Different Type of Dreams

When thinking of dreams... I assume we all know what we mean, for the most part we understand them to be the nightly dreams but I thought to classify the different types too. There are more different types for sure but I think we can all recognise the ones below. While doing a bit of search on the internet I found some descriptions from Wikipedia, some from myself and some from this amazing website: 
http://www.dreammoods.com/dreaminformation/dreamtypes/

Daydreams


A daydream is a visionary fantasy. Daydreaming is classified as a level of consciousness between sleep and waking state.  Reports show that we have tend to daydream an average of 70-120 minutes a day. It occurs during  waking hours when you let your imagination take you far away. You know when this happens, when we lose focus and the mind begins to wander.

False Awakening Dreams

Did you ever think you have waken up and gone about the usual things you do in the morning, like having breakfast, etc only to wake up "again" and realise that you have just dreamed you have woken up but it was just a dream? That sensation is referred to as a false awakening.   

Lucid Dreams

Lucid dreams occur when one realises one is dreaming inside the dream. You never had this during the dream telling yourself  "hang on a minute, this is only a dream!" Most dreamers wake up once they realised that they were dreaming. Other dreamers are more skilful and remain in the lucid state of dreaming. Making decisions in their dreams and influencing the dream's outcome without waking up.

Healing Dreams

Healing dreams serve as messages for the dreamer in regards to their health. The Ancient Greeks called these dreams "prodromic". Many dream experts believe that dreams can help in avoiding potential health problems and healing when you are ill or when you are grieving. Research shows that asthma and migraine sufferers have certain types of dreams before an attack. Your bodies are able to communicate to your mind through dreams. The dreams can "tell" you that something is not quite right with your bodies even before any physical symptoms show up. Dreams of this nature may be telling the dreamer that he or she needs to go to the dentist or doctor. If you can understand the language of dreams, your dreams will serve as an invaluable early warning system. They can help inform, advise and heal. 

Nightmares

A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear and/or horror that causes you to wake up feeling anxious, with your heart pounding and cold sweats, etc. These type of nightmares fall under a special category called Post-traumatic Stress Nightmare (PSN). Nightmares can have physical causes such as sleeping in an uncomfortable or awkward position, having a fever, or psychological causes such as stress and anxiety. Eating before bed, which triggers an increase in the body's metabolism and brain activity, is a potential stimulus for nightmares.

Occasional nightmares are commonplace, but recurrent nightmares can interfere with sleeping patterns and cause insomnia that may require medical help. 

Recurring Dreams

A recurring dream is a dream which is experienced repeatedly over a long period.

A person who experiences post-traumatic stress disorder may have recurring dreams about the traumatic event.

The subjects of recurring dreams vary, and they often include events or settings from the dreamers' own experiences.

Recurring dreams repeat themselves with little variation in story or theme.  These dreams may be positive, but most often they are nightmarish in content.  Dreams may recur because a conflict depicted in the dream remains unresolved or  ignored. Once you find a resolution to the problem, your recurring dreams will cease.  

Prophetic Dreams

Prophetic dreams, also referred to as precognitive or psychic dreams, are dreams that seemingly foretell the future.  Having a prophetic dream suggests that you are experiencing anxiety and that you are expressing a desire for certainty in the future. You are looking to your dream to help you make an important decision or to reassure you that you are on the right path. One rational theory to explain this phenomenon is that your dreaming mind is able to piece together bits of information and observation that you may normally overlook or that you do not seriously consider. 

Epic Dreams

Epic dreams (also referred to as Great Dreams, Cosmic Dreams or Numinous Dreams) are so vivid that you cannot ignore them. The details of such dreams remain with you for years, as if you just dreamt it last night. These dreams possess much beauty and contain many archetypal symbology.  When you wake up from such a dream, you feel that you have discovered something profound or amazing about yourself or about the world. It feels like a life-changing experience. 

Episodic Dreams

Episodic or instalment dreams are a rare type that always comes in series. Each dream returns you to the same dreamworld, later in time, like chapters of a novel or episodes of a TV or radio show. Episodic dreams aren't merely recurrent; events don't repeat! Time and causality operate in the dreamworld as consistently as they do in the waking world (though time between episodes may pass faster or slower than waking time.)

Mutual Dreams

Mutual dreams happen when two people have the same dream. Very close brothers/sisters can share the same dream, these may be planned, meaning that two people actively work toward achieving one dream scenario. Mutual dreams can also be spontaneous. It's surprising when you find out that a significant other has had the same dream on the same night as you. Not much study has gone into the phenomenon of mutual dreams, but there is a very strong bond that exist between these two people.   

Shared dreams

It is fascinating, that people of diverse backgrounds, of total different life styles, and of different ages can share these common themes. Everyone’s brain is not on the same wavelength while they are awake. While we sleep, our brains actually all fall into the same state of brain function. Our brains all fall into a frequency of about 7 Hz per second, which is about the same as the electric pulse in a piece of quartz. While we are sleeping, the otherwise restricted energy of our brains can piggyback on the energy of those near us who are also sleeping, and you don’t dream alone. 

I like Dr Katya Walter's view on dreams. So thought to share what one can found on http://doublebubbleuniverse.com/Dreamwork.html

Dreams are a gift on your pillow each morning.
Freud said dreams are letters from the unconscious. Dismissing them unexamined is like throwing away unread all the mail that is sent to you nightly.

Why does nature give us dreams?
Why do people around the world have dreams? Why did nature put this complex & yet universal mechanism into us?

Each dream tries to get a message across to help the dreamer. But people usually just shrug them off. The waking ego throws it out as senseless gibberish. Another night letter from the unconscious, thrown away unread.

For instance, I have seen many forecasting dreams. They are sent by the unconscious to clue a person in on the stance to take in an upcoming situation. How can a dream see around the corner of time to know what's up ahead? Well, it happens a lot. It suggests that time is not really what we think in the waking world.

I hope I shed a bit of light on the different types for you and will now focus on the different layers to the dreams in order to share this on my next post.

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Carolyn