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Categories of Dreaming

There are 5 standard categories of dream, all of which can be successfully used as a gateway or trigger for lucid dream induction. I have also included a brief description of microdreams, as these are a separate category of dream which have been identified in modern dream research.

Daydreams

The term daydream was popularised by Psychologist Jerome L Singer whose research into this phenomenon forms the basis for subsequent understanding and investigation. 

Daydreams occur when we are ostensibly awake, but in a form of hypnotic, trance-like state where subconscious thoughts are able to float the surface of our consciousness. A daydream is therefore a state which is semi-awake and not fully in-tune with waking reality. Studies indicate that the average person spends 70 - 120 minutes of their waking day daydreaming. 

In a daydream, the daydreamer's thoughts are detached from external reality and focused on the personal and internal. It is a stream of consciousness which is mildly dissociated from reality.

Daydreaming is disruptive to external waking tasks as the mind wanders and thoughts fly freely. Mooneyham and Schooler identify 5 possible purposes of daydreaming:

• Future thinking - autobiographical thinking which serves to speculate upon and anticipate future events
• Creative thinking 
• Attentional cycling - where the dreamer is confronted with multiple tasks, problems or goals, attentional cycling  provides an opportunity for the daydreamer to switch between streams of thought and information, to optimise their behavioural responses
• Dishabituation - in attention-demanding learning situations, dishabituation enables the daydreamer to drift away from the intensity of the learning experience so that they can return to it refreshed and refocused
• Boredom relief

Regular daydreamers may find they are more predisposed to success in lucid dream incubation. The daydream begins with a compelling and engaging memory, thought or fantasy and the daydreamer becomes immersed in the imagery of their mind's eye. As the creative brain is most active in a daydream state, the daydreamer becomes less aware of their physical reality. Daydreams may involve negative or positive experiences - past trauma may surface or future goals may be visualised. Therefore daydreaming can be seen as a way of accepting the past and rehearsing the future. 

Daydreaming can be beneficial for lucid dream induction as it relies on visualisation. Using visualisation techniques as you fall asleep may help you induce a lucid dream.

Microdreams

One form of dream which is often left undiscussed when explaining the different categories of dreaming is the recently identified phenomenon of 'microdreams'. These are short fragments of dream which last for only seconds, and occur as we are falling asleep. They can be characterised as fleeting bizarre thoughts, which often involve a subtle sense of movement and the sensation of the body shifting or sinking into space (this is likely to be the feeling of the muscles relaxing as the dreamer falls asleep). Microdreams are often extremely difficult to comprehend and describe. They are drawn from recent and distant memory, and can involve a 'chain reaction', as different imagery is drawn from the memory sources and real life sensory stimuli (such as sound), and are combined and associated together via 'multisensory integration'. Microdreams would be classed as a type of non-lucid dream.

Normal, Non-Lucid Dreams

This is the default dreaming state - where the dreamer accepts the dream as reality and is not consciously aware they are dreaming. Dreams occur during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of the sleep cycle and are essential to our psychological well-being. Even if the dreamer does not recall their dreams, it is likely that they are experiencing dreams during every sleep cycle. During an 8 hour sleep cycle, the average amount of time spent in normal, non-lucid dreams is approximately 100 minutes, with longer, more vivid and memorable dreams occuring at the end of the sleep cycle during the last period of REM sleep right before waking.

Normal, non-lucid dreams are creations of the subconscious and enable us to have insight into our subconscious mind. They are constructed from our waking memories, thoughts, experiences and sensations - and our deepest subconscious or conscious wishes, desires, anxieties and fears. However, the dream may not be a straightforward, literal representation of these things - the language of the subconscious is often encoded, symbolic and conceptual in nature. The processes of dreamwork can distort, transform or condense the dream material in bizarre ways so that the 'message' of the dream requires interpretation. 

Normal, non-lucid dreams can be used as a gateway to lucid dream induction via the DILD (Dream-Initiated Lucid Dream) technique. Sometimes we may become spontaneously lucid while in a normal, non-lucid dream because something (i.e. a dreamsign) triggers us to question whether we are dreaming. A reality check can provide us with a somewhat reliable conclusion, enabling us to become consciously aware we are dreaming.

Lucid Dreams

A lucid dream is where the dreamer is consciously aware that they are dreaming. The dreamer may be able to control or manipulate the lucid dream intentionally. There are a number of levels of lucidity on the lucid spectrum - see: The Lucid Spectrum.

False Awakenings

A false awakening can be an uncanny, unsettling or terrifying experience. It is a vivid and realistic dream in which the dreamer dreams that they have woken up and are experiencing waking reality. However, the dreamer remains asleep, initially unaware that the 'reality' they have woken up to is really the trickery of their dreaming mind. 

A false awakening occurs when the sleeping mind is stuck halfway between wakefulness and a dream. When we falsely awaken, we typically wake up in a realistic, seemingly ordinary version of our bedroom, or wherever we happened to fall asleep. However, if we pay careful attention to the minute details of our immediate environment, we may notice subtle (or sometimes, dramatic) distortions or oddities, which can act as dreamsigns and trigger a reality check and thereafter, lucidity. It is possible to experience multiple false awakenings in quick succession.

Some false awakenings may be accompanied by the sensation of sleep paralysis (the muscle atonia which occurs during REM sleep, to prevent us from physically acting out our dreams) and the presence of nightmarish entities ('Old Hag Syndrome') which can be a nightmarish experience. 

Nightmares

Typically, nightmares are normal, non-lucid dreams, where the dreamer is not consciously aware they are dreaming, which adds to the terrifying nature of the nightmare.

Nightmares are characterised by events which trigger feelings of fear, terror, anxiety, helplessness or despair. If the sensory system is triggered by the nightmare, it is possible to feel intense physical sensations, such as pain. Nightmares (especially recurrent nightmares) may be the result of past trauma, but can also be caused by ill-health, mental health conditions or substances, such as drugs and alcohol.

Some dream research suggests that nightmares serve an evolutionary purpose, in preparing for fight or flight and protection from predators or enemies. Studies show that children experience nightmares more frequently than adults - likely due to their vulnerability. 

Nightmares - as opposed to merely 'bad dreams' - tend to wake up us due to the level of arousal we experience. It is possible to wake yourself up from a nightmare by commanding yourself to 'wake up!'

Nightmares provide an excellent means of inducing a lucid dream. If you are able to shock yourself into conscious awareness (or the nightmare provides you with dreamsigns), instead of focusing on ending the nightmare, simply remind yourself that this is a dream and has no consequence on your waking reality. As soon as you have stabilised and clarified the lucid nightmare, you can choose to change the dream scene/narrative with dream control and visualisation techniques, or you could choose to confront your nightmare and attempt too overcome it. Lucid nightmares have been proven to have therapeutic benefits, by encouraging subjects to confront and triumph over their nightmares and by extension, the representation of their deep-rooted fears and anxieties. A dreamer might opt to enter into a dialogue with the source of their fear or anxiety, and find healing benefits in a meaningful exchange.

This article has not discussed phenomena such as Astral Projection or Out-of-Body Experiences. These will be covered in separate article(s) in future. 

Dream 1005 (PARTIAL NIGHTMARE)

'Bare-chested Nightmare Stalker Woman & Beanstalks'

Date: 10 July 2019
Scene 1: An Unknown Interior - Night
This dream was very vivid - perhaps as a result of REM Rebound Effect and also the Vitamin B6 in the Vitamin B Complex pills I have been taking. I woke up briefly from this dream and then fell back asleep before doing anything to consolidate the memory or record the dream. I was awoken from the second period of sleep by a telephone call from AJR on my landline. This means that I have forgotten a large amount of this vivid and complex dream, which is unfortunate as I remember that I found this very interesting and extraordinary when I first woke up from it and was excited to record it on this Blog. 

The first scene took place in an interior, which I cannot recall. My cousin HM was present, along with some other (maybe 2?) female dream characters, who I know are familiar to me in real life - I think they may have been girls I went to high school with. In the dream I found it odd that my cousin knew them and was socialising with them. I had a distinct feeling of being isolated and left out. I wanted/needed to buy gifts for my cousin HM - I am not sure why. I was confused as to what gifts would be age-appropriate for her, as she seemed to be a child (she is 3 years younger than me in real life, and a married mother). HM and the other female dream characters were sitting around a table, closely, heads bowed, talking about something, or doing some kind of unseen activity - there was a sense of secrecy about what they were doing. 

I left and went to what I think was a section of the WH Smith shop in York Train Station (I feel that this shop has appeared in previous dreams - which at the time of writing this dream record, I have not yet investigated/researched - I will do this and post my results below. I have not been to York or the train station there since my undergraduate degree days in the early 2000s). I was looking at a shelf of items - it is not clear what items were on the shelves - I did recall when I first woke up, but I have forgotten. I remember that I selected a few items, but were doubting if they were appropriate for HM. I cannot remember exactly what items I bought as gifts, other than there was a pot plant, a doll or teddy bear and a colouring book. I was unsure about these gifts. 

Scene 2: AJR's Mum's House - Night
This was the most interesting dream scene in my memory, and it is the one I have forgotten the most detail about, which is a shame. I was in AJR's mum's house (I have never been there before in real life - I will visit for the first time when he is released from prison). The house was very open plan and the lights were very bright. There were sliding patio doors leading out to a garden and the room appeared to be a kitchen and lounge area, although I cannot recall anything else about the decor or furnishings. I had come running into the house in a panic, from outside. AJR's mum showed concern as to why I was scared and I told her I was being stalked by a small woman. AJR's mum was talking to me about this, when the small woman attempted to enter the house via the patio doors. She was small - about 4.5 foot i height and very bent over and crooked. She was white and had messy brown hair - and appeared to be older than myself and AJR's mum, but I cannot recall anything else about her appearance, other than she was wearing a white top which was torn at the front and was exposing a bare breast, which had a very prominent lactating nipple. This made me feel even more scared of her. I knew the woman had bad intent towards me, although the details of this have been forgotten. AJR's mum said that the cats (apparently there were a number of cats in the house) would deal with the situation. The idea was that the cats would be used to scare the bare-chested stalker woman away. I felt terrified and was trying to stay away from the patio door in case the woman got to me. I cannot recall what happened, but I know that either AJR's mum or the cats did manage to get her to leave and I was unharmed. This section of the dream felt like a nightmare. 

Scene 3: An Unknown Interior - Time Unknown
There was a large quantity of this dream scene which I have forgotten. I remember feeling very unsettled during this part of the dream, although I cannot recall why. There was a very strange feeling. I was in an interior, which I cannot remember, although I had a thought about the Two Lifeboats Hotel, Sheringham, where I used to work with my Mum. Something to do with wanting to work that day and not being able to. I saw my cousin HM and the other female dream characters from Scene 1 - they had the gifts I had purchased for them earlier in the dream. The small pot plant had not grown into a huge beanstalk (still in the pot), which extended for hundreds of meters into the sky (which meant that the ceiling was extremely high and I could not see it). I was surprised by this - and again, very unsettled, as it did not appear to be 'normal'. I still felt isolated and ostracised - no-one was directly acknowledging me. 

I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

Additional Notes:

• I am sure I have had a previous dream set in York train station, and specifically the WH Smith's shop there, but I cannot find it on this Blog, which leads me to believe it might be a false memory. I have a distinct (real life?) memory of being in that shop and flicking through a magazine which was running a story about Mariah Carey's mental breakdown, her 'feud' with Jennifer Lopez and the fact she thought Marilyn Monroe was communicating with her through a piano she once owned that Mariah had bought. Searching Google about this latter incident reveals articles dating back to 2001 - which would have been the period during which I was an undergraduate at the University of York, and regularly travelling by train (I used to go to Manchester on the weekends as I was dating someone, CW, who lived there). I will keep investigating this, as I was 99% certain I had a dream which referenced these real life memories, which stand out so clearly in my mind
• I had a telephone conversation with AJR's mum shortly before I went to sleep and had this dream
• AJR's mum said she would be 'sorting' some things out - this involved not only purchasing certain household items for AJR, but also in relation to a problematic woman with bad intent who has a fixation on AJR
• AJR's mum mentioned she had hedgehogs in her back garden
• As I was falling asleep, I was watching a Youtube video from Nexpo, which involved a mysterious incident involving home security cameras, cats and a presence causing fear in a Reddit user. I noticed that the next video on autoplay was about an experience with a stalker
• On the night before this dream I was preparing thumbnails for my latest video - part of The Dreamhacker Series, which teaches dreamwork. Initially I had considered using an image of myself on the thumbnail and the one I had selected showed me wearing a white top which dropped down and exposed my shoulder 

UPDATE

I continued to search this Blog for a dream involving York Train Station and WH Smiths, and eventually managed to find one - looking at this dream, I am shocked beyond belief at some of the content - I have copied the dream below - rather annoyingly, I had labelled this dream 'Lucid Dream Report 2 - Explanation of an Orgasm Dream' (28 January 2012), meaning that it does not follow my usual sequential numbering system for recording my dreams. I hate re-reading past posts on my Blog as everything seems inconsistent and messy! However, I want to spend some time explaining why this dream seems so odd and prophetic to me.

"The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream"

28 January 2012

This wasn’t a full lucid dream, but I have recorded it as if it were one due to the fact that, during this particular dream, I experienced the most successful application of the MILD technique yet. I feel as if this dream was some form of ‘breakthrough’ in my lucid dream training.

Techniques/triggers

Mental/training

• MILD technique (20 minutes, accompanied by alpha binaural beats – see below)

I devised a new mnemonic technique over the last few days to see if it would be more effective. I began practicing the MILD technique at random, but regular times throughout the day (usually during a study break, when I was able to lie in a quiet room). I formulated a new mnemonic over a period of 2 – 3 days, starting with the phrase ‘Awareness, control, recall’ (i.e. ‘next time I dream I want to be aware I am dreaming; in control of my dream; and able to recall my dream on waking’). This was gradually condensed in meditation to a simple mental repetition of ‘ACR’. When I focus on this mnemonic, I picture the infinity symbol (a horizontal figure 8), as it seems to come naturally to mind when I meditate on my mnemonic. I also mark the back of my hand with the letters ‘ACR’ as a form of lucid dream trigger during waking hours.

• WBTB (Wake-Back-to-Bed) technique (woke after 7 hours of delta sleep; remained awake for 20 minutes, then returned to above MILD technique/sleep)

Binaural beats 

• 20 minutes of alpha beats during MILD (before delta sleep)
• 90 minutes of delta beats (to properly induce delta sleep)
• 20 minutes of alpha beats (following WBTB/MILD technique)
•   1 hour of theta/gamma mix beats following alpha meditation (to induce REM sleep/lucidity)

Lucid dream supplements

• High strength cod liver oil enriched with omega 3, 6 & 9 (3,600 mg)
• Multivitamins A – Z with evening meal
• Sea kelp (iodine) (90 mg)
• CoEnzyme Q-10 (150 mg)
• Gingko Biloba (120 mg)
• Vitamin B Complex & added vitamin B6 (10 mg)
• No 5-HTP (experimenting without to test improvement in dream recall)

Time of dream

During 1^st hour of morning sleep following WBTB technique (after 7 hours of delta sleep)

Content

No lucidity at the start. I was standing watching a race/athletics running track. Running towards me was a white female nurse in full uniform, wearing sweatbands on her wrists and holding a notebook in front of her in both hands. She seemed to be massively tall – perhaps 7 foot tall. I didn’t try to communicate with her, but I realised that the race track was exactly the same as a local one in real-life which PS had used for shooting a music video (although the rapper in the video was a black male of normal height). I think this may have been a clue that I was dreaming – I was able to recognise what I was seeing in my dream as being ‘inspired’ by something I saw in real-life. The dream scene transitioned and suddenly I was sitting backwards on a dining room chair. I realised I was naked, but for a white thong. I was sticking my butt out and I turned round to check whether I really was naked, seeing my bare flesh. Suddenly I felt a male’s hands on my lower body, squeezing the flesh. I heard a voice say; “I still think you are the sexiest woman alive”. I didn’t recognise the voice exactly – it wasn’t one known to me in real-life. I then found myself walking down a corridor of a building and through double-doors – I wondered if it was a hospital – the decor was all brown and drab and the double-doors were made of rough wood, with circular windows cut out (I was reminded of the series of Doors paintings by British contemporary artist, Gary Hume). I stepped out onto a train platform – I noticed straightaway that it was York (where I attended university for my first undergraduate degree, although I have not visited in many years). I remembered (a real-life memory, recalled whilst in the dream) that I had once read an article in a magazine about Mariah Carey’s mental breakdown (several years ago) whilst standing outside by the glass-walled waiting rooms. I went into the WH Smiths store and looked at the magazine rack – sure enough, a magazine featuring a story of Mariah’s breakdown was prominently placed on the shelf – my eyes were instantly drawn to it. I wondered if I had gone back in time. I walked onto another platform (the one I used to depart from when visiting Manchester – i.e. westbound). There was a male character there, in addition to many other bystanders, all going about their business. The male was white with medium brown hair – unknown to me in real-life, and fairly non-descript. I would age him at approximately 20 – 25 years. I didn’t really care about getting to know him or finding out why he seemed to be waiting for me on the platform, but I knew I was supposed to speak to him (it was as if it were a ‘necessary chore’). The male asked me what an orgasm was and I found myself explaining, although I was finding it very difficult as I’m not an anatomical expert, nor a doctor. I was using crude, non-medical terminology and no matter how many times I tried to explain, the male couldn’t comprehend the concept of an orgasm whatsoever. I was becoming frustrated. I asked him what his name was. He answered; “ACR” and instantly I became lucid. I felt absolutely elated and recognised the fact this was my lucid dream trigger in operation. I then had the following realisation: ‘I bet I’m in York because earlier I told a friend and mutual fan of writer/actress Julia Davis (my favourite woman on British TV and idol) that she had attended York to read English & Drama and this has influenced my dream location’. I didn’t know what to do with my lucidity as I felt so excited. I said to the male character: “I’m in control of this dream, I can do what I like”. He said: “go on then”. I didn’t have a clue what I should do. I remembered that two days before when I was on a train to London, we had been trapped onboard due to a fatality (someone getting severed by the train) which had become a potential crime scene. I thought: ‘should I push him into the side of a train?’ I heard a train approaching the platform at speed. I changed my mind. Instead, I took my index finger and poked him in the forehead. I felt my finger push through his skull into his brain. He fell down dead on the platform. I said (in reference to a conversation I had being having earlier in my waking-life, about the footballer Diego Maradona): “hand of God!” I thought that I had better leave the scene and almost immediately I found myself standing in a glistening skyscraper, looking out to a glittering metropolis (it seemed to be in America to me, or at least that is the association my mind made). The sun was so bright and hot, it was bouncing off the millions of glass windows and the cars below. I could see wide sandy-coloured roads and luscious palm trees and thought: ‘California’. I then knew it was not the present time, but sometime in the golden age of the 1980s economic boom – I could see people at street level with 1980s fashion and primitive mobile telephones – yuppies. I felt very happy and positive – everything seemed to be buzzing with life, business and success in this city. I couldn’t get myself down to ground level – I was stuck in the skyscraper looking out. If I wanted to see what was below me in closer detail, I could - but it was more like a mental projection – I was always standing in the office space above, by the floor-to-ceiling window, feeling the sun radiate onto my face and obscure my vision. I was content, but as I found myself only able to watch the actions of others, I decided to try to move to another location. I thought about going to Cromer (as in real-life I am planning to view some flats for rent there). I was standing on a residential road which runs parallel to the beach/sea. There is a hotel situated on this road, which is the main coastal route into Cromer. I was standing outside the hotel, with various members of my family across on the other side (closer to the promenade/sea). I had a drink in my hand and I realised that it was carnival time (it seemed to be early evening and although I could not see any carnival floats/persons in fancy dress, there seemed to be a celebratory atmosphere with throngs of people, of all ages, milling about and standing in gatherings, drinking and laughing). I wanted to cross the road to get to my family. I pushed my way through the crowds of party-goers to get to the road-side, but before I could cross, the scene transitioned (beyond my control). Suddenly, I found myself in the Jarrold’s Department Store in Norwich. It was just before Christmas and the store was buzzing with customers, everything brightly lit and decorated with gold, red and green. It was quite dark outside. I was aware my Mum and Nan were somewhere in the store and that we were all taking part in a shopping trip. I saw a make-up counter and decided I wanted to get some free luxury brand make-up, but felt the instant need to pee. Over the tannoy system, a female voice said (in an overjoyed tone): “it’s the ‘90s!’ I was incredibly happy, as I have always vowed to use lucid dreaming to re-live the 1990s, my favourite period of recent cultural history, as the adult ‘me’. However the need to pee was so distracting and I thought to myself: ‘I can’t go to the toilet in the dream in case I wet the bed in real-life’. I concentrated on waking up, disappointed to have to cut my lucid dream short. I woke up, still desperately needing to pee, but in a very dry bed (fortunately)!!!

Analysis of this past dream in a 2019 context

• I have recently made a Dreamhacker video which mentions the Wake-Back-to-Bed method, mnemonics and Vitamin B6 (as well as 5-HTP and REM Rebound Effect)
• Lucid Dream Report 2 - The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream refers to a mnemonic I was using at the time to help induce lucidity in a dream - 'ACR'. Bear with me, while I attempt to explain why this appears to be so odd reading this back in 2019 within the context of this current dream. During my conversation with AJR's mum I mentioned 2 women who (for very different reasons) appeared to pose a threat to my relationship with AJR at one point in time. One of them was the woman referred to above in the Additional Notes section, who I will refer to as LPB. The other was a friend of AJR's, NJ - who is now a friend of mine on Facebook. NJ has a son, who I will refer to as 'AC' (this is literally how you pronounce his real name). Therefore, the reference to ACR in Lucid Dream Report 2 - The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream (bearing in mind the connection to AJR - who's last name begins with R, and the context in which NJ's son was mentioned) is especially pertinent. Even more pertinent is the reference to the 7-foot woman dressed as a nurse in Lucid Dream Report 2 - The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream. LPB is a care assistant and is extremely large - both in height and width. It is a running joke between AJR and I that LPB (who was infatuated with JR) once sent him a photograph of herself wearing a latex naughty nurse's outfit (I have seen this photograph, and without being too negative, it is extremely unpleasant and unsexy, revealing a lot of cleavage and taken from a strange upwards facing angle, which a lot of filter on the face. AJR told me he had recently found this photograph in his paperwork and had destroyed it
• There is nudity referenced in Lucid Dream Report 2 -  The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream - specifically, my naked butt. AJR tells me he likes small boobs and large butts (which is my body type)
• Lucid Dream Report 2 - The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream clearly outlines the memory of being in WH Smiths in York Train Station, and seeing the magazine containing the article about Mariah Carey's breakdown
• 2012 is the year in which I randomly dreamed of AJR (during a period in which we had had no contact at all for nearly 6 years, and ostensibly no reason to even think about one another - see STORYTIME: I DREAMED OF THE FUTURE LOVE OF MY LIFE MANY YEARS AGO (EVIDENCE PROVIDED!) and Dream 70 (2 August 2012) - I wonder if the white male dream character who was waiting for me on the train station platform in Lucid Dream Report 2 - The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream was actually representative of AJR? This might be somewhat of a stretch, as there were no defining characteristics which would lead me to come to this conclusion - obviously, the thing which would stand out the most would be if the male dream character was a criminal convict/prisoner or wearing the E-list (anti-escape) suit I associated with AJR whenever he randomly popped into my memory (this being the outfit he was wearing when I first met him). In Lucid Dream Report 2 - The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream, I was explaining the concept of an orgasm to the male dream character, and it felt like a chore having to speak to him (reminiscent of all the pointless, trivial legal visits AJR had requested of me, when I first met him in 2006/7?) He said his name was 'ACR' - which is strikingly similar to 'AJR'. AJR and I have another running joke about female anatomy - based on some screenshots from social media which I had described to him due to their humorous nature (one was from a webcam model - a Facebook friend - who had posted a screenshot of a webcam chat in which a male customer had said 'your clit's tight' and the other was in a Facebook group, showing a text conversation in which the male participant had referred to the female's 'clickoris') - we had been joking about 'tight clits' and 'clickorises' in our telephone conversation on the night of this current dream. AJR and I had also discussed 'control' and 'doing what we wanted' in a joke context. Lucid Dream Report 2 - The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream refers to 'hand of God' and me killing the male dream character -  whenever I say the phrase 'Oh my God', AJR jokes that I should say 'Oh my AJ[R]' - this was said during our telephone conversation on the night of this current dream, and I had also made jokes about killing AJR when he is released from prison (we always joke about violence, as we have a dark sense of humour)

I could analyse this (Lucid Dream Report 2 - The Explanation of an Orgasm Dream) much more, but a lot of what I write would be assumptions or trying to find spurious links between this, the current dream and my real life. However, I am genuinely bemused at how significant some of these links appear to be. 

Dream 988 (NIGHTMARE)

'Sinister Female'

Date: 29 May 2019
Day 25 of Dream Incubation Experiment - A Star Wars Adventure 
Status: Unsuccessful Dream Incubation 

Scene 1: An Unfamiliar Domestic Interior - Night
I was in a house which was unfamiliar to me in the dream. It was a normal domestic family home, but everything was very dark. In the house was a woman - it was difficult to tell her age, she could have been between 30 - 60 years old and had dark hair and a very pale face. I seem to recall she was shorter than me, because I remember looking down at her. She was dressed in dark clothes, and the only thing I could really make out was her face, which seemed very round. The woman first appeared to me when I was standing in an open doorway. I was scared. The woman was holding cats, and I realised she was a 'cat woman' who lived alone and had serious mental health problems. I did not know what she expected of me, but she told me that we were supposed to join together and she had friendly intentions. I did not believe her, as there was a very sinister vibe. I started walking around the house, unable to find an exit. For some reason, I walked upstairs, while trying to find an exit. The upstairs of the house reminded me of a seafront building I lived in when I was a child - I think because there were 2 flights of stairs in the house, which was actually the larger section of an apartment building. I cannot recall being upstairs for long, or what I saw while I was there. As I was coming back down the stairs, I saw the cat woman was now standing midway up the stairs, blocking my descent. I was again somewhat scared and wanted to leave immediately. I cannot recall what was said. I was aware that the cat woman's mental health was declining and that she was presenting an increasingly danger to me, but I am not sure what gave me this idea. I remember walking around the house and the woman always appearing in front of me, her mental state declining on each encounter. This dream was perceived as being a nightmare, even though nothing too scary actually happened, upon reflection. 

Additional Notes:

• This is Day 25 of my current Dream Incubation Experiment - A Star Wars Adventure (click on this title link to read my introductory post and see my accompanying Youtube video, below)

Dream 893

'Home Invasion'

Date: January 2018

Time: Unknown

Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall 

Scene 1: A Family Home - Evening
I was in a family home which my family lived in - my Mum, Stepdad, Nan and various aunts uncles and cousins. The house had a large lounge and a kitchen running alongside this. Adjacent to the lounge and kitchen was a conservatory which overlooked a large, L-shaped garden enclosed by a chain-link fence. 

My family were in the kitchen, plating up some takeaway fish and chips for the evening meal. The dining table was in the lounge. In the lounge were my former housemates (one of whom is a former colleague, and neither of whom know each other), CD3 and SH2. In the dream they were in a relationship with each other, and this annoyed me. They were sitting on an armchair. SH2 was sitting on the arm. They had invited a number of guests over. I was not aware why they were in my family home or why they felt it appropriate to invite guests over. I was really angry by the fact they were 'invading' my homelife. 

There was a TV on in the lounge - a very small screen. It was showing an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, although this episode was showing Anakin Skywalker, Grand Moff Tarkin, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano in one of Anakin's Starfighters. They were looking out of the front glass, so the view was as if the 'audience' were in space, just in front of the Starfighter. SH2 did not seem to understand what we were watching and she asked: 'Who is Anakin?' I started explaining who Anakin was and what the Clone Wars was about. I then found out that CD3 and SH2's guests had ordered an Indian takeaway and planned to eat it in the lounge, which meant that my family would not have space to eat our meal. I went into the (dark) kitchen, where my family were all gathered to tell them. My Mum went into the lounge to deal with the situation. 

I then walked through to the conservatory area with my Nan. My uncle GC (wearing an apron) was also there and we started talking to him. Through the glass windows, I saw there were a number of young men trying to break through the chain-link fence into the garden. My Nan started panicking and told me to go and sort it out. I went out into the garden, and saw there was an alien there. It looked like a large green-grey ghost-like being, the size of a tall human adult and composed of slimy ectoplasm. It was passive and for some reason I perceived no threat from it, so I left it and went towards the chain-link fence, shouting at the males to leave us alone or we would call the police. A number of the males then jumped the fence - which was at least 7 feet high. They ran towards me and I was backed into a corner of the garden. One of the males - with dark brown hair and a beard - pushed me to the ground and started punching me in the face. I was trying to defend myself, but as I was laying on the ground and other males joined in, punching and kicking me it was no use. A female joined them, but I did not see her (or recall seeing her). She began to spit on me and I was completely covered in her saliva. This was more demeaning and abusive than the physical assault by the males. The majority of the saliva gathered in my right armpit area. I managed to get up and break away from the attackers. Back inside the house, I was really traumatised. I cannot recall what else happened in this dream. I perceived it as a nightmare. Although I did not note the specific date of this dream (as my dreamwork lapsed again in recent times), this dream took place the night after my last nightmare - Dream 892 - 'Murder by Choke-Out'.

Dream 892

'Murder by Choke-Out'

Date: January 2018

Time: Unknown

Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall 

Scene 1: My Nan's House, Sheringham - Day
At first, I was on the road walking up to my Nan's house. I recall being on the part of the road which often appears in my dreams, which is where the 'woods path' entrance can be seen, and is halfway between my Nan's house and her former workplace, a nursing home for elderly people. I cannot recall the precise reason I was keen to get to my Nan's house, but I think it was because my ex-boyfriend, PS was there and I wanted to see him. 

As I entered my Nan's house, I became aware that there were various people in the house - a couple of drug dealers in one room and my uncle GC and his wife KC in another. I am not sure if PS was there, but he had been there previously. The drug dealers were in my Nan's bedroom, where they were sleeping (renting the room from her) and my uncle and aunt were in a different room (one which does not exist in real life). I do not know where my Nan was. 

There was a knock at the door and I opened it to find 2 young women - both of them were dressed in sparkly tops and mini-skirts and at least 1 of them (she looked Chinese) had bare feet. The other girl had shoulder-length orange-brown hair. They were dream characters, not anyone I know from real life. The girls said they were there to see PS and I perceived their attitude to be rude and dismissive. I said PS was not there. The girls pushed past me and started to run up the stairs. I could not stop them. I could see up their short skirts from the position I was behind them. They were laughing hysterically as they went up the stairs.

They went into my bedroom. I went into my Nan's bedroom and asked the 2 male drug dealers if they would help me remove the girls. They said they were too busy to help. I therefore went into the (dream) bedroom, where I found my uncle and aunt sitting in a double bed. This room appeared to be a replica of my own bedroom, with the bed in a different position. I asked my uncle to help remove the girls from my own bedroom and the house. He came to help.

In my bedroom my uncle grabbed one girl and I grabbed the other (the Chinese dream character). My uncle told me to choke the girl I was holding, and he would do the same to the one he was holding. We put our arms round their necks and began to choke them out. There was little resistance, and the girls' faces went bright red. Both fainted from lack of oxygen, but instead of releasing them, both my uncle and I continued to use squeeze their throats. Both girls suffocated to death. 

My uncle and I then took their bodies and in panic, tried to decide where to dump them. Instead of looking for a suitable spot in the woods which are opposite my Nan's house, we just left them in the grass beside the trees, visible from the roadside (see image). In the dream there was also a chain-link fence at this spot. We saw that there were a number of local residents and children nearby watching us. We went into my Nans' house and looked out of my bedroom window, which has a view of the woods and the area where we left the bodies, about 100 yards from my Nan's house. There was a police car pulling up outside the house. My uncle said: 'They won't know it's us' but at that point, I saw there were CCTV cameras right outside the house, filming both the house and the road where we left the bodies. I panicked even more, knowing we would be arrested for murder and told my uncle we needed to get fake passports and go somewhere in Europe where English was spoken as a second-language. In my mind, I was thinking 'Amsterdam' because that is a place I find appealing. I felt extreme fear at the idea of going to prison for life. This dream was experienced as a nightmare.

Dream 865

'Jimmy Savile Victim'

Date: 19 August 2017

Time: 02:30 - 10:30

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: Cromer, Norfolk - Night
I was in the street in Cromer, near the Bus Station (the scene of a very recent rape of a teenage girl). It was night. I was with 2 male dream characters, who I knew in the dream, but who I cannot recall now - although one of them may have been DL, as in the dream I felt I was able to confide in him. I was aware that many years ago, when I was a child I had been sexually abused by paedophile Jimmy Savile - so I was the victim of historical sexual abuse. I felt so violated. I had only just disclosed this abuse to the police and there was going to be a trial (even though Savile is dead, and one of the notable things about him was that investigations into rumours and allegations had not led to prosecutions while he was alive, so he escaped justice, despite being the UK's most prolific sex offender). One of the dream characters I was with was telling me that I would have a hard job proving the abuse, as there was no evidence that it happened. However, I was aware that there was CCTV evidence which proved that it happened. I mentioned this to the dream character who I think was DL - he told me that the CCTV could be altered or edited in a way to undermine my case and I felt scared and worried in case he was right. The decorative lights which are a common sight in Cromer were very bright against the night sky. I started walking down the street, feeling desperate. I wished that I had not remembered the sexual abuse. I then had an image in front of me which was basically a screen, about to play the CCTV footage of my sexual abuse by Savile. It showed the same street in Cromer which I was currently standing in (I am not sure which street this was in real life). It was raining on the video footage. I wanted it to stop playing as I did not want to watch, and the CCTV did in fact stop playing. I was terrified in case I could not prove my case against Savile.

I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• My local area (Cromer is less than 5 miles from my hometown in Sheringham, and I spent a lot of time there when I lived in North Norfolk)

Dreamsigns: 

• I was a victim of Jimmy Savile's abuse
• The CCTV evidence just seemed to start playing

Day Residue: 

• On Friday 18 August 2017 there was a rape of a teenager at the Cromer Bus Station
• Sheringham and Cromer went on 'lockdown' after some low-level disorder following some travellers moving into the area
• I found out - subsequent to this dream - that there had been some controversy at the Cromer Carnival fancy dress competition as one of the winners had dressed up as convicted paedophile, Rolf Harris and had also included references to dead paedophile Jimmy Savile (he had an easel, which referred to touching kids and loving Savile) - this story made the national news
• I had read 2 recent stories on the internet - one was about Harris being abused in the street (following his release from prison) and the other was about a former Jimmy Savile impersonator who had to quit his job after being abused in public (for making a career out of impersonating Britain's most notorious sex offender!)

Waking Reactions: 
This was a terrible dream as I am sure anyone reading this would agree. There was nothing positive about it whatsoever. 

Dream 858

'Strathle University'

Date: 26 July 2017

Time: 10:30 - 13:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: 'Strathle University' - Day
The entire dream took place at various locations on a university campus - 'Strathle University'. In the dream, I perceived Strathle University to actually be 'The University of Strathclyde', which I have actually visited on 2 occasions for academic conferences. In the dream, I was familiar with this university and knew that I had visited here before. 

I had several significant interactions which dream characters which I cannot recall. The only aspects of this dream I can recall are the fact I was visiting the university; there was some action involving liquid spilling from a bottle; I had a library book which I needed to return and was reminded of this fact by an older female dream character; I was in a canteen; I was walking outside carrying some documents, feeling pleased that I had been accepted for a second PhD, which was on Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars - in particular his mental and emotional health. 

I cannot recall anything else about this dream - I know that it was far longer and more complex than I have managed to recall/record here.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• Dreams about actors who have leading roles in Star Wars
• Scottish things (Ewan McGregor, R3A, Strathle University which is assumed to be a 'dream language' version of he University of Strathclyde)

Dreamsigns: 

• 'Strathle University'
• I was going to undertake a second PhD about Anakin Skywalker

Day Residue: 

• I live on a university campus and have been considering what to do when I finish my PhD
• I have been planning to  visit my university library
• On the day of this dream I had been looking for new Anakin Skywalker dreams

Waking Reactions: 
I wish I recall more about this dream, as I do remember that I enjoyed it very much. 

Dream 857

'Undressing Ewan McGregor'

Date: 24 July 2017

Time: 04:30 - 10:30 (I woke up from this dream due to an alarm)

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

I cannot recall all of this dream, only the main elements. 

Scene 1: Unknown - Day
I was with R3A and was aware that he had a job interview coming up. The scene with R3A was a lot more detailed than I can remember - I think we at some point boarded a bus or some public transport, but I am not sure what we were doing or where we were going. R3A seemed to be distant and not especially wanting my company and this disappointed me a lot, but I was basically thinking that I would just go off by myself and leave him to his own devices. I told him I would be leaving him alone and he tried to argue that I didn't need to, but he was not convincing, so I did in fact leave. The scene with R3A was much longer and more detailed than I recall here, and there was much more dialogue, but I can clearly recall the context of this scene, as described.

Scene 2: An Interior - Day
I was then in an interior - I cannot recall much about it, other than I was in a large room, and all I could see of it was a large window, with no curtains or blinds. There was a garden outside this window and the sun was shining. I was in the room with my Mum, and I was looking out of the window. I 'remembered' that I had left a large bud of cannabis in my bedroom on a cabinet (my real life bedroom - I saw an image of it, while in this interior, as if my thoughts were visualised). I wondered where the cannabis had come from. I then stepped away from the window. Ewan McGregor then entered the room and stood in front of the window. He did not say anything to me at all, he was just standing there, with the sun shining through the window behind him and I thought he looked godlike and beautiful.  

My Mum said: 'Undress him!' I approached Ewan and knelt down at his feet and started to undo his trousers, which were navy and wrap-around - i.e they fastened at the side, more like a wrap-around skirt than a pair of trousers. I found the trousers strange in the dream, but I guess the way the trousers fastened were comparable to the way a kilt fastens - and with Ewan being Scottish, this would be an unsurprising association.

My Mum urged me to 'hurry up!' and I was struggling to undo Ewan's trousers as they were fastened with a metal catch which I could not work out (the catch was rather like a bra clasp). I was aware that I was going to have sex with Ewan McGregor, when suddenly R3A entered the room, startling us all, and making Ewan run away. I was so angry at R3A - I blamed him for 'cockblocking me', especially since he hadn't been keen to spend time with me earlier. 

I cannot recall anything else about this dream. 

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• Ewan McGregor as a dream character
• My Mum as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 

• I was undressing Ewan McGregor!

Day Residue: 

• R3A had told me he was going to go to a job interview
• I think about Ewan McGregor every single day, as he is my favourite person - I had also seen him in an interview where he discussed gaining weight for a bath scene in Fargo (2017)

Waking Reactions: 
This was so frustrating - potentially a Ewan McGregor sex dream, only to be ruined by R3A interrupting the action. I wish I could recall more of this dream. I do feel that Scene 2, as welcome as it was, is slightly problematic as I was being encouraged to undress a passive Ewan McGregor with no explicit indication that he consented. 

Dream 856

'Constructive Dismissal'

Date: 22 July 2017

Time: Time Unknown

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Weak recall 

I can only remember one scene from this dream, which I believe may have been much longer and more complex. 

Scene 1: An Office - Day
I was in an office - it actually reminds me of somewhere I have been/seen in real life, but I am unable to recall why it seems so familiar. There was one main open plan room, with computers and filing cabinets (and a deep blue carpet) and then some smaller meeting rooms, with large windows and tables in them, but nothing else. 

I was in one of the small meeting rooms with a Facebook friend I admire very much, JSK, and another dream character. Both JSK and the other dream character were employed by the firm (which seemed to be in the UK, despite the fact JSK is American). I was not employed here, I was visiting and it seemed that I was there to give legal advice to the 2 women, who had a work-related complaint against a male boss. We were sitting round the table and I recall the sun shining in through the large window, which had no curtains or blinds.

JSK and I then walked out in the main part of the office, where we were confronted by her male boss. He was an older white man, who was tall and skinny, wearing a business suit, which was grey pin-striped. He was in his 50s and had short grey hair and a grey moustache. When he spoke, he had an English accent. He was carrying something in his hands. He screamed something angrily at JSK, which partly referred to 'constructive knowledge' (in law, constructive knowledge is implied where the person has notice of a fact/piece of information, or the reasonable means of finding out. Therefore their knowledge is presumed, regardless of whether they actually have it or not). The boss was suggesting that JSK would be fired. I said to him: 'That's constructive dismissal!' I felt very proud of this comeback, as it was not only a play on words, but I felt like I had 'won' the case.

I cannot recall what else happened. 

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• Meeting Facebook friends who I have not actually met in person

Dreamsigns: 

• I was with JSK in her workplace, helping her resolve a workplace dispute

Day Residue: 

• I had watched a Youtube video which allegedly showed paranormal activity in a similar looking office space after business hours when the workplace was empty. The 'ghost' was messing around with computers and filing cabinets
• I often engage with JSK on Facebook
• I may have read 'constructive knowledge' in my legal cases, I cannot recall - but it is likely

Waking Reactions: 
Again - there is not much to say about this dream, as I cannot recall much about it and the details I do recall where not especially unusual. The most interesting thing about this dream was that there was a play on words - when I said 'constructive dismissal' in response to the phrase said by the boss, including 'constructive knowledge', it seemed very 'smart' and 'witty'.

Dream 855

'Not as Nice Offline'

Date: 21 July 2017

Time: Time Unknown

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Weak recall 

Scene 1: TPD's Family Home - Night
I met up with a Facebook friend (who I have never met in person, but who I think is an awesome person). I was invited to his family home and I was very pleased. However, TPD was not as nice in person as I find him online. He wasn't as attractive and his demeanour was both awkward and sarcastic. I cannot recall specifically what he said which gave me this impression, but it was clear that he wasn't as funny, confident and intelligent as I know he is in real life. We entered his family home, and I discovered he lived not only with his children (who I did not see in the dream), but also his mother. The house was very messy - in the dream I saw the kitchen and the lounge, both of which were littered with various items, mainly children's toys. TPD said that we had to be quiet because his mother was sleeping. After realising that he was not the person I thought he would be, I wanted to leave as I was disappointed he was so different from how he comes across online.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• None of note

Dreamsigns: 

• TPD looked different and acted very different

Day Residue: 

• TPD and I interacted on a Facebook comments thread

Waking Reactions: 
There isn't much to say about this dream!

Dream 854

'Skeleton in a Suitcase'

Date: 19 July 2017

Time: Time Unknown

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall 

Scene 1: Exterior - Day
I was outside in an environment which appeared to be some sort of suburban area with no distinguishing features. I was with a blonde girl, who was perhaps 8 years old. She was in some form of trouble and I was trying to get various dream characters (unrecalled) to help me get her the appropriate help she needed. I am not sure what kind of trouble she was in, I just knew she was 'at risk'.

There was a passing of time, where I am unsure what happened as I cannot recall. I then saw the blonde child's new adoptive father. He was a short, fat black man, in his 40s and was dressed in a pink 'Bo-Peep' style frilly dress with a bonnet. I thought the child was no longer at risk.

We went to a buffet to eat some food - all the food was bland and pale in colour, and I remember there being chicken in a sauce amongst other things.

I then saw the outside of a shop, which was closed for business. By the door of the shop was a suitcase, open and showing a folded up skeleton, which was 'alive', but safely contained in the suitcase. I became aware that the skeleton was the 'trouble' facing the child and that folding it up and putting it in a suitcase and finding her an adoptive father was what had 'saved her life'.

I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• None of note

Dreamsigns: 

• The skeleton folded in a suitcase

Day Residue: 

• My academic research focuses on the human rights and welfare interests of children who are at risk of harm. Many of them are in care or seeking adoptive placement

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was a little weirder than I have managed to describe it, as I have forgotten some aspects of it. I think there was more awareness of the skeleton in the suitcase and what it represented when I initially woke up recalling this dream. I also think I found out more about the child. 

Dream 853

'The Wedding Ceremony'

Date: 15 July 2017

Time: Time Unknown

Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall 

Scene 1: A Domestic Interior - Day
I was in a house, which I do not know in real life, but in the dream was familiar to me. From what I can recall, it was a fairly normal, typical home. I was looking at an exercise bike, which was near a wall in a hallway. This had been gifted to me, but I wondered why I had been given an exercise bike, as I did not really need/want one. 

I was then in the living-room, which appeared to be a little bit like my Nan's house in Sheringham. There was a small boy sitting on the sofa, and a large red stain, which I perceived as being 'his fault'. It looked more like red paint than blood - at least, I did not think it was blood in the dream. I was trying to design an outfit which I would be wearing at a wedding I was invited to - there was a skirt which was black and white - with a star pattern on it. My cousin, HM had a job where she was selling beauty products. The small boy may have been her son.

Scene 2: Wedding Reception - Night
I was then at the wedding reception, where my family were also guests. The reception was being held in a large hall or community centre, with tables at one end and a disco/dance floor at the other end. My family were near the dance floor. The wedding was that of a friend of my cousin, HM - he was a criminal lawyer and I am not sure if I knew him myself or how the rest of my family knew him. I sat on a seat near the tables and was joined by 2 young (approximately 18 years old) males, both white with brown hair, although I cannot recall anything else about them. I was talking to them about something, when a group of teenage girls came over. They all looked 'alternative' - they were dressed in 'emo' or 'scene' outfits. They said that they had dropped by for a short while so that they could smoke some cannabis. I found that myself and the 2 males were all smoking cannabis too, at the tables we were sitting at, which I do not think I realised before. The girls said that they would be leaving now they had finished smoking. My Mum was dancing. She then came over and I noticed that she was unusually thin and wearing a purple dress. We had a conversation and then she went over to join my uncle and aunt, GC and KC and my cousin, HM, on a nearby table. I could see the disco lights on the ceiling above them, shining down in a variety of colours and shapes. 

Scene 3: My Kitchen, Norwich - Time Unknown
I was then in my kitchen in my flat in Norwich. In the kitchen, there is a stove/oven and also a combination microwave/oven. In the dream the microwave/oven was the main cooking facility and was much bigger - the size of a normal oven, looking like an aga (i.e. old-fashioned and with an actual flame). I was trying to work out how to set the 'microwave/oven' so that I could cook a fresh lobster which I had bought for £1.25. It came in a tray covered with transparent film wrapping - like the way meat is sold and it was already red (indicating that it was already boiled). A former schoolfriend, AKB was present and I asked her how to get the 'microwave/oven' on the right setting to cook the lobster. She told me, but her instructions were wrong and the flame in the 'oven' became a large (yet contained) fire. This was frustrating.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• Cannabis
• My cousin HM

Dreamsigns: 

• The situation with the wedding
• The microwave/oven in my kitchen
• AKB was present - I have not seen her for years

Day Residue: 

• I saw my cousin HM post a photo of her young son on Facebook shortly before this dream
• I had been listening to The Ricky Gervais Show on XFM - in one section of a show, Karl Pilkington tells a story which features a fire in an oven. In his weekly segment 'Cheeky Freak of the Week', he told a story about a 'Lobster Man' (a man with a congenital deformation where his hands were fused to look like lobster claws)
• I had been listening to Stephen King's IT (1986) on audiobook and recently listened to the chapter where Eddie Kasprak receives a crate of free lobster from a worker on the freight trains - note Dream 852 - 'Ewan McGregor v Pennywise the Dancing Clown'

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was fairly normal in the sense that everything that happened was theoretically possible, if not in my own life. There was nothing overly bizarre about this dream, compared to other recent dream experiences, but nevertheless I found it quite enjoyable.