Dream a Little Dream (of Mama cass, not me)
Hearing loss, tinnitus & dreaming
As well as being beneficial to mental health, dreams have been the source for and subject of all varieties of art – they’ve also resulted in some outrageously harebrained ideas. Anyone whose spent time with animals must have wondered what they dream of; I’ve watched horses, dogs and cats display clear indications they’re running and interacting with ‘things’ in their sleep.
Dreams can also be utterly baffling or clear in their ‘message’. Two weeks ago a heavily pregnant friend was telling us how she kept dreaming about jogging and riding her bicycle, activities denied her by her maternity size.
I don’t try to interpret the nocturnal TV set, but here’s a genuinely true example of how weird dreams can be. Many years ago, when I yearned for a Harley but couldn’t afford one, I woke up one morning utterly bereft having dreamt about owning a uniquely customised Harley only to have it stolen.
That evening my very good friend Al (he’s a naturally gifted artist<git!>), called in with a drawing of the customised Harley he dreamt had been stolen from my garage. It was a spitting image of the bike I’d dreamt of. I’ve still got the drawing as proof, but why can’t he dream the winning Lotto numbers though?
Last week Sue had a dream where she was woken by booming music from the neighbours and leant out the window yelling at them to turn it off and let people sleep. Bear in mind that Motorhead could belt out ‘Ace of Spades’ in our garden without her noticing.
Her Tinnitus had been at a new peak of activity which she felt that was the trigger, she also told me for the first time that when people are giving her problems in her dreams she can’t hear them, or understand what’s happening – obvious interpretations can be made there.
Since before Sue lost her hearing she has talked with people in her sleep – not (thankfully) like the little girl in ‘Poltergeist’ – she’s just held conversations with characters in her dreams. Since she lost her hearing she’s also answered phones and called out to friends – now that’s an invigorating way to be woken from a deep slumber! She can’t be alone in having hearing/non-hearing dreams and I wonder (feel free to correct me) if wish fulfilment is a key element for deaf people hearing in their dreams, while lack of hearing during conflict indicates fear. Anyone know if clever people have looked at the subject of deaf people’s dreams?
A quick dream related trivia fact. The title of the book that was made into Blade Runner was ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’
I hope all your dreams are pleasant ones.