See You in Dreamland

Lately, my dreams have been dramatic and oddly clear.   I wake up confused, having thought that my dreams were reality.  Half the time I'm relieved they were only dreams, the other half I'm disappointed that they weren't my actual life.   Regardless, I did a little "research" (we are using the term "research" lightly, in that I pretty much used Google, ha!)  But regardless, what I found was interesting and I thought I'd share...

• Diet & Lifestyle Effects Sleep Patterns -  I've been on a health kick lately - working out, eating healthier, and going to bed truly tired have probably been a big part of not just dreaming, but remembering my dreams.
• Flying Dreams Mean Anything & Everything -  My favorite dreams are the ones where I'm flying.  I usually start by running and eventually take off, at first hovering close to the ground then slowly getting higher and higher.   The sensation is eerily real and I am in complete control.  From what I've found that is representative of my own sense of personal power.
• You Can Control Your Dreams - Like my flying dream above, the dreams that you can control are called "lucid" dreams.  When you realize you're dreaming, stay calm, it's easier to control what happens.  Use your imagination instead of bossing your brain around - if you believe you can actually do something in your dream, it will more than likely happen.  
• You Know Everyone in Your Dreams -  You only see faces that you have seen before in your dreams - whether you remember them or not.  
• Recurring Dreams Are Trying to Tell You Something -  I have 2 recurring dreams - one is that it's the day of prom and I'm trying to find a dress.  The other is I'm showing horses and running late for a class on finals night at nationals.  Both have to do with being anxious and things that I am very passionate about (fashion and riding horses).   Since they keep coming back, it means I'm unsettled with something.  Sooo, I need to start showing again and shop more??? ;)
• Dreams Try to Help You -  Many believe that dreams are trying to reveal something to you or help you in some way.  Some of my most meaningful dreams I've had are about people who have passed.  Whether you believe that dreams are literally those people trying to communicate with you, or just your mind's way of soothing your pain, it's amazing to see the people you miss again, even if it is in a dream.

My Common Dreams -

I about flipped when I found this picture - My friend Joe and I were talking about big bunnies on Sunday and I proceeded to have a dream about one the following evening.  When I found this photo, I couldn't believe all the connections.  However, dreaming about cute animals is fairly common for me and I love it.  A common nightmare is also that animals are hurt or need rescuing as well.  

I dream about clothes and shopping *quite* a bit.  But lately it's been all about bikinis and beaches and resort-wear.   I'm fairly certain that I'm dreaming about bikinis because I've been working out so much, and I have had my eye on a Missoni bikini that would for sure make all this exercise worth it. 

I sadly haven't had a flying dream in a few months, and I would greatly appreciate another one.

A lot of my dreams don't  involve people or even things.  They are just of places.  Often times, I feel very small compared to my surroundings.  Colors are always intense, and sunlight and/or lighting plays a big role.  These are the dreams I wish I remembered most.  Because whether I'm in a big room or on a tropical island, I can't help but wonder why I'm it's in my dream.

My nightmares mainly consist of tornadoes.  Since I was little I had nightmares about standing outside and trying to catch all our pets to take them into the basement as a tornado slowly gets closer.  I literally had this dream last night.  Although it's always slightly different in who I'm with or where I am, it always comes back and I really do not enjoy it.