Another dream I had last night had me going on a mountain path. . .
I was in a ’60’s model convertible car, couldn’t tell what kind really. I was driving towards a mountain that sat enormous, its very presence demanding attention. It seemed it would take all day to reach its slopes, but then at last my car’s nose began to point higher as I began to climb the mountain road.
The road itself seemed to impersonally cut right through a lush green forest, the thick old trees hugging it’s curves dangerously. At a few points, the foliage blotted out the sun, denying anyone or anything a single ray. My old car groaned as it navigated the sharp curves, protesting against any further progression onto this mountain, yet my foot remained steady on the gas pedal.
The wonderful sights and smells of the forest invaded my senses. Tree bark and moss gave an earthly, almost intoxicating feeling. Mother Earth had freshened herself up just for me, for my journey higher upon her ample bosom. At times the trees would open for a view of a glade that ran down the slopes. And it was not until I saw perhaps the third or fourth field of high grass, that I began to see the animals.
Of every species known to man, animals were leaving the heights of the mountain. I had to slow down, lest I began to strike the creatures with my car. Hundreds of snakes slithered across the road from deep within the forest. Maneuvering the heavy car around their serpentine bodies, I saw many other animals. At first I thought I should be afraid of them, but they were interested only in going down the mountain. Indeed, the most dangerous of creatures came and went. Lions and bobcats and wolves. The majestic wings of a few eagles swooped overhead even, gliding down with the wind. My car was moving at at a crawl now, as I wondered why I hadn’t seen any other humans on this curving pass.
As I climbed higher, I could start speeding up again, as fewer animals began to appear. Eventually, there were none to be seen among the green wall I was driving by. This made me wonder why all these animals had fled the mountain. What ghastly presence exists to cause everything to flee. I began to have my doubts of continuing further with my journey, but for reasons I did not know, I pushed on.
A small ray of light glinted on something metallic near the edge of the road and I immediately slowed to a stop. Among all the green and browns of the forest, this was an unusual object, I had to investigate. I wearily stepped out of my car and as I edged closer, I saw that it was a bicycle, abandoned by it’s owner. It’s frame was grotesquely twisted out of context, as if it’s rider had been in a horrible collision with a vehicle. I shuddered as I thought of the fate of the bicyclist and I turned to go back to my car. And as this was a dream, my car was gone. I turned around again and the bicycle was gone as well. I was completely and utterly alone on this winding mountain pass that seemed to stretch on forever.
And it was then, that I awoke, ripped from the dreamland to once again return to reality.
So what did this dream mean exactly? Why were all those animals fleeing the mountain? The mangled bicycle? So many questions.
cool. :> Maybe Rad was at the summit and he let one go (_)_)<333
Bull,
This may seem an odd claim, but I’m the best dream interpreter I’ve ever met. Now, it’s not like we meet dream interpreters every day. But when people I know have asked me to interpret their dreams, I’ve often blown their minds. Why? Because my interpretations often make so much SENSE to them. Not because what I find is so mysterious, but because it becomes so CLEAR.
Not sure I can explain it very well, or if it even matters. One thing to know is that our brains CONSTRUCT meaning from sensations and perceptions. If we’re in a normal state of mind, our constructed meanings correlate very well with reality. If in an abnormal state of mind (on drugs, sleep-deprived, mentally ill, etc.), our constructed meanings do NOT correlate very well with reality. When we sleep, a part of our brain called the Reticular Activating System sends out random stimulation throughout our brain. This random stimulation has much the same effect of sensory stimulation but it’s, well, random. So, while sleeping, our brain tries to construct meaning from what it “thinks” is sensory stimulation just like when we are awake. Well, what does it have to work with? Well, I believe that images, thoughts, fears, anxieties, desires, and such linger from our previous day. And some things linger from further back–basically longer term memories. Well, while our brain is struggling to make some sense out of this random stimulation, it takes what’s floating around–shorter term and longer term memories–and tries to piece together a sensible story out of them. Well, emotional “memories” (I don’t know a better word) seem to be the framework for building a “story” out of the sensations and lingering memories.
To bring this down to earth a bit, and to bring it home to you, Bull, if you have been going through days with an underlying concern for your health, your life, your mortality, etc., that’s going to be a big driver for your dreams. So, a story will emerge based on that concern as the theme. If your shorter and possibly longer term memory contain images of mountains, forests, animals, automobiles, etc.–those are going to become scenery and actors in your dream. Because that’s what your brain has to work with in constructing meaning from the stimulation that’s going on. Now, another key point is that the brain works with symbols, especially at a lower level of consciousness. Animals fleeing from a mountain top are a pretty powerful image of an impending catastrophe. Like when? Like, say, when God sent the great Flood that only Noah and his family escaped from. Gloomy forests of old-growth timber with rays of light struggling to reach the ground invoke feelings of life but aging, life but dwindling life. A bicycle is a vehicle of youth. A crumpled bike is a symbol for youth come to an untimely end. A vintage convertible sports car symbolizes what? Vintage: age. Convertible: vulnerability. Sports car: going somewhere fast. A car that disappears at the top of the mountain: The end of the journey–the final destination.
I could go on but I’m guessing your mind has constructed some meaning out of the interpretation I’ve suggested. Not really that surprising, is it?
I gotta get some sleep myself right now. What sux for me is I sleep so crappy any more that I hardly remember any dreams. I just remember lying there wanting to sleep.
Kelly
Kelly,
Thanks for that dream interpretation. I myself am usually very clear on my dreams meanings and have interpreted them fairly accurately. This one had me a bit confused, but everything you pointed out does make sense; for reasons I won’t explain here.
As for your not being able to remember dreams, I too had that same issue long ago. Now I can remember roughly 95% of all my dreams, and here’s how:
As you well know, our minds are powerful pieces of bio ingenuity so to speak. With enough practice, we can control certain aspects by suggestion, and in this case, remembering dreams.
Once you lie down in bed and get comfortable, take some long deep breaths and focus on relaxing your body and blanking your thoughts. Don’t think about wanting to sleep, just make yourself relax. After your sufficiently calmed down, tell yourself (speak to your brain, if you will) that you want to remember your dream to every minute detail. Repeat this over and over again. You’ll notice, as the brain is wanton to do, that thoughts completely unrelated will try to interject with your concentration of remembering dreams. Those thoughts have a mind of their own (pun intended) and our brain loves to play with them, so try to push those aside and only concentrate on that one thing.
Granted, nothing may happen the first night. But continously repeated each and every night will ensure that you will remember your dreams. However, the amount of rest that you get also plays a very large role in remembering. And that applies to everyday life as well. You as a professor probably know that very well. Students who didn’t get much sleep the night before their test usually do quite poorly. Same applies going to the movie theater. You are much more likely to remember more details about the movie were you well rested. And really that’s all dreams are, a movie played out in front of your eyelids.
Something else I’ve noticed ever since I began taking my Beta blockers for my heart. Since they lower my blood pressure, I find it much easier to go to sleep, as that also lowers my core body temperature. It just means a more restful sleep, which in turn meant more fulfilling dreams. Before I was on the medication, I was much like you, not getting much sleep cause I was mostly tossing and turning, and the next day I felt like crap.
I hope this explained it a little bit and maybe you get something from it. Always here to help
-Bull