we are not our national identity but

[squamous]

I went to bed around 2 last night, and although I felt tired I had a lot of trouble falling asleep. Finally after about an hour I dozed off, then found myself dreaming I was living alone in another house, in another town, and that it was night time and I was in bed but couldn't fall asleep.

I don't know where this house was - years ago I read that 'you can't see a person or place in a dream you haven't seen while awake', but I don't know how you could ever say if that is really true or not, especially these days when the average person sees so much due to print and broadcast media and travel. Anyway, in the dream I got up and wandered out into the living room of the dream-house... the house was larger than where I am now... I passed several doors leading off into dark rooms on my way and closed one of them... then sat on the couch, noticing that there was an uncurtained window beside the couch, and 'for the first time' realizing the neighbors could gawk at me if they wanted. But it was night now, and no one was around. Then I heard a crunching sound, exactly like that of a cat chomping on hard cat food, coming from somewhere else in the house. I called out, "Who's there?" as brave as you like, then just as bold some guttural voice responded, "I am here."

I became scared immediately and couldn't move, couldn't reply. The voice continued talking, a few words in a language I either didn't understand or can't remember. I woke up and found I was freezing, lying ice cold in my bed in July. It was 4 a.m. I got up and walked in the dark out into my living room and sat down on the couch for awhile, til I felt warm again. I keep saying I am gonna start a 'dream journal' but am always too lazy. I know dreams are typically only really of interest to those who dream them, but what the hell.

I am feeling freaked out by the passage of time this morning, as I think back on it. 2003, Christ. And this year is more than half over already. What's going on? Where have I been? I thought I was paying attention....

Settle down, Beavis!

Comments

[boonedog.livejournal.com]

That's an intense dream.
I have dreams where I'm in a house that is a total figment of my imagination ... usually it's one of those wishful thinking dreams where I've just been given a beautiful castle to live in. It might be an amalgamation of many places I've seen/read about/etc. But I think our subconscious can make up people and places based on stuff we've seen and experienced but not exact replication.

I often wonder what is a dream like for someone who has been blind since birth? Do they see anything in their dreams or is it only a regurgitation of other sensory perceptions? Do people who are born deaf ever hear any sounds in their dreams? For some reason it is easier for me to imagine a silent dream than a dream with no visuals.

[heyjana.livejournal.com]

Wow, this dream is really interesting. You never did see who the voice was coming from?
I've never heard that before about not being able to dream up places or people you've never seen before. That's interesting, though I'm almsot sure I've done it. What about monsters?

[squamous.livejournal.com]

I didn't see who the voice came from but it sounded like some evil spirit. I woke up though.

I think people can see 'new' things in their dreams but like I said I guess you can't really prove it. People might argue you just combine or distort things that you've already seen. I dunno.

I wish I remembered by dreams better, which is one argument for writing them down, I know.

[squamous.livejournal.com]

I think we (our subconscious) can make things up too... it just seems reasonable to me.

Good questions about blind and deaf people and their dreams. Hmmm. If they did see or hear, I wonder if they could even convey it... I am inclined to think their dreams would reflect their own waking experiences, but still... hmmm!