Saturday, August 21, 2010

This is taking RECURRING to a whole new level

I woke one morning this week and was relieved, "Whew, no baby in that dream," but no, I was wrong. Right at the end of my dream there was suddenly a baby laying on a bench. I thought it was dead, it looked dead. I looked closer and it opened its eyes.

If you don't know the history of my recurring dream, and you care (important distinction), read this post. [Quick recap--I've had several, well, okay, a majorly huge amount, of dreams involving a baby in need of serious nurturing. I read an interpretation of the dream in a book on writing where the author talks about how the baby is our creative selves. Yay, I thought. I only need to keep plugging away on my novel and the "baby" will be happy and more importantly, it will be ALIVE.]

I updated the whole dream situation in a July blog post as Guest Blogger at LDSWritersBlogck.

Here's part of that post: I've had several baby dreams since I discovered Ms. Tiberghien's interpretation, including one where I even named the baby--definitely a good sign when you consider the baby being my creative self--and another where I actually gave birth to the baby. That one got me excited. It meant I had come so far--no longer was I finding a baby neglected and barely alive, but I actually gave birth to it. I was giving life to my creativity.

I really wish I had written down all the dreams because it's been quite the baby/creative-self journey. The two most recent installments had totally different tones, though. The first was wonderful. I dreamed I brought the baby in and set it in a bassinet. It barely fit, but the baby seemed okay. The latest dream, though . . . not good. I had to change the baby and it was making huge messes all over. I couldn't do anything to stop it. I guess these last two indicate where I'm at in my creative writing journey. I've nurtured the baby/creative-self by writing my novel. Now I'm in revisions. And it's a mess.

Okay, that was then...this is now. I have had 6 (COUNT THEM...6!) baby dreams in the past two weeks. I'm getting a little scared. I'm beginning to think it's not book therapy I need (reference to earlier blog post), but actual therapy. Why are these babies so relentlessly appearing in my dreams?!? :/ I'm working on my novel, okay slowly, but surely, and I let some days pass without writing (I know, shame on me), and there's been vacations and summer in general, but c'mon!

One of the dreams was good. I came in and saw my baby and I was so excited. He was as darling as could be (looked a lot like my youngest son as a baby) and I secretly watched him for a moment because I knew if he saw me he would want me and then the person holding him would have to give him up. Then I finally took him and promptly woke up.

Last night I dreamed of twins and it was horrible. I took twins from some kids who were trying to come to my daughter's birthday party, though they were not invited. I was worried the kids (who had pulled up in a truck but were clearly too young to drive) couldn't care for the babies, so my daughter and I took them with us to buy items for the party. As in most dreams, things go crazy and you somehow never accomplish what you need to, so we just couldn't get the party stuff. We tried a couple of stores, but were unsuccessful. Somehow one baby was misplaced and I still don't know what happened to it. The other was strapped in the car seat, but needed serious attention. In truth, it was dying, but I would not stop because I had these other things to do.

We finally decided to go home and give up on buying anything because the party guests had arrived and my older daughter was entertaining them with games, but didn't know how long that would last. Of course, we could not get home. Everywhere we went was a dead end or just circled around endlessly, but I would not stop to help the baby. I had to get home and I told myself I would call 911 and get help for it as soon as we got there.

Like I said, it's a little scary. I'm wondering if there's some kind of time limit out there in the universe and I need to set aside some (more) things and get this novel done or the "baby" will die and not be revived. So far in the dreams the babies do live.

Well, I guess there's that one twin I can't account for.

12 comments:

Karen Dupaix said...

I find your interpretation of what the baby in your dreams represents to be interesting. I would not have drawn the same conclusion if it were my dreams.

Perhaps the baby represents something else in your life that needs nurturing and you feel deep down inside that you're not giving it/them enough of your time. Maybe your children/family?

kbrebes said...

I'm wondering--like Karen--if the dreams are representing some other talent that needs nourishing. Maybe it's a talent you've forgotten about, or maybe it's a talent lurking around undeveloped but that will bring you great joy. I had a baby dream, but it occurred right around the time we adopted our first child. Maybe adoption? : )

Taffy said...

Here are some other interpretations from a Dream Dictionary (good luck in your quests!):

To see a baby in your dream, signifies innocence, warmth and new beginnings. Babies symbolize something in your own inner nature that is pure, vulnerable, helpless and/or uncorrupted.

If you find a baby in your dream, then it suggests that you have acknowledged your hidden potential.

To dream of a crying baby, symbolizes a part of yourself that is deprived of attention and needs to be nurtured. Alternatively, it represents your unfulfilled goals and a sense of lacking in your life. I

f you dream that a baby is neglected, then it suggests that you are not paying enough attention to yourself. You are not utilizing your full potential. Alternatively, this dream could represent your fears about your own children and your ability to protect and to provide for them.

To dream about a starving baby, represents your dependence on others. You are experiencing some deficiency in your life that needs immediate attention and gratification. To see a dead baby in your dream, symbolizes the ending of something that was once a part of you.

To dream of an extremely small baby, symbolizes your helplessness and your fears of letting others become aware of your vulnerabilities and incompetence. You may be afraid to ask for help and as a result tend to take matters into your own hands.

Valerie Ipson said...

You guys are scaring me even more.

Peggy Urry said...

The good news is that it doesn't mean you need to have a baby? :-) Interesting that you have had it so frequently lately. Another dream interpretation website, which gives the same info as Taffy is http://dreammoods.com/cgibin/dreamdictionarysearch.pl?method=exact&header=dreamsymbol&search=baby
Also, if you dream of babysitting it supposedly means that you need to take care of the child inside you. And check out 'twins' you apparently have some conflict (or your life is in harmony...) that needs attention. Good luck!

Susan G. Haws said...

That is interesting. Keep me updated.

TKAstle said...

Oh, Valerie, I feel for you. Being haunted like that can be mentally exhausting. I know you'll figure this out as long as you keep trying. Keep us posted.

Carolyn Twede Frank said...

Loved this post. I found it very interesting, and my guess is that your dreams do have a correlation to what's going on currently in your life. Your interpretation makes a lot of sense.
I've had a reoccuring dream for the past 20 or so years. I've never told my husband about them--they involved an old boyfried (one I thought that for years I would marry, but he dear Johned me while I was on my mission). The common element in the dreams is that I still love this boyfriend but he will never commit to me or reciprocate. I have since realized that I have these dreams when my husband and I get in an argument or he's made me mad. When things are going smooth in my marraige, I don't get them. Perhaps when things are going smooth in your writing you will not get these dreams. But, as with all writers, nothing will ever go smooth all the time. So be prepared to have more dreams. Let them be a quiet reminder to keep working at things. And don't seek therapy--you're just fine.

Cathy said...

I had trouble with recurring dreams when I was a teen. My dad taught me that I was in control of my dreams and that I should take control of the situation. I did. In one dream there was a spider who kept coming to wrap me up. It scared me so much that I couldn't talk. With my dad's help I asked it what it wanted. It said it just wanted to be my mummy (wrapping me up like the egyptian kind). I woke up laughing. I've had other recurring dreams where I have taken control and faced the person that keeps coming back, asked them whats going on and that's the end of it.
The only problem with your dream is can your baby talk?

Valerie Ipson said...

Just saying...I'm sticking to my pretended interpretation...I say pretended because no one really knows what dreams mean...plus I am not having more children or adopting...I'm fine with the eight I have...

Cindy, thank you for your comment. The babies in my dreams never speak, heck, they don't even cry. Maybe they are too weak and close to death to cry. But, maybe they would speak if I spoke to them. Now if I can just finagle that...

Tamara said...

Oh, I don't know if I'll be much help. I can count the baby dreams I've had on one hand. The coolest one was a month before I had my daughter, I dreamt I was holding her in my arms and she looked up at me (as a newborn) and said in perfect English, Hello Tamara. It was good feeling dream. As for yours. Yes, the baby can be a symbol for several different things -but what are your overriding FEELINGS in the dream? Fear? Exasperation? Helplessness? Sometimes even if I can't figure out what a dream means, I try to pinpoint the feelings I have in the dream and match them to situations in my life that could be the cause of such emotions. Just an idea. Good luck.

Valerie Ipson said...

Interesting question, Tamara. It's strange, though, because I don't have strong feelings in the dreams. If it is a dream where the baby is being neglected, I will usually realize it needs help and then get busy and feed it. It's usually like "Yikes, I haven't been feeding the baby!"

I had another twins baby dream last night. I didn't talk to the babies, but I did ask someone else in the dream if he had fed one of the babies. I still like the idea of asking the babies why they keep appearing in my dream.

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