Longing for the past-mental health question (sleep, confronting, anxious, anxiety)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I asked a question a while back similar to this, but wanted to bring it up once again because i add something else to add...
Basically, I realize that a lot of people when they get older long for the past. I am 29 years old, just recently married, etc...But for the past some years when i think of something or see something that reminds me of the time period between say 13-16 years of age. I used to have dreams where i would be back in those situations and i would be upset, almost crying in the dreams...maybe because i couldnt be back at the time period.
The thing that is odd, and I asked my marriage counselor this, and he agreed...is that this time period wasnt a fabulous time in my life. My parents went through a divorce, my mom got real sick, I went through some bad ocd...etc...The counselor wasnt really sure why i would want to go back either if i didnt want to change something i did, or something like that. But in my mind, i get a good feeling when i go back in my mind to that time...and it seems to me that i overly think in my mind that i would like to go back there to that period.
Any thoughts? Anyone have any similar scenarios in there lives?
Usually it means that there is a similar problem in your life and your mind finds old experiences to relate to it. So if you are currently anxious about something, you will dream of a past anxiety. Or if you are feeling helpless about something now, you will dream of a time when you felt helpless. Many of us dream that we are back in school and it's time for finals but we haven't studied, or we cut class so much we can't find the classroom. It's a dream related to feeling unprepared for something we are currently facing.
Thank you for the post, but actually the dreams dont happen too often...its more of the seeing something that brings back those memories, and just really wanting to go back to that time...oddly those times a professional would say that those were the more negative times in my life.
Dreams are *Ours*. *We* own them. *Our* mind created them whilst in sleep mode so *We* have the ability to take control in that dream as we would tend to take control of something {if we choose} in the waking state. Whatever you want to 'change' in a dream, make a conscious effort in the dream sequence to force that change. Forcing that change may involve actions or behaviours which we would not normally do while in 'real' or waking mode.
Professionals love talking about "confronting the bogie man", so, confront those bogie men in the dream {or if you're a feminist, confront those 'bogie women' <grin>}. "Fight of flight". It takes a little time, and considerable practice and determination, and can be scary, but you *can* actually get in there and take control, or steer that dream in another direction, but it may require the stepping out of a 'comfort zone' to do so. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" scenario.
The concept may sound ridiculous and/or impossible, but it's *not*, it's a form of mind control that we can *force* into being. If we don't like where a dream is taking us, just tell yourself in that dream you're taking control, and in all probability you'll wake up or that dream will end or change and move on. You may not however have a conscious sense of waking up, or determining the point when the dream changed, but on the other hand, you may? If you are conscious of waking up, or can remember when that change in dream sequence occurred then you know it's working and your developing a form of mind control while in sleep mode.
Controlling dreams requires effort, discipline and determination, and can be confrontational, but it *is* possible.
Make a conscious effort to change those negatives into positives whilst in sleep mode, change *Who* you were back then. Become a *different* person whilst in sleep mode. It's a form of 'acting', just as actors do on celluloid. They aren't *the* character, they are *acting* the character, and that's something we have to do occasionally in sleep mode - *Act* out a character. The character is actually us, but not us in the waking state, we can be whoever or act however we want in a dream state. The 'other' character probly can't be changed, because they aren't us, but we can change *our* character in a dream, as we have the ability to change direction or outcomes in a dream.
If all this sounds fanciful, it's not, I've done it, but it does require effort and dedication, and can be potentially unnerving and/or unsettling.
of when i was 10, 11 and 12 (1972-1974) which were really fun happy times for me then I also reminisce about the times i was 17-19 (1979-1981) which actually were more difficult times
i also find myself thinking of when i was 34 and 35 which corresponds to 13-14 years ago(also good times)
of when i was 10, 11 and 12 (1972-1974) which were really fun happy times for me then I also reminisce about the times i was 17-19 (1979-1981) which actually were more difficult times
i also find myself thinking of when i was 34 and 35 which corresponds to 13-14 years ago(also good times)
Now do you find yourself overly longing for this? or overly thinking about it?...
it's unrealistic to look so far back to 1972-1981 but thinking about when i was 35 was more realistic. at that time i was carefree and could enjoy myself more
i would say i often think if i had the chance to do it all over agin when i was 17 i would have gone to some discoteques and have gone to the prom (I was a recluse back in those days)
often when i do reminisce like music is often involved because i have a huge audio collection and the music reminds me of the past
I understand the music....that falls into my category with this deal as well...
the odd thing is that i dont feel or really think about changing anything...
i do know my mom was my comfort for my ocd problems, and during a lot of those times she was comforting...and now that im married i still look to her for the comfort...so maybe that has something to do with it as well.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.