Picking up the Pieces
Looking at the three stories I have created within my own mind we can see a common theme throughout all of them. Running away or being chased by something that I am trying to get away from. 'To run away from an individual -- a monster, man, creature, or even a group of people that is attempting to cause you injury denotes that you are trying to escape in waking life. You are being defensive in waking life.' (Auntyflo, 2021). Reading into this article I can see that running away in a dream suggests that I am trying to escape something within my actual life. This could definitely be linked to University deadlines, over working my job or perhaps something I have not even realised yet.
Interestingly, in each one of my dreams I am caught by the chaser in one way or another. By the police, the silhouetted figure and even the monster within the first post turns back up as a bartender. 'Dreams about being trapped are a culmination of your emotions about current events in your life and your fears for the future.' (Aoife O, 2021). It's interesting to see how this links in to my previous point, as the running away from my responsibilities ends up with me being caught, suggesting I have fears for the future. After I have finished my final assignments I will have to look into the future and decide what I am going to do with my life after University, which can be a fearful or stressful time. The best thing to do in this situation - if you are experiencing dreams with similar themes to myself - is to make sure you organise your work around you (prioritising yourself first)!
Make a timetable with what you plan to do everyday in order to achieve your goals and submit your work on time. Also, check that you are happy within your friendships and relationships and make sure they are not an obstacle that you are running away from subconsciously. Furthermore, you can practise mindfulness and meditation to give your body and mind a rest which will hopefully send you off into a deep and undisturbed sleep. There are some videos below that you can use to help you achieve this state of relaxation. Make sure you give time to yourself within your busy life and do not overwork your body but also more importantly: your brain.
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/headspace-mindful-meditation/id493145008 (Check out the head space app for relaxing videos and meditation techniques).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syx3a1_LeFo (10 minute mindfulness video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y93hp2PDuuA (ASMR for sleep, my favourite creator)
Whilst dreams can be frightening (especially nightmares) you must remember that they are not real and do not control your everyday life. They should in fact be reminders, to manage your life economically and keep on top of your goals in a responsible and beneficial way to your mental health. My own dreams have varied wildly across this blog and it is important to remember that your own imagination can create wild and wonderful things and that they are still ideas that can be turned into pieces of work, if you manipulate the story to your own desire.
