#Paranormal Wednesday-The Haunting World of Dreams

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Emmanuel Flores Tarello
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Dreams are important when it comes to my writing. I've dreamed characters, plots and scenes. I'll wake with sentences and full blown paragraphs. I've dreamed in other languages and had prophetic dreams. Likewise, dreams pop up a lot in my novels. My characters often receive messages, warnings and are haunted by their dreams and nightmares.

I find it interesting there are many different types of dreams. When it comes to the paranormal community, these dreams become very complex indeed! Here are a few categories to ponder.

Types of Dreams

Nightmares - upsetting and vivid dreams involving negative emotions. Some nightmares can lead to sleep deprivation and physical illness. In the paranormal world, there are some that believe nightmares are caused by negative entities. 

Night terrors - a dream that causes fear and dread. The dreamer will awaken in terror with no recall of dream content. Night terrors and sleepwalking usually run in families. Since the dreamer may report seeing people, animals or other entities in the room upon awakening, the paranormal community suggests these dreams may be supernaturally induced.

Belief Dreams – Dreams, prophetic or otherwise, that have shaped religion and belief systems across the world. Many prophets in history have reported receiving messages from the divine in their dreams.

Problem-Solving Dreams – Dreams that deliver a message or aide the sleeper in overcoming a problem in their waking life. Some believe that such messages are delivered by a messenger such as a guardian spirit, angel or someone who has passed on.

Recurring Dreams – A sign that we aren't paying attention to the message given. Ignoring the dream may lead to unresolved issues. In the paranormal world, recurring dreams are thought to be important messages from those who have passed on. May go hand-in-hand with problem-solving dreams.

Lucid Dreams – An awareness that the dreamer is in a dream state. The dream can be manipulated by the dreamer. May lead to out-of-body experiences.

Mutual Dreams –When the dreamer shares the same dream or experience with another person.

Psychic Dreams – Dreams in which premonitions take place. The paranormal community suggests these dreams are due to the dreamer having psychic powers or receiving messages from a messenger (ie. guardian spirit, angel or someone who has passed on).

Sleepwalking - performing activities that are usually performed during a state wakefulness. They can be as simple as sitting up in bed or walking to the bathroom; or as complex as cooking, eating driving, or even homicide. My grandmother used to sleepwalk in the forest around her farm house. This was frequent and lasted well into her teenage years. Her brother would follow to make sure she didn't get into trouble!

Dreams with Recurring Dream People – Similar to recurring dreams, these dreams are populated by people the dreamer hasn't met in waking life. The paranormal community has several explanations for this, including guardian spirits, angels or those who have passed on. I have two recurring dream people that pop up on a regular basis. Likewise, I experience a recurring place (and dream) every couple of months.