Welcome to the Guinea Pig Diaries – a monthly dive into different topics, and this month we’re talking about SLEEP!  Wondering about setting a better sleep routine, check out Snooze is Not the Answer.  Got a partner who snores?  Go read It Might Get Loud.

Today, we’re talking about dreams.

(image courtesy flickr Creative Commons – Heidi M Mcdonald)

Do you ever have a reoccurring dream?  Have you wondered what it means?  Dreams can have a variety of meanings and purposes in our lives; they can show us what we wish for, what we fear, and sometimes we can even speak to loved ones we’ve lost.

The most common type of dream is the Release Dream.

Release dreams serve their purpose by getting rid of the mental stress we carry around during the day.  They can be nonsensical, humorous, and even scary.  Nightmares are a form of release dreams – because they show us the worst case scenario.  They also show us, however, that we can survive.  Our subconscious is shocking us to let us know what we’re capable of accepting and dealing with.

What You Should Know About Nightmares:

Have you or someone you know had a reoccurring dream that a loved one becomes injured or dies?  Nightmares like this are disturbing, no doubt, but it doesn’t mean they’re a premonition of something bad to happen.  If we fear something with our conscious during the day, our subconscious stores it and releases it when we’re asleep.  And again, it’s to show us we’ll survive – even if in our dreams we don’t.  

I can think of a very particular nightmare I used to have again and again as a child.  I dreamed that I was kidnapped.  I was probably around 7 or 8 years old when a man came to our house and knocked on our door.  Being that my father owned a cake business, we commonly had customers stop by to return cake fixtures from parties and such so I thought nothing of strange people at our door.  This guy drove a beat up old truck and asked if my parents were home.  I said they were and to step inside, I’d go get them.  He immediately said, “Oh, that’s ok, nevermind…”, turned and left.  When I told my mom and sister what happened, they were instantly alarmed.  And I remember my sister looking out the window to catch sight of his truck and she called the police.  I didn’t know I should have been scared, but their reaction did the trick.  For several nights following, I suffered the nightmare that I was taken from my family.  It left me scared to even be on the playground at school without other students or teachers around.  Thankfully, I never saw the man again, and I’ve never been taken from my family against my will.

What About The Dreams Where My Teeth Fall Out???

(image courtesy flickr Creative Commons – mmmcrafts)

Opposite of nightmares, release dreams can encompass those totally whacked out dreams we have too!  You know, the ones where gorillas surround the house and take over the birdfeeder!!

…just me?…

Moving along!  They’re called a release dream because they’re releasing the stuff our conscious collects throughout the day.  When I was reading The Hunger Games trilogy, you should have SEEN the dreams I was having!  And don’t get me started on my dreams following The Walking Dead.

Dreams About Your Teeth or Hair Falling Out:

Certain reoccurring dreams can have an archetypal meaning.  A common one is the dream that all your teeth are falling out!

If you’re dreaming about your teeth, or hair, falling out it could mean you’re feeling vulnerable or embarrassed in some way.  Perhaps you said something you wished you hadn’t or maybe you’re worried about getting old and afraid people won’t see you the same way.  Both would be triggered by stress, so do whatever calming techniques work best for you – especially before bedtime – to put these dreams to rest (pun intended).  

Dreams About the Weather – Storms, Waves, and Tornadoes:

Different form, same as above.  Emotional stress.  When we feel overwhelmed, we have the saying that “we’re drowning.”  That phrase comes from somewhere!  Emotional turbulence can take a physical form in our dreams through perilous natural elements because our minds recognize these forces as dangerous and requiring caution.

Dreams About Animals:

(image courtesy flickr Creative Commons – Asta R)

Dreams About Stairs or Mazes: