Breakup Dreams

Today at lunch, I had a conversation about dreams – and what we’ve discovered about ourselves through them. I believe dreams help identify moods, and our psychological state- but mostly, I think dreams are a cool way our subconscious peeks out to say, “Hello, have you noticed this?”

I have some patterns in my dreams. For example, I know I’m feeling out of control in real life if I dream about crashing a car. In happier news, I always have a breakup dream after ending a relationship. I think they’re great because after I have them – I know I’ve moved on.

Here are a few of my favorites:

-After ending a relationship in college, I dreamed that the boy and I were going on a bus trip together. He forgot his guitar – and said he was going to go get it. As soon as he left, the bus arrived. I sat in the front seat and opened the window. The bus wouldn’t wait for him – and after a minute or so, pulled off the curb. At his moment, the boy came running after the bus. I watched him slowly fade into the distance.

-After a particularly annoying breakup (In retrospect, I’m really glad about this one…), I dreamed he and I walked hand-in-hand to a cemetery. There, we approached his gravestone and lit a candle. Seeing his name on the tombstone didn’t seem at all awkward.

-After breaking up with a boy none of my friends approved of, I dreamed he and I sat in bed together in my sister’s bedroom at my parents’ home. I was feeling really awkward with him there – as people kept passing by the door. When my Dad walked by, I jumped out of the bed, ran to the bathroom, and returned, handing him a black toothbrush.

-After a short dating stint, I broke up with this man I honestly didn’t know very well. I dreamed he and I stood at the bank of a river and waterfall. I walked off the edge of the waterfall and floated away, leaving him on the bank.