Dreams: A Window Into Another Life (Part 1)

 

Everyone dreams. I dream in a variety of ways - daydreams in the middle of meetings, dreams during small naps, the deeper dreams of a good night's sleep.

I almost never dream in abstractions and my flights of fantasy are usually firmly moored around characters (third person actors in the dream) doing fantastic things in fantastic settings.

Most of the time, the dreams fall into one of two forms: First-person, self-centric dreams or Third-person, other-centric.

Third Person, Other Centric

Third-person, other-centric dreams, as I have them, are the majority of my dreams. Semi-aware daydreams are over 97% of this sort and dreams from naps and deeper sleep are probably still 80%+ of this form.

These dreams are like watching a movie and usually come with imagery and dialogue, but no particular look inside the head of the protagonists. Being a sci-fi, history, and military geek, my dreams usually integrate those aspects in one form or another. They seem to be organized with each dream episode as a vignette or scene with its own characters, dialogue, and actions.

It is from these sorts of dreams that I derive much of my push to write - wanting to capture these fascinating dream-driven sequences. They seem to form interesting and vivid parts of whatever imaginary life-path the characters in them are experiencing. If I can flesh out around the edges and using the dream content as inspiration for a larger arc, it seems I can create complete storylines and compelling characters. Or so it seems to me in my attempts so far.

First Person, Self Centric

The other sort of dream, the first-person, self-centric dreams, are more rare for me. Semi-aware daydreams don't usually take that form for me. These dreams usually require a deep sleep. They are by far the most vivid and emotionally impactful dreams. They have about them an immediacy and reality that is astounding. Despite being male, a goodly portion of them dont revolve around beautiful, naked females. Involve, sometimes. Revolve around, rarely.

These are of a experiences of a different breed. They are like windows into another's life as they live it or into a life as I may have been able to live it in alternative circumstances of where and when.

These are first person dreams and the character perspective is self-centric, looking out from someone's eyes (unlike the third-person, other-centric which is like watching a scene on TV or in a movie).

It is ofen unclear who the character in these dreams is. Sometimes you get thoughts, but even they don't necessarily clarify if the character is you (the dreamer) or someone else. Most of the time, you just get the experience of the senses. It feels altogether like living a snippet of a life in someone else's head.

Aside: I wonder if this is what spawns the 'past life' theories some people seem to ascribe to?

You see, hear, feel, taste, etc. what the dream-protagonist experiences. You feel an emotional response. You see some things with an amazing clarity, as sharp as real-life. Other things, you don't seem to notice or pay attention to, gaps that don't tend to occur to you in the dream state, but strike you as odd once you review them upon waking. You wonder 'how did I see this room so clearly, but never look at the 4th wall?' and so on.

Having spoken a bit about the generalities of dreams as I experience them, I'll share my most recent first-person, self-centric dream with you in part 2. It was noteworthy enough to describe in some detail - I was even able to recreate an indoor and an outdoor map of the surroundings to accompany the description.

More to follow....