An abstract 3d cloud model in the bedroom. (3d render) Eoneren/Getty Images/E+ hide caption I had a nightmare last night. It began like many of my dreams do – I was on vacation with my extended family.
This time, we were in Australia, visiting family friends in a big house. Things took a turn when — in some way that I can’t quite explain — I got mixed up in this Australian family’s jewelry theft and smuggling operation. And I lied about it in front of my relatives, to protect myself and my co-conspirators.
Before I woke up, I was terrified I’d be sent to prison. The dream seems bizarre, but when I pick the narrative apart, there are clear connections to my waking life. For instance, I recently listened to a podcast where a pair of fancy hairpins suspiciously go missing during a family gathering.
Moreover, I’m moving tomorrow and still have packing to do. When the movers arrive in the morning, if I haven't finished packing, I'll face the consequences of my lack of preparedness – a crime, at least to my subconscious. This story also appears in the June 2 issue of the NPR Health newsletter.
Click here to subscribe. Dr. Rahul Jandial, neurosurgeon, neuroscientist and author of This is Why You Dream: What Your Sleeping Brain Reveals About Your Waking Life , says the major themes and images of vivid dreams like these are worth paying attention to, and trying to derive meaning from.
(For me, I decided that the next time I have to move, I’m taking the day before off.
