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+--- Thread: 5 dreams in the time of covid 19 (/thread-8478.html)
5 dreams in the time of covid 19 - Magical Realist - Apr 24, 2020
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vivid-coronavirus-dreams-pandemic-experts-decode_l_5e987fefc5b6a92100e3d40b?fbclid=IwAR2V4K5vbloNNDkHhjBZA1mnkXedIrMxJj5TpxHrxXXp5BeFRjal5UsGgYA
"No, you’re not imagining it: Your dreams really have been more vivid and intense since the coronavirus pandemic began.
You’re not alone, either. Google searches of the question “Why am I having weird dreams lately?” have quadrupled in the United States in the past week as all of us struggle to understand why the pandemic and being on lockdown have seeped into our subconscious.
Poor sleep quality is partly to blame. According to a recent survey of 1,014 Americans conducted by SleepStandards, a site that reviews mattresses, 76.8% admitted their sleep has been affected.
We have dreams every night, but the better we sleep, the less likely we are to remember them in the morning. Stress fragments sleep and increases our ability to recall our dreams.
Research has shown that increased anxiety during the day can lead to more negative content in dreams ― especially during a global crisis like this. After 9/11, researchers found that the collective trauma made our dreams more intense and memorable in the days following the attacks. (You’re not alone if you recall having a plane crash dream back then.)
In this case, all those pent-up thoughts you have about you or your loved ones catching COVID-19 are bound to make it into your nightmares.
“We dream at night what we can’t think or feel during the day ― and there is a lot of unthinkable shit happening right now,” said Emily Anhalt, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Coa, a “gym for mental fitness.”
“Add to that the guilt we feel for complaining while people are dying, and our emotions have nowhere to go,” she said. “So where do those thoughts go? They present themselves in our dreams, disguised by symbol and metaphor.” "
RE: 5 dreams in the time of covid 19 - Zinjanthropos - Apr 24, 2020
I just said this morning to my wife that since the outbreak I've been awakened by dreams 2-3 times a night. Although I haven't dreamt of Covid specifically, every dream seems to have a problem to deal with. My recollection isn't that great but I do remember a dream regarding ant & rodent infestation and one where I was faced with a dilemma regarding some safety issue with a furnace.
For a dream that awakens me I usually spend time awake thinking about metaphorical reasons. It's a good night's entertainment and think session. Most times I can relate the dream to something that happened during the day. Can a dream spawn an idea to rectify certain situations or problems you can't amend during non-sleeping hours?
RE: 5 dreams in the time of covid 19 - C C - Apr 25, 2020
I'm sleeping better than what I typically do this time of year. The dreams aren't necessarily any different than usual.
RE: 5 dreams in the time of covid 19 - Magical Realist - Apr 25, 2020
I always have dreams where I'm interacting with lots of people (I am very socially isolated) either frustrated that I can't fix a particular electronic device (was an ET in the Navy) or can't find my car (my truck was stolen back in 99). All in all they seem to cluster around things I'm missing from my present life.
RE: 5 dreams in the time of covid 19 - Zinjanthropos - Apr 25, 2020
(Apr 25, 2020 06:34 AM)C C Wrote: I'm sleeping better than what I typically do this time of year. The dreams aren't necessarily any different than usual.
I would agree with that. Still fun to try and figure out what the images represent.
Slept in this morning and as it always seems to be, I wake up while dreaming. I remember finding a baby placed near a very deep hole/shaft and wondering who could have done that. At that point in my dream I noticed another person there, a woman that I knew as Cairn. I was questioning this person about the baby and if she was responsible for placing it near the open shaft when I woke up. As per usual I thought about the dream and I figure the baby represented my new grand daughter who will be born this Thursday by C-section if nature doesn't interfere first. Cairn rearranged spells Carin, and I think that represented my wife calling an old friend yesterday who's name happens to be Karen. Whether I'm right or not, couldn't tell ya, but it sure seems coincidental.