Thread: Remember Strange Dreams, not Normal Ones?

Originally Posted by Jamoca

Does anybody else find that they remember strange dreams, the ones where you fly and do outrageous things, more often that the regular ones?

When I wake up I will always remember some dream in which a lot of crazy, abnormal events occur. Later in the day I will see something and it will trigger me to remember a more dull dream I had that night.

Does anybody else find this to be the case?

Yes, that's not uncommon for me either. When I don't recall on wakening up I rely on a trigger later in the day to unlock the dream. It rarely disappoints.

The dreams I mostly remember in the morning are where there is a strong emotional content. I think that for each of us, we are affected by different types of dream depending on what we're challenged by. Sounds like you're challenged by strange events and me by intense feelings.

I can hardly remember bor... err, I mean "normal" dreams at all. Unless I'm stressed out about having to write a test. Then I dream about studying or writing the test which is usually accompanied by a strong sense of anxiety.

I do seem to be better able to remember the strange ones - but probably not so much because they're strange as that they happen later in my sleep cycle. If I do remember a dream from the first 4-6 hours of sleep (thanks to getting up to pee), it was usually a relatively normal dream.

Originally Posted by innerspacecadet

I do seem to be better able to remember the strange ones - but probably not so much because they're strange as that they happen later in my sleep cycle. If I do remember a dream from the first 4-6 hours of sleep (thanks to getting up to pee), it was usually a relatively normal dream.

Upon waking up I only remember whatever dream I was just having, if I remember a dream at all. Then my more dull dreams are triggerd later in the day.

Is there any particular reason that the stranger dreams happen later in the sleep cycle?

Originally Posted by Jamoca

Upon waking up I only remember whatever dream I was just having, if I remember a dream at all. Then my more dull dreams are triggerd later in the day.

Is there any particular reason that the stranger dreams happen later in the sleep cycle?

My theory on why my stranger dreams happen later in the sleep cycle is because earlier in the sleep cycle, the memory of doing everyday normal stuff is more fresh on my mind, and thus more likely to show up in those dreams than the later ones. The later ones tend to have a hodgepodge of themes, and a lot of themes from earlier stages in my life, like taking classes in school, playing video games, or seeing people I haven't seen since I was a teenager.

Hey there,

My theory is that you simply pay more attention to the strange and fantastic dreams, because they are strange and fantastic. Mundane dreams often are often less valued, hence given less attention, hence less recall of them.

-Redrivertears-