I have noticed for along time that I remember my dreams during my everyday life. Something will trigger a memory of dreams I have had years and years ago. Sometimes dreams as a child. Even dreams I have lately worry me as to the situations in my dreams and the people I meet. The feelings linger for days and weeks. Its amazing how complex the mind is and that you can remember real memories and an alternate reality in dreams. Has anyone else had these feelings. Its like a soap opera in my mind...
I worry about the people in my dreams.

Mary, we really are kindred spirits.
I have had dreams that stuck with me thru the years, that something very subtle will trigger a memory of. I have had several dreams of relatives who have passed on, some of these I feel were "visits", others, I'm not sure. Anyway, other people whom I had never met and did not recognize play key parts in these dreams. I have had some dreams completely about total strangers, I can think of two examples in which I think of these "dream people" on a fairly regular basis, just like it was someone I knew.
I have even wondered if these people I met in my dreams could be someone who lost their lives and were just looking to someone to communicate with? I've also thought about the possibility of these people I dream of being some sort of acquaitances from a past life.
The mind is an amazing thing!

I can't say that I've ever had dreams like either of you. I do remember certain dreams for years, but they are always about people I know or nightmares!

You both mentioned total strangers in your dreams and how you think about them on a regular basis. This makes me think that even though you call them "strangers", you are somehow connected to them. Maybe these are from past lives or as Carrie suggested, souls looing for someone to communicate with. I'm curious, do either one of you have empath abilities?

I never considered myself an empath until I ran across a website that I posted about a while back. After reading the information on it, I was just floored because it described me so well. I do pick up very easily on other people's moods and emotions, and I've been known to "sense" things. I tend to have pretty strong reactions to old buildings and some objects also. It is definitley an area that I want to know more about.

I was just thinking not long ago about how my grandfather who passed in '95 showing up in my dreams disturbs me. Once in a dream, he was here in the living room on a gurney- not alive (I've written about that here) and the most recent was his name (and my name) that came on a piece of mail in the dream (also wrote about this). There is never any message with these 'visits', he just shows up in some form. To me, it doesn't seem like a visit - more like a creepy reminder of him. I know that sounds bad, but really - if you had passed and wanted to visit a relative in their dreams, would you show up dead? That is part of what bothers me.

I've had dreams with total strangers in them too - some I remember quite well, others not so well. Some have been in this house! I interracted with one (a little boy). He was in the hall by the bathroom, playing rather roughly with a Dachshund. I told him he needed to be gentler with the dog! Although I don't think he spoke English (he was Hispanic), he seemed to understand me. Incidentally, we've never had a purebred Dachshund before, but just across the street, they had 3 for years until they died.

Ok... I'm babbling!

Kell

Yes it is different to have such a strong dream state
that has such an influence in my life. Maybe they are past lives or people I have met before, but its more like they are living now somewhere. Although I do have dreams of the past where I am in it. I have had a few doozies. I once dreamt I was Abe Lincoln's mistress, talk about weird. I was in this beautiful room with antique furniture and I did love the deco.
Someone called me Mrs. Linconln and I laughed. I do have dreams that come true all the time. I have had warning dreams as well. Carrie I would definately say I am an empath as well. I find I trust my feelings about people completely and I can tell how they are feeling in a glance. I can tell on the computer to some degree as well. I am usually a very good judge of charactor. I can also sense with my animals as well. Lately the dogs and I have gotten even closer. Try sleeping on the couch with 4 springer spaniels on top of you. I usually only have two in at a time, but lately there has been 4 in the house and one puppy. I have the other two on the back porch with their puppies. I have a heater in there and they have a doggy door to do their business. My oldest male and female lay on my legs and the other female lays on my back or neck and the other one was on my but.
who needs blankets. My husband laughs so hard when he sees me buried under the dogs. Why they feel they have to lay on top of me I don't know. I can't imagine life without my babies. Dogs are such loving animals. They are in my dreams as well. They go on my adventures in the mind. I wish my kids were as good as my furbabies. Dogs don't fight for the remote control, or tell you no I don't want to. They don't leave dishes or clothes all over. Tessa tries to hit the keyboard on the computer with her paw on purpose every now and then. She hits the space bar over and over. Its so funny. I am going to have to take a picture of her when she does that. She is so human.

Kell, I didn't forget about you, I was making dinner and had to run. Seeing your grandpa in a negative way like that may mean he needs your help. I doubt seriously he would try to scare you, but perhaps he has some unfinished business that needs to be taken care of. What were the circumstances of his death. Since you see him dead or in a guerny did anything happen to him near the end of his life. These are just some of my first thoughts that perhaps he is trying to tell you something. If you can get past the fear try to look at other things in the dream that were there. Just my thoughts
Hugs
Mary

Hi Mary,

Nah, I'm not frightened, it was just weird to see him that way in the living room! I did 'view' his body on the gurney at the funeral home, but in the dream he was dressed differently and of course, it was in a different position/location.

He was living in a nursing home when he passed. They were feeding him at the time and said he choked on some food and apparently he aspirated some. With the reputation of nursing homes what they are, I had to wonder what really happened... but there is no proof of any wrongdoing that we're aware of. He was almost 90 when he died, so it may have just been his time to go.

The only thing I can think of that he *might* consider as unfinished business was an apology to me, but these 'visits' are neither good nor bad - he just shows up.

Oh, I forgot about the empath thing - since I've learned more about it in these past years, I believe I am one as well.

Kell

I don't remember having dreams that had the same people I have never met over and over again.

But I have had dreams where people in the dream mean the world to me. I've woken up crying because I had to leave the woman I loved in my dream. In some dreams where someone in the dream dies I grieve over their death and I'll still feel the grief after I wake up. I've had some pretty fantastic, superreal, epic, dreams. Where I would swear that was reality. I've had dreams where I lived several lives that spanned thousands of years.
These dreams do linger for some time. Sometimes days.
And I have had those triggers that trigger a dream memory. Sometimes of precognitive dreams, those when your are in a situation where you remember dreaming what that is happening before you now, and dreams that something, a smell, feeling sends you back to a dream or nightmare that I had years ago.
The mind is an amazingly complicated thing.
Most of my life I've been able to lucid dream. I learned when I was a child. It helped me escape.
Dreams are just another part of reality.

I can't say that I have had a dream like that either, but just like the rest of you...I do have dreams that I seem to remember for a long time...I can recall every detail in them...Like Mary said it is like a soap opera in your head...Kinda confusing at times, but then again it is so real! It makes me wonder sometimes that maybe the things in my dreams are really happening somewhere to other people and I am only dreaming of the ones I know!

last night i dreamed that a mental patient cut up my toes, i don't know the significance of that but i had to sleep with the light on all night and now everyones laughing at me for yawning at my desk