COLUMN: My crazy dreams have to mean something, right?
What is a normal dream?
Is it normal to dream you’re flying through space, unaided by any form of technology, like a rocket ship?
Is it normal to spend hours talking to loved ones who have been dead for years? What about that dream of being naked in class?
All of these abnormal situations are incredibly normal, as almost everyone I have ever talked with has said they have had some variation of these dreams.
I wish I could have these kinds of dreams. I wish I could have a normal dream where I'm flying, making out with an old flame from high school or waking up in class naked.
Well actually, I do have that dream from time to time, but in my version of the dream, I’m OK with being naked and wondering why no one else is. Naked learning sounds pretty comfy to me.
My dreams never seem to make any sense. They have no theme, no continuity, no logic and, more importantly, no message as far as I can tell.
I’ve had dreams where I’m wrestling a bear at the circus, with people all around me cheering. I hit the beast and it explodes into a cascade of loose Lego bricks. The event manager thanks me for curing the mumps and hands me a lunch bag full of Home Depot receipts.
What does this mean?
I’ve had dreams where I’m being pursued by dwarves armed with jackhammers. When I get away from them, I run into my mother, who I think is trying to tell me something, but I can’t tell because there are too many bees flying out of her mouth.
I’ve had dreams so bizarre that I can barely remember them. And even if I could, I’m not sure I could describe them.
People have told me that dreams have some sort of deeper meaning. Like it’s your subconscious trying to figure something out while feeding on your dominant personality traits.
But maybe dreams have no meaning. Maybe dreams are just mini vacations our brains go on when they no longer have to translate reality for a few hours.
Meaning or not, I still want a normal dream for once. Anyone know how to make that happen? Or am I going to have to ask the Lego bear next time I see him?
