Linger in a pleasing dream? Why not?

When you’re a challenged sleeper, even 30 more minutes of sleep can make the difference between an energized day and a long, difficult one.

And when you love to dream, the idea that you could extend and linger in your cunningly conspiratorial unconscious is delicious, isn’t it?

Yesterday I came across a Woman’s Day article answering common questions about dreaming, including what we dream and how long a dream may last. But my take-away was the concept that I might change my morning waking behavior, hover in a dream state longer, and also buy myself much needed extra zzzzs.

Last night – or more specifically – this morning, I gave it a try. And it worked!

Learn more about dreams:

Ready for a few surprising facts about dreams?

• Apparently, we have as many as 100,000 dreams in a lifetime.
• We learn and solve problems in our dreams.
• Dreams may last anywhere from 5 minutes to 45 minutes or an hour!
• If you wish to linger in a dream, when you feel yourself waking, stay in the same position, and try to re-enter the scene.

And that is exactly what I did today, fairly certain I was waking far earlier than necessary, which is my usual case. I was deep inside an instructive and enjoyable dream, at that – a variation on my recurring dreams of homelessness, some of which are frightening, and others that enable me to explore cities where I’ve lived previously. It’s as though I’m trying them on for size in the future. In this morning’s script I was considering my options, with a few additional plot twists.

Yes, there was a man.

The meet-cute (man of my dreams?)

He was dashing, articulate, a Brit (of all things!) – not my usual Gallic Go-To Guy. He was middle-aged (oh hell, so am I), tall (the way I like them), and had apparently purchased my mother’s home and a red brick residential apartment adjacent to the property.

I had climbed a tall ladder to a sort of belfry, determined to scrub off a decoration I had added at holiday time which had left a mark on an area of paint. And while on the ladder, the man appeared and I suddenly realized I shouldn’t really be there on my own. I descended quickly, apologized profusely, we struck up a conversation and soon found ourselves strolling through a nearby university town.

It was autumn, the air was cooling, and he asked if he could put his arm around me and I said yes as we continued our way through the bustle of students and couples enjoying a weekend afternoon. I could feel the energy of the streets, and I remember thinking:  I need a city like this, and an arm around my shoulder.

Extending your dreams

Oh sure – the symbolism in the dream is obvious enough (I have to smile). But it was far more than that which had me wanting to remain. It was the energy, the sense of possibility, the surprise meetings that may come at any time and change everything.

As I felt myself waking (yes, a lucid dream by then), I recalled the article.

Do not move, I told myself. Turn your mind back to the scene, to those noisy, colorful streets.

And then I was right there. Again.

Recalling your dreams

When I finally allowed myself to wake, I did so with clear recall of the images, the good feelings, the strange settings themselves. In fact, my mother’s house was not exactly my mother’s house; the neighborhood was somewhat different. The proximity to the university town – several miles in reality – was only a block in the dream. But none of that matters.

I slept longer. I slept better. I woke feeling upbeat. I lingered in a pleasing dream, and to good advantage.

Care to try it?

© D A Wolf

Big Little Wolf’s Daily Plate of Crazy