Questions anyone?

[HopeJoy]

This is a known fact and if you do not know this I highly suggest researching this topic. It is in no way necessary for us to dream in order to benefit from sleep or to enter the deep rem of sleep most do not remeber their dreams and some swear up and down that they do not dream at all! While that is not true for me I also dream in full color as to most who dream only in black and white (this is true) Have you heard of this or do you dream in black & white???
I was amazed that this is true! I can not remember having but maybe a dream or two that seemed a sort of black & white but all my dreams I have always known to be in full color. I would love to hear from someone who dreams only in black & white! I know I have gone a little off topic but the proof is in the "knowing" and the "research" You can research all you want but it helps to be in the true"Knowing".

Dreams are a blessing a true gift that is not on a function needed basis!
If anyone ever trys to tell you otherwise they are not in the "knowing" or they just do not know what they are talking about to begin with!!!!

[IrisRavenstar]

Well, HopeJoy, at least the new photo is an improvement!

It appears to be a myth, actually, that most people only dream in black and white, because after almost fifteen years of working with dreams on the internet, I still have not encountered a single person who actually dreams in black and white only, and I spend a whole lot of time online, talking to a lot of people, plus have owned my own email lists and asked that question on new member questionnaires.

Like all myths, this one requires some interpretation, which requires some awareness of the different symbolic meanings of black & white, versus color. Black and white is symbolic of the thinking of the male side of the brain, based on logic, reason, math skills, language skills. Black and white is like Mr. Spock on Star Trek. Color is about the feminine side of the brain, and deals with emotions (which we often describe with color, like feeling blue for sad, red with rage, yellow with envy, etc.), intuition, art, music, imagination. As humans, our job is to become fully formed individuals with both sides of our brain fully activated and learning to act in harmony. We don't fare so well when we choose to only be Mr. Spock or a wild dancing gypsy woman. We actually need to find both aspects of ourselves and bring them into harmony.

As for the physiology of dreams, there is nothing wrong with the research that that says sleep is necessary for physical wellbeing and that dreams foster sleep. The problem is when people think that is *all* that is going on with dreams. It's not an either/or situation. It's a both situation. We need dreams for a lot of reasons, and like any health issue, healing can take place on four levels: physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual.

I also have an occasional dream in black and white. When I do, the dream usually seems to point to my looking at something in too legalistic, i.e. right vs. wrong, a manner. It tells me to shift my focus to the other side, be more intuitive, recognize the emotionality of the situation. I also have dreams in vivid technicolor, and dreams in which only one color seems to predominate. Color, or lack thereof, is in other words symbolic, like much else in dreams.

I agree that it helps to be in the true knowing, HopeJoy, but I'm not convinced yet that you ARE! You seem to assume you know everything there is to know, which is fascinating, but probably false. Most of us have a bit more awareness of what we don't yet know! For instance, I am a jewelry crafter/designer. I'm quite good at what I do know, but I also know that I can spend lifetimes as a jewelry crafter, and still have more to learn. I'm good at beading, good at cold joinery, but oh, there's so much more to learn! It's like that with every topic that interests me, dear. You may not realize how you come across by being unaware of that fact. Pride, as they say, goeth before a fall. It also brings out the trickster side of your guides, who love strewing banana peels in the paths of the pompous.

Take care!

[NfoJunkie]

HopeJoy : I had never heard the idea that most people dream in black and white until reading it on another thread on here titled "Dream in Color" soon after I joined this site. http://www.sleeps.com/forums/general...chat/22679.htm You may find it interesting because it's specifically discussing B/W versus color dreamers, and though some could recall some B/W dreams they've had before, everyone that posted said they usually dream in color. Regarding the first thing you said, it's an interesting point you make. The things I've read and watched seem to agree with you that we'll die and/or go insane if deprived of sleep for long enough (sleep deprivation is actually used in modern-day torture/interrogation techniques), and that some people really don't dream at all and seem to be getting by just fine. I think the non-dreamers in the study I saw either had a problem from birth, or a side affect of brain surgery, in which their brain didn't produce a certain chemical necessary for dreaming (or at least enough of it), but still they seemed normal and managed just fine. I need to look up what documentary that was and refresh my memory on it.

DreamDoc I hadn't previously seen very many of your posts, and I like that you started this thread to answer questions for others & help them understand how to read their dreams, since you've spent more time re-searching the subject than most of us have yet, and obviously we all have a lot of questions. This is a very long thread & I've only read a fraction of the posts so far, but I may be back with some questions of my own for you after I've read a bit more. Though I know some dreams are far more vivid and different than others & that there are different types of dreams, I'm liked your statement that ANY dream can teach you something important, and I'm still exploring this but so far I'm inclined to agree. Though I've been facing a very important decision for which direction to take my life, ever since joining this site, and I haven't yet had any of the really vivid, profound, mind-blowing dreams I've been hoping for (to clarify the situation better), just studying the seemingly normal dreams I've had to work with, I've been learning all kinds of things that I might not have otherwise noticed. I still have no clue what the wise & prudent choice is in this specific major decision, but I'm at least making progress in other things.

[DrmDoc]

Originally Posted by HopeJoy

It is in no way necessary for us to dream in order to benefit from sleep or to enter the deep rem of sleep most do not remeber their dreams and some swear up and down that they do not dream at all!

There is research suggesting that dreaming may not be necessary for restful sleep. Dreaming occurs during a stage of sleep wherein our body musculature enters a non-elastic state called atonia. Atonia only occurs at the onset of dream sleep and, as it appears, the metabolic processes associated with atonia seems to be most important to restful sleep.

While that is not true for me I also dream in full color as to most who dream only in black and white (this is true) Have you heard of this or do you dream in black & white???

The belief that most people dream in black & white is a myth. The content and nature of a dream are dependent on the mindset of the dreamer. Color and non-color are interpretations of the mindset of the dreamer and are relavant to the translated thoughts a dream may convey.

Originally Posted by NfoJunkie

Though I've been facing a very important decision for which direction to take my life, ever since joining this site, and I haven't yet had any of the really vivid, profound, mind-blowing dreams I've been hoping for (to clarify the situation better),...

Profound dreams may have the most mundane content. The distinction is that many of us do not recognize just how profound our dream content may be. However, addressing the experience of dreaming through what I call motivational thoughts can yield many of the experiences and answers we seek. Motivational thoughts address the person we are within, who should be considered as a distinct identity separate from what we consciously believe ourselves to be.

The nature of our brain's activation during dream sleep is not same as it is during our waking state; i.e., the person we are awake is not the person we are during dream sleep. Therefore, the experiences and solutions dreams seem to provide appear to come from a perspective unbiased by the influences upon our waking thoughts and experiences. Motivational thoughts seek the counsel of this dreaming-self whose responses are remarkably clear and direct when our thoughts are properly framed. I am exploring the possibility and interest in offering an instructional course on the techinques associated with devising proper motivational thoughts inclusive of the proper translation of dream responses. I think one benefit of such instructions is a closer relationship with someone we may not know very well--ourselves.

[kev2]

Can u be interconneted in a dream state?
i think u can, esp with family members, i know cos its happend to me

[DrmDoc]

Originally Posted by kev2

Can u be interconneted in a dream state?

Shared or similar dream experiences among family and friends very often result from their shared life experiences and their shared thoughts and feelings about those experiences. Far from true telepathy, shared dreams reflect the empathy we feel for others and the common way in which we seem to think and feel about the experinces we share with others. However, true telepathic dreams are possible under the right conditions. Such dreams very often occur with remarkable lucidity wherein the dreamer believes he or she is having a wakeful experience. I hope this helps.

[NfoJunkie]

Thanks for your reply. I'm inclined to agree, though so far it's been nearly impossible to know whether or not it's affected my dreams, because it seems rare these days for me to be allowed to wake up naturally & start writing/remembering dreams. Brother has been staying with me, neighbors moving in and out, landlord working on the property after getting an inspection, etc... & I work FAR later hours than most, so I sleep much later than most do. Hopefully soon everything will be back to normal & I'll be able to give motivational questions/thoughts a proper test in dreams.

Long before I joined this site and started learning more about dreams, I was frustrated that I could only remember the last things that happened in the dream, so I started setting my alarm for at least 4 or 5 hours into sleep, to wake up and re-set it 2 or 3 times before actually getting up. It makes a noticeable difference in remembering more of earlier dreams, but it still sometimes interrupts dreams that may not have actually been finished. On the other hand, it's not un-common for me to wake up a few seconds or minutes before my alarm goes off (especially when it matters that I'm up on time), so maybe the sub-conscious plans dreams accordingly. What are your thoughts on interrupted versus un-interrupted sleep? It seems like it could be a good opportunity to ask the dreams a few more motivational questions in one night.

[DrmDoc]

Originally Posted by NfoJunkie

What are your thoughts on interrupted versus un-interrupted sleep? It seems like it could be a good opportunity to ask the dreams a few more motivational questions in one night.

From my study and experience, uninterrupted sleep is always best and it is also best to focus on one motivational question per night for several nights. Uninterrupted sleep is best because your dreaming-self will cause your arousal when it has addressed your motivational thought (MT). Focusing on one MT per night for several nights gives your dreaming-self the opportunity to gauge your conscious understanding and adjust its dream-imagery responses to that understanding. Also, focusing on one MT for several nights will allow you to refine your query according to the dream response you recieve. Very often, your dreaming-self doesn't response in a way that is clear because the MT isn't clear. The assumption that the dreaming-self understands the mind of our conscious-self is a valid as how well we know our dreaming-self from the surreal and often incongruent content of our dreams. MT's involve a two-way conversation wherein nothing can be accomplished without mutual understanding. When you employ an MT and you receive a dream response, your follow-up MT should be a reflection of your understanding of the response you received rather than skipping to another topic; i.e., stay on topic until mutual understanding is achieved. Remember, you are essentially having a conversation with yourself as though two individuals of separate mindsets. I hope this helps.

[NfoJunkie]

Originally Posted by DrmDoc

I hope this helps.

Very much actually. Makes a lot of sense & seems like a very good strategy that I intend to try. I'll let you know if I have more questions or notice anything else worth mentioning. Thanks again.

[seventhsense95]

dear drmdoc,

i have a recent post about this too but i was wondering if it is possible to actually have thoughts while in your dream. and if so, in the case of prophetic dreams will you think the thought when it comes true? i feel like this had happened to me and am wondering about it.

thanks!