WHAT DO YOU DREAM ABOUT?
I am a dreamer, not the kind that is in the news, but an honest dream all-night, sometimes in the daytime—dreamer. I dream of things that concern me, episodes of stories that I write, and often just a mishmash of crazy scenes that make no sense at all. I dream of people that matter to me, those that have passed on, and those still with us. I dream of things that I have done, issues that are presently on my mind, ideas that I should have pursued but didn’t, and desires that I would like to achieve before I die.
People might say that I live too much inside my head. It’s true that sometimes my inner dialogue drowns out the “now”. But it’s also true that sometimes the “now” out-competes the inner voice. Dreams take many forms, as unique as each individual, but similar in occurrence.
What are dreams? Some say it is just the random firing of neurons after a day of sensory overload—a kind of deleting files one might say. I’m not convinced, if that is the case then why would some dreams repeat over and over again during the course of your life?
Do you dream? I’ve heard some people say that they don’t dream. Does that happen to you? I find it hard to believe, honestly. If those folk were hooked up to a brain scan, I bet that the data would show differently. Others say that they don’t remember their dreams when they wake up. Intentional or not—what do you think? Animals dream, have you ever watched a dog dream (of what we can’t tell) of chasing a rabbit or experiencing some past trauma? If we could get into the mind of marine mammals, what would we learn? What do whales dream about? Or seals?
Daydreams are a different subject all together. My daydreams are often of early experiences with my Father, and with my (step) Dad. I daydream about my little sister and I visiting our maternal grand mother sitting out under the stars and singing together (The Stars are Bright…Deep in the heart of Texas). I get lost in my daydreams of past hunting trips with my Dad, walking through the deep snow in the cold darkness of the thick pine trees and feeling that cold crisp air that would make ones nostrils freeze with each a breath as you inhaled. I daydream about the ranch that I wanted to own, a place to hide from the world. In my mind it has a name—The BOB (Back of Beyond). I’ve included a picture of this imaginary place.
People claim that they have dreams that portend the future. I’ve thought a lot about that. Is it real? Are they prophets or charlatans? Maybe some of either… who can tell?
Have you ever dreamt of someone close to you who has passed on? I once dreamed a realistic dream of a good friend who had died before his time (or so it seemed, who can tell when your time has come?) in it he came and I got the impression that he was waiting for me—coincidentally, our other friend (we were a pack) had a similar dream where our friend was climbing a mountain and was beckoning us to come—on the same night. I’ve read other stories about those types of dreams, but didn’t expect that I would have one. I hope that you have dreams both asleep and waking, I believe they are essential for our health, physical and mental.
skull valley tales 