Which language do you dream in?

**Enjyu** · 11-18-2011 05:01 PM

My native language is Dutch, but I use English a lot more. When I attempt to MILD, my mantras are always in English, and I keep my dream journal in English as well (unless I dream of something I don't want others to know, in which case I write in Japanese).

Most of my non-lucid dreams are in Dutch, but I also have a lot of dreams in English.

As for lucid dreams, I've had eight lucid dreams so far, and only had a conversation in one of them, which was in English.
In another lucid dream (which I had on the same night as the one mentioned above) I was thinking about what I should do, and I remember my thoughts being in English as well.

So to answers your question, I dream in English a lot, but most of my dreams are in my native language.

**WrOx** · 11-18-2011 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by aerilith

Wow, I didn't expect that

I guess you might be right about not understanding it due to not expecting to understand it - yet it still seems a bit strange that your mind "makes up" a conversation, which you can mostly not understand.
I am rather new to consciously trying to induce lucid dreams, and the whole concept in general, so I am constantly amazed at some of the things the subconscious is capable of!

LaBerge speaks of the concept of expectations shaping our dreams, which I think is the basis of the Finnish language existing in my dreams (seeing as that's what I'm surrounded by all days, thus when I see friends here I know, and they talk to eachother, I won't understand). At the same time, my mind producing something which I can't understand does sound tricky, but I think this comes from what LaBerge (if you haven't read his book "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming", it's a must have!) speaks of as tacit knowledge. Knowledge which we have stored in our subconcious and have no concious controll of. For example, for me to copy how Finnish sounds, I'd make a fool of myself! However, when my subconcious does it, it may be flawless and real sentences.

**aerilith** · 11-18-2011 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by WrOx

LaBerge speaks of the concept of expectations shaping our dreams, which I think is the basis of the Finnish language existing in my dreams (seeing as that's what I'm surrounded by all days, thus when I see friends here I know, and they talk to eachother, I won't understand). At the same time, my mind producing something which I can't understand does sound tricky, but I think this comes from what LaBerge (if you haven't read his book "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming", it's a must have!) speaks of as tacit knowledge. Knowledge which we have stored in our subconcious and have no concious controll of. For example, for me to copy how Finnish sounds, I'd make a fool of myself! However, when my subconcious does it, it may be flawless and real sentences.

It just so happens that I ordered his book (along with a few others) yesterday, so I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival

I have grasped a bit of the concept from the many posts on this site, but I'm sure reading the book would be a very different experience!

**zebrah** · 11-18-2011 06:57 PM

I dream in English (I'm American) but occasionally some Spanish slips in.

**Puffin** · 11-18-2011 08:16 PM

Always in English, my native language. I took French classes for many years but I never actually had a dream in French. I don't think I've even spoken French in a dream before!