Your Common Dream Themes

[AphoticAtramentous]

What are the common themes that you see in your dreams, especially themes that relate to your trauma/upbringing in some way?

For myself, my worst nightmares are the dreams of me being trapped. Usually that's physically, being locked away or restrained.
But on the flip side, my best dreams are of me being a Chinese dragon, free to fly all over the world.

These dreams are the very epitome of my trauma. Being trapped versus my desire for freedom. I wondered perhaps if others had similar phenomenons in their dreams?

Regards,
Aphotic.

[Maria S]

Thanks for the question. Sorry you have such dreams. But nice you have strong free ones!

I dream a lot about family and trauma.

I have many similar dreams of being trapped. Not being able to escape my family. Other themes:

- Losing my child to family.
- Not being able to protect my child.
- Abandonment by family.
- Being stalked.
- Being a bad person or a bad daughter. And being punished for that. 

An example from childhood, was that I walked through our neighbourhood. All the houses and gardens were normal. But all the families were  fake. Like the fake mother in the movie Coraline or the fake women in Stepford wives. Or had disappeared, leaving me all alone.

My dreams always scare me.

[Phoebes]

This is an interesting topic to me as well.

A recurring theme for me is basically trying to get somewhere, or working through steps to get somewhere, or almost getting somewhere, but never being able to get there.

It can be to a literal place, to find a person, or to reach a goal. The feeling when I wake up is extreme frustration and disappointment.

I have some other weird details throughout my dreams sometimes. It usually has to do with never making it somewhere.

[Sunshineandwarmth]

Dear Atramentous,

For me, I have stopped having dreams altogether. Science says everyone dreams, even when they have forgotten about it in the morning. I don't believe that to be true. My mind is way too restless for it to dream.

A couple of years back, when I used to have dreams, a recurring theme for me was I'd be in a plane, and somehow, it would plummet to the ground. I have had so many dreams like that, so many, throughout the years.
But there was something about it, just as the airplane would crash, and my life, seemingly would end, I would feel a deep sense of tranquility and calm. I always felt like I was floating, that I was something weightless that was passing through the skies.
The crash would fear me to death, and what happened afterwards, gave me hope.
Beyond my fear, there is peace.
The idea of the unknown might be terrifying, but unknown places can turn out to be beautiful too.
I hope all the unknowns in our lives, the places we work at, the strangers we meet, the people that become family, I really hope and wish and pray that for all of us, the unknowns turn out to be beautiful.
I have hope.

Love,
S

[Dalloway]

Thank you for starting this interesting topic, Aphotic.

I have two recurring dream types that keep repeating almost every night.

The first one is very similar to what Phoebes described: I often dream about wanting to go somewhere, preparing, dressing up, but there´s always some kind of obstacle in my way. I cannot get ready, can´t find my things or am missing the bus or the whole event or get lost in the streets and I´m not able to find the location, even though I know the place. This feeling of being lost is often accompanied in my dreams by my family waiting for me somewhere I can´t get to and feeling the panic that I´m gonna lose them. It´s horrible.

The second one is being somewhere amongst people but not being seen or heard or being ignored. These kinds of dreams have the same scenario every time: I´m in a crowd of people, they are chatting and making friends and I´m trying to draw attention to myself but they don´t care, so I often pretend to faint or throw a tantrum just to get their attention, but it always ends with people misunderstanding my effort and ignoring me even more. This dream-type mirrors exactly how I feel in real life, too -- that everyone counts but me and that I´ll always be alone, even in a huge crowd of people.

[AphoticAtramentous]

Thanks for all the replies. Your personal themes are both intriguing and heartbreaking. I can definitely see how these themes might relate to personal traumas. How cruel it is for our brains to replay these things back to us when we're trying to rest, like the ghost of CPTSD haunting us at night.

Lately I've been dreaming of my family a lot, but I think that's because Christmas is coming up...

Regards,
Aphotic.

[Kizzie]

I am like Phoebes, I have anxiety dreams about trying to get somewhere or do something and not being able to make it happen.  I'm fairly certain it's all about a fear of not being in control no matter how hard I try. It also feels like trying to reach my N family and never being able to connect no matter what I did or tried. Just hugely frustrating. 

[Desert Flower]

That's an interesting question Aphotic. And I feel for everyone here, indeed very cruel to be reliving this kind of stuff.

My nightmares as a kid were about something very big, rounded and abstract that I cannot account for. But very frightening and overwhelming. (I also used to have these sightings of coloured sparks before my eyes before falling asleep.)
And I used to dream a lot about being chased and having to get away, and in my dreams I would be able to 'swim' through the air and I would be trying to lift off, but ever so painstakingly slowly, it was excruciating.
And the past ten years or so, I dream about having to leave by train or plane, having to be on time, but being not quite ready, having so much stuff to pack still or things to sort out before I leave, very stressful.
And recently, I have dreams of me having to get out of the last toxic relationship I was in, being very disgusted with the guy, knowing I want to leave and him wanting me to stay. But I do leave.
And I dream of being totally (left) alone, frantically trying to find a partner.
And this week I dreamt of not being allowed to participate in some event because there was supposedly something wrong with my knees, they looked wrong somehow and me thinking 'oh well'. I think this has to do with my CPTSD-diagnosis and me not participating in every event anymore like I used to (force myself to).
And a recurring one is being back in my grandmother's house. Before, I used to dream it was a big disorderly mess and me having to clean it up somehow. But these days, I go back and find new stuff there, having the place newly decorated and once I even dreamt the king stopped by and approved of it! This is definitely about my diagnosis and sorting everything out and getting somewhere at that.

[Maria S]

Interesting how themes that are in your life are processed in your life. Not always fun. But interesting. I love how the house gets better in your dreams!