I have always had a fairly active "dream life," and I tend to be pretty good at remembering my dreams... in part because I had some training to do so during some fairly extensive therapy, when I was in my 30's, and had to keep a "Dream Journal" as part of my therapy "homework."
At The Restaurant...
In the dream, I find myself at a nice restaurant with a group of people — in the most recent example, there were about ten of us — some of whom I currently know, and some of whom are from part of my past.
As the evening progresses, a few people get up and go outside "for just a moment," but they don't seem to come back. Someone else gets up and goes to the bathroom... but after a while it seems like they are just not coming back. Someone else gets up and leaves after getting "an urgent phone call."
The last 2-3 people (aside from myself) get up, saying "we're just going to step out for a moment and have a cigarette" and walk out.
After sitting at the table for a long time, it's obvious that I'm the only one left. Then the waiter brings the bill, and it's for far more money than I have; I only expected to pay for one dinner, and now I'm the last one stuck with the bill for ten expensive dinners.
At that point, I wake up... usually with a sense of dread.
Recurring Themes in Dreams
I had variations of that dream a number of times, some 20+ years back; the stopped after I took my old business into bankruptcy and eventually got out, back in 1997.
I can't help but think that recurring dreams have "messages" for us, perhaps pointing out things that we otherwise aren't prepared to face, in waking life. The challenge is interpreting what those messages might be.
At the time (late 1990's) I had to facer the reality that a lot of the people in my life were only there because I was useful to them, not because they actually liked me and wanted to spend time with me.
That, in turn, was largely a Holdover" from an upbringing in which children were primarily regarded as having "value" only in the sense that they were useful to their parents.
"Make yourself USEFUL, and you'll always have friends!"
Make yourself useful, and you'll always have moochers, more likely...
Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
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Sequence: 059 — Timestamp: 2022.05.27 - 10:25 PDT
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As you have experience with recalling dreams, perhaps the next step is lucid dreaming.
I don't think interpreting dreams is all that useful, but if you can be conscious while dreaming, then whatever the issue might be, is easier to resolve. Indeed, the dream may manifest something deeper, so you can stop it and go to that next level of resolution.
As you wrote above, anxiety dreams manifest an anxiety but it isn't clear what the real cause is.
There are plenty of techniques - maybe you've tried them already. ;-)
I have occasionally tried lucid dreaming and yes, it can be useful because you — as the dreamer — have the potential to change what is happening, and to make decisions, rather than just going with the flow.
It's not always easy to interpret what the imagery from dreams is really about...
Yeah, most of my important visions started as lucid dreams, hence I like the technique.
No interpretation necessary after the experience.
There's also the twilight zone of hypnagogic states.
I heard about writing a dream log. I forget my dreams soon after waking up. Some were repeating and for about a year I had no significant dream. There was always something I could learn when I remembered my dream. I don't think the dream is given to prevent events from happening but to make us more aware why they are happening.
I found that remembering dreams was a matter of practice... you have to make notes immediately after you wake up, before you do anything else that might add to your thoughts. After a while it becomes somewhat second nature.
A lot of dreams are primarily "noise," but now and then there are some messages we can learn from.
Thanks @denmarkguy. It seems that those who have ears to hear can hear. I will try from tonight by leaving a note and bed by the bedside.
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