The last two nights I have had two dreams which involved to completely different characters taunting and laughing at me. I would like any help in understanding why all of a sudden I am experiencing these dreams. I have never had these two dreams in particular and details of the dreams are vivid. They also involve me waking up in with an accidental striking to my girlfriend's head (not hard mind you), to which she is awakened and startled.

Here is my background: I am 37 years old, male, an ecclectic ethnic mix (yiddish-japanese), good physical health and shape (work out regularly at the gym), have a stable and good paying job, returning to a four year college this January, and currently live at my parents in order to pay for schooling.

Recent changes in my lifestyle: I have been with my girlfriend since the beginning of July, and have been sleeping at her place almost every night. She is 33, a single mother of two, has a better paying job than me, and is great looking (model type). Since I have been seeing her, I changed my hours of work and sleep. I used to work until late night and good to bed in early morning. Now I go to sleep by 11pm and wake up at 5:30am because my girlfriend works mornings. I don't go out to the bars as much as I used to, and have been hanging with her kids more frequently. I have met a few of her friends (mostly men). She has met some of my friends (mostly women with a few guys who are significant others to my female friends).

Dream #1 : I am in a foreign land, India I believe or some sort of desert-like geographical location. There is a temple, and I am walking up the steps of this temple. Once I get to the top, there is a beautiful Indian woman dressed in a white robe and is adorned in jewelry. She is smiling at me dubiously. As I approach her, a male figure steps in front. He is Indian dressed in all white pants and shirt (similar to what Indians wear). He also has a turban-like head dress with a single red jewel crowned in the center of the head dress. He doesn't say a word, but is laughing at me. Everytime I try to go around him, he moves in front of me, blocking my way to get to reach the Indian woman. I get angry and find an opportunity to punch him when he laughs and is tilting his head back (it is an evil laugh). This is when I awaken and startled my girlfirend by striking her (my hand is relaxed and it is as if I brushed her face with the back of my hand rather than striking her).

Dream #2: I am in a condo. I believe it is my family's condo where I lived when I was 5 years old. I am walking outside to the back yard via sliding glass door. The season is autumn. There are brown leaves everywhere on the ground and it is damp outside. To the right of me there is a wood pile with a fat boy sitting on the pile of wood. To the left are a group of boys standing, chatting amongst themselves. Between the boys and the fat boy is an apple tree. The fruit have fallen to the ground and the branches are bare. I am an adult or I believe I am an adult because I am tower the boys in size. The fat boy notices me and begins a conversation with me, but I can't make out the words he is saying. He continues talking changing the tone from friendly to hostile (laughing and making jokes at me). I tell him to stop several times but he continues. The other boys hear the commotion and join on the fun, laughing with the fat boy at me. I get angry and approach the fat boy. He is not bothered by me. I reach into the wood pile and pull out an apple that is fresh (the apples around the tree are rotten). I yell at him to stop making fun, but he ignores me. I throw the apple at his face and I am awakened to find myself once again striking my girlfriend in the exact same manner as in the night before (dream #1).

Can anyone give me direction as to why I am experiencing these?????