I Die Every Night

[benzopiate10]

its kind of unsettling, i cant remember the last time ive had a happy dream. literally everytime i wake up is because i have died in some sort of way.

Ex: its usually im on the cliff of a building (or skyscraper), trying to climb all the way down. im always failing and falling to my death.

i could understand once every blue moon, but why am i dying EVERY NIGHT?
i dont get it and its worrisome that my subconsciousness is so dark

 

[attempt4]

It shouldn't worry you that your subconscious is dark as this simply isn't true.

Your subconscious does not discern that death is a terribly negative experience. This is a human application of fear based on conscious perspective and primitive survivalist tactics. Everything holds the polarity of good or bad but it's our conscious minds that choose how we view it based on what we have learned.

Basically, you should look into dream analysis and what death in dreams actually means. Focus on how you die in your dreams. This is often more important than the fact that you are dying.
Do you have alot of emotional turmoil in life? Do you wish to feel reborn?

Look further into dream interpretation and stop worrying. I used to dream of death alot, this could be due to an incessant fear of mortality, which I have now come to accept which helped no end.

 

[theotherside]

Yes sorry to hear about your dark/death dreams but they can actually mean that you are reaching a new stage in your life....or reaching a new mental growth spurt in which you might not even be aware. I wouldn't view this as bad just yet.

 

[TearItDown]

It has been shown in psychological studies that dreams are nothing more than coincidental happenings. Dreams mean nothing. Rest easy

 

[KamMoye]

It has been shown in psychological studies that dreams are nothing more than coincidental happenings. Dreams mean nothing. Rest easy

citation needed, especially since i have evidence to the contrary

 

[TearItDown]

citation needed, especially since i have evidence to the contrary

Citation needed? Look up DREAMS in wikipedia. Half the page has more than enough evidence to shut down any crack pot theories you have about dreams.

 

[qwe]

It has been shown in psychological studies that dreams are nothing more than coincidental happenings. Dreams mean nothing. Rest easy

whether they mean anything or not, i don't think he's going to "rest easy"

how do we control our dreams? how can OP make his dreams more enjoyable?

@OP maybe tell a doctor. something that calms you down at night could help (these also reduce dreaming by reducing REM sleep) aka GABA

speaking of GABA, if you drink, you're probably experiencing rebound at night. AKA you're used to drinking; when the alcohol levels fall when you're asleep and not drinking, your brain speeds up (since alcohol is a depressant) ("rebound effect"), and you wake up from a panicked dream.

same rebound reasoning applies to benzos and opiates, though usually not as bad. when i was taking one methadone dose per day (early morning) on maintenance i'd usually wake up sweating because it wouldn't last all day.

 

[CoffeeDrinker]

Whoever said dreams mean nothing: It's the definition of the word "meaning" that is unclear, which makes the statement inaccurate at best.
What does it mean for a dream to "mean" something? Do human relationships mean anything, or do they just happen, and then leave a lasting effect on us? Often times the effect is taken as the meaning, other times the motivation is taken as the meaning.
My point is it could be argued that everything is inherently meaningless, yet that doesn't affect everyone's perspective or make us feel any better about bad stuff happening, or feel any worse about good stuff happening. And it doesn't really make us care whether or not "good" and "bad" have any objective truth in them at all.
Our subjective experience is so powerful and intimate that phrases like "dreams mean nothing," while possibly true, wont work logically to resolve any lingering negative effect on the psyche.
I'd suggest just trying to use affirmations and repetitive phrases to fortify your mind against the negativity you are feeling.
By that I mean just try to tell yourself "it's just a dream" over and over until the point where you can believe it.

 

[Vader]

Your subconscious does not discern that death is a terribly negative experience.

I beg to differ. My subconscious is largely preoccupied with staying alive and sticking my willy in ladies. That is the kind of subconscious activity that is naturally selected for. That is why my legs turn to jelly when I am at a great height, even though I know I am safe. That is why loud noises make me jump, even when I am in a secure place. That is why I instinctively tense up when I see a large, muscular, angry looking man, even though I am not worried on a rational level. I could go on...

 

[Psychodelirium]

Citation needed? Look up DREAMS in wikipedia. Half the page has more than enough evidence to shut down any crack pot theories you have about dreams.

Can you quote the section of the wiki page on dreams that in your mind supports the statement "dreams mean nothing" or "dreams are coincidental happenings"? I have read that page more than once and I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[TearItDown]

Can you quote the section of the wiki page on dreams that in your mind supports the statement "dreams mean nothing" or "dreams are coincidental happenings"? I have read that page more than once and I have no idea what you're talking about.

Well, a good start would to brush up on the activation synthesis theory.

Activation synthesis theory asserts that the sensory experiences are fabricated by the cortex as a means of interpreting chaotic signals from the pons.

Look! I already started you off with something good to read

I know a Freudian psychoanalyst would like to think that the AS theory is bullshit, but that's why they are specifically a psychoanalyst, not a true practitioner of psychology.

Whoever said dreams mean nothing: It's the definition of the word "meaning" that is unclear, which makes the statement inaccurate at best.
What does it mean for a dream to "mean" something? Do human relationships mean anything, or do they just happen, and then leave a lasting effect on us? Often times the effect is taken as the meaning, other times the motivation is taken as the meaning.
My point is it could be argued that everything is inherently meaningless, yet that doesn't affect everyone's perspective or make us feel any better about bad stuff happening, or feel any worse about good stuff happening. And it doesn't really make us care whether or not "good" and "bad" have any objective truth in them at all.
Our subjective experience is so powerful and intimate that phrases like "dreams mean nothing," while possibly true, wont work logically to resolve any lingering negative effect on the psyche.
I'd suggest just trying to use affirmations and repetitive phrases to fortify your mind against the negativity you are feeling.
By that I mean just try to tell yourself "it's just a dream" over and over until the point where you can believe it.

Whoever? I have a name, if you are going to address me, use my username or don't address me at all. It was clear through my post what I meant. Since you didn't even address me when clearly writing this response to me, I'll leave my response at: STOP GRASPING AT STRAWS JUST TO ARGUE WITH ME.

 

[Psychodelirium]

Well, a good start would to brush up on the activation synthesis theory.

I am familiar with the activation-synthesis theory, but I don't think the activation-synthesis theory says what you want it to say. This theory does not explicitly state anything about whether dream content is random or non-random. It states simply that the activation signal from the brainstem that originates the pgo wave is random (actually, it is chaotic /= random, but let's ignore that for the sake of the argument). Now, when this signal propagates through the brain it involves higher brain functions which attempt to interpret it. This is the synthesis part. It ought to be clear that while the activation mechanism is random or as good as random, the synthesis mechanism is not random (or else it would be stupid to say that it "makes sense" of the activation signal). Afaik, the synthesis mechanism is not well understood, but it could in theory implement any number of strategies, up to and including Freudian wish-fulfillment.


Now, if random noise coming from the brainstem were all that the brain did during REM sleep, then you would have a case that dreams "mean nothing", but this is not the case. There is nothing for a psychoanalyst to disagree with in the statement that dreams are the result of the interaction of a random and a non-random mechanism. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the content of their own dreams knows that this is precisely what they appear to be.

 

[CoffeeDrinker]

Well, a good start would to brush up on the activation synthesis theory.



Look! I already started you off with something good to read

I know a Freudian psychoanalyst would like to think that the AS theory is bullshit, but that's why they are specifically a psychoanalyst, not a true practitioner of psychology.


Whoever? I have a name, if you are going to address me, use my username or don't address me at all. It was clear through my post what I meant. Since you didn't even address me when clearly writing this response to me, I'll leave my response at: STOP GRASPING AT STRAWS JUST TO ARGUE WITH ME.

Shit isn't about usernames. Get real mr. dude guy thing. I don't care who you are, but it's the idea you espouse that matter. From one unknown to another.

 

[TearItDown]

I am familiar with the activation-synthesis theory, but I don't think the activation-synthesis theory says what you want it to say. This theory does not explicitly state anything about whether dream content is random or non-random. It states simply that the activation signal from the brainstem that originates the pgo wave is random (actually, it is chaotic /= random, but let's ignore that for the sake of the argument). Now, when this signal propagates through the brain it involves higher brain functions which attempt to interpret it. This is the synthesis part. It ought to be clear that while the activation mechanism is random or as good as random, the synthesis mechanism is not random (or else it would be stupid to say that it "makes sense" of the activation signal). Afaik, the synthesis mechanism is not well understood, but it could in theory implement any number of strategies, up to and including Freudian wish-fulfillment.


Now, if random noise coming from the brainstem were all that the brain did during REM sleep, then you would have a case that dreams "mean nothing", but this is not the case. There is nothing for a psychoanalyst to disagree with in the statement that dreams are the result of the interaction of a random and a non-random mechanism. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the content of their own dreams knows that this is precisely what they appear to be.

According to the activation-synthesis theory, the signals originating in the pons have no pyschological meaning in themselves. The cortex tries to make sense of them by synthesizing, or integrating, them with existing knowledge and memories to produce some sort coherent interpretation. This is just what the cortex does when signals come from sense organs during wakefulness. The idea that one part of the brain interprets what has gone on in another, whether you are awake or asleep, is consistent with many modern theories of how the brain works. When the neurons fire in the part of the brain that handles balance, for instance, the cortex may generate a dream about falling.

 

[CoffeeDrinker]

Ok would you just go ahead and define meaning you random username? Otherwise everything you're talking about is nonsensical in the most literal sense. The answer is not so obvious now is it? or is it?

 

[rickolasnice]

Try lucid dreaming. Theres a few threads around here that i have posted my technique in. Give it a go.

Also.. dreams don't mean anything. I mean. You could have a job interview coming up, then you dream of a job interview.. or you might be sad cos you broke up with your signifcant other then dream about that.. but it's randomness mixed with memory mixed with emotion mixed with etc etc..

Dream interpretations are pretty much always bullshit and dream interpretation books are scams. I've got 2 myself and there is for some reason ALOT of mentioning of sex and sexuality when the symbols that apparently mean these things have nothing to do with it. It's bullshit, trust me.

Like for 1 example if you dream about a rat it means something to do with dirt or disease or something like that.. when I like rats, my ex girlfriend had loads and i used to have em climbin all over me all the time.. i've dreamt about rats it didn't have anything to do with being dirty or diseased. Dreams can only be interpreted by the person having them, and even then you're probably gonna be wrong as dreams are just random bits and pieces (mixed with a little memory and emotion)..

Another example: I've had dreams where I have got with a girl only to realise i have already got a girlfriend and then feel really bad and sad that i have done such a horrible thing. Means nothing. I'd never cheat on my girlfriend. The possibility of it happening are virtually zero. There are many other possible "meaninful" reasons as to why i dreamt this but they're all bullshit.. Most likely was the result of random scenario, random person, emotion, memory, emotion, random story carries on, blah blah blah..

But then again i have had dreams that i know why and what they were about. I used to abuse alot of stimulants and was pretty much constantly paranoid that my friends didn't like me and i was just a joke for them to abuse etc.. Well guess what? I used to dream that my friends would tell me they didn't like me and attack me. No hidden messages. No symbolism. Memory + random + emotion + random + brain fills in gaps to make things make sense = dream.

 

[rickolasnice]

Someone give me a dream that they had recently and i will go use my books to interpret what they could mean.. guaranteed bullshit will follow..

(But seriously lets try this)..

 

[TearItDown]

Ok would you just go ahead and define meaning you random username? Otherwise everything you're talking about is nonsensical in the most literal sense. The answer is not so obvious now is it? or is it?

No, everything I'm talking about is not nonsensical, it is based on science and facts. fuck off.

 

[benzopiate10]

wow, thanks for the help. the constant arguing really answered my question. what happened to BL status, this is how BL will become no longer credible.... like arguing on a youtube page instead of actual comments according to the video.
I just need some help guys.

Edit: last night was the first night that i did not have a threatening dream/nightmare. i cant recall what it was but after years of death literally dreaming falling every night, it was a relief nonetheless and reflected on my day. i was a lot happier than usual.
As of now id like to believe that it foreshadows a change or drastic rebirth in life, breaking free and progressing to a newer, better and more understanding psychological state in life.
Thats just MO.

I'd like to discuss the pros and cons more bc i am genuinely interested in how the brain works, but fuck the bullshit guys. validate and argue your points, dont tell someone thats trying to give me their interpretation to fuck off, when you should probably be the one manning the fuck up. thanks for any more opinions or debates - dont get me wrong i really appreciate it. its the name calling that lowers us as bluelighters

 

[rickolasnice]

You don't own the thread ^

No one is breaking any rules. This is a forum for discussion. Not a question and answer school lesson. Go do your own research.

Gtfo.