Dream content in relation to your real-world experiences

Between 2007 and 2009, my dream journal entries were daily, with multiple entries per night. Every now and then I go back to look over my past dreams. Every time I do this, I always find myself surprised about the same thing. I'm always shocked by now the dreams when read together and chronologically, they clearly show my attitude and mind-set at that time.

It may seem like a truism to say that dreams reflect one's recent experiences and thoughts, but the thing that I find shocking is that it never seems like it at the time. It's only when I reflect upon my past dreams and past mind-sets that I notice how clear the connection is.

Has anyone else noticed the same about their past dreams?

Absolutely. And that's also why I always write about what's going on in my waking life alongside the dreams. Sort of a double journal... waking and dream life. Otherwise I find my self frustrated wondering "were these dreams happening at the same time as _______, or was that later...?"

That's a good idea. Perhaps I should keep a real world journal as well. Not too certain that I'll keep it up though... I can be lazy...

I don't find this occurring very often like you do. I'm often in dreams where I have the same hopes, doubts and fears I had twenty years ago.

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Originally Posted by Bobblehat

I don't find this occurring very often like you do. I'm often in dreams where I have the same hopes, doubts and fears I had twenty years ago.

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That's pretty cool. I've had a few dreams about my past and, upon waking up, I've been extremely confused and it takes a few minutes to realise it was a dream. Apart from these rare exceptions, my dreams seem to be very in tune with my present waking life.

I don't really keep a regular waking journal so much as, when I write my dreams down I also jot down any seemingly relevant things that happened recently that might have a bearing. I also try to just scribble something brief to cover any important things going on in my life... if I've recently been in a fight with a friend or whatever.

When dreams very closely resemble events and themes of your waking life it's called day residue. :)

I have a hell of a lot of day residue then ;D

Most of the time it's things I'm actually emotionally involved with. For example, relationships, friends, A-levels (when I was studying for them) etc. There's never anything irrelevant, so to speak. I don't take a bus in the day and then have a dream about buses, for instance.