Dreams that never leave

[Gospodin]

It was 1979. I was nine years old. My mom took me to see the original ALIEN film, brand new, on the big screen.

She thought it was going to be like Star Wars.

Nope.

And the Xenomorph has been with me ever since. Sometimes it is what it is, chasing me through an ever more complex maze that collapses in on itself (classic anxiety dream) and other times it's a person with whom I speak, yet still it's the Xenomorph, like when a dream character keeps changing actor but you know it's still the same character.

It has become part of me. Anyone else have something similar?

 

[WooHooMan]

In what way?

 

[Gospodin]

In what way?

It's more than just a recurring dream. Those eventually fade out. The Xenomorph dream has been with since I was 9. I turn 50 in just a few days.

 

[Steerpike]

It's more than just a recurring dream. Those eventually fade out. The Xenomorph dream has been with since I was 9. I turn 50 in just a few days.

I haven't had anything like that, for that period of time. From the time I was very young until my early 20s I had a recurring dream that took place in a cartoon landscape of moving objects--spheres, cubes, etc. I was running through it with a vague notion that I had to get somewhere or away from something. It always culminated in stark terror waking me with a pounding heart, but I could never remember what was scary in the dream. Everything I can remember about the dream is non-threatening and not at all scary.

I finally stopped having the dream at around 21 or 22. I don't know whether it had any relation to a movie or book from my childhood--not that I'm aware of, but again most of the dream was always lost to me upon waking.

 

[Vaporo]

Ever gone to college?
Students
My dreams are the ones where I suddenly remember a class that I completely forgot I was taking.

 

[Gospodin]

Ever gone to college?
Students
My dreams are the ones where I suddenly remember a class that I completely forgot I was taking.

Yes, twice as a matter of fact. The missed class dream is not one I entertain, but I have an analogue in that I was in the military and often dream of a formation for which I am now late and I can't find part of my uniform. Typically my hat.

 

[Night Gardener]

I haven't had anything like that, for that period of time. From the time I was very young until my early 20s I had a recurring dream that took place in a cartoon landscape of moving objects--spheres, cubes, etc. I was running through it with a vague notion that I had to get somewhere or away from something. It always culminated in stark terror waking me with a pounding heart, but I could never remember what was scary in the dream. Everything I can remember about the dream is non-threatening and not at all scary.

I finally stopped having the dream at around 21 or 22. I don't know whether it had any relation to a movie or book from my childhood--not that I'm aware of, but again most of the dream was always lost to me upon waking.

Were you by any chance, in grade school during the very late 80s into the mid 90s? I have a theory that these weird cartoon geometry landscapes in dreams are internalized stresses triggered and associated with the graphics used in school supplies, textbooks and early educational computer games. They seemed to be everywhere: folders, trapper keepers, pencil cases, workbooks, class posters, carpeting, upholstery, wall papers. Pervasive. If it wasn't abstract geometrics, it was licensed [animated] characters, or... Lisa Frank. I can't look at vintage geometric graphics without instantly being transported back to childhood classrooms and childhood academic performance anxiety. You're not the first person to describe weird cartoon geometric or Tron-like landscapes in dreams, trying to escape from something vague but dreadfully anxious or terrifying.

 

[Night Gardener]

Gospodin I have the xenomorph dreams, too.

It all started because of my brother. I think. He rented one of the movies. And hid a cheap walkie-talkie in my room when I was little. He'd play the creepy screeching breathing alien sounds into his walkie talkie and it would play in the dead of night in my room. Finally, I saw what was making the noises on screen ...and it didn't help. I grew up in FL, and where really nasty bugs and dangerous venemous creatures would appear out of nowhere anyway. In my young mind, these giant alien creatures being able to hide in such small and claustrophobic spaces was totally plausible. These things were basically giant, dangerous, sentient insects to me.

My dreams would involve these giant xenomorphs and the facehuggers appearing out of *impossible* places as stowaways and killing everybody. Particularly, from the floorboards or the firewalls by engine blocks, out of glove compartments, air vents, trunks, RV basement storage, drains, etc. Especially while the vehicle was in motion. So, the vehicle would crash, there would be all the carnage of a high speed wreck, plus these xenomorphs would escape and spread everywhere. They'd come out of kitchen cabinets. Be in refrigerators and toasters and washing machines. Appear from the wall switches. Basically, anywhere a bug or spider could appear, my brain substituted a xenomorph.

After decades, I can now recognize the dreams as absurd rather than terrifying, and wake myself up. Not unlike channel surfing on tv. "NOPE." click, click, click.

I have dreams that have stuck with me for years as a theme, not as an identical recurring dream per say. Mostly rickety endless piers and murky waters, collapsed bridges, rickety stairs. Growing up around sharks and aquatic ambush predators (alligators) did not help.

I also have "construction" or "home improvement" dreams where I'm problem solving and building all night in my sleep. I'm finding angles, doing measurements, cutting hoards, counting ties and strapping, mixing grout, ordering supplies. Everything. It's mentally exhausting.

I wake up totally drained because I've been yelling at idiot subcontractors, arguing with people royally screwing up plans, people (squatters) are trying to move in that are unwelcomed, people I hate are moving in next door, the materials aren't to spec. Dealing with jobsite thieves. Broken tools. The semi tractor trailer backs into the building and demolishes it. You name it, I deal with it. I wake up so tired, frustrated, exasperated and infuriated.

I remember one particularly infuriating dream where I bought a small lakeside resort and was renovating cabins. Someone started painting the outside of all of the cabins in pastel polkadots and zig zags and stripes- over the windows, on the shingles, the siding and doors, the decks, everywhere.

Or, I'll have what I can only describe as feverdreams about pulling weeds. Usually I wake myself up because I'm acting out handpulling and shoveling. Weeds everywhere.

If it's not those things, it's something else lucid and utterly bizarre. My dream life is very active.

 

[Vaporo]

Gospodin
I also have "construction" or "home improvement" dreams where I'm problem solving and building all night in my sleep. I'm finding angles, doing measurements, cutting hoards, counting ties and strapping, mixing grout, ordering supplies. Everything. It's mentally exhausting.

Sometimes I'll have something similar. Engineering student here, so my dreams are almost strictly related to programming and solving math problems. I never find them exhausting, though. And I've never had any sort of inspiration because of a dream. I suppose that I dream of doing it, but never actually dream in enough details to actually solve any problems.

My dad has a sort of recurring dream. He used to be a truck driver, and every time he talks about something that happens when he was a truck driver the next night he has a dream where he's running late while driving his truck.