Mentally-composed Music in Dreams and LDs

[Matchbook]

Has anyone experienced a dream or an LD where your brain improvisationally composes music as the dream goes along? For example, you hit play on a stereo in your dream, and the music starts, but it is a song that you are sure that you've never heard before. I've had this happen numerous times, and I'm very amazed at how the brain actually creates these songs flawlessly with rhythym and pleasing melodies. In a recent dream my friend, Jared, was showing me a song that he and his band had made, and the song started, and I was immediately flooded with awe and several emotions. It wasn't actually the type of music that my friend and his band actually make, but it was incredible. There was some type of background orchestral music with a playful guitar melody over it. Anyway, once I woke up I could faintly remember the song, and laid there thinking how amazing it was that I'd never heard a song at all like that before, but my mind could create it instantly. These spontaneous songs happen quite often, and I've wondered why and how. I suppose if the brain can create high-resolution scenery in realtime, than it should be able to do the same with music. It may have to do with the fact that I often whistle or hum, or think of melodies in my mind while I'm doing things at home, to keep my mind occupied. It may be this activity that causes it to show up in dreams, although in a much more instrumental way. So has anyone else had this happen? Do you usually hear music that you've heard before, or your mind's original music?

[Leo Volont]

Originally posted by Matchbook and laid there thinking how amazing it was that I'd never heard a song at all like that before, but my mind could create it instantly. Why would you think that it your mind could create that song 'instantly'. It is not as though your Dream created a hundred such songs in a row simply from a spontaneous command. More than likely it took a great deal of creative effort for your Higher Mind to create that song, for the express purpose of appealing to your tastes, in order to make just the effect that it made. Then you suppose it was done instantly... thoughtlessly.... heedlessly. From years of experience in suggesting to my Higher Mind certain specific Dream Contents and Motifs, am am fairly sure that I can safely assert that the Higher Mind does not produce any significant Accomplishment 'instantly'. The really interesting dreams can take 2 or 3 weeks. I was once permitted to see a Dream Representation of the Dream Workshop. It was symbolized by an old News Room one could see in an old black and white movie -- the newsroom of a busy Daily Newspaper. Editors yelling. Cigerette smoke hanging in the air as most of the men in the room were pounding their typewriters. Some kicked back in thought. A few gossiping at the water-cooler. Its was a place of and for creative work. Nothing there was being done 'instantly'.

[evangel]

So Matchbook are you a real musician or a dream musician? I frequently have musical dreams and almost any time I have a nightmare or negatively oriented dream, I conduct, and orchestrate music in my mind in order to chase away any fear or anxiety. I often "compose" music, but it usually takes some concentration. It is only "spontaneous during times of jubilation or elation or during other deep emotional periods. I'll begin with a bass line or cello or drum beat, then continually add layers until there is a full orchestra, or I might begin with one voice (melody), then continually add voices so that there is a full range of harmonies. I cherish these types of dreams, yet because of my deeply held beliefs that both my ability to lucid dream and any musical ability I may have comes from God, I normally try to create music that is worshipful to the Almighty as a means of thanks and adoration for the gifts he has given. I am also a musician in waking, but am without any real training or music-reading ability. I have a great ear for harmony, pitch, and rhythm and timing, but am also utterly amazed and sometimes bewildered when I "hear" full orchestras or choirs or bands making beautifully complex music (which stimulates thoughts like is that something I created or is it coming from outside of me...?). As for music taking a lot of time to create... I don't think that the brain or subconscious works within time constraints. In dream time, "time" is usually non-existant or at least very different and therefore music may be a long labor or an instant improvisation depending on how you're wired.

[jay dawg]

i had an action type LD where i was fighting some kind of boss guy with guns and in the backround i could hear what sounded like a song from the band Death. it sounded really cool and wierd at the same time. when i woke up i realized it sounded just like one of their songs but backwards....i know the mind plays them backwards right? anyway i had another dream where i was playing heavy metal guitar (i do in real life), and i remember it was the greatest sounding metal i ever heard. i remember thinking as i was instantly playing it in my dream, "this would make me a millionair but im gonna forget it!" i woke up and sure enough it was on the tip of my tongue but it was gone.....

[Matchbook]

Leo, I see your reasoning, and it makes sense, but only in regard to your philosophy on the Higher Mind. Please describe to me what you mean when you say "Higher Mind". Is it something internally spiritual, or another expression for the subconscious, or what? It depends if you are looking at this from a scientific standpoint, or a spiritual one. I personally feel like when you go to sleep and a dream is beginning, the door to your subconscious is opened and in front of you are a collaboraiton of all the things that are happening your life; things you do, things you see, things you hear, things you think, etc. Some of those things are more dominant and appear in the dream, while others may play background roles, or none at all. But I feel that these things happen as the dream goes along, like improv. You say that you don't think the mind creates any of these things instantly, and I agree. I think that thoughts and suggestions and feelings from waking life, contribute to the dreams. But in the example of a song, I don't think the song was worked on and prepared in my subconscious before I ever began dreaming. I simply think that my subconscious gathered my musical preferences and implemented them as the dream went along. Similarly, when I'm awake, I improvise on the piano, making things up as I go along. But I'm not always highly skilled about finding the right notes, whereas when I'm asleep, my mind knows exactly what I want to hear and composes it right in front of me. What about when you are having an LD, and you cause a change of scenery or objects, which happens instantly? Could not the same thing occur with music? Anyway, I'd like to hear your take on it. Evangel, yes I am a musician in waking life. Not professionally, but I write and play piano and guitar.

[plobable]

last LAST night i had a dream where this guy picked up a bass and tried playing ebin by sublime and fucked it ALL up not really geting past the first few chords then i was able to play it so flawless and it sounded more perfect than i have ever heard it before after i sat and thought of how great it was i figured all i did was slow it down to hit each note at my own sort of like 1/50th a second off. so i tried it on the bass today and i made up two incredible parts to some songs on the same bass as in my dream ... it is my friends i dont play it much really ... i play the drums! haha