Hi, Terri -
I've been able to control my lucid dreams since I was a kid. It wasn't something I learned, it just happened. When I would find something in my dream not to my liking, I would will it to change. In the dream, I would hear myself say STOP or CHANGE or something like that, and the dream scene would flicker out and a new scene would flicker on.
I haven't had nightmares for years. My dreams are usually bizarre and surreal and don't make much sense, but aren't exactly frightening, either. I'll give you an example:
About a week ago, I had a dream where I had a baby daughter, (I have no wife or children, but would love to start a family someday) a toddler about two years old. We were in the kitchen. I was feeding her and enjoying it. I remember singing to her as well. I got up to get a dish from the cupboard, and from the corner of my eye, I saw that the baby had vanished. Her clothes were there in the high chair, but she was gone. I suddenly felt something on my shoulder - it was a bright green cricket about the three times the size of a normal cricket. Before I could react, the cricket said "It's me, Daddy!" in my daughter's voice. The fact that my daughter had just turned into an insect didn't disturb me; I was just glad that she was safe. I then opened the cupboard and she leaped off my shoulder and onto the side of the cabinet. At this point, someone - I don't know who - walks into the kitchen, sees my insect-daughter, shrieks, and tries to close the cupboard door on her head. I scream, "Don't!" and save my insect-daughter just in time. End of dream. Hey, I told you it was bizarre! Maybe I've read too much Franz Kafka and William S. Burroughs.
Have you ever experienced past-life memories in your dreams? I have. When I was in college, I had a recurring dream where I was a blonde-haired boy of about 8 or 9 years old in an underground shelter. I had a sister, who was 11 or 12 years old. There were sounds of exploisions coming from outside the shelter, and my sister and I were very scared and clung to each other tightly. We spoke with British accents, and we loved each other very much. We kept each other safe and sane in that shelter. I had this dream several times.
At first, I didn't connect the dreams to a past life memory, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew that it was probably some kind of past life memory. I have no brothers or sisters, but when I was young, I longed for a sister. I had no desire for a brother, only a sister. As a child, I had friends of both sexes, but my friendships with girls were always deeper and more emotionally rewarding than my friendships with other boys. My best friend was a girl named Leslie who lived next door to me. We met when we were 2 years old, and I still have memories of us as toddlers. We were inseparable. When we were 11, she had to move away because IBM transferred her dad out of town. I was heartbroken.
Leslie had blonde hair, just like the sister I had in those dreams. I have come to believe that Leslie and I became so close because she reminded me of the sister I had and loved in a past life. I don't believe she was my past-life sister, though. I can't explain why, it's just a gut feeling I have. I have also come to believe that my childhood longing for a sister and preference for female companionship came from a need to find a replacement for the sister I didn't have in this life.
That past life memory I dreamed was a big help. It answered a lot of questions I had about myself and my childhood. If you ever experience past life memories in your dreams, don't be afraid of them. Embrace them. They can be very insightful.
- Eric
