Dreaming on

 I dream frequently, and it’s fun! I lie down & am asleep in a jiffy. Not all the time- but usually. I am probably in the minority because I can sleep anywhere - on a sofa, on a bus, train, plane and am much the envy of many in the extended family.  I am wide awake in church-  before you snigger and ask!

 Are you one of those lucky ones like me, who close their eyes and, what feels like a blink, wake up to a brand-new day?

Sleeping is fine - my brain, it seems, refuses to shut down, even when I do.

Above all- I dream a lot. And not just the hazy, forgettable kind. My dreams are vivid, detailed, and sometimes eerily prophetic. Many nights, I find myself with my late mother and aunt—two incredible women who shaped my life. Those dreams feel more like visits than illusions, as if, for a few fleeting moments, they are truly there. I wake up feeling comforted yet slightly robbed that it wasn’t real.

Then there are the really  odd ones. 

I often dream of being stuck somewhere high, on a building – on a hilltop – some vague steps - completely unable to get down. Given my fear of heights (and my well-documented refusal to even glance over a high-rise balcony), this doesn’t surprise me. My subconscious seems to enjoy tormenting me, placing me on cliff edges, rooftops, or wobbling on a narrow bridge with no handrails. It's scary.

And what about the dreams where I find myself in places I’ve never been, surrounded by people I’ve never met? Who are these strangers that my imagination so effortlessly conjures? More importantly, if I’ve never seen them before, how do I know exactly what they look like? It’s one of life’s great mysteries—right up there with why so many of my  socks disappear in the washing machine! And not pairs- just one of each!

Science suggests that 65 percent of our dreams are linked to real-life experiences. That makes sense. But what about the remaining 35 percent? Are those memories from a past life? A glimpse into an alternate universe where I’ve made entirely different choices? Or is it just my brain throwing together a bizarre late-night movie, hoping I won’t ask too many questions?

Then, of course, there are the real nightmares. The kind where you want to scream, but your voice refuses to cooperate. No matter how much I try, the sound just won’t come out, leaving me to flail around helplessly while the dream-monster closes in. And on a few occasions, I’ve had a dream within a dream. Waking up, relieved it was all over—only to realize I’m still asleep.

But the strangest part? There are two specific types of dreams I’ve had that never fail to predict the future. 

One tells me something good is on the way—a happy surprise, a stroke of luck, money  or just an effortless, problem-free day. 

The other? A warning. A clear sign that something is about to go wrong. And they have been right every single time.

 Coincidence? Maybe. I often wonder.

So, what are dreams, really? Premonitions? The brain’s filing system, sorting out our thoughts and emotions? Or just our subconscious running wild, free from the limits of logic and reason? Whatever they are, I do know this—dreams make life a lot more interesting. And even when I’m fast asleep, it seems I’m never really off duty!