Is there any way to tell a dream from a memory

I know this may sound weird but I'll try to give you some background on my question. Over the past 5 months or so I have began to have "memories".
I am not sure if they are memories or if they are just very vivid dreams that I am remembering.
The memories were sparked after I visited a certain place. In the memories I am between 5 and 8 years old... I know this because of two reasons, one is for some reason I just remember how old I am and the other is that relative distance between my point of view and the surrounding walls, giving a certain height to my point of view.
Anyway in the dream I am led down a tunnel (Round, except bottom, white plastic, diamater approximately 6 feet) by a person in white scrubs, with a standard surgical mask on. I remember that there was wind blowing when the person "opened" (seperated the hanging plastic) the door to the tunnel.
The tunnel was conected to a balloon room, for some reason that is what I remember referring to the room as. It too was white plastic, but it wasn't smooth like the tunnel, it's walls were made like a parachute, it had a diameter of about 45 feet. I can remember being led into the room and seeing hospital beds, and that's it.

I can't figure out if this is a dream I had or if this is a memory. No one I know is aware of the before mentioned balloon room or the event taking place.

Like I said before this was sparked after I visited a place I haven't been in years...
Anyone have any ideas?

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Be Cool
K_OS

Oh yeah and I have never seen myself, that's another reason I think it could be a memory...when I dream, I usually see myself.

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Be Cool
K_OS

Memory or dream is something, unfortunately I too am very familiar with..and have asked this question many times to people. I really don't think there is any way to know though, if it was a dream or a memory. I've been told that if you get hypnotized this might be able to tell you. To be totally honest though, I don't think I really want to know right now. I don't think I'm prepared to know. Because if some of my dreams were actually memories, then..well..I'm just not prepeared right now.

So you you could try a hypnotists...Sorry I can't help you more. This is the only thing I can think of right now.
Mag

PS) If you would like my *gut* instinct about your experience I'll send you a u2.

Yes, please send me an u2u...

Back from war, in case anyone missed me.

The confusion of past reality and fantasy happens all too often in me. I suppose its not that rare...

What kind of war, Trader?

Everything OK?

I record some of my dreams. I haven't mixed them up with real life. Wouldn't want to. Yet.

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
What kind of war, Trader?

Everything OK?

I record some of my dreams. I haven't mixed them up with real life. Wouldn't want to. Yet.

I'm afraid it is a memory... I wish I could put it off as a dream.?.?

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Be Cool
K_OS

I'm afraid you can only tell by the 'quality' of memory you re-experience. I do know this: intially, memories from a dream jump to the surface only after something primes that memory. Kinda like instant recollection.

But after that all bets are off because your remembering your first rememberence... basically if you have a reason think it's a dream and it "popped" up in memory than it's probably a dream. Otherwise it might be memory. Good luck.

not to be weird, but I had a 'memory' kind of like yours, with the surgical scrubs and the white light and the bubble room. I watched E.T. about 6 months ago for the first time since I was about 7, and my 'memory' looks exactly like the end part of that movie. d'oh. don't think that necessarily applies to you, but it is a thought.

Sounds like a portable decontamination site.

Or maybe a portable shelter for biowarefare or contamination containment.

Could be a future scenario.

Were you ill that you know of?

Hey Xaos, I've had remarkebly simialar experiences. For about 5 or 6 months (might be longer) I've been "remembering" things buut I can't tell if they're memorys or dreams. I can't remember any specifics, but it's weird......sometimes it feels like deja-vu, or something. It's hard to explain, and even harder to work out......

Originally posted by MorningtonCrescent
not to be weird, but I had a 'memory' kind of like yours, with the surgical scrubs and the white light and the bubble room. I watched E.T. about 6 months ago for the first time since I was about 7, and my 'memory' looks exactly like the end part of that movie. d'oh. don't think that necessarily applies to you, but it is a thought.

That is it... That is what it looked like, Much easier to describe than what I was trying to describe. It has been so long since I have seen ET that I had to go back and find the bubble room they had. That is exactly what it looked like. Except there were more people in them, Oh yeah and there were 24 beds. Three rows of 8.

THENEO... The only illness that I am aware of was when I was two, (Only time that I have been admitted to the hospital at least). But this is something different, and my age is wrong.

There were many other kids there, it is a very strange "memory?".

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Be Cool
K_OS

Originally posted by chebob
Hey Xaos, I've had remarkebly simialar experiences. For about 5 or 6 months (might be longer) I've been "remembering" things buut I can't tell if they're memorys or dreams. I can't remember any specifics, but it's weird......sometimes it feels like deja-vu, or something. It's hard to explain, and even harder to work out......

I know exactly what you mean. I recently went back to the place that I was in the "memory" and that is when I began to remember it all.


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Be Cool
K_OS

Originally posted by ktprktpr
I'm afraid you can only tell by the 'quality' of memory you re-experience. I do know this: intially, memories from a dream jump to the surface only after something primes that memory. Kinda like instant recollection.

But after that all bets are off because your remembering your first rememberence... basically if you have a reason think it's a dream and it "popped" up in memory than it's probably a dream. Otherwise it might be memory. Good luck.

I am not really for sure as to what it is. I started to remember it when I was at the place that it took place.

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Be Cool
K_OS