Image by j.o.h.n. walker via Flickr
Recurring dreams often carry a message
Do you ever have that dream about being in college and suddenly discovering at the end of the semester that you registered in a class you failed to attend at all? How about the one where you go back to high school as an adult and still have problems fitting in? Maybe your dreams are less specific, and you simply often dream of being chased or falling. These are recurring dreams. Many experts speculate about the true meaning of these recurring dreams. Some suggest that they are reflections of our own internal fears and conflicts.
…most recurrent dreams are relevant to the person who is dreaming, according to Dr. Daniel Condron (Director and Dream Researcher at the School of Metaphysics). His theory is that the dream represents a question or message (often related to a limitation, habit, fear or doubt) to the dreamer. And he thinks that the dream will reach a conclusion (and may even stop repeating) once the dreamer understands the message and resolves to make a change.
My analog work dream
There is one dream that always strikes the deepest with me personally. That is the recurring dream I have about work. The dream has always been the same. It goes like this:
I am working at the job that paid my way through college. I am a short order cook, working during some unspecified rush. I was a cook back int he days when wait staff wrote your food order on a paper ticket and hung a copy on an order wheel, and the cook in the kitchen read the ticket and prepares the food. In my recurring dream, I always in front of the wheel, feeling overwhelmed, and unable to keep up. No matter how many orders I prepare and no matter how many tickets I pull down, I am unable to catch up.
This dream has been like an old friend or family member to me. I have had it hundreds of times, and I know what it means when I have it. This dream is literal. I only have it when work is really busy, and I am feeling overwhelmed or like things at work are slipping out of my control. The never empty wheel is my unconscious mind telling me to take a deep breath, and refocus on being balanced. I always use this dream as a gauge, so that I know it is time to change things up, and find a way to relax my mind, and recharge.
My digital work dream upgrade
But today I am freaked out. Last night for the first time, I had a new work related dream, and apparently my recurring work dream is now digital. Last night, I had a dream with the usual message. The one that goes “you are way behind and you can’t get caught up“, but this time I wasn’t standing in front of a long defunct order wheel. This time, I seated at my laptop, moderating a Facebook page that was getting so many hits and posts that I was unable to respond them in a timely manner. No matter how fast I typed, the posts and comments just kept scrolling by, drowning me in the volume.
My work dream / personal alarm has been upgraded.
I’d love to hear about your work related dreams, and whether they are analog or digital. Share in the comments if you dare!
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Dreaming of work in the digital age: Recurring dreams often carry a message
Do you ever have that dream about be… http://bit.ly/qIxdoc
Twitter: JoanGinsberg
July 31, 2011 at 3:49 pm
A really interesting post, Mike! First, I had NO IDEA that the dream about never attending a college class you enrolled in was a common one. I used to have that dream all of the time. I also used to have a recurrent dream that I was a police officer in trouble, and I kept calling for help on the radio but the dispatcher never responded. THAT was based on real life experiences; I’m glad I don’t have that one anymore because it was s-c-a-r-y and I often died in the dream. It will be interesting to see if i develop a dream similar to yours, where I just can’t keep up. It wouldn’t surprise me.
Hey Joan
I’ll bet that police dream is very common in law enforcement, and would be one that would probably be very scary to wake up from. Good to hear from you!
Michael
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