Dreams can be like a fountain of youth--or at least a time travel trip back to more youthful days. My dreams often have a setting of my school days or some time in my past. Since I can't see what I look like in these dreams I can only sense that perhaps I am in my youth even though it's kind of one of those "if I could be young again and know everything I know now" type situations.
In my dreams involving my younger days I feel much like who I am now. I seem to have the same knowledge and awareness of my sense of being as I have in my waking life age, yet the younger people around me seem not to notice that I am older than they are. In fact, in some ways they seem to be my actual age except that we are back in the time of younger years.
Actually, in these dreams age does not seem to be a significant factor most of the time. I am merely in a setting that I recall from my youth involved in activities of that time. My reactions to the dream events more closely correspond to how I am in my present age and I seem to be somewhat in touch with my present life. It's almost like living in the memory of that time for a brief period of sleep and putting everything of that earlier time into context with the present even though within the story of the dream time does not seem to be of any real issue.
Do you ever dream about times when you were younger? In those types of dreams do you feel like you are that younger age or your present age? If you could, would you go back to an earlier time of your life?
I might go back to an earlier time in my life just to watch and document what went on, for accuracy...like being a fly on the wall. I'm sure I've dreamt about being young again but like you, I can only see the young people around me and not necessarily myself.
ReplyDeleteThat's the way I'd like to do it, JoJo. Just to see if things really were like I remembered them.
DeleteLee
Oh, if I could go back to my senior year of high school and redo the last forty years or so...
ReplyDeleteIn my dreams I always seem to be in my early 30's, because in my waking hours that's how old I feel. Mentally, anyway; physically I'm going to hell in a handbasket...
I sometimes think of the things I'd change, but then changing them would mean my life would have turned out differently and could have been worse. I guess it would be interesting to see the different timeline outcomes for comparison.
DeleteLee
About ten years ago, when my youngest son was 19, I dreamed that he was six years old and he came running up to me, asking me to pick him up because he was small...I said to him, "Oh honey, it just seems like you're small. You're really nineteen years old, and you have your own little boy." He laughed just like he did when he really was six and didn't believe me about his maturity...it was one of those dreams that has stayed with me ever since I had it....I guess it sounds benign in the retelling, but it was pretty trippy, lol!
ReplyDeleteIf nothing else it's a cute dream. I guess it probably has something to do with reaffirming your roles as his mother and your continued perception of being his protector. My mother seemed to perceive herself as my mother-protector even after I'd entered my 60's.
DeleteLee
Nah I would not go back to my younger years and don't recall every dreaming of myself younger but I do dream of my child younger, always!
ReplyDeleteMyCajunLife
www.justlittlecajunme.blogspot.com
Those days when our kids were younger were kind of precious. I believe I've had similar dreams about my own children.
DeleteLee
I have dreams sometimes where the setting is back in my high-school days. It's always a stress-related dream where I suddenly realize that I have a final exam for a particular class and am stressing and freaking out because I didn't attend the class all year. I've had that theme as a recurring dream. I haven't noted what is actually happening in my life at the time but I suspect it's when I am currently stressed out about something...
ReplyDeleteWould I go back to my youth? I think about that often: I would so go back (those days were fabulous and fun!) but only if I could go back with the knowledge and experience that I have acquired over the years. I would certainly do many things different for sure, would have chosen different paths even.
Michele at Angels Bark
I have dreams sometimes where the setting is back in my high-school days. It's always a stress-related dream where I suddenly realize that I have a final exam for a particular class and am stressing and freaking out because I didn't attend the class all year. I've had that theme as a recurring dream. I haven't noted what is actually happening in my life at the time but I suspect it's when I am currently stressed out about something...
ReplyDeleteWould I go back to my youth? I think about that often: I would so go back (those days were fabulous and fun!) but only if I could go back with the knowledge and experience that I have acquired over the years. I would certainly do many things different for sure, would have chosen different paths even.
Michele at Angels Bark
Hi Arlee...I'm "catching up" on my A to Z reading. This theme is very interesting! You know, I really don't have any perception of age (mine or anyone else's, really) in my dreams normally. Thinking about it, I guess people in my dreams are the age that they are currently or the last time I saw them, except for my family, who seem to be just "the age that they are" and that is not necessarily their true age, if that makes any sense at all! Dreams are so bizarre! To answer your question, no, I wouldn't go back to an earlier time in my life. I like being "une femme de la quarantaine" !
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