Dreams and nightmares

[Roger Hicks]

Does anone else dream at night about losing one or more of their Leicas? Several times a year I dream that I have misplaced one, had it stolen, dropped it over the side of a boat...

Mostly I can wake myself up out of such a nightmare, but it's still unpleasant. In fact, quite a lot of my dreams are less than pleasant, though it's often trivial: last night, for example, I couldn't find anywhere to park my motorcycle.

Of course I have good dreams too; sometimes very good. So as well as techniques (if any) for getting rid of the bad ones, has anyone any ideas for increasing the proportion of good ones?

Cheers,

R.

 

[alexz]

Xmm, Roger, it appears you're having quite tough life experience if the majority of your dreams are such 🙂.
In my case, I either dream very seldom at all or just can't remember if I had dream last night and what it was all about...that is, even owing now 3 Leica bodies and 3 lenses...LOL

A while ago, while on the duty (army service) I used to have quite rough dreams from time to time, but then there was a good reason to. I lost a friend of mine in the army, that brought some quite unpleasant dreaming experience afterward, but yet that was a reason for that...

 

[Roger Hicks]

Xmm, Roger, it appears you're having quite tough life experience if the majority of your dreams are such 🙂.
In my case, I either dream very seldom at all or just can't remember if I had dream last night and what it was all about...that is, even owing now 3 Leica bodies and 3 lenses...LOL

A while ago, while on the duty (army service) I used to have quite rough dreams from time to time, but then there was a good reason to. I lost a friend of mine in the army, that brought some quite unpleasant dreaming experience afterward, but yet that was a reason for that...

Dear Alex,

Well, that's what puzzles me. I've never had an easier life than I have right now -- apart from the occasional blip such as the appendicitis, obviously -- so I'm a bit puzzled that I get any bad dreams. Certainly, I have no such excuse as your losing our friend, for which, I commiserate.

Cheers,

R.

 

[antiquark]

Apparently, some people can learn how to take control of their dreams:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream

I never tried it, my dreams are pretty boring.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Apparently, some people can learn how to take control of their dreams:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream

I never tried it, my dreams are pretty boring.

Dear Derek,

Yes, I bought LaBerge's book 15-20 years ago. Unfortunately while his techniques for enhancing dream recall worked, that was all. As I say, I can often wake myself from a nightmare, so that's an advantage, but lucid dreams are very rare for me: probably not even one a year.

Cheers,

R.

 

[alexz]

Dear Alex,

Well, that's what puzzles me. I've never had an easier life than I have right now -- apart from the occasional blip such as the appendicitis, obviously -- so I'm a bit puzzled that I get any bad dreams. Certainly, I have no such excuse as your losing our friend, for which, I commiserate.

Cheers,

R.

Thank you Roger, that was some nearly 12 years ago, I came over it already so it's OK.
What is interesting is that my older daughter (she is 7 now) often tends to speak loudly through her dreams having quite vivid (supposedly) dreams, but then rarely she can recall what she has dreamed about...🙂

 

[FS Vontz]

If that is the worst your imagination can think of, then you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Roger Hicks]

If that is the worst your imagination can think of, then you have nothing to worry about.

I think you're probably right. It was mainly curiosity about the losing Leicas dreams.

Hell, in other dreams I danced with the Queen -- and I don't dance!

Cheers,

R.

 

[geejay]

Dear Roger,
Only had my MP for one day hate the thought of droping over the side of a boat after all those weeks saving for it!

 

[Roberto]

Last night I dreamt about shooting many pictures to test my camera forgetting that I loaded with film... very bad feeling 🙁 I wasted a roll of HP5 (note that I *really* loaded my camera with HP5 last night), and once I woke up this morning I've been very glad to know that the counter was still indicating the first picture...

 

[Twigs]

Last night I actually dreamed of dropping and breaking the M9, which I don't even plan to get!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

My "unsettled" dreams often take place inside of a program. Kind of like the Matrix or TRON, but in FORTRAN and assembly language. I'm writing code to get myself out of traps. It often leaves me with a solution for a problem at work.

I solved my last problem at work by resequencing the output multiplexers on a new computer board, implemented in FPGA. I am living the dream. Almost like Star Trek.

 

[Sparrow]

My "unsettled" dreams often take place inside of a program. Kind of like the Matrix or TRON, but in FORTRAN and assembly language. I'm writing code to get myself out of traps. It often leaves me with a solution for a problem at work.

I solved my last problem at work by resequencing the output multiplexers on a new computer board, implemented in FPGA. I am living the dream. Almost like Star Trek.

Probably best to leave the holodeck now Brian ... you're getting a bit too involved in the 21st century construct ...
.
.
.
😀

 

[Roger Hicks]

Thanks everyone. My original post may perhaps have come across as a bit heavier than it really is. What intrigues me about questions like this is that RFF is close to me in some ways, yet randomly selected in others, and it intrigues me to get responses from people who do not think the same way I do.

So please keep 'em coming!

Cheers,

R.

 

[Chris101]

I've never had that dream Roger, but quite a while ago I had a Mamiya 645 with all the trimmings stolen. I had dreams of finding it in pawn shops or second-hand stores for many, many years afterward. I would always become re-depressed when I realized that it was not true upon awakening.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Chris,

Oh, dear! I think I'd rather dream I'd lost it, and find on waking up that I hadn't, rather than dreaming I had found it and finding on waking up that it was still lost.

Thanks (and sorry to hear the story),

R.

 

[oftheherd]

If science is to be believed, we all dream, assuming we get good enough sleep. Many, myself included, seldom recall our dreams. I have had nightmares, but I don't recall any about losing a camera. Usually it is something walking around in an embarassing situation of some sort. Sometimes I dream things like having fluent conversations in Spanish or Vietnamese. But I was never fluent in Vietnamese, although I spoke it fairly well once upon a time. My Spanish has pretty much left me as well. I haven't used either language for something in excess of 35 years.

Strangely, the other night I went to sleep with the TV on, and the National Geographic Chanel had a program about an African villager trying to get enough cattle to pay the family of the woman he wanted to marry. That was a strange dream!

I think I would settle for yours Mr. Hicks. But it won't happen, as I don't ever see a Leica in my future. Not even a FED. I will stick with my Kiev for an FSU and never venture into Leica-land, even in my dreams. I hope your dreams improve to where you can take self portraits of yourself dancing with royalty. 😛

 

[Roger Hicks]

What is interesting is that my older daughter (she is 7 now) often tends to speak loudly through her dreams having quite vivid (supposedly) dreams, but then rarely she can recall what she has dreamed about...🙂

Dear Alex,

That is intriguing. The question is, will it be kinder to help her learn dream recall rechniques, or to let her carry on without remembering? From my own experience of improved dream recall, I suspect the latter.

Sleep, dreams and the like are all fascinating. My first fiancée used to sleepwalk and suffer from asthma -- until we started sleeping together... (Not that I recommend this for your elder daughter for a good few years yet!)

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

If science is to be believed, we all dream, assuming we get good enough sleep. Many, myself included, seldom recall our dreams. I have had nightmares, but I don't recall any about losing a camera. Usually it is something walking around in an embarassing situation of some sort. Sometimes I dream things like having fluent conversations in Spanish or Vietnamese. But I was never fluent in Vietnamese, although I spoke it fairly well once upon a time. My Spanish has pretty much left me as well. I haven't used either language for something in excess of 35 years.

Strangely, the other night I went to sleep with the TV on, and the National Geographic Chanel had a program about an African villager trying to get enough cattle to pay the family of the woman he wanted to marry. That was a strange dream!

I think I would settle for yours Mr. Hicks. But it won't happen, as I don't ever see a Leica in my future. Not even a FED. I will stick with my Kiev for an FSU and never venture into Leica-land, even in my dreams. I hope your dreams improve to where you can take self portraits of yourself dancing with royalty. 😛

Well, there is that (having a Leica to dream about losing in the first place). This may be a very helpful image. Thanks.

But then again, the story of my first Leica is amusing. When I was 19-20 and my girlfriend was 17 or so, she wanted a reliable, versatile camera. For £20 she bought a Leica II (on my advice). After about 3 weeks she wanted it back, so I had to buy one of my own: a IIIa that cost me £30 (both with f/3,5 Elmars). I still have it, and have never been without at least one Leica since (M-series since 1974 or so).

I'll work on (dream) self-portraits of dancing with the Queen.

Cheers,

R.

 

[migtex]

I don't dream or have nightmares about Leicas (Nikon's on the contrary can give some bad hours, lol) found a solution ... focus on your breahting... make it slower.. and slower..up .. down.. up.. down.. .... up.... down...... up...... down........ there you get the ideia..in less tan 1 minute you going... no nightmares anymore... If you dream... keep on dreaming.

My dreams happens when I'm wake and that's the problem... they can turn on "need" feeling... got to stop dreaming!
Hope recovery goes well.