On Cloud Nine
WHY We started this Blog to learn more about what happens when we’re asleep and why we dream in general. Knowing that everyone dreams means it’s something every person can relate to. The idea is to find deeper meaning in the visions people have during REM sleep. We want to get into the types and how dreams or nightmares are affected by our daily experiences. We hope to hear about other people's experiences by looking at art and visuals of what people dream and how they perceive it. This offers a further insight into the human mind and what people around us experience in their subconscious. WHAT You can expect to see different types of media to show our findings, along with information found while we learn more about dreaming and why we dream. We hope to talk to a sleep specialist about what they have experienced and found through various studies. We want to look for a connection between the different types of sleepers and how that changes their perception of dreaming and what it means for the human mind. We would include articles and small stories depicting information we’ve found. We think it would be fun to include a podcast/Q and A with somebody who’s willing to talk to us about a dream they’ve had or heard about. Dreams are designed to be forgotten and we wish to know the reasoning behind it and learn how to retrieve those visions and be on cloud nine.
May 19, 2021
My name is Emma and I am in 11th grade and I am in a video journalism class. Not too long ago
I interviewed the 1st Minnesota Masterchef Jr. competitor, worked with Gale Woods farm and
most recently, VEAP. Outside of school, I like to play tennis, and spend time outside. I have a
dog, Beau, and two rabbits, Darcy and Dwight, and this year I have had a lot of time to spend
with them.
I have learned a lot about myself this year, and I now know that plants almost always die when I
care for them, except for my bamboo plants. I read many books and sometimes can spend
hours with a good novel. I often use what I can remember from dreams and my experiences in
my own writing, and enjoy finding deeper meanings in life.
I spend many of my days daydreaming without realizing it, and am excited to learn more about it
and what they mean.
My name is Megan McHugh, I’m a Junior at the Minnetonka High School. I’m currently in the Digital
Journalism Strand in Vantage. I have a strong passion for helping animals and finding new ways to gain
perspective in the world. In the past I’ve worked with company’s like Can-Do-Canines and Ragom. They
are both non-profit organizations that help improve both the human and dogs quality of life. Outside of
school I am very involved in my church, through volunteering and I enjoy spending time with my friends
and family. I love being outside and traveling, it opens me up to new experiences and traveling means
adventure. I find trying new things extremely exciting and enjoy sharing them through creative writing and
photographs. I’m very interested in the brain and how it works, especially while you’re asleep. I have often
had crazy dream experiences and hope to learn more about why they happen or what they mean.
May 14, 2021-Emma
Elements of Dreams:
Flying could mean many things, but more common interpretations are that it could mean that the person dreaming has overcome something in their life, or it could mean that they have a feeling of control. Flying is most common in Lucid Dreams, when the person dreaming knows that they are dreaming and can control it.
Another common dream that people have is that they are being chased, and that could mean that they are trying to outrun something in their life, or that there is something in their life that they need to repair.
Think about your life. Is there something that you need to repair in your life, like a relationship with a family member or friend? Are you trying to avoid something in your life that has been bothering you and you could face head on?
Falling could mean that the person could be holding on to something that is not best for their wellbeing. There are also parts of falling that could mean different things. If someone loses their grip, then that could mean that there is something that they are losing control of in their lives.
Is there something in your life that is not worth holding onto? A troublesome relationship, a fight or grudge?
When people dream that they cannot find a toilet, that could mean that there is something in your life that is in the way of basic things you need to do. The problems in your life can be hard to get around, and they are causing you trouble.
Is there a problem in your life that is causing you trouble or stress that is preventing you from doing the things that you enjoy?
Failing a test:
Many people have this recurring dream that they are going to fail a test. It does not always mean something literal, and can be common for people that have a low self esteem or sell themselves short, or not thinking that people value you.
Take a break. Think about the good things that you have done in your life, and how you are valuable to the people around you, and to yourself!
There are many meanings that cause the dream of teeth falling out. Some of the most common interpretations could be feeling insecure, about important life choices or a loss. It can also be a fear of aging that can cause this common dream; don’t worry. Many people have the same dream and it is fixable with thinking about your life.
Have you had a fear of self image as you age, or have you had a loss in your life recently, or a big change in your life, like moving to a new house or changing schools?
Many people are experiencing dreams of these sorts and other dreams, and if you address parts of your life, they can be resolved. Take some time to make a list of things that could be related and address each one. What is causing the most trouble or the most unrest in your life? Start here!
*WARNING* While many of these dreams are common, they can also be a product of whatever the dreamer was doing the night before or what they were doing before they fell asleep, so if part of the dream that you had were similar to what you were doing before you sleep, it could be just the mind processing what you did last night.
https://amerisleep.com/blog/americas-common-recurring-dreams/
Infographic about most common recurring dreams
May 18, 2021 – Megan, Emma
May 14, 2021- Megan
There are 5 main types of dreams: Lucid dreams, False Awakening, daydreams, normal dreams, and nightmares. A dream can be affected by our thoughts before we sleep or what happened during our day. Interestingly enough, dreams can bring about what we’re avoiding, stresses in our life, and desires or fears. Amazingly, Our minds create these stories.
Normal dreams are dreams people have more commonly about people or experiences. Most people dream 4-6 every single night, but over 95% of the dreams are forgotten. All of which they take place in the stage of REM sleep, whether you remember it or not we’ve all experienced it. Normal dreams can be good, sometimes people have healing dreams that Bring them harmony and balance.
These dreams allow us to escape reality and imagine the past, present and future. Daydreaming is different from all other types, because you’re awake. They happen when you are fully conscious, but might not seem like you are fully aware of your surroundings, seeming to be “zoned out” or inattentive.
These dreams you are aware of what’s going on and in control of your dream, while you’re asleep. Lucid dreaming not everyone experiences. It’s said that only about 50 percent of humans lucid dream at least once in their life. More common to those who have reoccurring dreams and/or nightmares.
A realistic type of dream that feels like you’ve gotten up or awakened but you’re still asleep. If you’ve ever caught yourself dreaming that you’ve woken up, but it’s a part of your dream, you’ve experienced false awakening. This type of dream goes alongside lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis.
Nightmares are vivid, unpleasant dreams that can be haunting, disturbing and scary. The most common nightmares involve; being chased, death or dying, and physical violence. This type of dream occurs in REM sleep, compared to night terrors; a sleeping disorder people typically experience outside of REM sleep, which can explain why they are easily forgotten. Nightmares can be caused by many things you see (horror movies), hear (news), or do during the waking day. It’s nobody’s favorite.
May 18, 2021 – Megan
10 tips for better REM sleep
- Make sure you have a steady bed time and wake up routine
- Create a Comfortable bedroom temperature
- Decrease loud sounds and bright lights for less interruptions
- Unable to sleep? get up and do something, and got go to bed when your sleepy
- De-stress before bed
- Avoid eating, drinking, and too much screen time
- Try changing sleep position
- Eat foods with melatonin
- Keep sleeping and working areas separate
- Avoid caffeine after 2pm
May 21, 2021 – Emma
Dreams I’ve Had
I have some dreams that were so vivid that I still remember most of the details of them. Here are 4 that I remember the most. I thought I would share!
Sinister Map Tornado
The first dream I had was about 3 or 4 years ago, and it started like this. I was sitting in my room and there was a tornado warning that was going off. I remember I was in my room, and it was bright and sunny out, no clouds in the sky. My dad was down stairs at his desk computer playing farm heroes saga. I remember my whole family went down stairs to go under the stairs, and my dog too. He was more scared than the rest of my family, and my dad was still playing his game.
When the tornado came, it wasn’t an ordinary tornado, it was like a loop that connected houses, it would suck out whatever was in a house and then move to the next.
It was already at my neighbor’s across the street and I saw it from the window. (The window wasn’t near there, but I somehow saw it.) It was huge and scary, with a gigantic map of the world on it. Brown and huge, it would suck up people’s and sweep them away.
My dad was still playing his game and I went and asked him to come with us under the stairs.
I remember being able to see the tornado from a window above his desk, and seeing it slowly suck up objects by our house, and it was approaching. The ground was shaky, and I was screaming at my dad to come with us. He was insistent on finishing his level of the game, it was like 282 or something around there.
At the last second he managed to finish the level and rush to the stairs.
By the time he took the last step to the stairs, the tornado sucked up the house and we managed to hold on to my dog by his leash. (Not sure why he had it on.)
That shook me from my sleep. The dream wasn’t scary to me, but it was more odd than anything.
In a Warzone
I had another dream that wasn’t as weird but it still stuck with me. I remember snippets of it.
It was about 7 years ago and my family must have just gotten the news about my aunt being pregnant, because she was in it, and she had a huge baby bump.
I was running in a minefield, the sky black with crimson clouds, the color of blood, but I could still see bright and clear as if the sun was out. I looked down and saw that I wasn’t wearing shoes, but I couldn’t feel the uneven gravel under my feet. In the distance there was a gigantic city, and I could see people scurrying about taking cover. There was a plane or a helicopter dropping ladders down on people and scooping them up.
I looked over and my aunt, Becca, was running with one of those army packs on her back. She was screaming at me to hurry up. We were running from something, but it bothered me that I didn’t know what it was. It must have been scary enough that it was causing people to flee.
Before I knew what was happening, I saw it.
A gargantuan bomb went off.
I saw it in slow motion as it ripped the ground in half and swallowed people alive. It had an orange dust cloud following the fissure in the earth. I ran faster as if I could outrun it.
A large explosion threw me away as I saw my aunt Becca get swept up in a cloud of smoke.
I woke up after that.
The Deadly Purple Cake
I had one more vivid nightmare. It was about a cake. Let me explain.
The streets were busy and it was a normal day; I walked into a bakery and I saw a cake in the window. It was just an ordinary cake with purple frosting and yellow cake and it had pink sprinkles. Next to it was a coin machine. I didn’t know what it did, but thought it was interesting so I put a dime in it. I turned around to buy a cupcake and I felt something spongy hit my back. I felt the frosting next, it was smothering me because I was only a few feet away. The cake had grown 10 times its original size.
I woke up and decided to get out of bed and take a few breaths. As soon as I went back to bed, I was in the Bakery again, and I made sure not to put anything near that coin machine which was now a coin jar. Before I could protest, an old lady in a white blouse put 25c into the jar. The cake again began to grow and I saw it this time, it was like a slime that just kept expanding, but it always managed to keep the shape of a cake. My feet were moving before my brain registered what was happening. I was out of the bakery before I saw it shatter into a billion pieces. It was as if it was made entirely of glass, the wood, tile, everything shattered. It was as if someone had put liquid Nitrogen on it.
I woke up again and tried to relax again.
When I fell back asleep, it was back. It was there and I wasn’t ready for it. The bakery wasn’t there but I watched as someone put $10 in it. This time I closed my eyes and waited for it to smother me. There was no escaping it.
I woke up again and went back to sleep, thinking that maybe by letting it get me, it would stop.
It didn’t.
This time a child put his whole piggy bank in it, and I saw the mother put a wad of cash into it too.
I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I had a whole world view and I was still in it. It was like the world was in a glass encasing. I felt my face smoosh against it, but it wouldn’t break. I was stuck.
That time when I woke up, I forced myself to stay up until the morning.
Feeling of Flying
I have one more dream but this one was fun, and not sinister.
Outside my house, in the backyard there was a fence. It was maybe… 7 feet tall. It had never been there before, but it was that day. I had wanted to fly my whole life, and I knew that it was my chance. Climbing up onto the black chain link fence, the world looked gigantic. I could see it all….from 7 feet. I could feel the sun on my face and it looked incredible. I had an internal battle about falling to my death or flying.
Before I could make the decision, something pushed me. I fell face first and was taking a nosedive, but before I hit the ground, I felt the wind in my hair, and was above a mountain, and I saw it all. A field of pastel green grass, a creek that melted into a lake, a grove of trees, rich green, and beautiful.
Before I felt the difference, I was in a hot air balloon, above the clouds, but not relying on my own nonexistent wings to fly.
May 25, 2021- Emma
May 25, 2021- Megan
The Dream Prediction
I had a weird dream once. I remember it specifically. It happened in mid January. I remember everything that day. I had a normal online day of school, fell asleep, and remembered this dream like it was a day in my life. This is what happened… I was at my friend’s house. The walls were all grey and there was loud music playing when I walked in. Her mom was making us dinner and we all just silently sat at her dinner table waiting for something. I had no idea what was going on. All night we played games and hung out like it was normal. Very unexpectedly I heard my phone ring, I looked down at my hands but it was just my phone, nothing else was there. I ignored the fact that I couldn’t really see anything, and looked at my phone. My family received a text message from my mom that read “ We’re all driving up to look at puppy’s tomorrow”. I was so excited because my mom has been talking about getting a puppy for a while now. I couldn’t believe it. I told all my friends I had to leave because I was so excited to go home and sleep (even though I already was). That’s when it got interesting. Something felt off, I remember looking at my hands when I got the text message and thought how that couldn’t be real, that’s when I realized that I was dreaming and the thought of me doing anything was possible. I could completely control everything. Every step I took and everything I did was in my control. It was so cool. Even though I knew this was all a dream, a part of me wanted to believe it was real, so I drove home. This night felt like forever. I get home and see my sister with the biggest smile on her face. Obviously we were excited. We were all in shock and went to bed early that night. This is when it got weird. I was completely out of the dream and I woke up around 730 in the morning. I was severely disappointed that it wasn’t real, the day moved on. I walked into the kitchen. Everyone was awake, It was cold and raining. I was still thinking about the dream I had and how it felt kind of unusual. Then, my mom called us all into the living room. We all casually sat down on the couch and ignored the show playing behind us. My mom said “At the end of January we are driving up to Wisconsin to get a puppy, the breeder we like has 3 golden retriever puppies that are ready to take home” she explained everything in detail and how we had to keep the tradition of naming the puppy after a golfer. I was in shock. I had just had a dream about that exact situation, except it was real. Ever since that day I ignored how crazy it was that this happened to me. It was almost like the dream I had, was predicting what would happen. Later that month it was timed we woke up pretty early, the car ride was about 4 hours up to Wisconsin. We had seen pictures of what puppy we were getting but we didn’t have a name. It felt long, just because everyone was excited. We ended up getting there around 10. We go into the house and three little fluff balls run towards us, jumping on our ankles. They were tiny. There was one puppy that stuck out to us and we knew it was ours. The chunky one with a big fluffy head. My dad’s brother’s family only had one dog as well, so just to show them the puppy we FaceTimed them. They fell in love and instantly agreed to have us take one home for them too without telling their kids. We filled out double the paperwork and left to go home.. The drive back felt short, we cuddled the puppies in blankets and played with them, stopped at random spots by the roads to let them run around, and got them cups of water and toys to play with. On our way back we set up a surprise for our cousins. That night they were coming over for dinner, They had 0 idea we were getting a puppy. Everyone was so excited and nervous. Grace (One of my cousins) was sitting at the table and we walked through the garage and both my sister and I had a puppy in our arms. She started crying and knew one was for her and her family. Afterwards, My other cousin (Molly) came home from college in Gustavus that night. She walked in and saw them.. She started laughing and crying in shock. The room was filled with happy, surprised people. Everyone was so excited to have two new family members. The night was cold and went by fast. It had started to rain, so it smelled foggy. We brought the puppies out to play in the grass. The night went by so fast and they left to go home with their new puppy. Since that day, every morning I wake up it still feels like a dream….
May 25, 2021- Emma