Keeping a Dream Diary

Dreams have always fascinated me, partly because they are our sub conscious' creations, and partly because so much research has been done on them.

Our brains are so amazing in that they can throw the weirdest dream at us, and true, it may contain a tiny portion of relevance to the day leading up to the dream but they can also bring suppressed thoughts forward. Things we'd prefer not to think about during our waking hours. And our conscience protects us by pushing those thoughts to the subconscious level. With nightfall comes sleep, and that is a no holds barred event. We are at the mercy of our sub consciences.

Many websites will encourage their visitors to analyse their dreams, and find some deeper meaning. It is not an exact science but I believe there is some truth to it. Firstly, here are some facts about dreams

• You can't read or tell the time while dreaming;
• You can have up to seven dreams per night (the average is three to five), depending on how many REM (rapid eye movement) cycles you have;
• Dreams can last anywhere from a few seconds to 45 minutes, and it has been suggested we dream two out of every eight hours worth of sleep;
• Blind people dream too. Their dreams are as interesting as ours, except their dreams involve senses other than sight;
• You always dream, but don't always remember it.Up yo 60% of people are unable to recall their dreams;
• Approximately 12% of people dream only in black and white.

So I decided to keep a dream diary for one week. I kept a notepad in my bedside drawer to record my dreams as soon as I woke up. This is what happened...

Friday, 3 January

The dream: I was at my longtime friend's wedding, in Australia. Stephanie (Angelo's bride) was wearing a beautiful deep purple wedding gown, and the ceremony was held in a jungle. You may think it odd but writing down what I experienced in my dream does it no justice. I guess you just had to have been there.

Background: Angelo and I have been friends since high school, and he got engaged to Stephanie in 2012. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the wedding due to financial constraints (it was actually held in Melbourne, Australia), so I followed the updates on Facebook from South Africa. 

What I think it means: My subconscious was obviously aware of how badly I wanted to attend the wedding, so I was treated to this glimpse of the big day. No, Stephanie did not wear a purple gown on her wedding day and no I'm almost positive the ceremony wasn't held in a forest/jungle setting. 

Here is a photograph of the newlyweds on their special day. Angelo and Stephanie - I wish you many mnay years of happiness together. Please don't forget my invite to your 50th wedding anniversary!

Saturday, 4 January

I could not remember my dream when I woke up that morning. I willed my brain to produce something, anything, but no. I fell into that 60% category that night. I do remember that it was a broken sleep though. I kept waking up at odd hours, and it didn't help that a fellow resident was letting off fireworks at midnight. The really loud crackers that sound like a bomb has detonated. If only those people understood what they were doing to the animals in the suburb, but that's a story for another day.

Sunday, 5 January

The dream: William and I were living in Durban, and we woke up one morning to find a little girl of about eight years (dressed in her finest frock and with a ribbon in her hair) standing at the foot of our bed. She told us that the house next door to us had set alight during the night, and a part of our roof had also burnt. No one had been injured in the blaze but the family had lost all their belongings. Afterwards, my mom and I went to Computicket to buy two tickets to the rugby game taking place later that day to raffle off for the benefit of the family that had lost everything.

What I think it means: I'll be honest, this one unnerved me a little and I have no idea why I would dream this. A house in Atlasville burnt down in November last year, and I was on scene so possibly the dream was related to that?

Monday, 6 January

The dream: Chantel and I had lunch (and cocktails) at this beautiful restaurant built on stilts in the middle of a crystal blue ocean. The restaurant was made of wood, and a thatch roof. It was enclosed in glass providing the most breathtaking views of our surroundings. I have no idea where we were, but picture a beautiful Maldives resort. That's what I experienced.

Background: I met Chantel through Courtney way back in 2008. The pair had been friends since Courtney met Chantel at Dream Nails and the two have been inseparable ever since. At her brother's wedding in the UK last June, Chantel met the man of her dreams. They got engaged a few months later, and Chantel moved to the UK to live with her fiancee. The couple are to be married later this month, and Chantel recently announced she is pregnant. Congratulations Chantel and Andrew, we wish you all the best and may your little bundle of joy bring you much happiness and joy.

What I think it means: Gosh, aside from the dream being totally off in that Chantel couldn't have been drinking cocktails since she's pregnant, I have no idea. Ha ha! It was nice to "catch up" with you Chants.

Here is a photograph of the happy couple with Chantel's godson Dylan, taken at Sun City when Andrew holidayed in South Africa last year.

Tuesday, 7 January

Another night I was unable to recall my dream. No strange occurrences during the day, maybe I was just tired.

Wednesday, 8 January

The dream: We (my mom, William and I) were on holiday with my grandparents. We were on a cruise (not sure if it was the one we went on together last year or perhaps another one) but we soaked up the sun, swam in the pool and just relaxed. It was wonderful.

What I think it means: Need to go on another holiday/cruise! Below is a photograph of the five of us in Athens in June 2013.

Thursday, 9 January

The dream: I was in some warehouse, it was deserted and in a desolate area. Gregg & Courtney came in and told me they intended selling some storage space. They then took a cardboard box off a shelf and opened it, but it was empty. Gregg then said that that (the cardboard box) was what he intended selling.

What I think it means: Absolutely no clue. It was very random and it makes no sense at all. Courtney, Gregg and Dylan, below.

And that concludes my dream diary. Granted, a professional may delve a bit deeper into the meaning of the above dreams but the purpose of this post was merely to recall my dreams and let any of the people featured in my dreams that I do think of them, even if only subconsciously.

Have you ever kept a dream diary, or have any remarkable dreams that you'll never forget?

Happy Friday everybody, have a fantastic weekend.

Simone

Happy New Year!

Allow me to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year. May 2014 be filled with love, happiness, and be YOUR year. 

2013 and its troubles are in the past, so you now have a full, blank year (well 362 days more like) ahead to mould and shape into your personal preferences.

Have you made any new years resolutions? Most of the time people do not carry out their resolutions, for many a reason - be it lack of interest, or any other valid point.

Perhaps the term "new years resolution" is also partly to blame. What happens when you only commence an item on your list in say June. Is it then called a mid year resolution? Does that fact alone render the item invalid?

I prefer to call them goals. Essentially, that is what they are. A person wants to lose weight, or take up a new hobby, learn a foreign language, work hard in order to be promoted or complete the current degree/diploma. A goal just sounds so much better too. It inspires motivation, and the feeling of accomplishing that goal is empowering.

I listed my goals in my last post, and although it has been said that making a list puts things into perspective for a person, it isn't guaranteed to be less daunting. True, knowing what you need to do is half the battle won, but actually carrying out the act may be easier said than done.

2013 was not my best year by any stretch of the imagination (and all my own doing and I accept responsibility for that), but I vowed to turn 2014 into something I could feel proud of. Lately I've felt to be in limbo. 

Why? 

Maybe it's because the job hunt hasn't quite yielded the results I intended it to. I have lost my sense of worth just sitting at home and feel an employment contract will reignite my passion for life. There are so many things I want to see and do, but require that monthly paycheck in order to begin. Quite possibly, my expectations have been too high. Seriously, some people wait months to find their ideal job and I've only been actively looking for a couple of weeks. I have forwarded my CV to some recruitment agents and am holding thumbs for some interviews later this month, once everything has returned to normal following the festive season. In the meantime I will maintain my positive outlook and the trust the right job is out there waiting for me. 

All the best for 2014, readers. Spend time with those you love, and challenge yourself to do something you fear - it's all about the happiness factor and personal growth.

On a very happy note, last night our friends Carey-Anne & Ryan welcomed their little girl into the world. Congratulations Mom & Dad de Goede, may your daughter bring you much happiness and joy!

Until next time.