The Dream Zone

Dear Lauri,

Last night I dreamt that an unknown man was taking my 9 year old son away from me. We were in my house. He was carrying my son down the stairs from my second story. My son was crying. I was chasing after the man and shouting in anger. I can't remember what I was saying to the man. The man did not have a face. I do recall feeling like I did not know the man.  – Ellen 41, Red Lion, PA

Lauri: Your son is growing faster than you would like and that man taking him away from you is life! Life kidnaps our children. Seemingly in the blink of an eye our pudgy, little munchkins are pulled away from us and there is nothing we can do about it. This is a common dream that was triggered by a milestone in your son’s life. I assume he just started 4th grade? That could be the milestone, unless there is anything else that happened recently that made you realize how big he is getting and how much less he needs you?  

Ellen replies: Oh my! He just went into 3rd grade. His older sister just entered junior high so he is all on his own now in elementary school. No more older sister at school to guide him and show him the way. And he is soooo over me doting all over him all the time. It makes perfect sense. Thank you Lauri!

Fascinating Sleep Fact:

Unlike storage of fat, there seems to be little evolutionary benefit to extra sleep. Probably, our typical 6-8 hours of sleep are just enough to do all "neural housekeeping". People with sleep deficit may indeed tend to sleep obscenely long. However, once they catch up and get into the rhythm, the length of their sleep is actually likely to decrease

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"In bed my real love has always been the sleep that rescued me by allowing me to dream." - Luigi Pirandello

Dear Dream Zone,

In my dream I’m in a public place and thick food is coming out of my throat almost choking me (it is thick and dry) and I have to pull it out and dispose of it in a private place (like throw it in a planter!). Help me!  - Anne 38, Murray, KY

Lauri: Whenever your dream focuses on the throat or mouth it is commenting on what you have said or what you need to say. To choke means you are likely holding back words. At the time of this dream were you holding your tongue about something? Was there something you needed to communicate but were afraid to? Are you the type that doesn't always speak her mind? Notice how you have to pull it out in a private place. This is the way you are telling yourself that yes, you do need to get these words out of your throat already... but you may be more comfortable doing it privately, not in front of others or perhaps not even face to face with whomever you need to speak up to. It is also significant that you throw the food out in a planter. You are telling yourself – through this dream - that you could certainly grow from this. So "spit it out" already.

Anne replies:  Thank you for interpreting this dream. I believe you are right! It is a relief to digest what you interpret so we can use the meaning to help us with our daily living. You are awesome.  Thanks!

Celebrity Dream Fact:
Celine Dion reports that she has recurring dreams of swallowing a large cold apple.  These dreams are literally a singer’s worst nightmare as they reflect her fear of her voice going cold.

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"Every challenge we face can be solved by a dream." - David Schwartz

Dear Lauri,
Last night I dreamt a bomb landed a few doors from my house.  I ran away as fast as I could to take shelter from the explosion.  The bomb went off, then I woke up.  What does this mean? - Anonymous 37, somewhere in PA

Lauri: Did you or did anyone around you have an emotional outburst recently?  If not, then did some bad news get dropped on you? Or perhaps a negative situation has seemingly landed in your life and you fear it is a ticking time bomb, ready to explode if something isn’t done.  The fact that you ran from the bomb suggests this is an issue that you are avoiding rather than dealing with it.

Anonymous replies: I’m a morning show host on the radio. I'm REALLY not happy here since they changed players on our morning show. I don't like the new guy they added. And you are exactly right. I haven't told management that I HATE what they've done to our show. I’ve been keeping my feelings to myself.

Lauri:  Ah… so the new guy is the bad news/bomb.  And it came from above because management is above you. That’s tough to have to work with someone you don’t like. Maybe you two should get drunk together! (wink)
 
Anonymous replies:  Ha ha!  That’s true. Maybe we should. (smile)

Fascinating Sleep Fact:
Sleep Talking, also known as Somniloquy, is not connected to dreaming.  It typically happens in the first two stages of sleep before REM begins. When it does happen during REM, it comes out as muffled cries or moaning and groaning because the skeletal muscles, including the jaw, are paralyzed at this point so that we do not get up and act out our dreams.

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"I dream my painting and then paint my dream." - Vincent Van Gogh

Dear Lauri,

I dreamt I was in a restaurant and there was a quiet swarm of bees under the table that I accidentally disturbed and they swarmed my entire left leg and stung it and I couldn't get them off. I didn't feel any pain but was very scared cuz they were stuck to my leg. - Deb 48, Wausau, WI

Lauri: Is there any gossip or "buzz" going on that you may have inadvertently stepped into? Or has someone around you said some hurtful or critical things to you or about you? It seems that since this all took place under the table there is some sort of hush hush going on in real life. The bees are stuck to your LEFT leg because this is something that really ought to have been LEFT alone but you may have put your foot in where it doesn't belong and now you're kinda stuck in it.

Deb replies: Wow - you hit it on the head. I couldn't see that message but you nailed it. I'm dating a wonderful man but my ex boyfriend who is the love of my life came back into my life in the past two weeks and wants a second chance. Last night I tried to have an honest conversation with my current boyfriend in hopes of figuring out what to do but couldn't do it. So my ex is waiting to find out how the conversation went in hopes of getting back together and I'm just not sure what the right thing is to do. So yes, I should have left it alone and asked my ex to give me time to figure things out. Yikes.

Fascinating Sleep Fact:
It’s back to school time!  Did you know that your child needs 9 hours of sleep unlike adults who need 7 to 8 hours.  Make sure your child gets enough sleep each night so he or she can be a star in the classroom!

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"Dreams are perhaps the most highly personal expressions you have." - Patricia Garfield

Dear Lauri,

I had a dream that I was cleaning in my kitchen under my ex-husband's stove and two mice bit my hands, one on each hand, on the fleshy part under my little fingers and they wouldn't let go no matter how hard I tried to shake them off. They just bit in harder. Then I woke up. Weirdest one I've had in a while.  - Branwyn 37, Wausau, WI

Lauri: How recently did he become an ex? Sounds like you are trying to cleanse yourself of frustration and negativity that may still remain. The stove is interesting as it may point to plans, ideas, etc. that you've got cooking up  but are hindered by the ex in some way, since it was his stove. The two mice are connected to two particular issues that are pestering and annoying you right now. They bit you because the situation must really "bite" as far as you're concerned. It is significant that they bit your hands as that is the way your dream is showing you that you can indeed handle the situation.

Branwyn replies: We've been divorced for over seven years. The two issues I have right now are the  ongoing issues with him concerning our kids and having a really hard time finding a job. Would like to move away to find work but kind of stuck with a rule that says  I can only move a certain distance away from where he lives because of shared custody. It's been frustrating for a long time. So yes, your interpretation fits perfectly with what's happening in my life. Thank you so much! I'll be more aware of those kinds of messages in my future dreams.

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"Maybe the wildest dreams are but the needful preludes of the truth.- Alfred Lord Tennyson

Dear Lauri,

Last night I dreamt I was standing in flood water.  It was rising and rising and it was really cold. I was trying to move through it and realized I was naked!  What does this mean?   - Lisa, Milwaukee, WI

Lauri: is someone around you giving you the cold shoulder or just plain emotionally cold? Or are you the one that has grown cold towards someone else? Sounds like you are in a pretty icy situation in waking life! The flood waters suggest you feel this situation is getting worse.  You are trying to move through the water because you must be trying to just get through this situation already and the nakedness may mean you aren't sure how to protect yourself emotionally from this.  Or perhaps you are feeling a bit exposed or vulnerable.  Your dream is giving you an honest portrayal of your current circumstances so you can better know how to handle them.

Melissa replies: My mother in law has been with us for two weeks and is driving me insane. She just left this morning but she comes for weeks at a time and it's too much. It wears on me and makes me feel like I can't be myself at home or do my "usual" things like watch TV and chill. Her longest stay was a month last year. It's making me nuts. nuts. nuts.  I now know I need to get the balls to tell my husband that this isn't working for me anymore and she can't come for that long! Thank you!

FASCINATING DREAM FACT: After the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, hundreds of people reported that they had dreams and premonitions of the ship’s demise. Nineteen of those experiences were authenticated.

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"They say dreams are the windows of the soul; take a peek and you can see the inner workings, the nuts and bolts."   - Henry Bronel

Dear Lauri,

My 5 year old dreamed that he was on the deck with a friend and they noticed a horrible black cloud and they knew it meant danger. They had to jump on the CONCREEP and then he woke up, and came and got in the bed with me. – Melissa 38, Minneapolis, MN

Lauri: Awe! You gotta love kid language, huh?  Did your son get in trouble the day before the dream? I ask because the dark, ominous cloud may represent – to him – a foreboding authority figure because the cloud, like a parent, it is above him. And if he did get in said trouble, is it because he was doing something that was deemed dangerous?

Melissa replies: He had to get out of the pool yesterday because he couldn’t follow pool rules. He had to watch his brother continue to swim without him! Maybe I did have an impact?

Lauri: You did, you big black cloud of parental authority! And that is why he had to get on the concrete in the dream, because in real life he had to get out of the pool and stay on the concrete. Just goes to show you that when you think your kids aren’t listening, what you say does seep through.

FASCINATING DREAM FACT: Ever wonder why your eyes move back and forth under your lids during REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement)? Because you're watching what's going on in your dream!

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"Being awake is highly overrated"   - Maynard G. Krebbs

Dear Lauri,

I had a dream this afternoon during a nap that I was cleaning my apartment. When I was vacuuming, I saw 3 dragonflies flying around. I tried to shoo them out the window but they just wouldn't go. I finally managed to get one of them out, but the other 2 stayed inside.   – Jen 22, Madison, WI

Lauri: Cleaning in a dream means there is some cleansing taking place in waking life. What sort of cleansing are you going through right now?  Trying to clean up a behavior or attitude?  Cleanse yourself of frustration or negativity? Whatever it is, it is most likely something that you feel seems to “drag on” and on, hence the dragon flies.  There were three of them so there must be three issues.  Trying to get them out of your house means you want these issues out of your life or out of your way.  It seems you’ve had success with one so there are two more to go.

Jen replies:  As far as the "dragging on" portion, I'm in a summer class that just doesn't seem to end. My attitude towards school in general could use a good "cleaning" because I'm suffering from SEVERE senioritis, ha ha. Maybe once I start my core classes again, instead of this gen ed, I can shoo the "dragonflies" out, I can clean up my attitude towards school and buckle down and finish out my last two semesters.

FASCINATING DREAM FACT: The ancient Chinese believed the soul left the body to travel the world when dreaming and that if awakened before the dream was over the soul would not be able to return. Because of this, many Chinese today are not too keen about owning an alarm clock!

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Dear Lauri,

I’m riding a Harley down a street.  As I get to a hill that I’m about to ride down, I see a large group of bikers riding down the cross street below.  I get nervous and realize that I actually don’t know how to ride a motorcycle.  I’m scared that I’ll mess up if I end up riding with the group.  Then the Harley turns into a bike.  I’m pedaling down the hill until I realize I don’t know how to ride a bike either. I’m actually surprised that I’ve been keeping my balance for that long.  Now that I’ve thought about it, I can’t figure out how to get my balance so I end up "walking" the bike and trying to remember where I was headed. – Laurel 34, Las Vegas, NV

Lauri:  Your dream reflects an increasing lack of confidence in yourself or in your own power.  It seems a direction your life was headed in once had great momentum but now is barely worth the ride.  Motorcycles and bikes are both single passenger vehicles. Anything you want or need to do solo? The bicycle may also be a message that you need to scale back for your own good and find the right balance for yourself before continuing on down a certain path. 

Laurel replies:  I realize now that this dream is about my relationship path.  I’ve had a blow to my confidence that made me lose my motivation for dating.  My massage therapist came on to me during a session and it got physical.  However, once I realized he wasn’t wearing a condom, I stopped everything and never saw him again.  Unfortunately, I didn’t stop it fast enough because I developed signs of an STD within days of the incident.  I now feel dirty and scared to date anyone else.  It feels like I’m being punished for allowing it to happen at all. I’m used to feeling powerful in being able to attract people to me; now it scares me. I’m struggling to balance what happened to me with how to deal in the future.

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Dear Lauri,

I dreamed I was a prostitute and this guy from work was trying to kill me so I jumped on a bike to try and get away but the bike wouldn't go anywhere. It wouldn't move, which made me mad for wasting time that I could have spent running.   – Nicole 30, West Jordan, UT

Lauri:  Being a prostitute suggests you are selling yourself short in some way, you are not living up to or are not being respected for your value. When someone tries to kill you in a dream it means you are feeling pressure – either from yourself or from someone around you – to put an end to something in waking life. The guy from work may be a clue. Are you feeling undervalued at work? Maybe this is the part that needs to be killed off. The bicycle is your ability to have balance in your life, such as your ability to successfully balance work and your personal life. But since the bike isn’t moving in the dream, you must have an imbalance in your life that is holding you back, keeping you from moving towards a goal you have.

Nicole replies:  I am starting grad school tomorrow in hopes of changing careers because I hate my job! Yes, I now have to balance school and my job and I will be stuck like this until I graduate. I can’t wait to kill the job off.

Fascinating Sleep Fact:

According to scientists at Washington State University, when you feel sleepy parts of your brain are actually asleep.  Sleep creeps up on you as independent groups of brain cells become fatigued and go to sleep even while you are still awake. Eventually, enough go to sleep and you doze off.

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Dear Lauri,

In my dream I woke up in the  woods in the middle of the night and sat up.   About 5 feet from me was a black wolf with red eyes, and it ran to me  and just before it bit me, I woke up.   – Nicole 21

Lauri:  Is there someone around you  that you would describe as greedy or ravenous or perhaps even predatory? Someone you feel may be out to get  you or is involved with you for their own greedy needs? Or is there a part of  you that you would describe this way that you fear may be starting to overpower  you? The fact that you "woke up" in the dream means you have recently “woken up” to this issue.  The red eyes are a red flag you are sending yourself that this person does not see you in the  way you wish they would.

Amber replies:  Yes...my mother!  My fiancé  and I just moved in with her and her boy friend and his son, and she keeps  trying to drain every penny out of us and it makes it hard to save money. We give  her bill money and rent and food for our half and every month she raises  it.  Then we run out of food and she asks for more money so she can buy beer and cigarettes and booze.  Basically, I’m a bank.

Fascinating Sleep Fact:

A recent study suggests that people who sleep more than 9 hours a day are more likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease.

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