Weird theories on dreams?

novella1186

I had a really disturbing dream last night. I was working in an office and one of our regular clients came in (at my real life job I don't have any clients) and was acting strange. He pulled out a huge gun and told us he intended to massacre us, and stuck the gun in my face. I realized right away that I was about to die, and my only thought was of FI, and him finding out I'd been shot to death, and the last words I wanted to say to him. I also realized I wouldn't get to say those last words, and I wouldn't get to say goodbye to him. Then I got shot in the face. And I died. Everything went white; from muffled sounds and ripples through the white, I could tell he was still shooting me. In the neck, in the shoulder, in the stomach. But it didn't matter because I was dead. I wasn't sad anymore. I wasn't anything, and nothing hurt. It was all just white. 

I was talking to FI about the dream at lunch a little while ago because I still felt so disturbed. It was like I had really experienced my last moments of life because the dream was so realistic and the last thoughts I had were probably the last thoughts I really would have in real life. He likes to think through all kinds of possibilities, whether they're bizarre, unlikely, unpopular, whatever. He said maybe I had a flashback to a past life. Well that sucks, because I died by getting shot in the face! It was horrific. Then he said maybe when we're asleep we can tap into parallel dimensions through our dreams. Well again, that sucks, because again, I got shot in the effing face. Then he started talking about String Theory. 

This got me thinking... what are some other bizarre dream theories or reasons for them? I always thought scary or violent dreams were caused by harboring negative emotions. Conflict dreams were the subconscious trying to relieve mental anguish by working through real life issues via different dream scenarios. But I also like to consider things like what FI brought up. What do you guys think? 

theartistformerlyknownas

In most of the reading I've done about dreams, they usually tie back to our fears and insecurities. In my case, a lot of them revolve around feeling like I'm not in control, so in my dreams I'm running and can't get away, or lost and can't find my way, or running late and just can't get to where I need to be. 

Maybe this goes to a fear that you can't communicate the things that you want/need to get out? Like to your family?

larrygaga

Hey maybe you died in a parallel universe like that at the same time you were dreaming. Maybe you were looking through a wormhole while you slept.

idk I love sci-fi. 

novella1186

larrygaga said:

Hey maybe you died in a parallel universe like that at the same time you were dreaming. Maybe you were looking through a wormhole while you slept.

idk I love sci-fi. 

Lol that's what FI was getting at too but I didn't want to think about it. I would hate to die that way! I mean obviously dying would suck regardless but the fear and sadness and violence of it was a little too much for me. 

flutteringinfl

Many of my recurring dreams have to do with my fears.

I struggle a lot with insecurity and feeling like I don't belong where I am. Like one day my superiors are going to find out I'm secretly incompetent and I'll lose everything I've worked for. So I have a lot of dreams where I get sent back to high school because of some course I forgot to take, and I constantly forget to attend.

I also have fears of my sister dying because of her chronic illness (which some of her friends have died of, though she's thankfully relatively healthy). So I have dreams where she dies, and it always leaves me disturbed for much of the day.

I have a fear of amputation, so I have dreams where that happens to me. Those I'd say are the big three ones.

None of them are particularly mysterious to me in their meaning, but then I don't have them a lot. I have a friend who believes that people who have powerful or very realistic dreams are "learning to exist outside your body" or something to that effect, and I don't know if I'd go that far, but I know for me my dreams have always been a way my subconscious works through ideas and internal conflicts.

It's also where I get some of my best story ideas...

ElcaB

I've always had very detailed and vivid dreams. Last night I woke up terrified from an awful nightmare. Think Blair Witch Project meets Wicked Witch of the West. Horror ensued. It was very realistic. 

I do think sometimes our dreams reflect a theme in our lives. Other times I think the imagination runs wild. 

I got very into dream interpretation several years ago, then gave up trying. 

novella1186

ElcaB said:

I've always had very detailed and vivid dreams. Last night I woke up terrified from an awful nightmare. Think Blair Witch Project meets Wicked Witch of the West. Horror ensued. It was very realistic. 

I do think sometimes our dreams reflect a theme in our lives. Other times I think the imagination runs wild. 

I got very into dream interpretation several years ago, then gave up trying. 

Ditto. I had all kinds of books on it and I would write stuff down and try to figure it all out. After a while I was like "meh." And forgot about it. 

Maggie0829

Many of my dreams are based off of something that I just watched before falling asleep.  For instance, when I watch Walking Dead on Sunday I know that I will have some weird zombie dream and I wake up exhausted because I was running a lot in my dream.  Last night I was watching some vet video about dogs in Gambia and how they get mangoworms and horrible ticks, etc plus I also just found out that the florist I had worked for for almost 5 years was closing.  This resulted in a dream about me trying to save dogs by pushing out worms from their bodies with my ex-boss.

But then I have dreams that deal with a death of a loved one or I have nightmares where I wake up not remembering what I was dreaming about but I am scared as hell and then can't fall back asleep.

Finally I have dreams where I wake up and think "what the hell?!"  Of course now they are just a big jumble in my head but they are just so stupid and make zero sense at all.

larrygaga

novella1186 said:

larrygaga said:

Hey maybe you died in a parallel universe like that at the same time you were dreaming. Maybe you were looking through a wormhole while you slept.

idk I love sci-fi. 

Lol that's what FI was getting at too but I didn't want to think about it. I would hate to die that way! I mean obviously dying would suck regardless but the fear and sadness and violence of it was a little too much for me. 

It's safe to say that you have died that way many times if the infinite parallel universe thing is true. You have probably also been president. 

loveislouder

I often have a dream about punching my older sister and beating the crap out of her... that being said I totally want to do that often so that's just my mind letting me do it without being charged with assault lol 

peachy13

OP I had a dream last week that I died and I was so disturbed by it that I didn't talk about it/tell my FI about it until the next day. I did some research the next day on "dreams where you die" and a lot of things said that it's actually a good symbol, such as representing inner change or some kind of enlightenment or transformation. It also actually mentioned something about a life change being ahead of you, and specifically mentioned getting married! Something like a new start, new life, and leaving your past behind. I don't think you have anything to worry about, especially since the first thing you thought of in your dream was that you wanted to talk your FI. I too remember in my dream that I was thinking about what my FI would do when he found out that I had died, and I was really sad thinking about that.

wow! We need to watch/read happier stuff before bed.

amelisha

I like the theory that your dreams are your brain sorting and filing away your experiences from that day, with your dreams just a side effect of that organizing and reorganizing.

[Deleted User]

I used to dream about my teeth falling out all the time.  Haven't had it in a few years though.

novella1186

FeeleyToBe said:

I used to dream about my teeth falling out all the time.  Haven't had it in a few years though.

I've read that that means you feel as though someone or something is taking away your personal strength/power. Who knows if it's true or not. But I've had the teeth dreams too and they always upset me. 

sal2015

novella1186 said:

FeeleyToBe said:

I used to dream about my teeth falling out all the time.  Haven't had it in a few years though.

I've read that that means you feel as though someone or something is taking away your personal strength/power. Who knows if it's true or not. But I've had the teeth dreams too and they always upset me. 

I've had the teeth dreams too. I remember reading somewhere it can indicate change in your life, as well as fear of losing something. I never wake up in a good mood after one of those dreams!

hellosweetie1015

sal2015 said:

novella1186 said:

FeeleyToBe said:

I used to dream about my teeth falling out all the time.  Haven't had it in a few years though.

I've read that that means you feel as though someone or something is taking away your personal strength/power. Who knows if it's true or not. But I've had the teeth dreams too and they always upset me. 

I've had the teeth dreams too. I remember reading somewhere it can indicate change in your life, as well as fear of losing something. I never wake up in a good mood after one of those dreams!

I just recently started having teeth dreams. You know how sometimes your nails will peel? My bottom teeth like to do that in my dreams, and it ALWAYS freaks me out.

I had a nightmare last week that FI left. And I woke up and he wasn't in the bed, and I broke down into this awful mess, and he walked in and I was sitting there, like, dry heaving because I was so upset, and I couldn't tell him what was wrong, and I really don't think he knew what to do with me. 

doeydo

novella1186 said:

I had a really disturbing dream last night. I was working in an office and one of our regular clients came in (at my real life job I don't have any clients) and was acting strange. He pulled out a huge gun and told us he intended to massacre us, and stuck the gun in my face. I realized right away that I was about to die, and my only thought was of FI, and him finding out I'd been shot to death, and the last words I wanted to say to him. I also realized I wouldn't get to say those last words, and I wouldn't get to say goodbye to him. Then I got shot in the face. And I died. Everything went white; from muffled sounds and ripples through the white, I could tell he was still shooting me. In the neck, in the shoulder, in the stomach. But it didn't matter because I was dead. I wasn't sad anymore. I wasn't anything, and nothing hurt. It was all just white. 

I was talking to FI about the dream at lunch a little while ago because I still felt so disturbed. It was like I had really experienced my last moments of life because the dream was so realistic and the last thoughts I had were probably the last thoughts I really would have in real life. He likes to think through all kinds of possibilities, whether they're bizarre, unlikely, unpopular, whatever. He said maybe I had a flashback to a past life. Well that sucks, because I died by getting shot in the face! It was horrific. Then he said maybe when we're asleep we can tap into parallel dimensions through our dreams. Well again, that sucks, because again, I got shot in the effing face. Then he started talking about String Theory. 

This got me thinking... what are some other bizarre dream theories or reasons for them? I always thought scary or violent dreams were caused by harboring negative emotions. Conflict dreams were the subconscious trying to relieve mental anguish by working through real life issues via different dream scenarios. But I also like to consider things like what FI brought up. What do you guys think? 

I agree with the bolded.  Stuff like your FI was talking about just makes me roll my eyes, TBH.

larrygaga

doeydo said:

novella1186 said:

I had a really disturbing dream last night. I was working in an office and one of our regular clients came in (at my real life job I don't have any clients) and was acting strange. He pulled out a huge gun and told us he intended to massacre us, and stuck the gun in my face. I realized right away that I was about to die, and my only thought was of FI, and him finding out I'd been shot to death, and the last words I wanted to say to him. I also realized I wouldn't get to say those last words, and I wouldn't get to say goodbye to him. Then I got shot in the face. And I died. Everything went white; from muffled sounds and ripples through the white, I could tell he was still shooting me. In the neck, in the shoulder, in the stomach. But it didn't matter because I was dead. I wasn't sad anymore. I wasn't anything, and nothing hurt. It was all just white. 

I was talking to FI about the dream at lunch a little while ago because I still felt so disturbed. It was like I had really experienced my last moments of life because the dream was so realistic and the last thoughts I had were probably the last thoughts I really would have in real life. He likes to think through all kinds of possibilities, whether they're bizarre, unlikely, unpopular, whatever. He said maybe I had a flashback to a past life. Well that sucks, because I died by getting shot in the face! It was horrific. Then he said maybe when we're asleep we can tap into parallel dimensions through our dreams. Well again, that sucks, because again, I got shot in the effing face. Then he started talking about String Theory. 

This got me thinking... what are some other bizarre dream theories or reasons for them? I always thought scary or violent dreams were caused by harboring negative emotions. Conflict dreams were the subconscious trying to relieve mental anguish by working through real life issues via different dream scenarios. But I also like to consider things like what FI brought up. What do you guys think? 

I agree with the bolded.  Stuff like your FI was talking about just makes me roll my eyes, TBH.

You rolling your eyes makes me roll my eyes TBH

chibiyui

I always heard the teeth falling out dream was stress related. I get it occasionally. 

Lately I've been having the back in college/high school dreams. They usually end with me waking up paraoid that I was forgetting something. "OMG my storyboards!" or "I have presentation and NOTHING TO SHOW"

I'd venture it's probably because of upcoming job changes/brainstorming story ideas and concepts.

The only time dreams really get to me is if Bio-dad is in them. I haven' really had dreams with him in it though since college.  I had one a year ago that ended with my sister and I dying in a tornado on our way to visit him. I didn't want to go. I had another dream a few years ago that really stuck with me. I was at my aunts house and then the world blew by and everything went white before I was also blown away. The imagery from those two dreams have really stuck with me. 

Needless to say. I don't like storms.

Sugargirl1019

I'm so fascinated by the string theory!

But, I am with lolo in that I believe dreams are manifestations of your mind trying to express either fears or stress or insecurities and these images are coming into your mind symbolizing something else. I think your dream is bringing attention to the fact that you are afraid of not telling your FI what you need to tell him that he needs to know. If it's like saying I love you you are perfect, try saying it to him at least once every day

lolo883 said:

In most of the reading I've done about dreams, they usually tie back to our fears and insecurities. In my case, a lot of them revolve around feeling like I'm not in control, so in my dreams I'm running and can't get away, or lost and can't find my way, or running late and just can't get to where I need to be. 

Maybe this goes to a fear that you can't communicate the things that you want/need to get out? Like to your family?

lovesclimbing

I have always heard/believed that dreams are your body sorting through everything that happened during the day/previously.  I have had many dreams that were convoluted mix-ups of things that had happened that day or the previous few days.

I do know I always tried to influence my dreams growing up.  I would think about Narnia right before going to bed because I so wanted to dream that I was in Narnia.  Sadly, it never worked.  I have never once dreamed that I was in Narnia.

Usually, dreams don't bother me too much.  I do remember once dream when I was in jr. high, I think, where I felt off for most of the day after it.  I couldn't remember exactly what the dream was but stuff just felt off.  I had this weird feeling that I had done something wrong in that dream "life," if you will, so something was going to go wrong in this "life."

novella1186

Sugargirl1019 said:

I'm so fascinated by the string theory! But, I am with lolo in that I believe dreams are manifestations of your mind trying to express either fears or stress or insecurities and these images are coming into your mind symbolizing something else. I think your dream is bringing attention to the fact that you are afraid of not telling your FI what you need to tell him that he needs to know. If it's like saying I love you you are perfect, try saying it to him at least once every day

In most of the reading I've done about dreams, they usually tie back to our fears and insecurities. In my case, a lot of them revolve around feeling like I'm not in control, so in my dreams I'm running and can't get away, or lost and can't find my way, or running late and just can't get to where I need to be. 

Maybe this goes to a fear that you can't communicate the things that you want/need to get out? Like to your family?

Lol FI and I are really affectionate and really honest with each other. He'll just randomly name a bunch of things he loves about me and I do that to him too. I think we say "I love you" about 30 times a day. I even tell him stupid stuff. Like I texted him the other day to let him know that I accidentally punched myself in the boob and it hurt. 

If anything, we might tell each other a little TOO much. Haha. 

theycallmelinz

novella1186 said:

Sugargirl1019 said:

I'm so fascinated by the string theory! But, I am with lolo in that I believe dreams are manifestations of your mind trying to express either fears or stress or insecurities and these images are coming into your mind symbolizing something else. I think your dream is bringing attention to the fact that you are afraid of not telling your FI what you need to tell him that he needs to know. If it's like saying I love you you are perfect, try saying it to him at least once every day

In most of the reading I've done about dreams, they usually tie back to our fears and insecurities. In my case, a lot of them revolve around feeling like I'm not in control, so in my dreams I'm running and can't get away, or lost and can't find my way, or running late and just can't get to where I need to be. 

Maybe this goes to a fear that you can't communicate the things that you want/need to get out? Like to your family?

Lol FI and I are really affectionate and really honest with each other. He'll just randomly name a bunch of things he loves about me and I do that to him too. I think we say "I love you" about 30 times a day. I even tell him stupid stuff. Like I texted him the other day to let him know that I accidentally punched myself in the boob and it hurt. 

If anything, we might tell each other a little TOO much. Haha. 

FI and I are the same way. One of us texts the other "I heart your face off!!!!" at least once a day (usually his is "I heart cho face off foo!!" and I laugh). We're a little annoying

ETA something topic-related. I have crazy dreams sometimes. I'll randomly dream about a person from my past. Not even a significant person. Like the other day I dreamed about a guy I went to high school with and his now-wife having a baby. Why was this random kid in my dream? We're weren't even friends exactly.

I also have nightmares about crazy clients sometimes. Once I dreamed that this really nice family I was seeing IRL was hoarding kids in their basement and when I found out the mom cut my throat. That was probably a sign I needed a break from doing therapy lol

theartistformerlyknownas

novella1186 said:

Sugargirl1019 said:

I'm so fascinated by the string theory! But, I am with lolo in that I believe dreams are manifestations of your mind trying to express either fears or stress or insecurities and these images are coming into your mind symbolizing something else. I think your dream is bringing attention to the fact that you are afraid of not telling your FI what you need to tell him that he needs to know. If it's like saying I love you you are perfect, try saying it to him at least once every day

In most of the reading I've done about dreams, they usually tie back to our fears and insecurities. In my case, a lot of them revolve around feeling like I'm not in control, so in my dreams I'm running and can't get away, or lost and can't find my way, or running late and just can't get to where I need to be. 

Maybe this goes to a fear that you can't communicate the things that you want/need to get out? Like to your family?

Lol FI and I are really affectionate and really honest with each other. He'll just randomly name a bunch of things he loves about me and I do that to him too. I think we say "I love you" about 30 times a day. I even tell him stupid stuff. Like I texted him the other day to let him know that I accidentally punched myself in the boob and it hurt. 

If anything, we might tell each other a little TOO much. Haha. 

I've read that the people appearing in your dream are usually not the people these feelings are directed toward. They're not that literal.

Another interesting theory - I read that our brains are not creative enough in dreams to create new faces - we can only dream about faces we've seen. Sometimes the face on the person doesn't represent the person it's supposed to be though - so that's why sometimes in your dream, you're married to an ex or your sister is your mom or something. Which totally explains why random people I went to elementary school pop up in my dreams.

novella1186

lolo883 said:

novella1186 said:

Sugargirl1019 said:

I'm so fascinated by the string theory! But, I am with lolo in that I believe dreams are manifestations of your mind trying to express either fears or stress or insecurities and these images are coming into your mind symbolizing something else. I think your dream is bringing attention to the fact that you are afraid of not telling your FI what you need to tell him that he needs to know. If it's like saying I love you you are perfect, try saying it to him at least once every day

In most of the reading I've done about dreams, they usually tie back to our fears and insecurities. In my case, a lot of them revolve around feeling like I'm not in control, so in my dreams I'm running and can't get away, or lost and can't find my way, or running late and just can't get to where I need to be. 

Maybe this goes to a fear that you can't communicate the things that you want/need to get out? Like to your family?

Lol FI and I are really affectionate and really honest with each other. He'll just randomly name a bunch of things he loves about me and I do that to him too. I think we say "I love you" about 30 times a day. I even tell him stupid stuff. Like I texted him the other day to let him know that I accidentally punched myself in the boob and it hurt. 

If anything, we might tell each other a little TOO much. Haha. 

I've read that the people appearing in your dream are usually not the people these feelings are directed toward. They're not that literal.

Another interesting theory - I read that our brains are not creative enough in dreams to create new faces - we can only dream about faces we've seen. Sometimes the face on the person doesn't represent the person it's supposed to be though - so that's why sometimes in your dream, you're married to an ex or your sister is your mom or something. Which totally explains why random people I went to elementary school pop up in my dreams.

I've read the same thing, about how we can only dream about people we've seen in real life. But total strangers that I don't recognize at all show up in my dreams all the time. Like the guy who shot me in the face. I didn't recognize him. It makes me wonder if the strangers are a compilation of faces of people I do know. Or maybe they're people I've seen in passing IRL but I just don't remember them? Who knows. 

esstee33

The "strangers" in your dream could be anyone, though, if the "brain can't create new faces" thing is correct. It could have been the guy working at the gas station when you got gas that you exchanged all of 5 words with. 

I rarely have (or at least remember) dreams, and when I do, they don't really seem to have any correlation to anything going on in my life. 

The night before FI proposed, I had a dream that the state of Oregon was petitioning to have the presidents' faces removed from paper money because they were ashamed of all the war-mongering and shitty politics, haha. 

Wednesday night I had a dream that a wasp the size of a small dog was flying around my apartment, deliberately trying to sting me to death, and I kept trying to hide but my cats would give my hiding spot away. 

That wasp dream could be stress-related, since I have a lot going on right now, but I don't consciously feel stressed, so it must be dredging up some pretty deeply buried stress, I guess.