Daydreams
Daydreaming is known as “a waking fantasy, or reverie, in which wishes, expectations, and other potentialities are played out in imagination.” Almost all of us do this for one reason or another. In fact, up to one-third — and in some cases, one-half — of our waking thoughts are daydreams.
Epic Dreams
These types of dreams are a little harder to pin down, as it depends on how you personally want to interpret the experience, but they’re typically considered very vivid, memorable dreams. Dream interpretation enthusiasts think of epic dreams as profound, with long-lasting repercussions and life-changing potential. Conversely, scientists state that epic dream disorder is “relentless, neutral-content ‘epic’ dreaming without emotionality that is experienced to occur throughout sleep.” Simply put, individuals dream excessively of doing unrelenting, exhausting — often mondane —tasks and wake up feeling incredibly tired the next morning as a result.
False Awakening Dreams
Ever feel as though you’re going through your morning routine — taking a bathroom break, starting the tea kettle, letting the dog out — only to discover you were dreaming? This is a false awakening, which is common as you transition from REM sleep. Researchers also find it’s frequently associated with lucid dreaming.
Lucid Dreams
A small percentage of individuals have the ability to lucid dream, which is when a person is between dream and wake states of consciousness. In some instances, they have the awareness and the ability to actually control the narrative of their dream or communicate in that state. It may be possible to train yourself to lucid dream, though the task would no-double take discipline and practice.
Nightmares
A nightmare is “a frightening or otherwise disturbing dream in which fear, sadness, despair, disgust, or some combination thereof forms the emotional content.” Most of us wake up quite suddenly from nightmares. Often filled with vivid imagery and strong narratives, they’re actually a normal occurrence for most people unless they disturb daily life or sleep habits.
Night Terrors
Night terrors are also known as sleep terrors. Many people experience “episodes of screaming, intense fear and flailing while still asleep … and sleep terrors are often paired with sleepwalking.” They’re more common in children but usually stop in adolescence, although some adults have them, too. While some episodes last mere seconds, others can be a few minutes or longer.
Progressive Dreams
There’s really not a lot of science yet to quantify the theory of progressive dreams. Anecdotal interpretations define them as a sequence of dreams with a seemingly continuous narrative unfolding nightly or sporadically, like reading a book or watching a series on TV.
Prophetic Dreams
The fascination with dreaming began with cultures all over the world divining a sense of purpose from predictions of the future. From the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to untold religious leaders to Freud and Jung, the idea of dream precognition is woven through human history. Again, anecdotally, this ability is real to some people.
Vivid Dreams
An unusual condition known as REM rebound is often the cause of vivid, intense dreams. REM rebound is our mind’s response to being sleep deprived or excessively stressed. So when we’re asleep, we experience heightened brain activity, which creates more powerful imagery. Some people might also experience vivid dreams when struggling with high fevers.
Telepathic Dreams
Telepathy is a known and established fact. The connection between minds without material means of any kind, has often been demonstrated by the very simple method of one person acting as a sender, while the other acts as a receiver. The sender thinks of a certain subject selected before-hand. He may write it down on slate or paper. This often helps him to keep his mind concentrated on the subject he wishes to send to the receiver. The receiver places himself in as receptive a position as possible, and Keeping his mind calm, the impression he receives he makes note of. After a few experiences he may find the message to be correct, word for word. This is telepathy.
In sleep there is often telepathic conditions between minds who are in close sympathy with each other, such as man and wife, mother and children, or people whose business brings them close together, may exchange thoughts during sleep. For instance, in one case a mother received the thought of her boy, who was away from home, telling of his sickness. A few days later she received a letter verifying her dream. A salesman dreams of a friend telling him of his company doing a big business in a neighboring town. Upon his friend’s return his dream was found to be correct. A lady in San Francisco (whose husband was in Australia) for three successive nights, dreamed of his returning to America. She did not expect him until early in the fall of the year. She was dreaming of him in the spring. On the fourth morning after her dream she received a letter telling her about his unexpected return.
These are so-called telepathic dreams, usually from minds of living people, although telepathic connection from minds of disincarnate beings is possible.
Recurring Dreams
Scientists frequently associate recurring dreams — usually repetition of the same type of dream or subject — with an unmet need or an unresolved issue. Sometimes recurring dreams can be more disturbing if an individual has trouble processing traumatic events while they’re awake.
Reoccurring dreams can mean that there is a pressing issue in your life that you need to address … and if you won’t admit to that in your waking life, your unconscious mind will keep reminding you.