed the following results,none of which ring any bells for me.

Thursday 15 June 2017

Dream 837

'Allergic Reaction to Walnuts'
Date: 13 June 2017
Time: 22:00 - 06:45 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: My Bedroom, Norwich - Time Unknown
I was sitting on my bed in my flat in Norwich. Everything looked how it should in real life. I was eating a healthy snack made of nuts. The inside of my mouth starting tingling and burning, so I looked at the wrapper and realised there were walnuts in the product, and that I was having a slight allergic reaction.

Scene 2: Location Unknown - Time Unknown

I saw AN - he was harassing me and trying to get my attention, pulling on my arm and urging me to talk to him. I wanted to get away from him, and was not scared, but felt very uncomfortable as he was being intrusive and not respecting my bodily autonomy. AN was wearing a blue T-shirt. His manner was joking and cheerful and he could not seem to understand why I did not want to speak to him. This felt frustrating. There was an (unknown) male dream character present, who I may have known in the dream. I was telling him I wanted AN to leave me alone and said he was harassing me. The male dream character somehow forced AN to leave me alone and go away.

Scene 3: A Room - Time Unknown

I was in a room with a dream character, who I think was female. I was standing looking in a large mirror. I was then going to test a foundation, but instead of just putting it on my face, I applied it to every part of my skin. I then looked in the mirror. I looked completely different physically - I looked like a bald shop mannequin. The foundation I applied had a luminescent quality - it glowed a metallic colour under the skin tone and made me look like I was made from plastic. Everything around me felt magical and glittery and like I was in a movie. I knew I looked different, even in the dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • Education

Dreamsigns: 

  • I looked like a bald shop mannequin

Day Residue: 
  • A while ago, I ate a snack bar which contained walnuts. While eating it, my mouth suddenly started to hurt - burning and tingling, everything feeling dry and sensitive. This was the first time I had ever experienced a reaction to walnuts, but I had in fact learned in an earlier conversation with ML, that you can suddenly develop a sensitivity to walnuts and it is quite common (a few months ago)
  • AN is a man I was chatting to a few years ago. I went on a single date with him after he pestered me for months to give him a chance. I found out on the date (because he let down his guard and used his real name) that AN had lied to me about his last name and that he was a local man who had a previous conviction for threats to kill in relation to an ex-partner. I knew this from working in the criminal justice system. I did not tell AN that I knew his secret, and simply told him  there was no chemistry and I was not interested in him as I had decided to 'give things another go with my ex' (a lie, but one which I thought sounded legitimate and would give him proper justification for why I didn't want to see him again. He accepted this at the time, but then kept turning up at my house (my former house on the same university campus I live now), standing outside my window, trying to get my attention. He knew where I lived, because he picked me up from my house for the date and the drove me home. On one occasion, he was knocking on my door for ages, really aggressively, a few months after the date. When I answered, I found him there with 3 of his male friends, on my doorstep. I told him this was inappropriate - to come uninvited to my address with a group of thuggish looking men on the basis of us having one unsuccessful date and him not able to deal with the fact I never wanted to speak to him or see him again. He left, but continued to stand outside my house and on a number of occasions, was on campus, shouting my name at me and attempting to get me to go over to him. On another occasion, he parked outside my house and sat in his car with his window down, while talking to a male friend in the passenger seat. As I walked by, he started talking about me in a negative way - his only issue with me is that I ignore him, which is for my own safety. One date does not give someone the privilege or right to demand your attention, and especially given the fact he lied to me about his identity to conceal his previous convictions/imprisonment for serious violence against a previous partner, I would be a fool to allow him to approach me in any way. I felt like he was stalking me. I now see him on campus all the time, to the extent I am pretty sure he has a job here. I try to avoid him at all costs, but it really aggravates me that I have to see him based on his poor behaviour. The last time I saw him, we were both in the university shop, near the milk section and I walked off before he saw me as I didn't want a confrontation or awkward encounter

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was really weird in Scene 3 - it was as if this was a movie and I was in the body of someone else.

Dream 836

'Annoying Families'
Date: 12 June 2017
Time: 21:00 - 04:15 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: My University Campus, Norwich - Time Unknown
Some students were moving into some of the halls of residences on my university campus. These were residences I was responsible for as part of the area I cover in my job with SSS. I went to the residences to greet the new students and found that some of them had moved their parents in. The parents had brought younger children - so not only were there a number of new undergraduate students, but also a number of parents and a large number of young children of varying ages, who were noisy and running around, causing chaos as people were moving into the halls, using the narrow hallways and kitchen to bring in boxes, suitcases and other possessions. I was annoyed that the parents and young children were moving in, as these were 'unauthorised guests' and were not permitted to be here. I was trying to tell the various parents that they must leave and take the young children with them, but no-one was obeying my orders, which was frustrating. 

In one of the rooms there was a TV, playing a children's TV show about an animated dog. I realised that this was  DVD which someone had started playing to entertain the children, who were still running around and screaming. The door to the room in which there was the TV/DVD player was wedged open. 

Scene 2: My Lounge, Norwich - Time Unknown
I was then in my own flat - sitting in the lounge, by the window. I was talking to someone - I am not sure who, it may have been my Nan. I was talking about cancer treatment and big pharma companies and getting angry. I was saying that big pharma and hospitals want to keep patients receiving treatment for as long as possible, which is why they use chemotherapy rather than other more effective treatments, which are not funded. This was all rather conspiracy theory in the way I was talking. 

I was then using the internet to communicate with a younger man who I was dating. I had met him on Facebook, rather than Tinder, but Facebook was now a 'dating app'. The younger man was annoying me because he was trying to control me and I was not about to let him have that much power. I could see his avatar and he was blonde, short in stature and wearing a khaki coloured T-shirt. I was not sure I fancied him anymore, as he was showing his true personality.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • Education/University as a dream scene location
  • Working in my current job (Student Support Services/welfare)

Dreamsigns: 
  • University halls of residence was overrun with families
  • Facebook was a dating app
  • I had a boyfriend

Day Residue: 
  • At my university we were discussing potential noise disturbance at the end of term when parents come to collect students - in relation to a matter we are dealing with at work
  • I had been discussing cancer - in my lounge (2 days before)
  • I see many debates about big pharma online
  • The NHS is a hot topic in British politics currently

Waking Reactions: 
This dream reflects a lot of Day Residue, but largely was a boring dream which I did not particularly enjoy, firstly because it was frustrating and I felt impotent in my job (Scene 1) and then because the remainder of the dream was boring.

Dream 835

'Do Flop'
Date: 10 June 2017
Time: 00:30 - 07:45 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: A Bookshop, Sheringham - Day
I was in a bookshop/stationary shop which is in Sheringham. Where a cash register used to be, there was now a desk. AP, a girl from my high school was sitting at the desk and I was there. I was telling her how much I admired her and how beautiful and stylish I thought she was. I was embarrassed about how I was showering her with gushing compliments. She was not saying anything, but she looked pleased with the remarks I was making. I am not sure what else happened in this scene.

Scene 2: A Warehouse - Time Unknown
I was then in a warehouse, where there was a rap battle contest taking place. This was a big battle and it was being filmed - it seemed like a championship. The warehouse - which had grey stone floors and walls and no furniture (it was bare and derelict) was filled with hip hop fan dream characters everywhere, who were there to perform or watch the rap battles.

I had been selected to take part in the final for some reason and I did not feel at all prepared, I did not have any pre-written bars and I felt that I would not be able to freestyle to the standard where I could do myself justice. I then found out that I was supposed to be battling my friend, R3A. This sealed the deal for me and I knew I had to back out, because there was absolutely no way I stood any chance and I did not want to shame myself by trying and failing when the situation was hopeless. I said that I would not take part in the battle. Various dream characters (I am not sure who, but in the dream they were my 'supporters', so seemed to be friends of mine) were trying to convince me to change my mind, but I was adamant. I do not think I actually saw R3A in the dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • R3A as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 
  • I was due to take part in a rap battle

Day Residue: 
  • I had mentioned a bookshop in Sheringham in an earlier, recent post on this Blog - this shop (this dream) was not a secondhand bookshop, but it is just across the road from that one 
  • AP has a similar name to AWB, who I had seen post something online just before this dream. Her name is also similar to Ariana Grande who has been in the media a lot recently, following the Manchester Terror Attack (the Manchester Arena Bombing from May 2017)
  • AP's brother is a very talented writer who has written a book

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was OK - nothing special. My reaction in Scene 2 was exactly how I would have reacted if this situation arose in real life. I sometimes joke about being better at R3A at many things, but this is his area of expertise and talent, so I would never ever compete against him in a public rap battle, it would be ego suicide. 

Dream 834

'Bad Writing Course'
Date: 9 June 2017
Time: 22:30 - 06:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: A Learning Institution - Day
I was at a school or university and I had signed up for a writing course. The course was a degree level course and very expensive. I had already paid the tuition fees in full. I had also bought some glasses for the course. These glasses had thick square black rims, but the bottom was just the lens, no rims. I saw myself (from the cheeks to the forehead only) in close up third-person perspective, wearing the glasses. The bottom of the lens were resting on my cheeks, which seemed very red in the dream. When I enrolled on the course, I became aware that the work would be too simplistic for me. I was over-qualified and this would be a waste of my time and money. I wanted a refund for the course and the glasses, but I was unable to get one. This made me angry, because it meant I would have to do the course and keep the glasses, despite this not being what I wanted.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • Education

Dreamsigns: 
  • I was signed up for another university course, despite already doing my PhD
  • I wore glasses in the dream
  • I saw myself in third-person perspective

Day Residue: 
  • At my university I am working with a student who is doing a creative writing course

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was very frustrating, as I was aware that I did not have money to waste, and I was stuck registered on a course I did not want to do, with glasses I did not want nor need and no way of getting my money back.

Thursday 8 June 2017

Dream 833

'Jeremy Corbyn's Delicious Umami Sandwiches'
Date: 7 June 2017
Time: 20:00 - 04:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall 

Scene 1: A Domestic Interior - Night
I was in a domestic kitchen, which was familiar to me in the dream, but not in real life. Most of the kitchen furnishing/decoration was white. There was a patio door (open - leading to a garden) and an island counter, which I was standing beside. There were 3 young black male dream characters with me, who in the dream were my friends and we were having an (unrecalled) conversation.

Scene 2: My Nan's House, Sheringham - Afternoon
I was then in my Nan's house and my Aunt VF was present. In the dream my Mum was still managing the Two Lifeboats Hotel in Sheringham (she stopped working there in the early 2000s). My Aunt VF was dressed up in formal clothing (including a strange floppy cloth hat in a dark blue colour) with a lot of makeup on. and She told me that my Mum had asked her to do a shift in the pub - this explained why she was dressed so differently from usual. She said I had to go and help her. I did not want to. Something felt odd and confusing about the situation, although I cannot explain what it was. I thought my Aunt would be working the night shift, but she said she was only doing the afternoon shift of 15:00 - 19:00 hours. I told her that this was the quietest shift (I often used to work this shift many years ago) and she wouldn't need help as there would not be many customers at this time, if any. I was relieved I would not have to go and help her work.

There was then a family party. I am not sure if it was still at my Nan's house, as the room we were in seemed different, as if it was a conservatory (note the use of this word - which is similar to 'conservative' - see below) with large French windows. My Nan's house, which is a council house, does not have this feature. The home felt familiar as being a family home. My Mum, Nan, Stepdad, Aunt VF and other family members were present. The majority of the older generations in my family are Conservative supporters, which is a source of dismay and distress to me, given the current political climate and some of their political views/expressions. They feel the same way about me being liberal/left-wing.

I am not sure what the family party was celebrating, but there was a large table in front of the French windows, with a white table cloth on it. On the table was a range of food - cakes, pastries and sandwiches, which were all on white bread, cut into triangular quarters. I then realised that leader of the Labour party (and the candidate I am voting for in the snap General election on 8 June 2017 - i.e. today), Jeremy Corbyn had done all the catering for the party and was present as a guest. I was so confused as to why Jeremy Corbyn was at a family party, given most members of my family do not like him. However, they seemed to be making an effort to be friendly and hospitable to them and no-one seemed to be annoyed or argumentative. I ate one of the sandwiches which Jeremy Corbyn had made. It was a vegetarian yeast pate and was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted. The taste was really prominent in the dream - like a very savoury, mushroom-flavoured Marmite, with a more thick, creamy texture. I approached Jeremy Corbyn and praised the sandwich, saying: 'It's a strong umami flavour' and asked if it was a form of Marmite. Jeremy Corbyn said it was a pate based on the idea of Marmite. I had some conversation with him, standing beside the buffet table, while my family sat on some sofas around us, watching (from this view, I could see the room was very different from my Nan's living-room - much bigger with at least 2 sofas facing inwards).

I cannot recall any more of this dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • My Nan's house as a dream scene location
  • The Two Lifeboats Hotel linked with current politics

Dreamsigns: 
  • My Mum still worked at the Two Lifeboats Hotel
  • Jeremy Corbyn was at a family party

Day Residue: 
  • I had been discussing working with my Mum in the Two Lifeboats Hotel (1 day before)
  • Politics, Conservative v Labour and Jeremy Corbyn are in the media and on social media endlessly during the current election campaigning and run up to voting (recent, ongoing)
  • I had mentioned Marmite in a conversation and also referred to something else in terms of 'it's like Marmite, you either love it or hate it' (I cannot recall specifically what I was referring to here) (3 days before)

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was especially poignant as it relates to the current political climate and also division in my own family regarding right-wing/left-wing politics. Some of the views expressed online by family members (in particular VF) leave me shocked and speechless, although I know that there is no point in me challenging them or trying to censor other people's political expressions even if I find them abhorrent, ignorant and myopic. I guess the reference to 'Marmite' may be symbolic of how Jeremy Corbyn is viewed amongst the UK electorate - he is divisive and people either love him or hate him - which is the marketing slogan for Marmite.

Dream 832

'Scoliosis & Free Money'
Date: 6 June 2017
Time: 20:30 - 05:00 (I woke up from this dream naturally)
Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall 

Scene 1: An Unknown Interior - Time Unknown
I was with my ex-boyfriend PS and N the Dog, in an unknown interior, the details of which are unrecalled. PS and I had a conversation - also unrecalled. I was sitting down. N the Dog put his head in my lap and I stroked him - his fur felt very soft and comforting.

Scene 2: A Train Station Platform - Time Unknown
I was at a train station - on a platform, which was largely grey concrete. I am not sure of the precise time, but it felt like night or at least evening, as it was quite dark. I was standing looking at a wall on the platform, with a passageway and a flight of concrete steps to my right. I saw a holographic image of 2 dream characters' faces. It was a young, married couple - both white with brown hair and piercing blue eyes. They were both of 'average' attractiveness, but nothing special. I perceived these in the dream as 'neighbours'. Someone with me - a dream character I cannot recall, but who was known to me in the dream - was standing behind me, telling me that I should try and seduce the husband. I then realised that the holograms represented the 'neighbours' (opposite neighbours) looking at me from 'a window across the road' and got the impression that we lived in Pine Grove, Sheringham, the street I lived in as a child and young person. The couple living opposite me then reminded me of a couple I knew from real life when I lived on that street - The BGs. I touched my finger to the face of the husband as if his image was on a touchscreen, and this was 'an act of seduction' although I got no immediate response from him. 

Scene 3: My Nan's House, Sheringham - Night
I was then in my Nan's house in Sheringham - in the living-room, although it did look different to how it does in real life, There was more floor space and the furniture was arranged differently. I knew it was night because the curtains were drawn. I was sat on the floor, in a position which faces the window/TV, where the sofa would be in real life. In the dream, the sofa was positioned a short distance away, in front (facing away) from the window. 

There was a male dream character on the floor next to me, laying on his front. He was young and white (with tanned skin) and completely naked. In the dream I had 'just met him' but knew who he was. He was an 'alternative' to the neighbour/husband - i.e. I had picked this man over the husband. The dream character arched his back and a target sign (red) appeared on his centre of his lower back. He said - or I knew - that he had scoliosis, although you could not tell this just by looking. The male arching his back was a sign that he wanted me to give him a back massage, so I began to do so, using only one hand. I then noticed that DL was sitting in front of me (but just slightly to the left) on the sofa. He indicated that he knew the male dream character 'from the internet' and that they had recently just met each other in person at a football match. DL was talking about the male in front of him as if he did not exist - they did not acknowledge each other, despite me assuming they were on friendly terms by how DL described knowing him. I was annoyed that DL already knew this man who I had just met and felt awkward that he was there while this man was naked and getting a massage from me. 

Scene 4: Train Station Platform - Night
I was then back on the train station platform. It reminded me a lot of Ipswich Train Station, although it was pretty generic. It was night, as although I was standing on a covered platform, I could see the sky just over the adjacent train tracks and it was quite dark. The platform was empty but for me and perhaps some other dream characters in the distance. I needed to get a travel ticket and there was a special machine on the platform, which looked like a cross between a cash register and a small vending machine, mounted on/against a concrete pillar in the middle of the platform. I was carrying a coat in my hands. I put some coins into the machine, but it dropped straight through, coming out again in the change deposit, which was a small, hollow square hole inside the machine, which I could see and reach into when kneeling down slightly. I saw that it wasn't just my own money which had been returned to me, but also extra coins, so I had made a profit. I put my money in again, and the same thing happened. I did this a number of times, each time collecting another small amount of extra money. After some time, I saw that a travel card was dispensed in the same change box - it was a blue plastic credit card/Oyster card shaped card which looked exactly like my own bank debit card. Then, a drawer sprung open - this was like the drawer from a cash register and it was filled with bank notes, specifically a compartment of £10 and £20 notes. I wondered if I could possibly help myself to the cash without being caught, as there was no-one watching me. I was considering this for a while. and to make sure I did not attract any attention or look suspicious, I kept entering my coins into the coin slot and letting them drop through in the change deposit. I'd then kneel down and collect my change (and sometimes a travel card if one was dispensed as well as my payment/extra coins). I thought that doing this would suggest I was having trouble using a broken machine and justify why I was spending so long using it. When kneeling down, I managed to put my hand into the cash drawer and remove a couple of notes. I was aware that there was hundreds of pounds right there in front of me and I was frustrated, thinking it would be so easy to rob it, but not wanting to get caught. I then saw that there was a CCTV camera mounted at eye level right above the machine. I knew it would have captured my image. However, right at the last minute, I threw my coat over the open cash drawer, so it could not be seen, put my hand underneath and took a bunch of the money out. I then closed the cash drawer and wondered if the machine operator would be able to tell the money had been stolen by me.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

  • Ex-boyfriends
  • My Nan's house as a dream scene location

Dreamsigns: 
  • I was with PS
  • I saw holographic faces, which represented 'neighbours looking out of their window'
  • The events in Scene 3 & 4 - unlikely to happen in real life

Day Residue: 
  • My friend CEC messaged me to say that she was standing on a train station platform laughing to herself at something I had posted on my Facebook (several days before)
  • I had been discussing disability, deformity and congenital disorders (including skeletal deformation) (1 day before)
  • I had mentioned that I hate massages/massaging people in a Facebook conversation (1 day before)
  • The travel card looked like my debit card and I had also been using my new Citizen card as ID to prove I was entitled to work in the UK (as I had been unable to get paid for work completed due to HR being troublesome about me using my outdated passport as proof of this (1 day before)
  • I had a discussion with ML about theft by finding - specifically finding cash. We also discussed white collar crime and how it is easy for Finance Departments to see when a member of staff has been stealing money from a business - in relation to a story about someone who had done this within the workplace over a period of time (2 days before)
  • When I was in my university shop, the cashier let the cash drawer of the cash register open and then walked off, leaving it open, which I thought was risky
Waking Reactions: 
I really enjoyed Scene 4 of this dream in particular, as it was quite exciting to be faced with the option of stealing a lot of money and getting away with it. This dream had a lot of 'thoughts' - i.e. things I 'knew' within the dream without them being specifically communicated to me.