A few nights ago, I dreamt about a row of old shops which had been boarded up with huge sheets of brown cardboard. Along the top, there was a big bright Tesco banner.
In my dream, I realised that when my dreams are set in man-made environments, they are always up-to-date. I very rarely dream about my own personal past, let alone further back in history.
I reflected that I’m a person who isn’t drawn to the past – I don’t write on historical themes, and I’m not fired by antiques, or costume dramas, or classical novels or paintings. Only last week, I bought a limited edition print of the Lidl in Brixton. It felt fresh and different – mean, how much Lidl-related art do you see?
Even when I did a few past-life regressions, they didn’t go further back than wartime Europe, but that’s another story.
I wondered about other people – antiques collectors, historical novelists, family archivists. People my spiritualist friend used to call ‘old souls.’ Did they have more dreams set in the past?
At the end of the dream, I dreamt I was recording this as a blog-post rather than an entry in my dream diary – and that’s what I’ve just done!
So this is my dream question – if you love old things, if you read or write historical books, do you have dreams that are set in the past? Or if, like me, you love the new, is that reflected in your dreams and writing too?
Jenny Alexander's blog: Writing in the House of Dreams 
When I read this, I started to think about whether I dream in the past or present. I realised that if I had nightmares, they’re about the past. But if I have dreams they’re nearly always about the future. Interesting!
That is interesting, Carolyn. I very rarely have nightmares these days, but your comment got me thinking back to a time when I used to have lots, and they were mostly set back in the places and times I grew up in.
You have me thinking now, Jenny. I don’t tend to dream of the past either, and neither am I drawn to period dramas. I feel I am fairly rooted in the present and my dreams do tend to reflect this, with one exception – the house dream I think I told you about before in another post – that is very much set in the past!
Yes, your dream house sounded amazing! As you dream mostly in present-day settings, that must make it even more powerful.
I live in the here and now and my dreams are the same. For example I was recently given some boxes (just the right size for putting animals in when I go to the vets) that in a previous life had been served as lunch boxes for the GB fencing team (my friend was a volunteer and they were going to be recycled). My last dream was about taking part in a fight where I was fencing, and I was very good at it!
I love that – recycling in life and dreams! (It also makes me realise I haven’t ever had a fighting dream that I can remember – or any kind of sporting dream for that matter)
Wow, I love reading about all these dream “histories” or “presences”. My dreams go far in past memories, but some also just here. Sorry, I don;t have much to add here. Except. I still, yeh, I know how to bypass nightmares, but this one scare still haunt me day and night. I’m scared of slipping/sliding. I haven’t got good balance. (Yeh, sober too!) I never had. My worst nightmares is about not being able to climb out something/contain my balance. Hubby suggested (seeing he thinks I’m all weird anyway, and we both enjoy Avatar) I call in the birds of Avatar next time I’m going to slip in a dream (seeing I remember dreams, and he still can;t believe I do). 1st Night it worked, but last night got another slip. But interesting, it changed, now it got hooked with the nr 12 and gold. Maybe I just watch too much TV!
I like your hubby’s idea! Every night before you go to sleep, intend that ‘If I dream of slipping/sliding tonight, I’ll call in the birds of Avatar to save me’ (is that what they can do? I’m not familiar with Avatar!) Intending like this for a repeat dream increases the chance that you will become lucid (‘I’m slipping and sliding – this must be a dream!!’) but even if you don’t, your unconscious will take control and resolve the difficult dream situation.