Dreams

[Van Buren Supernova]

Whenever I go to some market, there are vendors who still try to get my attention by nudging or poking me. I hate that with passion even before Covid BC was born. Icy stare doesn't work. Many times I have to actually be rude. Habits die hard I guess, theirs and mine.

But you are right, the silver lining is, not wanting to shake hand doesn't look impolite anymore.

[Artemis]

 

[Artemis]

I had an intense nightmare last night.  I was imprisoned in a facility where they were experimenting on people using mental torture.  I won't disturb you with too many details.  I was there for many months.  I befriended the person in the cell next to me.  We would talk, as long as the guards weren't too near, and we grew very close.  Then one day, they were removed, and never returned.  Months later, I was brought to a sterile room.  It was large and circular, shiny black floor and white walls, lights overhead, nothing in it but a large table in the middle.  On the table was something long and narrow.  They uncovered it, revealing a tight glass box, with my friend's half rotten corpse inside.  Next to the box was a second box.  Connected to it, actually.  It was empty.  They forced me inside and sealed it shut.  It was so tight that I couldn't move my arms or legs at all.  I couldn't help but look at my friend's corpse.  They told me that if I managed to get out of that box, they would let me out of the facility.  Then they left me alone in the room.  I was crying and struggling to get free, trying to bang my head against the glass, as my neck was the only thing I could move a little; but I couldn't get enough leverage in the confined space.  I woke up screaming.

Lovely way to start a day.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I hope you won't be offended that I skipped most of that!     I'm headed off to bed shortly.  

[Artemis]

Not in the least.  Sweet dreams!   

 

[Artemis]

I was watching "X-Men: First Class" the other day, and I had a passing thought that Beast resembled a blue Grinch.

So apparently my brain took that and ran with it, lol.  Last night I dreamt that the Grinch found out he was a mutant, and he was running around wreaking havoc in Xavier's school: playing pranks, boasting about his super strength, and challenging people who didn't like him to competitions, lol.

And he doesn't even really have super strength; he was just imbued with it that one time because of adrenaline.  But that didn't stop him from bragging about his heroic feat and embellishing the story like a tale-telling old fisherman at a small-town bar, lol.

 

[Artemis]

I was looking through some of my old journal entries today, and I came across this strange dream I wrote about over a decade ago.  Thought I would post it here for your amusement.

 

Quote

The Bridesmaid Dress of DOOM
(8/12/2010)

It has been a night for odd dreams, apparently.  The first one I don't remember, but it must have been pretty wild because I woke up lying in a totally opposite position from which I'd started, with pillows strewn about me (even the big one I'd had my head on!), my blanket twisted around me, my heart rate shot and my skin tingling from fear.  Ay.

Dream number two was like a very bad Lord of the Rings remake, lol.  Except there was no Frodo yet or fellowship, just a young Bilbo.  He and I were apparently long-time friends, and lived in the same... building... together?  That doesn't sound very hobbitish!  Lol.  I'm not sure what it was, actually.  It was like part apartment building, part dormitory, part hotel, and fancy like Hogwarts or something, but not at all magical.  In any case, there was a big, wide staircase outside my door and across the hall, a community bathroom to the left, and Bilbo's place to the right and across the hall.  The closest door of his to mine was actually a walk-in closet, which for some reason he kept unlocked for me to go back and forth between our rooms at will.  Once inside I'd just knock on the other closet door which opened to his room, and he'd let me in.  Why this makes sense I have no idea, but hey, dreams rarely do.  Not mine, anyway.

So I'm in my room, trying on bridesmaid dresses (??!?) and of course hating every one.  I had just put on a shimmery white-gray one, a size too small.  Frustrated with how I looked, I decided to give up for awhile, lay down and rest my eyes (without taking it off first??), when someone opened the door to my room.  I didn't bother to move at first, figuring it was Bilbo who was accustomed to making my home his home.  But when the person didn't come in, I glanced over just as the door was closing again and thought I saw Gandalf's beard and billowy robes exiting.  I got excited for a minute because Gandalf (still The Grey at this point) was my friend too, and I didn't get to see him very often and hey, everyone loves Gandalf, right?!  Figuring he'd assumed I was sleeping and went to Bilbo's, I started to go after him, but then decided that my eyes were probably playing tricks on me because I actually was tired, and I should stop being lazy and try on more dresses.  I took the white one off and put on deep red one with a silver and pastel green sheer accent overlay, which was actually very beautiful but looked like something out of the Renaissance Fair.  Which I wouldn't have minded at all, but I knew the bride (whoever she was) wouldn't like it in her wedding.

I was about to take it off when I thought I heard Gandalf's voice humming softly in the community bathroom.  I ran out of my apartment and slewed left just as he was coming out of the bathroom, and I ended up bumping smack into him.  Looking irritated and worried at the same time, he grabbed my arm before I could say anything and pulled me into Bilbo's closet.  I must still be really tired because this is making me giggle.  He told me to stay there, and then went through the other door into Bilbo's room where I heard them talking in urgent, muffled voices.  When he came back he told me that the Ringwraiths had learned that Bilbo had the Ring and were already on their way after him.  Apparently we'd discussed it before, because I knew what both of those things were and didn't need any explanation.  He said that Bilbo was packing, and let me hurry to pack some things too.

Not sure why I was coming with, except that Bilbo and I were such close friends that it was just a given.  Not to mention, Gandalf didn't want me there when the Ringwraiths showed up either.  Not only did the Ring attract the Ringwraiths, but anything that touched the Ring also attracted them, as if it left a scent behind like pheromones (because in dreamworld, scent travels by touch and that just makes sense).  Meaning, in other words, that I was already "tainted" and vulnerable, and they'd probably kill me if they smelled it on me but caught me without it, like those Velociraptors' eggs in Jurassic Park 3.

So I bounded ungracefully but as stealthily as I could in a big rustly dress back across the hall to my apartment, while Gandalf rolled his eyes behind me and then returned to tend Bilbo.  I turned my lights off to give my place an empty and innocuous look (as if the Ringwraiths would come by and say "Oh well, she already left" and continue on their merry way, or could even see in the first place).  But I left the front door open so I could keep an eye on any intruders, and escape quickly with as little noise as possible.

A bit flustered and on a fight-or-flight high, I almost grabbed my black cloak first before anything else (YAY I HAD A CLOAK) but then smacked myself in the head because it would be smarter to grab that on the way out (duh).  Willing more blood to my brain, I went to my sock drawer to get underwear first, which surprises me because making sure I have clean underwear on a trip is usually more of an afterthought with me.  I was torn over which underwear to bring, but hurriedly decided on my bigger briefs because they'd probably be more comfortable for physical activity, and tromping around the forest, and who knows what else.

I stuffed those into my bag, along with a few other random clothes that I didn't even look at, at which point I realized that I didn't have any underwear on underneath my dress this whole time (for some very odd reason, no doubt), and that I should probably change because I might not have enough time to finish packing anyway.  So I stripped (very relieved to be free of my dress) and pulled on a pair of green underwear (in such a rush that I fell over a couple of times, awkward me).  I had just pulled my black shirt over my head, when I glanced towards the door and saw the shadows of nine Ringwraiths coming silently down the staircase outside my door.

Cursing myself for not going faster and wondering how embarrassing it would be to die half naked, I moved out of the doorway light and tried to decide what to do.  I settled on the idea of trying to ninja my way out the door on the other side of the apartment.  I was unsuccessful, because as soon as I moved, my feet ran into the rustly dress lying on the floor.  Stupid bridesmaid dresses, getting me into trouble.  I'll never be a bridesmaid again, I swears.  Eight of the Ringwraiths continued on to Bilbo's, but one of them heard and stayed behind to check out my apartment.  Though I've never been a quick thinker under pressure, interestingly enough I tend to become very calm in a crisis, and I at least had enough brains left to realize that if I stood nearer to something with the scent of the Ring, he might not be able to smell the difference between us.  I remembered that I had touched the cloak in my back storage pantry immediately after touching the Ring, which is why I had put it away in the storage closet in the first place.

So I sneaked sneakily down the hallway to that room, opened the pantry door, hid myself around the corner of the bookcase and tried not to breathe, all in a matter of a few seconds because your damned attacker never gives you enough time to make any plans!  I was followed momentarily by the Wraith, who I heard poking at my rustly dress in the hall with his sword.  He glided into the room, and I waited in suspenseful dead silence for him to sniff around awhile.  In a life or death situation you always seem to be running out of time, except when you're hiding.  THEN time stands still, and it can't be over fast enough.  He came very close to me at one point, and took a jab near the bookcase with his sword, but ultimately focused on the pantry as I'd hoped.  Seeming very pleased with his discovery, he screeched and made off with my cloak.  Lousy thief.

I waited there a few seconds longer to ensure that he had left, feeling relieved but not too relieved, because in the movies the bad guy always comes back when you're overconfident.  I put on some black pants faster than I've probably ever put on pants, grabbed my other cloak, threw my backpack over my shoulders and high-tailed it outta there, trying to guess which direction Gandalf had gone so I could catch up, because of course he would have been sensible enough to get Bilbo out of there without me.

No Ringwraiths in sight, I bolted out the door like I was crossing a freeway, and promptly bumped directly into Gandalf (for the second time).  Because, like all good friends, they wouldn't leave me behind and were coming to check on me.  Poor little Bilbo looked even more scared than I was, which I suppose is understandable when you're the main target of all evil in the land, and presumably they'd just evaded eight Ringwraiths as opposed to one.

Looking irritated and worried (for the second time), Gandalf grabbed my arm (for the second time) and covered my mouth with his other hand so that I wouldn't scream from the sudden surprise of crashing into them.  He was about to say something to me, when he looked up behind me, and his expression fell in fear.  Bilbo's followed.  I started to glance in the same direction...

...At which point I awoke.  Darn.

But my skin had the same tingly feeling as it'd had after my first dream.  *Shudders*.

Have I really been writing this for over 3 hours already?  Jeesh.  The end.

 

...

 

[Arcadia]

That is one detailed dream! I used to have them like that, back in my 20's. Now I guess I just sleep through them ???? I called a lot of mine "frustration dreams" because in them I'd keep trying to do something (like get dressed) and everything kept happening to delay me. So my main sensation upon waking was frustration. Great.  

[Carol the Dabbler]

10 hours ago, Artemis said:

Though I've never been a quick thinker under pressure, interestingly enough I tend to become very calm in a crisis

Me too -- though it had never occurred to me that those two traits seem contradictory.  I can't stand to have someone standing over me (either literally or figuratively) when I'm trying to get something done; it makes my brain seize up.  But I do tend to keep my head when the situation is inherently time-critical.

10 hours ago, Artemis said:

feeling relieved but not too relieved, because in the movies the bad guy always comes back when you're overconfident.

I'm like Arcadia, don't often recall my dreams nowadays.  Either I used to remember them more often, or more likely I'm currently remembering a lifetime of remembered dreams.  I don't offhand recall having any recurring dreams lately, though, so I guess things have changed in that regard.  Either that or I simply don't remember them?

Anyhow, that was one wild dream!

 

 

[Artemis]

16 hours ago, Arcadia said:

I called a lot of mine "frustration dreams" because in them I'd keep trying to do something (like get dressed) and everything kept happening to delay me. So my main sensation upon waking was frustration.

Same!  I also call them "frustration dreams".

 

[J.P.]

Oh, those obstacle course dreams are actually permanent on the menue here. When they are emotionally loaded and feel more like reality than watching a movie - I wake up totally exhausted.

What I was wondering recently though: sometimes I seem to recall strange parts while I'm dreaming. Kind of wrong memories, but somehow I think they were other dreams in the past. Which is - of course - not possible to confirm.

And I've had some more of the pseudo-lucid dreams. I'm suddenly aware that I'm dreaming, but because I still have no (or hardly) control of the situation, I just might dream of having a lucid dream. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Carol the Dabbler]

  .

32 minutes ago, J.P. said:

I've had some more of the pseudo-lucid dreams. I'm suddenly aware that I'm dreaming, but because I still have no (or hardly) control of the situation, I just might dream of having a lucid dream.

That's interesting!  With me it tends to be either I'm not aware that I'm dreaming, or else I have some control over the dream.  In the latter case, making the effort to tweak things will half-wake me, so that it gradually turns it into a regular daydream.

Regarding remembering prior dreams while having a new dream:  I've definitely had those (and can be sure because I had remembered the prior dreams after I woke up).

 

[J.P.]

The problem is: did I also remember the older dreams before I had a dream where I remembered them? I'm not that sure. This remembering might be also a part of the dream, a kind of false memory.  In dreams the memories don't feel like something I've dreamed before but parts... of a parallell universe or something.

[Carol the Dabbler]

1 hour ago, J.P. said:

The problem is: did I also remember the older dreams before I had a dream where I remembered them? I'm not that sure.

Luckily, I can be sure -- well, sort of.  I had been having dreams where I could levitate, and of course was disappointed when I woke up (I even tried levitating a few times, using the same technique as in the dreams, just in case).  Then I had another dream where I remembered -- well, not the prior dream, exactly, but the part when I woke up and tried -- and of course in the dream I could once more levitate just fine, and I thought "See?  I told you so!"  I felt so relieved -- till I woke up!

Is that close enough?

 

[J.P.]

Okay, flying abilities - This is a whole special sort of dreams and they sometime seem to belong to the same alternative universe. But I also often dream about places that seem or actually are familiar - from somewhere, and they are definitely not real.

[Carol the Dabbler]

3 hours ago, J.P. said:

I also often dream about places that seem or actually are familiar - from somewhere, and they are definitely not real.

Many (most?) of my dreams (or at least the ones I remember) are set in my home, my workplace, etc .  Some are not, but they seem like real places, albeit ones I don't recognize.  My levitation dreams typically occurred (don't think I've had one in ages) in the latter sort of places.

I apparently did have one dream that took place aboard the starship Enterprise, though -- for years I thought it was a real scene (I just couldn't place the episode), but I've watched the entire series a few times now on DVD, and it's definitely not there.

 

[Artemis]

On 1/9/2022 at 3:27 PM, J.P. said:

Oh, those obstacle course dreams are actually permanent on the menue here. When they are emotionally loaded and feel more like reality than watching a movie - I wake up totally exhausted.

Ditto.

On 1/9/2022 at 3:27 PM, J.P. said:

And I've had some more of the pseudo-lucid dreams. I'm suddenly aware that I'm dreaming, but because I still have no (or hardly) control of the situation, I just might dream of having a lucid dream. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Ditto again.  I don't think I've ever had an actual lucid dream, where I can control anything in my dream.  But I often become aware that I'm dreaming within my dream.  I just can't do anything with that knowledge, except occasionally force myself to wake up.

 

[Artemis]

Ready to hear something weird?  Last Wednesday night, about 3 1/2 years after I posted my first dream post on this thread, I dreamt a continuation of that dream.

Brains are weird.

 

[Artemis]

I dreamt that I was accidentally kidnapped by four guys who were robbing a bank and stole my car as a getaway vehicle, not realizing I was there when they all shuffled in.  They didn't know what to do with me, so they were just like "Well, looks like you're going to Ohio with us," lol.  They were afraid I would go to the police, so they were trying to scare me and act threatening, but I wasn't convinced by their act because they were funny, non-murdery guys who practically couldn't help themselves from being nice.  I asked if they had guns and one of them tried to scare me by showing me his, but I could tell it was a fake plastic gun and it had an Avengers sticker on it, lol.  It was an interesting road trip and I'm not sure whether they were annoyed or amused by me or both.  I was a younger me in the dream, maybe late teens or early 20's.  We eventually ended up at one of their safe houses on the way to Ohio, and they were trying to figure out what to do next.  I heard them talk about killing me, but I don't think any of them wanted to or could stomach it.  When I asked to go to the bathroom, one of them took me and stood guard outside while I was in there, but I spent most of the time trying to think of what to say to them to reassure them that I wasn't going to go to the police or turn them in if they let me go (because I really wasn't, I was fine and I liked them and I didn't care that they stole the money); and that's when I woke up.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

10 hours ago, Artemis said:

I spent most of the time trying to think of what to say to them to reassure them that I wasn't going to go to the police or turn them in if they let me go (because I really wasn't, I was fine and I liked them and I didn't care that they stole the money....

You could have offered to become their gun moll.