When I was in college, my senior capstone class was simply titled, “Dreaming.”
We studied the nature of dreams and their history in psychology, spirituality, and philosophy. There were two parts to the class – one academic and one practical. The academic part was pouring through literature about dreams, such as the huge volumes Freud had put together. Lots of lectures, you know, typical college crap.
The practical component was very different.
We were to keep a dream journal every night and write down whatever we remembered in the morning. After a few weeks, just because of practice, it was easy for me to remember three to five dreams upon awakening. We would take our most incomprehensible dream and bring it to a small group in a dark therapy room. One person would read their dream and then put their head down. The rest of the group would analyze and interpret the dream. It was great fun.
Even all these years later, I’m able to remember at least a few dreams every night. Most of my dreams are troublesome, and full of anxiety and fear. Maybe once a year I score the winning touchdown, or go on a first date with some beautiful woman and fall in love. At least three nights a week it’s that I didn’t study for the big exam because I skipped class all semester, and I’m panicked. I don’t know why, but I’m still stuck in college fear, and it’s 14 years later.
But whenever I have a dream about one of my friends, I can’t wait to tell them. I probably do this at least once a week. “Hey, you were in a dream I had last night! You were playing in a calypso band in the Keys!”
Only once has somebody told me I was in a dream of theirs. It was a friend who told me that I was chasing her around a dining room table with a knife. That did wonders for my self-esteem.
So, people must have dreams about me, right? I know that reads like an arrogant question from a jerk with a personality disorder, but I’m just talking law of averages. I’ve dreamed about all my friends hundreds of times (that I remember). So, I probably show up in other’s heads.
I don’t really care if I do or not, but I’m sure I’m in a least a few dreams per year. Now, let’s assume I’m not knifing somebody or terrorizing them on the gradeschool playground. Just a good old fashioned, “Hey, I was shopping at Big Lots, and you were in the irregular candy aisle buying off-brand Sweet Tarts!”
Nobody ever says this to me. I want to know if I’m in your dreams! So, make this deal with me – if you read this, and I show up, you MUST tell me about the dream. Not to satisfy my ego – it’s big enough. I just want to know that I’m not nuts about dreaming about everyone I know.
Now, if I end up doing something awful to you in a dream, keep that to yourself. Actually, no, tell it. I can handle it. I think.
PunchAb says:
I think the subtitle to this post should have been “Only in my dreams, as real as it may seem, it was only in my dreams”. You’ve been in at least two dreams of mine that I’ve told you about; your memory is just whacked. One good, one bad coincidentally involving knives.
(I hope you remember the subtitle reference. You know that song went hard back in 5th grade.)
angieuncovered says:
Alright, does it count if I dream that I’m reading your blog? To be perfectly honest, I’m too lazy to be clicking around the site here this morning to look for pictures of you to store in my memory until I finally get some sleep tonight. Besides… you probably have naked stuff and my boss told me no more naked pictures of bloggers during work hours. So reading the blog in my dream counts, or not? 🙂
Sydney Aaliyah says:
DJ, I have that dream about forgetting to turn in an assignment from law school and not graduating. Literally wake up in a panic and start trying to figure out what I am going to tell my family. That was several years ago. Cool post.
Katjaneway says:
I’ve rarely remembered my dreams over the last few years, (which sucks cuz I usually make them into stories if they’re any good) but if I dream of you and remember, I’ll let you know lol Have you ever tried forcing yourself to dream something? Sometimes, I’ve progressed a story in my head a couple nights in a row to the point where I could write it down. Pretty cool.
CrazyTragicAlmostMagic says:
I dream most of the time and sometimes will remember in the morning. I had a dream about an ex one night that I’ll never forget. I woke up in a panic and a cold sweat. It was too real and absolutely horrifying for what happened.
angieuncovered says:
@tfpHumorBlog It’s just messed up my musical flow, yo!
6todd2 says:
@tfpHumorBlog @angieuncovered lol! I guess it could be better than Space Unicorns bt Parry Gripp. http://t.co/5KJavKjv
angieuncovered says:
@6todd2 @tfpHumorBlog MY EARS!
StellaK__ says:
Ermm hi! Sure you’re in many ppl’s dreams. They probably forget all about it when they wake up. Not all are as tuned in with their subconscious whilst they’re asleep, you see.
How would you like people to dream of you? Definitely not terrorising anybody. Something, happier, perhaps?
cmcwayx says:
neither am I
Tiff Stauffer says:
After seeing pics of your feet earlier today, I’m expecting nightmares tonight. I’ll let you know. 😉
Andi Roo says:
I dream about everyone I know, too. I’m sure if we ran in the same circles, we’d totally bump into each other & be all WTF, is this my dream or yours? And maybe we’d both have knives & chase each other around the table, or we’d gang up & chase whoever thought off-brand sweet tarts was a good plan. yeah, I know that’s the dream we’d have. 🙂
BrettHenderson says:
You must have forgotten the dream I told you about a few years ago. We were in school, and I jumped onto a desk and yelled, “Either DJ gets a bj… Or someone’s getting knifed!”. …..again with the knives
BitingLife says:
I’ve dreamt about you/this blog before, but I’ve also dreamt about other bloggers/blogs so I hope it’s not too weird! It was a while ago, so I don’t really remember what it was about, though. I have very vivid scary dreams due to a certain medication I’m on, so you were probably chasing me and trying to kill me. But no hard feelings 😉
D.J. Paris says:
@BitingLife I have vivid scary dreams due to medication, too! Stay strong, sister! (they’re going to come get you tonight – the monsters!)
marilu says:
I dream with strangers all the time and specially dead ones, but not with you so far, I will let you know when it happen
🙂