It’s 2 a.m., and I’m hurtling down an endless black abyss, screaming, flailing, dying. It’s not an infinite galaxy with twinkling stars, but rather an empty abyss. The notorious “falling” dream that many have experienced is my most common one, along with tragic deaths.
It always happens at the most inopportune moment when I’m on the brink of falling peacefully asleep. Suddenly, I jolt awake, my body drenched in sweat and my mind spinning in confusion. As I stare in the dark, I think, “Wow, another tragic masterpiece.”
The plots aren’t scary enough to make them “nightmares,” but my subconscious mind should earn an award for coming up with such tragic storylines. One night I’m plummeting off a cliff, and the next I’m drowning in a ball pit (yes, these are real dreams I’ve had before). It seems like life can’t even cut me some slack even when I’m lying under comfortable blankets. I guess my imagination likes keeping me on my toes.
The worst part? I keep having flashbacks to these dreams in the middle of the day. My brain doesn’t get the memo that once you wake up, you’re supposed to forget your dreams. Instead, I’m cursed to relive all my tragedies.
Who needs Shakesphere when my brain is its own theater? My dreams aren’t just about day-to-day drama; as a rule, they make no logical sense. A few days ago, I dreamed I was in a hotel room with some friends and we decided to go out for breakfast. When we came back, we realized no one had brought a room key and were locked out. But somehow, when we stepped out of the hotel, we were in an amusement park. Then, God knows why, I started running until I fell off a cliff — which is when I woke up. Sometimes, I’m genuinely baffled by how my brain comes up with this stuff. Why is it always so creative when I’m dreaming but never when I actually need to be creative in English class?
Before you start worrying about my mental state, I’ve Googled this. Apparently, nightmares can be triggered by a whole host of things: spicy food before bed, unresolved trauma or just good ol’ high school stress. Dreaming of falling (off a cliff, in my case) supposedly means your life feels out of control. Considering that I stress out about my future 24/7, I think the dream interpretations are pretty accurate.
Still, I’ve got questions. Why can’t my dreams be chill or funny? When people share their dreams, I can’t even contribute because people will just ask me if I’m okay. Yes, I swear I am sane! My dreams just don’t reflect that.
Here’s my takeaway: As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And when life gives you tragic dreams, wake up, laugh about them and tell everyone about how you unironically drowned in a ball pit. You might get some weird looks, but it definitely makes for great entertainment!
