Dream 794

'My Love Rival'

Date: 14 March 2017

Time: 05:00 - 07:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall

Scene 1: My Bedroom in my Nan's House, Sheringham - Night
I was in my bedroom in my Nan's house, Sheringham, accompanied by some dream characters. Some were my family members (my Mum and Nan etc) and others were friends, some from my current life and some from my high school days. I cannot specifically recall who all of the dream characters were, but where their identity was apparent to me, I will state. 

There was some kind of party or night out happening - and I was supposed to be getting ready for this, but I was stalling. I was sitting on the floor of the room, eating some coffee-flavoured cake. Dream characters, including my Mum, were trying to encourage me to get dressed and put on my makeup for the night out so that I would not be late, but I was taking an extra long time because I wanted to get 'drunk and high' before I went out. I was aware that it was already 23:00 hours, and therefore very late to be getting ready. I decided to put on my makeup - I poured liquid foundation onto a naan bread. It looked like butter. I was going to use the naan bread to apply my makeup and I wondered if I had poured out too much. 

I eventually got ready and was about to go to the party.

Scene 2: The Party - Night
The party was in a house and attended by a number of real life persons - including some of my colleagues from my job at university (JML) and some girls from my high school (SRFH and KW) amongst other people known to me at various points in my life. Everyone seemed to know each other. 'No.1' was there (someone whose identity I am not even willing to hint at, although he may have been mentioned elsewhere on this Blog, using identifying initials; I do not disclose the identity of people I have actually had sexual contact with unless we were in a confirmed relationship - i.e. an ex-boyfriend). I wanted to be with 'No.1', but was also aware that BSG was present - this is a female who I had randomly seen on Facebook that day, not someone I actually know. I was not happy to see BSG, because I thought she and No.1 were together and I was jealous and annoyed. I could not get to No.1 to talk to him, despite the fact that in real life, this would be no problem and I would be able to approach him easily. 

I was anxious and fretting about the presence of my love rival. I thought I was more attractive than her (she was fatter than me, but less curvy and dressed in 'emo'-style clothing and I wondered if No.1 liked this look rather than the style of clothing I was wearing (I was wearing a white top and skirt, although I used to dress very alternatively, like BSG in the dream - and I dress very casually in real life now). BSG was wearing a black T-shirt, baggy jeans and a studded belt, with a key chain. I began questioning why BSG was at the party and was told by a dream character that she was the ex-girlfriend of No.1 - they had dated in 2014. I did some mental calculations and said: 'Well he was asking me to send him nude photographs at that time, so he was cheating on her with me'. I felt slightly vindicated - that No.1 had still wanted sexual contact with me, even when in a relationship with someone else, but also angry at the fact No.1 had not informed me that he had been in a relationship with BSG at the time, and in fact told me he 'didn't want a girlfriend'. I wondered how they had even mt each other. I kept thinking: 'He must have found me sexier than her to be asking me for nudes during their secret relationship'. I was planning to confront him about this and try to convince him that I was the person who could make him happy, but decided not to because I did not want to be rejected and I also did not want to stress him out. I continued to be annoyed at BSG's presence and the fact she seemed to know all of my friends as well as being close to No.1. 

MCL, a friend from Norwich who is at my university, sat next to me - I was sitting on a sofa, watching No.1 and BSG and a number of other dream characters who were standing a short distance away. The room had low lighting and everyone was drinking and having fun. I noticed that MCL had a lot of tattoos and wondered why I had never noticed this before. MCL was aware that I was feeling jealous about the situation and leapt forward, kissing me open-mouthed, forcing his tongue down my throat in a way which made me wretch. I am not a fan of kissing. To my knowledge I have never kissed No.1 and I did not wish for him to see me kissing another man. I said: 'This isn't what I want!' but at that moment I would do anything for No.1 to kiss me.

Scene 3: Unthank Road, Norwich - Day
I then found that myself and the party guests were on a bus on Unthank Road, Norwich - at the bus stop beside the shops on the route which heads from the city towards the University. It was a sunny day. I am not sure where we were going, but the party was continuing on the bus. I saw BSG and another male - who was apparently her new boyfriend (who I had not noticed until this moment) get off the bus. I was relieved that she was going - I thought maybe I could speak to No.1 on my own now. A moment later, BSG and her boyfriend boarded the bus again, and sat down on the seat in front of me. This really angered me! I noticed that BGS had changed in appearance and wondered how she had done this in a matter of minutes. She seemed fatter, had shorter, lighter hair and more freckles on her face. I thought she seemed even less attractive than she had before she got off the bus, and was pleased at this. I thought: 'No.1 won't fancy her looking like that'. She was still dressed in the emo-style clothing (as was her boyfriend) but she now had a backpack covered in patches, badges and keyring toys. 

I cannot recall what else happened in this dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• My Mum and other family members as dream characters
• Eating cake
• A female rival
• Unthank Road, Norwich as a dream scene location

Dreamsigns: 

• The situation in the dream was a dreamscene - that these persons from my real life - and online life - were all known to each other and the general narrative of the dream were clear dreamsigns
• I was going to apply makeup with a naan bread!
• BSG changed in a matter of moments, which I actually noticed in the dream

Day Residue: 

• I had seen a naan bread in the fridge in my house a couple of days before this dream
• On the day of this dream I had seen an online article about food-scented makeup, which was illustrated by an image of a woman drinking foundation
• I had seen online that one of my ex-boyfriends was to be married soon. I mentioned to ML that this ex-boyfriend had contacted me last year - which would have been during the current relationship he is now in. I also referred to how PS had contacted me while being with a new partner - so there is a theme in my life of my ex-boyfriends still wanting contact with me (and sometimes asking for sexual contact or nude photographs) while with other women - I had referred to the situation with PS in my previous dream - Dream 793 - 'Chris Morris & Ex-Boyfriends' (Lucid Dream)
• On the day of this dream I had seen a photograph of a female (not known to me) online - who appeared in this dream
• I had been discussing emo fashion with ML shortly before this dream
• I like to take nude photographs of myself - it is all the better when I have a male recipient!
• On the day of this dream I saw JML (both in person, having brief conversation with him; and posting online)
• A few days before this dream I had an online conversation with a Facebook friend about my dislike of kissing

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was so vivid! The feelings of jealousy and annoyance were very strong here! There seems to be a lot of Day Residue influence - woven into the narrative in complex ways. I did enjoy this dream, although I did not enjoy the emotions I was experiencing during it. It confirms a lot of real life feelings I have about being single but unwilling to date random men because I (1) can't be bothered to get to know knew people; (2) am hopelessly attracted to people with whom a relationship would not be possible - I just want a regular sideman/link for sex and friendship over and above a relationship; (3) I have had disasters every time I have tried to meet 'new' men. I don't really feel jealousy towards other women nowadays - there is no need and in any event I try to avoid all pointless negative emotions by acknowledging them, analysing why I feel like that and then mentally fighting the urge to succumb to them. I want to be a robot with no emotions who can think and act rationally at all times; feeling love or negative emotions towards other people makes me feel weakened and vulnerable and I refuse to allow that to distract or unbalance me anymore. I am not pleased that I was so judgmental (and superior) with regards to another woman's physical appearance - I am also trying to work hard to not do this, even mentally, as it is an ugly trait.

Dream 793 (LUCID DREAM)

'Chris Morris & Ex-Boyfriends'

Date: 13 March 2017

Time: 23:00 - 04:45 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Lucid Dream (Spontaneous DILD - Dream-Initiated Lucid Dream)
Dream recall: Strong recall

Scene 1: A Dark Room/My Bedroom - Night
I was in a dark room, which had a blueish tint to the atmosphere. I could see very little in the room at all, and was not sure of the location. Sitting on a chair (a dining chair) in the middle of the floor (which I think was wooden floorboards) was Chris Morris. I am a huge Chris Morris fan, but in the dream there was something very creepy about him and I was not enjoying being in his company. I cannot describe what precisely was so creepy, but I just wanted to get away from him. He trying to engage in some kind of interview with me, but I didn't want to answer his questions. 

I then found myself standing in the doorway of my own bedroom, looking into the room, which was dark. There was no noticeable 'transition' between these locations. I was aware that the dining chair - with Chris Morris sat on it - was where my bed should be. I saw that his handcuffs were behind his back and he was tied/handcuffed to the chair. I was annoyed that I could not get away from him.

Scene 2: My Nan's Back Garden, Sheringham - Day
I was then in my Nan's back garden, at the top where there used to be a lilac bush. I was standing on the grass. It was a sunny day. There was an unrecalled male dream character with me - it was someone I knew from real life. I was scared because I was aware that there were 'beings' present in the garden and I was trying to warn the dream character that we might be in danger. A strange, yellow, spiky-looking alien creature - naked and about 3 feet in height - started walking silently past us down the garden path in the centre of the garden. I was terrified, but the creature did not pay us any attention. 

Scene 3: A House - Time Unknown
I was then inside a house - not a familiar one from real life, but in the dream it was inhabited by my ex-boyfriend PS and his family. I was sitting down on a sofa, while PS, his mum (CJS) and his younger sister, JGH, were present. CJS was showing us a knitted outfit she had bought for someone's baby. Suddenly N the Dog jumped up and ripped the baby's outfit with his teeth. I found this funny.

Scene 4: A Bedroom which was also a 'Business Location' - Day
I was then standing beside a desk and a window with PS in a room which appeared to be both a bedroom and also a business/commercial space, with a number of dream characters at work in the near distance. Outside the window, I could see a city environment. PS was telling me about a business venture that he was involved in with a female business partner who 'used to run a greetings card company'. PS said that his business was now successful and he and his partner had connections in America and Brazil. I wondered if he and his partner were romantically involved and I was asking if she would be jealous that we were talking. It seemed that we were catching up after a long time (we have not spoken for around a year). PS said his business partner would not be jealous. I felt that he was being slightly awkward and resistant around me and I felt uncomfortable as I wish we could be close again.

Scene 5: Garden of my Former Childhood Home, Pine Grove, Sheringham - Day
I was then in the garden of my former home in Pine Grove, Sheringham with PS and N the Dog. The garden looked a little different from how it would in real life - perhaps it was a composite with PS' garden in Edgware, where I used to live with him and his family. It was a sunny day. PS - who in real life has grown his hair long (it used to be shaved when we were dating), now had dreadlocks, held back by a pink headband. He was hanging out laundry on a circular washing line. I was appealing to PS to 'listen to my side of the story' - meaning my reasons for ending our relationship years ago (in 2012) - this being my mental health and the stress of trying to maintain a long-distance relationship when there was so much history of bad feeling and resentment between us. I wanted to make PS aware of how much I had loved him and how sorry I was for hurting him. We had continued to talk and see each other even when we were separated and PS had moved on to see other people and I was trying to remind him that he had said he never wanted to lose contact with me. 

I then became fully lucid - spontaneously, with no need to reality check. I decided to use the opportunity to speak to PS further while lucid. I was standing beside a wooden fence at the end of the garden. To maintain the stability of my lucid dream I began to rub and shake my hands - stabilisation techniques which often work well for me. I started to talk to PS about my feelings - how sorry I was and how much I had loved him. I said to him: 'We're in my lucid dream, so I know this isn't real, but I want to talk to you from my subconscious'. PS seemed to automatically accept that this was a lucid dream, and I was aware that the conversation was an excuse for me to work through unresolved issues within the dream, but I thought this was a good opportunity.

He seemed cold towards me, yet civil. I started crying, telling him how much I missed him and N the Dog. I bent down to hug N the Dog, who was stretching in a way which always used to make me laugh - with his butt in the air and his back arched. He put his paws on my shoulders to 'hug' me and I was now really crying hard. I felt desperate and so upset.

I woke up crying from this dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• PS as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 

• I met Chris Morris
• The alien creature in my Nan's garden
• I was with PS

Day Residue: 

• On the day of this dream I had fallen asleep listening to Chris Morris radio shows on Youtube - particularly Blue Jam (BBC Radio One: 1997 - 1999) and Why Bother? (BBC Radio 3: 1994)
• On the day of this dream, in a conversation with ML, I had described a teenage incident whereby my friend and I handcuffed an adult man (who we used visit so we could drink/smoke weed in his flat) to a chair for a joke, and I accidentally started a fire by melting lard on a shovel on a gas stove (while drunk and high)
• On the day of this dream I had mentioned my previous relationship with PS and also talked of N the Dog. I had recalled how PS had done the majority of the household tasks when I lived with him - including the laundry
• On the day of this dream I had been watching Jenna Marbles Youtube videos about her dogs - including one about introducing her dog to a baby
• A short while before this dream I had been thinking about a short story I have been planning - I had previously described this story as being set in a utopian future, where society is incredibly bureaucratic - I had referred (in a conversation with DL and maybe SC) to the dystopian movie Brazil (1985)

Waking Reactions: 
This lucid dream was really horrible for me. The first part of the dream was not really a nightmare, but it was not pleasant for me to experience. The worst part was undoubtedly the lucid part though, as I was experiencing actual real life waking emotions and trying to address them with a dream character of someone in my life who I really wish I could talk to sometimes. I also really wish I could see N the Dog, I miss him so much. I woke up from this dream crying and feeling really depressed. I have been feeling in a low, unstable emotional state recently - which I have attributed to going back onto the contraceptive pill recently after a number of years of not using it. I think the change to my hormonal balance is really having a huge impact on me. I also associate N the Dog with being my main source of comfort when I was going through mental health issues during my relationship with PS. To not have him in my life is bad enough, but I think the dream really made me aware of how he had helped me through the toughest time in my life. The one positive thing about this dream is that it enabled me to discuss these issues and the way I was feeling with DL the next day, upon waking. He understood how much I missed N the Dog and reassured me that it was not weird for someone like me (who finds it hard to make emotional connections with other humans, but connects with dogs) to cope with losing a beloved pet. The dream did not resolve any of the issues with PS, but it did make me pay attention to what has been making me feel unhappy and to try and rationalise those feelings and move past them. I am aware that I am very lonely at times, having been single for over a year now.

Dream 792

'Arguments!'

Date: 12 March 2017

Time: 22:30 - 03:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Weak recall

Scene 1: A House - Time Unknown
I was in a large mansion-type house with my Mum - we were having a shouting argument about something which I cannot recall. I cannot remember anything about this scene. 

I was then getting ready to go to some kind of celebration or party which I knew was in Sheringham. I found myself eating some cake. 

I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• My Mum as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 

• None of note

Day Residue: 

• None of note - I cannot recognise any specific Day Residue

Waking Reactions: 
I have forgotten all of the details of this dream other than the bare bones of the narrative. I may recall other details about this dream in due course. If I remember anything else, I will record it below. . 

The Dream Revue #1 (Latest Lucid Dreaming/Dreaming News & Events from Around the World)

In this segment/series of posts, I round up the latest 'news' in dreaming and lucid dreaming from around the internet! I post links to all lucid dreaming/dreaming events (global) I can find during my own online research, but if you have an lucid dream/dream-related event you wish for me to promote, please contact me on Facebook or Twitter (click on the social media link) and I will be happy to help!

Lucid Dreaming Forum with Charlie Morley (Event)

Hello Love Studio

62 - 64 Southampton Row, Bloomsbury, Holborn, London

Sunday 12 March 2017, 19:00 - 21:00

Price: £10:00 (pre-booking via website or just turn up!)

This is a chance for experienced and novice lucid dreamers to meet up and share their experiences and ideas on lucidity, dreaming and life. Please note that this is not advertised as an instructional workshop.

Himbad Lucid Dreaming - London Solo Show (Arts & Culture/Event)

BSMT Space, 5 Stoke Newington Road, London, N16 8BH

10 March - 16 March 2017

Free Entry

This is a solo show of 24 miniature paintings by the street artist Himbad, who uses his unique 'Sprezzatura method' of secret martial arts techniques. Maintaining a mind state which enables him to access his subconscious, Himbad paints directly from the imagination, creating archetypal imagery inspired by the ancient wisdom schools, alchemy, world mythology and nature. Further information about this event can be found on the website.

Ashram de Yoga Sivananda (Event)

Ashram de Yoga Sivananda – 26 Impasse du Bignon, 45170 Neuville aux Bois, Loire Valley, Orleans, France

Healing, Sleep & Dreams (evening presentations) - 20 & 21 August 2017

Sleep & Dream Certification Course (22 hours) - 22 - 24 August 2017

For more information for this event please visit the website.

The Power of Lucid Dreaming: An Introduction to the Foundations of Lucid Dreaming & the Nocturnal Meditations with Andrew Holecek (Event)

The Garrison Institute, Garrison, New York, USA

19 October - 22 October 2017

Price: $225 ($175 reduced price until 1 June 2017)

Please see the website for full information on this event and how to book.

Princess Diana 'visits' former butler, Paul Burrell in his dreams (Celebrity News)

10 March 2017

Princess Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell has made claims that she regularly visits him in his dreams, telling him she is 'still alive'. This claim comes just days after Burrell announced he is set to marry his partner, Graham Cooper in April this year, after ending his 32 year marriage to his ex-wife. He states that he yearns for Diana to 'approve' of his new relationship, given that she was the only woman he was able to confide in regarding his secret sexual orientation. Diana would refer to her loyal employee as 'her rock' and he describes the day she tragically died, in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997, as 'the saddest day of his life'.

Burrell told The Mirror: 'I want Diana to say to me 'it's OK Paul, live the life you've chosen'. But she's not here, so all I have got is her in my dreams'. 

Burrell elaborated on his dream visits from Diana, revealing: 'She tells me things. It's not scary or flaky, it just happens. She comes to me on a regular basis. It just happens. We have no control over our subconscious and I go to sleep sometimes, thinking 'please don't come into my dreams', but then she appears. She's asking 'can you help me?' It's a cry for help sometimes and then at other times we're sharing fun and laughter. She'll say 'when are you going to tell them, Paul, that I'm not actually dead?'

The Dreaming - Read-along Podcast (Arts & Culture)

This is a read-along podcast for Neil Gaiman's classic comic book series, The Sandman, hosted by Joe Fulgham and Sasja Smolders, who discuss each episode, revealing a whole treasure-trove of knowledge and facts about this classic masterpiece!

To access The Dreaming podcasts, please CLICK HERE or use the URL: https://thedreaming.moteofdust.com.

Why do we dream? (Science & Technology)

Medical News Today: 23 February 2017

An article by Hannah Nichols published online here, provides a comprehensive overview on the phenomenon of dreaming and nightmares. Much of the research cited in the article has been covered elsewhere on this Blog, but of particular interest was a list of 55 ranked dream themes which are stable across different sample populations, revealed through surveys and questionnaires:

1. School, teachers, studying
2. Being chased or pursued
3. Sexual experiences
4. Falling
5. Arriving too late
6. A person now alive being dead
7. Flying or soaring through the air
8. Failing an examination
9. Being on the verge of falling
10. Being frozen with fright
11. A person now dead being alive
12. Being physically attacked
13. Being nude
14. Eating delicious food
15. Swimming
16. Being locked up
17. Insects or spiders
18. Being killed
19. Your teeth falling out/losing your teeth
20. Being tied, unable to move
21. Being inappropriately dressed
22. Being a child again
23. Trying again and again to do something
24. Being unable to find, or embarrassed about using a toilet
25. Discovering a new room at home
26. Having superior knowledge or mental ability
27. Losing control of a vehicle
28. Fire
29. Wild, violent beasts
30. Seeing a face very close to you
31. Snakes
32. Having magical powers
33. Vividly sensing, but not necessarily seeing or hearing, a presence in the room
34. Finding money
35. Floods or tidal waves
36. Killing someone
37. Seeing yourself as dead
38. Being half awake and paralyzed in bed
39. Lunatics or insane people
40. Seeing yourself in a mirror
41. Being a member of the opposite sex
42. Being smothered, unable to breathe
43. Encountering god in some form
44. Seeing a flying object crash
45. Earthquakes
46. Seeing an angel
47. Creatures: part animal, part human
48. Tornadoes or strong winds
49. Being at a movie
50. Seeing extra-terrestrials
51. Traveling to another planet
52. Being an animal
53. Seeing a UFO
54. Someone having an abortion
55. Being an object

Lucid Dream (2017) (Arts & Culture)

On 22 February 2017, Lucid Dream, a Korean movie written and directed by Kim Joon-Sung was released. The movie is a science fiction thriller, starring Go Soo as Dae-Ho, an investigative journalist desperately seeking the whereabouts of his young son who was abducted 3 years prior. With the help of a detective and psychiatrist friend, Dae-Ho retraces his memory of the incident using the power of lucid dreaming. The movie is to be distributed via Netflix.

The healing power of lucid dreaming (Science & Technology)

New Scientist: 15 February 2017

An article published online by New Scientist has highlighted the ways in which lucid dreams may be triggered to enable them to be utilised in psychotherapy. 

The article states that new. consistent methods for inducing lucid dreams are being developed and new scientific innovations are enabling researchers to communicate with lucid dreamers during the dream state, which could lead to therapeutic benefits - people receiving treatment within their dreams.

Neuroscience has allowed sleep and dream researchers to confirm that brain activity occurring during the phenomenon of lucid dreaming displays similarities with higher cognitive functions associated with waking states, such as memory, behavioural control, planning and logic. 

Dreams have often been the focus of psychological therapy and it is well-established that recurrent nightmares can be symptomatic of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions. Therapy which encourages clients to discuss dreams can provide what Michelle Carr describes as 'an insulated way' to address traumatic subjects and themes. Attempts to 'rewrite' these can help overcome phobias or grief using a strategy known as 'imagery rehearsal therapy' in which the client will rehearse the challenging dream scenarios and confront their nightmares with the aim of changing the outcome. 

Previous research by Doll, Gittler & Holzinger ('Dreaming, lucid dreaming & personality' (2009) 2(2) International Journal of Dream Research 52) found that lucid dreamers are better equipped at dealing with trauma and tend to experience fewer mental health problems than non-lucid dreamers. Research by Soffer-Dudek, Wertheim & Shahar ('Lucid dreaming & resilience in the face of exposure to terrorism' (2011) 24(1) Journal of Traumatic Stress 125), found that while the female participants in this study who had been exposed to the greatest levels of violence displayed the highest levels of distress, this was significantly lower in those who were able to lucid dream. 

Ursula Voss states that lucid dreamers often wake with feelings of euphoria and accomplishment and are shown to be more effective at avoiding nightmares due to their enhanced control over their dreams. In a study conducted with colleagues at the JW Goethe University, Frankfurt, Voss was able to develop a technique for inducing lucid dreams - transcranial alternating current stimulation - whereby a low electrical current (gamma wave length) is applied to the frontal cortex of the brain during REM sleep. Results showed that this was successful on 2/3 occasions. 

More recent research by Holzinger, Klosch & Saletu of the Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research in Vienna ('Studies with lucid dreaming as add-on therapy to Gestalt therapy' (2015) 131(6) Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 355) has found evidence that lucid dreaming can assist in increasing the effectiveness of therapy for nightmares. Holzinger found that clients were able to stop fearing sleep and start to enjoy their dreams. One subject claimed that when they realised they were in a nightmare, they were able to return to an earlier point in their dream, before the threat materialised, and continue their dream in a different direction. This brings a sense of power and control which is at stark contrast with the typical feelings of helplessness and vulnerability experienced in nightmares. 

Chloe Blanchette-Carriere of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory in Montreal, Canada, is interested in developing therapies which would trigger lucid dreaming instead of relying on clients having to learn techniques of self-induction; early preliminary studies have shown promising results. The next step is communicating with the lucid dreamer while they are within the lucid dream state, in order to provide 'external support'. It is possible for dreams to incorporate external stimuli from the physical world (such as noise or smells) into the dream content, so it is hoped that techniques enabling researchers to send messages to lucid dreamers will improve the therapeutic potential of lucid dreaming. 

Kristoffer Appel, a sleep and dream researcher at the Osnabruck University in Germany conducted a study in which he recruited experienced lucid dreamers and monitored their brain activity and eye movements during sleep. Appel instructed his subjects to communicate the fact that they were experiencing a lucid dream by moving their eyes in a left-right pattern which had been pre-agreed before sleep. Once he received this cue he attempted to 'send messages' to the lucid dreamers using audio tones and flashing lights. Out of the 10 subjects, 7 reported the sounds and lights being incorporated into their dream content. In some instances the stimuli were interpreted as occurrences within the dream narrative, whilst in others, the dreamer was aware that the stimuli was a message from the external world. Appel wanted to take this further and communicate in more complex ways with lucid dreamers and so requested that the subjects learn basic Morse code for numbers so that he was able to use a series of audio tones to send simple arithmetic problems to the lucid dreamers, who were instructed to 'answer' using pre-agreed eye signals. At least 3 of the subjects received the messages and were able to provide correct answers.

Reliance on eye signals limits the extent of information which can be communicate by lucid dreamers, so Remington Mallett, a researcher at the University of Missouri, St Louis, attempted to use a brain-computer interface which enables the brain to 'talk' directly with a computer. Mallett recruited 2 self-taught lucid dreamers to test the technology, using a headset known as an 'Emotiv Epoc' which is able to map brain activity and then uses these signals to direct different desired outcomes on the computer, for example, moving a virtual objects, such as a cursor. The subjects were first taught how to use the software when in waking state and this was practiced until they were able to attain a 75% success rate, after which the experiment was repeated during sleep. The subjects used eye movements to signal the fact they were lucid; one stated that during his dream he imagined a ninja character moving a block forward, an imaginary action which was replicated on the external computer screen.

Mallett describes this process as being like 'a Jedi mindtrick'. This research allows for the objective observation of a cognitive task. Mallett claims that '[i]t's the first step toward being able to convey the content of dreams to the outside world, in real time'.

This approach could assist in teaching people to use prosthetic limbs or an exoskeleton designed for those with lower-body paralysis. This has been pioneered by the Walk Again Project, an international collaboration which is led by Miguel Nicolelis at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Patients first learn to control an avatar using virtual reality before transferring these skills to send motor signals (from the brain) to an exoskeleton. Harnessing the skills of lucid dreaming would enable patients to exercise their 'mental muscles' every night within the dream world, which would speed their waking ability to control the exoskeleton. 

Lucid dreaming is also a potential means of utilising creativity - many of us find inspiration or ideas in our dreams which assist or enrich our waking lives. New gadgets, such as the headset used in Mallett's research, could eventually allow us to record material from our lucid dreams. Appel is currently designing a sleep mask which will allow dreamers to use Morse code eye signalling to send messages, in addition to a project based on text messaging using eye signals to control keys. Other promising devices include the Aurora Dreamband and the iBand+, both of which are small headbands using EEG and other biosensors to detect when the sleeper is experiencing REM sleep, triggering LED signals to 'wake' them up and induce lucidity. These devices are paired with an app which tracks sleep patterns and sounds an alarm to wake the user up at the optimal point in their sleep cycle. 

Dream 791

'Unrecorded Dreams'

Date: 9 March 2017

Time: 21:30 - 05:45 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Normal dream/Pre-lucid dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

Scene 1: A Public Toilet - Time Unknown
I was in a public toilet which was familiar - it reminded me of both public toilets at my University and also those in The Forum, Norwich - although in the dream, the toilets were different from both of these real life locations. I was feeling the back of my front lower teeth with my tongue and realised there was a rough patch which should not be there. I wondered if I would be able to get it removed by the dentist (of which I have a huge phobia, not having attended since I was a young child). 

Scene 2: A Shop, Location Unknown - Time Unknown
I was then in a shop - the shop mainly sold books, although there were other items on display. It was a large shop - more like a department store and I had a strong sense of deja-vu, despite not being able to recognise this shop from real life. I was wondering (within the dream itself) if I had ever been in this shop before as it felt so familiar. I then wondered if I had 'dreamed' of the shop before and that was why it seemed recognisable. Despite this wondering, this was not a lucid dream as I was not consciously aware that I was dreaming - it felt like real life with me thinking about dreaming. I assumed I was awake. I still cannot recall why this shop felt so familiar.

Scene 3: My Bedroom, Norwich - Time Unknown
I was then standing in my own bedroom in Norwich, looking at my desk, on which there are a number of notebooks, both for my academic and creative writing. I thought: 'I have 2 dreams to record' - in the dream I knew that these dreams were jotted down in my notebook and needed to be recorded onto this Blog. In real life, there were not 2 dreams in that notebook which needed to be written up. 

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• None of note

Dreamsigns: 

• None of note

Day Residue: 

• None of note - I cannot recognise any specific Day Residue

Waking Reactions: 
This was a very interesting dream as it seemed to be a Pre-Lucid dream - I was not yet lucid/consciously aware, but I was thinking about dreaming within the dream. 

Dream 790

'Bad Children's Home'

Date: 6 March 2017

Time: 23:00 - 05:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Vivid dream
Dream recall: Strong recall

Scene 1: An Interior - Time Unknown
I was in an interior with my ex-boyfriend, PS - I am not sure what house we were in, but in the dream it was where either PS or I lived. I was aware that I was pregnant and PS was the father. I asked him if I should hurry to get 'an abortion pill' but he said that we should get back together and raise the baby. This decision was welcome to me within the dream and I was happy. There was more conversation.

Scene 2: A Children's Home - Night
I was then outside - it was night, but not very dark. In front of me was a building - which was grey concrete and low, reminding me of a small prison or a very ugly building of some kind. It reminded me a little of some of the older residences on my university campus - Wolfson Close (see image, below), but at the same time the area looked very difference and familiar in another way. It reminded me strongly of somewhere I have been before in real life, changed slightly by the dream. The entire area was very run down and destroyed. The ground was concrete and I could see weeds growing and planks of wood/bricks/rubbish laying around. The windows of the building were smashed and everything was dismal, in a state of disrepair and neglect. Around the vicinity was a high chainlink fence. I could see that it had been raining recently, because there were puddles on the ground. 

I was aware that this was a children's home and that it was a bad place. Inside the dilapidated building there was some evil lurking. I was also aware that MK (a Facebook friend who is also a webcam girl) was stuck in the children's home and was at risk of some kind of danger. I saw her kneeling on the floor, crying in fear. I went into the children's home. It was so dark and there was no furniture; it looked completely abandoned. I knew that the 'evil' would come for me if I did not get out quickly, so I went outside again. My Mum was standing there. She threw a cigarette towards me and it fell into a puddle at my feet. I picked it up - there was some kind of intricate design (like a tattoo) drawn on the side. I threw it back to my Mum, who started smoking it (despite the fact my Mum gave up smoking over 15 years ago). 

My Mum then told me that she was going to adopt MK. We went back inside the children's home and my Mum was standing beside what looked like a table. I asked what she was doing and she said she was sorting out some rings - I could see that she was gathering up a number of gold rings with skulls or devil's heads on them. My Mum told me they belonged to MK and we needed to make sure we took them with us when we adopted her.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• Pregnancy/motherhood - see Dream 789 - 'Special Tartan'
• My Mum as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 

• I was having a baby with my ex-boyfriend
• The events of Scene 2

Day Residue: 

• Scene 1 may have been influenced by my dream from the previous evening, Dream 789 - 'Special Tartan'
• On the day of this dream MK left a comment on my status. The day before I had noticed her post a status of her own where she referred to childhoods being damaged by bad/inadequate parents

Waking Reactions: 
I really enjoyed this dream as it felt very strange while actually dreaming it - there was a very odd, disconcerting quality about the dream. It was also interesting to note the recurrent dream theme of pregnancy/motherhood.

Dream 789

'Special Tartan'

Date: 5 March 2017

Time: 00:30 - 08:45 (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 Mum. I was worried that I might be pregnant (no indication of who the potential father-to-be might be), and kept saying that I hold do a home pregnancy test, but my Mum was stopping me, telling me that I could do it later. I was very keen to take the test now and find out - my anxiety was strong, and I was frustrated that every time I mentioned that it would only take me a few minutes to urinate on the test, my Mum was preventing/persuading me from doing so. The only thing that I can recall about this location was that there were some navy velvet sofas in quite a dark room.

Scene 2: An Unknown Interior - Time Unknown
I was then in a different location, entering a room in which I found R3A and a white female dream character with light brown hair. She reminded me of someone - maybe a female I went to high school with, but it is not possible for me to identify who, In the dream, this female was called 'Charlotte'. R3A was sitting on a chair or some other surface and Charlotte was straddled him, in a sexual way. I said something to the effect of I would leave them alone, but R3A told me to stay. I assumed that he was trying to get me to have a threeway (threesome/menage-a-trois) with them. I found Charlotte to be very unattractive. I said something to R3A about me not thinking Charlotte was pretty and R3A ended up telling her to get off his lap so that he could speak to me. 

It then felt like we were watching a scene set in the hallway of a high school - there were a lot of dream characters walking down a hall with lockers on either side. There were a number of girls in with their backs to us - each of these girls was wearing a kilt/skirt made of a red tartan material. Each of the skirts was a different style/length. I pointed to the girl wearing the shortest miniskirt and said to R3A: 'That's the one I would have worn'. I then asked R3A if (given he is Scottish) he has a family/clan tartan. He said: 'No, my family only moved here to farm potatoes'. I accepted this answer and we continued to have a conversation.

Scene 3: Unthank Road, Norwich - Day
I was in a car - I may have still been with R3A, because it felt like I had gone somewhere with someone I had just been with. It felt like we were parked in the street on Unthank Road, near a turning into another road, by the laundrette, although this area looked very different from usual - I think that the actual place I have associated with this spot may be further down the road from where the laundrette was, and on the opposite side of the road, so my waking consciousness is just as confused as to the place my dreaming mind was imagining the laundrette used to be. It was just that it reminded me of this location. This location was a place we were visiting 'on holiday' - it was a bright sunny day. Looking at the building which gave me the thoughts of the Unthank Road laundrette (see Google Maps image, below), I noticed that it was bright white and on the second story, there was a huge window which stretched from ceiling-to-floor for the entire length of the building. Inside was a scene involving a female dressed in red. I am not quite sure what we were looking at - it seemed to be some kind of living advertisement. Just underneath this window scene, where the sign for the laundrette would normally be, was the word: 'AMERICA' in huge bold lettering. I realised that we were actually in America, and the scene was the 'airport welcome'. We moved down to the road a very short distance away and parked again. I was not driving the car, I am not sure who was. The street was very busy with traffic and pedestrians walking on the pavements. I was glad to be on holiday 'in America'.

Scene 4: A Computer Game
I was then watching a computer game, as if I was inside the game itself. The game was like the complex interior of something  - it reminded me of the tesseract in Interstellar (2014), but more brightly coloured and cartoon-like. The 'character' looked a lot like 'Buzz Lightyear' from Toy Story which I have not actually seen. This character flew on his side, with one arm stretched out in front of him, like Superman. I am not sure of what the aim of this game was. 

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• R3A as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 

• The events of Scene 1 - there is no way I could be pregnant currently and my Mum was acting in an unusual way
• The way R3A and I were able to see 'into' a school hallway
• Unthank Road, Norwich was suddenly 'America' - the entire events of Scene 3 were a dreamsign
• I experienced a computer game from inside

Day Residue: 

• On the day of this dream I discovered a new show, Camping (2016) from Julia Davis (who I love). There is a scene in which Julia Davis' character wears a red tartan plaid shirt - and I wondered if they had a similar design in Primark where I get my other plaid shirts as I liked the red pattern. In this dream, the red tartan (on the girls' skirts) was exactly the same as that on Julia's plaid shirt
• I had mentioned the phrase 'potatohead' to DL in a conversation shortly before this dream (in relation to my 'Scottish Bae', Ewan McGregor)
• My last dream, Dream 788 - 'Nigella on a Horse' was illustrated by an image with an American flag in the background
• I saw a reference to Matthew McConaughey in an online article on the day of this dream

Waking Reactions: 
I really enjoyed this dream as it was so vivid and easily recalled. I thought the bizarreness of this dream was very interesting and the one thing I noticed about this dream (more so than a lot of my other dreams) was the brightness of the colour - everything was very saturated and uplifting to look at. The amount of Day Residue (in particular the red tartan) and how it was woven into the narrative of my dream was very interesting. 

Dream 788

'Nigella on a Horse'

Date: 4 March 2017

Time: 22:30 - 07:50 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

Scene 1: Location Unknown - Time Unknown
I saw Nigella Lawson sitting on a black horse - her location was unknown. Nigella was hosting a cookery programme for TV, but this consisted of her showing viewers how to put the horse's mane into a ponytail, by separating it. The horse's mane was white and spiky - standing up on end. Nigella parted the main and secured it with hair bands, leaning over the neck of the horse in a seductive way.

Scene 2: An Interior Room - Time Unknown
I was then in an interior - it was a normal room, but I cannot recall much about the decor. In the room was US President Donald Trump and his aide. The aide was an old white man with a grey beard. I realised that I was in a relationship with Donald Trump and his aide was being assigned to me for my protection. Trump instructed the aide to give me an item, which looked like a matchbox-sized computer chip. I was informed by Trump and/or the aide that this box would enable me to both call for security services and also detonate an atomic bomb if I was in any danger by 'enemies' - because I was dating the President I was now at risk of assassination. I felt very powerful. The atom bomb would be powerful enough to destroy the entire world at the click of the button.

I was then supposed to film a Youtube video with Jenna Marbles (Jenna Mourey). Balloons filled the room and Jenna and I were being filmed dancing amongst them while music played (I cannot recall the music). The atmosphere felt manic and celebratory - it was a real party environment. There was not just balloons in the room, but other party-related decorations and items which had been set up specifically for the video. I was twerking. I could see Jenna and I in third-person perspective and was aware that the video had been filmed and I was watching it back, with Jenna during the editing process. We were wearing black leotards with white tights under them and I was surprised to see that my butt looked double the size it should. 

I cannot recall what else happened.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• None of note

Dreamsigns: 

• Nigella was hosting a show which contained instructions on how to put a ponytail into a horse's mane
• I was dating Donald Trump
• I was given an object which could detonate an atom bomb and destroy the world
• I was filming a Youtube video with Jenna Marbles

Day Residue: 

• A couple of days ago I had been watching Nigella Lawson shows
• On the day of this dream I had been watching Hunderby, written by and starring Julia Davis. There are horses in Hunderby (which is set in 1830), but in Nighty Night (one of my favourite TV shows), also written and starring Julia Davis, there is a scene in S02E01, Julia's character 'Jill Tyrell' is instructed to act seductively with a horse called 'Stuart/Stewart' by parting it's fringe/mane. On the day of this dream, I had also been listening to Chris Morris' former radio show, Blue Jam (BBC Radio 1) on Youtube - this features Julia Davis
• Donald Trump is in the media every day - he is unavoidable
• I had been watching documentaries about the Goiania Accident and the Radium Girls on the day of this dream - both of which refer to radioactive incidents
• I had been watching Jenna Marbles videos on Youtube just before I went to sleep and had this dream. One of her Youtube thumbnails showed her from behind, focusing on her butt in bikini bottoms
• On the day of this dream I had seen a Facebook friend try to start an online debate about butt enhancement surgery - posting images of Nicki Minaj to illustrate

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was really bizarre and clearly influenced by a lot of Day Residue, which was combined and interlinked in some very complex and interesting ways. It was quite an enjoyable dream to have, despite the rather traumatizing aspect of dating the heinous and repulsive Donald Trump. 

I think that I may have forgotten some parts of this dream, but if I recall anything further, I will record it below.

Dream 787

'Steak Grilling'

Date: 2 March 2017

Time: 19:30 - 03:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

Scene 1: A Pub (London?) - Day
I was looking for a new job as I had recently moved to somewhere - I think it was London. I badly needed a new job as I only had a small amount of money left in my bank account. I was in a large, city centre pub, which was traditional and reminded me of being beside the sea. It was decorated like a typical old-fashioned English pub. I was standing on one side of the bar, talking to the dream character who run the pub. To my left was a large window and I could see out onto the street - noting that it was also day time. 

At various points in the dream I thought the dream character was an older female, and at other times I thought they were a young male. It wasn't as if they were 'shifting identities', but rather that my perception kept changing. I also got the 'impression' or 'feeling' of being in my Nan's bathroom, in Sheringham, standing beside the toilet, looking down at the bath. I cannot explain what I mean here - it was an impression without being explicitly visualised. There were customers in the pub, but they were not close by - they were scattered around the bar-room. 

I was asking the dream character about available jobs in the pub. I was told that there was a job in the kitchen, grilling steaks and cleaning. I would be working with one other person. I was asking a variety of questions about the job - and these were answered by the dream character. I was told (in answer to my questions) that the job would be for 3 - 6 days per week and each shift would be 10 hours or less. The customers in the pub were 'Conservative types' (I interpreted this to mean politically Conservative i..e Tories, not merely morally conservative). I asked the dream character how much I would earn per week and whether it would be '£300'. The dream character did not know, so we tried to calculate the wages. We were both unsuccessful. I said I would get out my phone and use the calculator on it - it was my work phone, so a cheap 'burner-style' Nokia phone. The dream character they got out their own mobile - which was black and yellow and the size of a house brick, with various attachments, which made it more cumbersome and bulky. The dream character told me that this was the only phone which could do the calculations. However, the phone could only use . - decimal points, not numbers. I was getting frustrated seeing the dream character trying to work out maths sums using only decimal points, so I decided to work out the sum myself using pencil and paper. 

I cannot recall what else happened in this dream. I know that there was another scene - or perhaps more - which I have forgotten.

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• None of note

Dreamsigns: 

• I had moved to London and was looking for a new job
• The identity of the dream character kept changing in my perception and I also had the impression of being both in the pub and my Nan's bathroom at the same time
• The actions involving using phones to calculate wages

Day Residue: 

• I have recently been applying for part-time jobs and on the day of this dream found out that I had been rejected for an position of Research Assistant which I had applied for within my university, and that R3A had got a new job - a short while before (a day or 2), ML had suggested applying for jobs in a local pub or trying the Sainsbury Centre (the university art gallery space) which has a cafe, sometimes used for formal dining by the Vice-Chancellor of the university
• On the day of this dream I had been reading/making notes for my PhD chapter on identity/identification
• On the day of this dream I was on duty for my job in student welfare, so was in charge of the duty phone
• A short while before this dream, DL and I had been discussing technology of the 1980s and specifically, the earliest version of mobile phones

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was highly influenced by Day Residue - and reflects my anxiety that I need to get a part-time job which pays me enough, while giving me sufficient free time to write up my PhD. The most striking thing about this dream was not the action, but rather the way in which my perceptions kept shifting. This is very difficult to explain, but the way this dream was experienced was very much more 'dream-like' than some of my other dreams, where I am not aware of how I am perceiving events. 

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

Dream 786

'Bunkbed Gifts'

Date: 27 February 2017

Time: 23:00 - 04:30 (I woke up from this dream naturally)

Type of dream: Normal dream
Dream recall: Normal recall

Scene 1: Location Unknown -Time Unknown
I had applied to do a second PhD in Literature - based on the impact of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (1993) novel. I was very pleased that I was able to do a second PhD and that it would be based on one of my favourite books. I wondered how I would complete the write-up of my first PhD while starting the next one. 

I was with my Nan who was telling me that the best/cheapest way to get to a certain location in the UK was to take an internal flight. I was telling my Nan that I did not have a current passport and was asking what kind of ID I would need to take an internal flight,  but she was not answering my questions. 

R3A was also present and I was discussing the 'internal flight ID' issue with him while we tried to decide how to get from A to B in the quickest/cheapest way using public transport. We may have been sitting on a train during this scene, as I had the impression of sitting opposite him on some seats with a large window to my right side, which is reminiscent of how train seating is organised. I think it may have been daytime as well. I cannot recall what else happened in this scene, but it seemed to last a long time.

Scene 2: A Bedroom, Location Unknown - Time Unknown
I was then in a bedroom with my Mum. I am not sure whose bedroom it was - it may have been a hotel. There was a bunkbed in the room, which has shelving running from up the end of the bed. On the shelves and the top bunk there were a variety of objects - small items and trinkets - for example, small toys, ornaments, makeup products - a wide variety. I was moaning to my Mum about why someone - I cannot recall who, but I did know in the dream - would have left all of their items in the bunkbed. I was halfway up the ladder so that I could see what was on the top bunk and higher shelves. My Mum informed me that the items had been left by that dream character (who was female) as gifts for me. I then started to see them differently - instead of being a mess which we would have to clear up, they were a thoughtful gesture which I appreciated. I started to write - in 3D white plastic lettering, using a special pen - on the front of a blank greeting card - which was simply a piece of folded card, for my own design. 

Extra Information: 
None of note

Recurrent Dream Themes: 

• Me doing a second PhD - on Trainspotting
• R3A as a dream character

Dreamsigns: 

• None of note

Day Residue: 

• My last previous dream involved me doing a second PhD on Trainspotting - see Dream 785 - 'Green Glass Needles'
• At the time of this dream I was applying for a new ID card as my passport (which I usually use) was expired
• I was considering making a trip to Scotland to visit R3A
• A short while before this dream I had watched my favourite Youtuber, Grav3yardgirl (Bunny Meyer), test a 3D modeller pen, which allows you to 'draw' 3-dimensional objects using a heated 'pen' which 'writes' in melted plastic. I also watched her do a tour of her filming room, which is filled with collectable knick-knacks, ornaments and baby dolls etc

Waking Reactions: 
This dream was partially influenced by Day Residue, although it was a fairly boring dream upon recall, with no very obvious Dreamsigns. Pretty much everything which too place in this dream could have occurred in real life.