Dreams

[Aggie_Ama]

Every six months or so I dream of rattlesnakes and always get bit by them. This has been occurring for the past 10 years, maybe even longer. I have never seen a rattler in the wild, only at the zoo. My dream is always they are in a house (never one I or my family currently lives in) and they always bite me. I wonder what that is all about? I am terribly afraid of poisonous snakes.

[jesvetmed]

That is a scarey dream! I've seen one in the wild... close enough for me. I try to remind myself that they have a purpose here! We don't have them where I live, but just across the mtns where I spend weeks in the summer... they are everywhere!

[mimitabby]

maybe you need to go to a zoo or something where they have snakes you can handle (or at least watch someone else handle) and get over your fear.
Rattlesnakes DON'T want to bite you!

[Pax]

Last night I dreamt I played basketball with the Dalai Lama. Dreams are just bizarre sometimes.

[makbike]

Amanda I too have had a single dream which involved a room filled with rattlesnakes. In my dream I was in an exam room at the clinic, where I worked part-time, and the room was literally crawling with rattlesnakes. They were everywhere, on the table, the counters, the chairs, etc. I woke from this dream covered in sweat and my heart pounding. I made myself stay awake for awhile so that when I fell back to sleep it would not continue. No such luck for once I was back in slumber land the dream continued. I was face to face with a big rattlesnake, it was coiled on the exam table and preparing to strike, venom dripping off its fangs.

My cats were engaged in their midnight play session while I was dreaming and one of them, Bones, came flying into the bedroom and pounced on my chest just as the rattlesnake, with the dripping venom, was striking me in my dream. Needless to say, I woke up screaming as I scrambled from my bed. At this point my dogs were up and barking and cats were flying in all directions in my bedroom. I did quickly realize it was a dream and sat in bed laughing. My heart rate had to be close to 200 bpm. Thank goodness I've never had this dream since and feel blessed that the snakes have left my dream space.

[Aggie_Ama]

I found one dream site that said snakes may mean you distrust someone, which unfortunately I was dealing with feelings of last night.

We went to organize my Nanny's things for a garage sale since she just moved to assisted living. When we got there we noticed other relatives (cousins of my father, this is his mother) had been by and taken several things. These were things promised to them but we were under the impression they would be removed after the sale. Plus they didn't tell my dad they would be by to remove items and there are so many things in there we can't tell if everything but those were left. There has been some suspicion of the family taking advantage of her *perceived* wealth since my Pawpaw died. I do not know if the other times have been consistent with these types of feelings.

Given my hatred of snakes these dreams mean I wake up very unsettled.

[rocknrollgirl]

I dream I am in a terrible storm and when I go outside, there is a twister coming....

[LainiePants]

I also have had reoccurring storm/twister/tornado dreams ...pretty much for my whole life. They aren't terribly scary these days, but they scared the s**t out of me as a kid.....Honestly I think I dream about tornadoes cause the Wizard of Oz was my absolute favorite movie as a kid. Seen it a million time. But i was so scared of that tricksy tornado (and the Wicked Witch ) . I've never actually seen a twister in read life.

[frnz]

I dreamed the other night about giant, 8 or 9 ft tall spiders. Yughghghg.

[ny biker]

I dream about tornados sometimes. I'm pretty sure it's because I watch too much Weather Channel. (And now they've gone HD!!!)

[SlowButSteady]

From the time I was a small child until the time I was away in college, I had a recurring dream, vivid and terrifying: I am running through the countryside being chased by a T. rex. I am separated from my family and running for my life as it closes in on me.

Finally I make it to my house and I am in my bedroom. The dinosaur is reaching its head with mouth agape, pushing in through my window. Paradoxically, I have to flatten myself against the wall right beside the window in order to keep it from seeing me.

To this day, I will not watch a movie or any television show or see a museum exibit that deals with dinosaurs.

However, I vanquished and conquered this dream my third year in college and have not dreamed it since.

I participated in a field ecology project that took me to the Everglades. I've always been extremely outdoorsy and never have I been afraid of any kind of (living) reptile. Both of my brothers work with reptiles in a professional capacity and I am a decent amateur herpetologist. While in the Everglades, I actually jumped on and caught an alligator that was sunning beside a path. I released the gator unharmed.

And I came to some kind of instant realization that I would never have that dream again. It was like something snapped in my head, almost palpable.

For months I waited for the dream to return. It didn't. Ever.

Have you given some consideration to facing your fear? If it is indeed a fear of rattlesnakes and not a fear of something equally powerful but subconscious?

Attend a class or study snakes under a trained professional? Volunteer at a zoo or nature center? Get a pet python?

I understand that fear of snakes can be very real, but they aren't out to get you, you know. They'd just as soon mind their own business.

Some fears are irrational. I guess everyone's different, but some need to be dissected gently and some need to be faced head on.

I also conquered my fear of flying by getting on lots and lots of airplanes. Now I just need to work on high bridges, mountain roads with drop-offs and thunder and lightning

It hasn't worked on the dream that I need to take a final exam and forgot to study. I have a doctorate but I still dream that one. lol.

[OakLeaf]

I actually jumped on and caught an alligator that was sunning beside a path.

You WHAT?!!!! I thought it was just cracker boy-men under the influence of too much beer that did stuff like that! You're very lucky to have been unharmed!

[redrhodie]

Look out Oakleaf! Run for your life!

I once dreamed my old boss made me hold a gator's mouth open.

[Aggie_Ama]

Have you given some consideration to facing your fear? If it is indeed a fear of rattlesnakes and not a fear of something equally powerful but subconscious?

Attend a class or study snakes under a trained professional? Volunteer at a zoo or nature center? Get a pet python?

I understand that fear of snakes can be very real, but they aren't out to get you, you know. They'd just as soon mind their own business.

It is only rattlesnakes and I am terribly frightened of them, I am not even sure I am strong enough to face them. I think it comes from the developing they did near me as a child and they claimed rattlesnakes were a problem at the park. At the time only one hospital in town had anti-venom and it was a 40 minute drive. I wish I could get over my fear of them, I should try.

[KnottedYet]

I've had dream-themes that repeat for years and years.

Odd thing is, once I figured out what the theme was "about", each dream would stop.

The weirdest one was a theme about bathrooms with no doors an only half-walls. That one went on for decades. My first day at clinical training they showed us the demo bathroom where we would learn/teach bathroom mobility. Fully functioning bathroom with no door and half walls.

The dreams stopped.