“In our dreams we are bound by neither time nor space. We move through the ages and all over the world and sometimes beyond. In dreams we are able to fly, and though the Freudian frame of mind would label this as a mere sex symbol, I believe that it is far more than that, that it is a remembering of how we are meant to be.
…In the creative act we can experience the same freedom we know in dreams. This happens as I write a story. I am bound by neither time nor space…But this freedom comes only when, as in a dream, I do not feel that I have to dictate and control what happens.
…When we are writing or painting or composing, we are, during the time of creativity, freed from normal restrictions and opened to a wider world, where colours are righter, sounds clearer, and people more wondrously complex than we normally realize.” Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water.
My husband is an engineer. Though we are both fairly black and white in how we view things like parenting and politics, he’s highly left-brained. He thinks in numbers and is, by nature, a problem solver. He also rarely remembers his dreams.
Being the right-brained wife that I am, I have quite the opposite thing happening ALL NIGHT LONG. Sometimes I wake up exhausted from trying to outsmart and outrun some bad dude (thank you, 24). And I learned early on in our marriage that retelling my bizarre, midnight adventures was much more fun for me to talk about and rehash then for him to listen to. So, unless I have something significant that takes place while I sleep, (and there have been a few worth a laugh or that God graciously shared with me) I generally keep my musings to myself.
I can definitely relate to ML’E’s thoughts on equating dreams and artistic endeavors. There is a similar freedom in creating that is found in dreaming. When those creative endorphins are released and the characters start to come to life and write their own story, it is much like those brilliant few dreams I’ve had in which I can fly. I’m always amazed when I realize how effortless it is. In flying dreams, I somehow know that it is something I could always do, but hadn’t been shown how, or had forgotten and then remembered. It’s interesting to me that ML’E describes this as “a remembering of how we are meant to be” since that is truly what it’s like in such dreams.
There have actually been a few occasions in which my husband did recall his dreams and they were about the same topic as my own! Isn’t that strange? We’ve both dreamed about tornados on the same night—two different times. On another occasion we dreamed about spiders! I don’t know the significance of this, but I’d love to know if it’s happened to any of you with a spouse or a sibling you’re especially close to.
The world would be a boring place if everyone perceived it in the same manner. I’m thankful for my engineering man, and his ability fix things, tutor the kids in math, and run a business. The world needs readers, architects, firemen, and graphic designers. It needs both dreamers and realists. It needs the visionaries and the builders. I think when we are doing what we were created to do—no matter if it’s considered artistic like painting, or logistic like diagnosing car trouble—getting wrapped up in what we love is freeing. Losing track of time in the midst of work is a sign that we are thriving. Getting to utilize our gifts and talents as part of our career or hobby is a gift from God, a dream come true, and certainly part of the American Dream.
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything from our inspirational friend, Madeleine L’Engle. The passage used today is a beautiful reminder of how losing oneself to art is much like the freedom experienced in dreams. I chose to focus more on the connection I see between artistic people and dreams, rather then applying the concept of dreams to our work, which is where ML’E seems to be leading the connection.
I’d like to take an informal poll. Most of the interaction I have in cyberspace is with other creative right-brainers: bloggers, readers, dancers, photographers, and other artists. I may be way off base, but I have a hunch that creative people tend to dream more . . . or at least remember their dreams. Leave me a comment and let me know if you frequently remember yours. For fun, I’d love to hear a crazy or inspiring dream you’ve had! Have any of your dreams made it into your creative endeavors? Inquiring, engaged minds want to know!
Half-brained, ha ha! Not you!
Yes, it’s frustrating when I know I had a cool dream and can only remember fragments (but then I’m glad when I know I had a stupid dream that I don’t have to rehearse it, LOL).
Yes, I have several story ideas (for another long-term novel) that I’ve gotten from dreams, and it was almost like the dreams were meant for the story, if that makes sense. I’ve never dreamed that I was my MC though . . . jealous!!!! Pity it hasn’t happened ever (for me), but I will put my order in when I go to sleep, ha ha! Very cool that you’ve had that happen!
Thanks for your input, Misi!
I also have several childhood “memories” that my parents don’t remember and I think were probably dreams. But yours takes the cake – what a great near death experience! lol 😉
(And I probably triggered something by replying 3 times in rapid succession. My bad!)
Well, thank God for those answered prayers! I’m glad those nightmares have passed. I’ve also prayed for less intense dreams (not necessarily bad dreams) just because I don’t feel rested. And I’ve prayed not to sin in my dreams because I do have some weird, messed up dreams sometimes and feel responsible for such craziness.
Interesting idea with the dejavu, though I don’t have that too often myself.
Thanks for stopping by!
This is a cool post! I enjoyed reading it (and the comments). 🙂
I put “every night” for remembering dreams, because generally speaking I can wake up every morning remembering at least something from my dreams. I’ve had a few recurring dreams too. And yes, I still remember dreams I had as a kid. If they’re remarkable in some way, I tend to write them down. (Oh, and I have no idea if I’m right- or left-brained. I found out, once, but forgot. Guess that makes me half-brained?)
Have you ever gotten a story idea from a dream? One night I dreamed I was a woman running from the FBI, through a multi-level, maze-type building. They finally caught me on the stairs, and I woke up shortly thereafter. But in thinking about it in the morning, I got a story idea that I never ended up writing but still foster ideas (and Pinterest pictures) for.
And here’s another question: have you ever dreamed you were your MC, or in your book’s setting? It made it a little weird, Sean being a guy, but I had one or two dreams I was my favorite FBI agent. No matter the story, it’s always been the desired height of coolness to dream my book/characters. 🙂 Pity it doesn’t happen more . . .
Half-brained, ha ha! Not you!
Yes, it’s frustrating when I know I had a cool dream and can only remember fragments (but then I’m glad when I know I had a stupid dream that I don’t have to rehearse it, LOL).
Yes, I have several story ideas (for another long-term novel) that I’ve gotten from dreams, and it was almost like the dreams were meant for the story, if that makes sense. I’ve never dreamed that I was my MC though . . . jealous!!!! Pity it hasn’t happened ever (for me), but I will put my order in when I go to sleep, ha ha! Very cool that you’ve had that happen!
Thanks for your input, Misi!
I DO experience a lot of deja veaux. Probably also do to dreams I have had but don’t fully remember.
I had vivid nightmares during my pregnancies, the kind that STILL make me cringe all these years later. I have had three different recurring dreams that went from childhood in to early adulthood, but thankfully tapered off. Only one of the three was not horribly traumatic, the one was more of a thriller/adventure. I know I dream, and often, but… I don’t know how often. I don’t often awake with a clear understanding of what happened in them. I am nearly 50/50 on left/right brained-ness, though I lean to definite creativity/artsy side. I think God protects me by not remembering my dreams. I remember praying in a traumatic time of life for Him to protect me in that vulnerable state. Not remembering might be His answer to that.
Girl, I cannot whip out those Myers-Briggs types like you and RJ! I have no idea what my husband is :-/ I will look up one of RJ’s posts on the Types and read up on ISTJ and see if it fits.
Sorta funny that THEY sound alike, and you and I are much the same in many ways too! Guess that means you guys will be as happily married as us 😉
Yes, BIZARRE, is a good word for most of the dreams I have. But still, get to do many things I wouldn’t normally do in real life!
What’s up with sharing tornado dreams???
Same here, Stephanie! I still remember LOTS of dreams and even some that my good friends shared with me when they spent the night. I love how you tried to write the book that didn’t exist! That in itself could be an interesting story 🙂
Oh, I see! A left-brained Type A controller, eh? I had no idea 😉 Does this means that you, quite literally, forget your night dreams?
That’s interesting! I have a friend that’s pretty balanced left and right, I’m going to ask her about this!
I suppose I’m right-brain dominant though I have tendencies on both ends. I almost always dream and my dreams are elaborate and often intense but I almost never remember them for more than two minutes after I wake up. I’m usually just left with an impression of the dream that effects my mood for the day.
Do you ever remember parts of those dreams later? I have periods where I do just what you said, and it’s weird to me that I can remember them right when I wake up, (I may even rehearse them a bit), but then forget them later! There must be a different part of your brain that’s cognizant when you first wake up, eh?
I don’t think I ever have. Sometimes something will happen IRL and I’ll have a really strong sense of deja vus but nothing in my past to correspond, so I conclude that it must bear some similitude to a forgotten dream.
It IS bizarre how I can rehearse complete events of my dream in the first couple minutes after I wake up but completely forget them five minutes later. I would like to know why that is.
I have had recurring dreams for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I dreamed often of falling off the escarpment on a particular road on the side of the Rift Valley in Kenya. I dreamed it so often that I began thinking, “Oh, it’s this dream again. If I just wait it out I will wake up.” I have also dreamed of running from the bad guys, but I don’t watch 24 if I can help it. My adult recurring dream is about finding rooms in my house I never knew were there, and wondering why I had never used them. The house is never the same in the dream, but most of the time there are beautiful features to it. Lately, though, there has been a change. The last two times, I have dreamt of rooms crawling with mice and bathtubs overflowing. I also regularly dream that I am trying to get ready for some great event and can never quite get my clothes on because of distractions or complications out of my control. Left brain? Right brain? I can’t remember which is which, and I think I have taken some test that had me pretty evenly split between the two. I am hopeful that most days I have a brain.
Wow! First of all, what’s an escarpment? Do we have them in the States? I had recurring dreams as a kid too. One in which there was a Yeti (yes, don’t laugh), and I could tell myself it was a dream and will myself to open my eyes as he was leering over me.
Most ‘nightmares’ as a kid involved marine life coming after me. Most as an adult involve my teeth falling out. (As in all of them). I, too, often dream of rooms I didn’t know I had as I’m running from a bad guy and trying to hide. I keep finding hidden compartments and things wherever I am. Not quite beautiful like yours, though!
Oh, I hate those dreams where I can’t complete some task! I bet those are subconscious frustrations of your care-taker life though. You’re always needed in some way!
Right brained is high creativity, left is high logic and more mathematical. I bet you are a good balance of both! I’m quite certain you have a very brilliant brain!
I love this post!
I have to ask, is your husband an ISTJ? Our husbands sound so alike! My husband almost NEVER remembers his dreams. He’s a software engineer, and I believe he is an ISTJ (with a lot of strong INTJ tendencies).
I think I’m slightly more right-brained than left but I can’t remember. I don’t remember all my dreams, but I do remember a lot of them, partly due to being woken a lot during the night by kids/babies. The ones I remember tend to be intense, often escaping bad guys, like what you mentioned. 🙂 I have a lot of just plain bizarre dreams, too. Intense, exciting adventure dreams are the BEST! 😀
On “sharing” dreams…my sister and I once had dreams about tornadoes on the same night! That was funny.
I thought I remembered you saying his type before, but I must be wrong!
I forgot to mention that I very often draw story ideas from my dreams. I write down the interesting ones, too, so I can refer to them later. 🙂
Where do I start?? Ha! I still remember some dreams I had as a kid (like elementary school age). And once in 7th or 8th grade I dreamed I was in a library and found a book that really interested me and I couldn’t wait to read it…then I woke up and realized the book didn’t exist. So I tried to write it myself. 😉 I didn’t get very far, but I guess that was sort of the 1st time I was inspired to write on my own for fun.
I go through periods of remembering all my dreams and then sometimes not at all. But lately, I’ve noticed that since I’ve become obsessed with martial arts (one year and counting), I dream about Kung fu and the people I know from there, very single night, they are very clear dreams and I remember them
the next day!
My kids have had some awesome dreams that I have filed away for future writing purposes haha
Wow! I bet the study of martial arts (and the way it connects to you physically, has exercised a new part of your brain. That’s sounds like I know what I’m talking about, LOL, but that’s my guess. Interesting how detailed and clear they are now!
Great idea to save those ideas from kids, too. ML’E says kids are the MOST connected to their creativity and we adults tend to kill it as they get older. Yours will surely thank you for encouraging them to share!
Sorry – last reply – I just saw your last question. One of my dreams inspired my current WIP. I changed it quite a bit (it had vampires and my WIP does not). It was just a scene – a snippet – and I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I woke and ended up getting a whole story from a scene in the first chapter.
Whew! You must wake up tired like I do! Funny that you mentioned not dreaming much about your husband or kids. I occasionally dream about my husband but rarely my kids (and I have 4). I’m OFTEN back in high school with those friends too! I’ve had several dreams about finding out that I can’t graduate because I completely forgot to go to a class all year, LOL!
I don’t recall that Friends episode but I will have to find it! Can so picture Phoebe being convinced of Ross did something awful. I know what you mean about waking up mad and I’ve done that as well, crazy how real it can feel! I had a dream when I was about 5 in which I almost died sliding off the side of a mountain. I thought it really happened until I got older and realized my parents had no recollection of saving me from the railing I was dangling from, LOL. I told many friends about nearly dying this way before that.
Maybe we will meet up in a dream sometime 🙂 They sound similar! I’ve had a couple of musical dreams too! Very entertaining and always amazes me when I wake up.
I am sorry your comments were awaiting moderation so long! I’ve been managing my site from my WordPress App and, for some reason, it didn’t show up there…though I feel like I’ve had them ask me to approve comments in the past.
Blessings, and SWEET dreams! Thanks for stopping by and sharing all that fun stuff 🙂
I also have several childhood “memories” that my parents don’t remember and I think were probably dreams. But yours takes the cake – what a great near death experience! lol 😉
(And I probably triggered something by replying 3 times in rapid succession. My bad!)
Haha! I’m pretty sure you’ve given me some stiff competition in the deluxe dream department!
Oh – my husband hates me telling him my dreams but I just have to tell them to someone so I follow him around while he tries to block me out – or I bribe him to listen. 😉
My dad once woke my mom up by throwing himself over her while they were sleeping. He’d dreamt they were on a walk and large porcupiney orbs fell out of the sky so he threw himself on her to protect her. Too sweet!
I voted for every day in detail but it’s not quite that. I remember most of my dreams fairly vividly most days. But not every single day and some dreams fade quicker than others. And I’m not always me in my dreams, if you know what I mean? I’ve noticed I very rarely dream about my husband or daughter. But I frequently dream I’m back in college (which was 13 years ago!) or even high school and my siblings and college friends are often in my dreams.
My most recent vivid dream was Peter Pan-ish, though I’m not sure if it was really Peter Pan or that’s just the closest equivalent my mind comes up with. I remember as the Peter Pan person, sneaking into the town and all the townspeople secretly cheering but not wanting the Captain Hook-like person to know I was there. And flying back to my secret fort, inside an abandoned tower on a seacliff where I was living with a teenage Wendy-like girl.
I’ve twice had musical dreams – lots of singing and dancing and everything rhymed perfectly and made sense and I woke up wishing I could remember some lyrics to see if my brain really did make up perfectly rhyming songs in my sleep. I’ve also been known several times to wake up with a song in my head that I only heard once weeks before and didn’t remember the lyrics to until I work up with it in my head.
Have you seen that episode of Friends were Phoebe is mad at Ross and eventually they work out it was a dream. Yeah – I’ve literally done that to my husband. Been so upset at something he said or did until he asks me to recount it and I realize it makes no sense and couldn’t have happened in real life. *lol*
After the Boston Marathon bombings I dreamed about being at the mall and flaming nail bombs exploding and I was hiding and dodging around trying to get to my sister and protect her. I also dreamt one time that my sister & I were on motorcycle driving away from a city and I looked over my shoulder and saw a nuclear bomb strike and then the explosive wave washed over me and I woke up.
I’m left-brained, Heather. Believe it or not. Forget the night dreams; I DAYDREAM; That way I have control. LOL
Depends. If I’m pregnant, I have vivid dreams and I remember them!
Mainly I don’t remember my dreams. So I put once a month.
I am equally left and right brained. 🙂
That’s interesting! I have a friend that’s pretty balanced left and right, I’m going to ask her about this!