recurring theme in my dreams

Hey guys/gals-is there significance in a theme recurring in your dreams? This is a personal theme, nothing of a paranormal predictive nature, so kind of boring I realize, but I'd love some feedback by those in the know re:dreams.

I am occassionally plagued by a particular dream where I am in school. Especially recently. I awake in a panic sometimes too because I have somehow run out of time, forgotten not only to do assignments, but to go to certain classes... like all year, etc., and now the year is drawing to an end. I fear repercussions.

Sometimes I can't even remember what the classes were...I'm confused and wondering what classes were on my schedule-what class had I forgot entirely, or if I had time to find out, make up for it etc...

Now, I am in my 30's and haven't stepped into an institution for learning for many years. Odd thing is though, despite a few military tech schools, and some college way back when...it is HIGH school I keep dreaming about like this.

Highschool.

...now here is the kind of odd thing about that too-or perhaps it is the more pertinent point? Well, whatever, here is some background on me:

I only went to highschool for about 2 years. Oh I was educated and graduated mind you, but I stopped actually going to school-is that what this is all about?

Why the hell my mother couldn't find a private montessori-like school I don't know...but I was just not able to cope in regular public schools any longer.

I just didn't like it much, highschool and the whole daily grind of school and the idiots I attended with etc...and though I had actually lost my interest in formal education much much earlier, it was my junior year (you know, grade 11) that I opted out of going to my public highschool and had a public educator teach me privately in my home instead.

It was going to be that or nothing. I had moved accross town, lived with my best friend's family, attended the other "best" highschool in our city...but I use the term "attended" very lightly. I hardly went to my classes, never did homework. I had copped a Brittish accent and just enjoyed making fools of everyone who thought I was a foreign exchange student for a semester. I know, silly, but it was fun.

I never regretted that little episode of my life, oh sure of hurting a few people's feelings for fooling them, but I never feared repercussions of missing school back then-though they came, after one semester I was immediately sent back across town to my original school and reprimanded for my "hijinx." I was bored not only with school but life. The alternative was to finish highschool at home and just get on with my life-so I did.

I liked the set up. I got a full time job, supported my music habit and lifestyle, and had "school" on Tuesdays and Thursdays-actually it was more like I turned in my assignments on those days and sat around BSing with my instructor deciding if we were going to piss everyone off at graduation and have me participate in the graduation ceremony or not. (this was opposed by many since I didn't traditionally attend the highschool anymore)

So anyway...knowing that background... what of these dreams now?

I've had them over the years, but alot lately.

Sometimes in my dream the year is drawing to a close and I have excelled in a few classes and then it dawns on me, there are some classes I've forgotten to attend entirely, and suddenly I realize there are tests I have missed, and suddenly I am just pannicked...is it too late? Can I just go in and take the final exam? or am I in trouble for not attending all year etc?

Hmmm I guess some of this is kind of obvious to me suddenly as I write it out for everyone...but why NOW? Why do I have these dreams so much NOW? and what exactly do they mean? What is the panic and anxiety all about? Why do I not even know what classses I've forgotten. I had dreams like this 2-3 times in one week recently.

Am I feeling unprepared in general? Why school? Why highschool? Weird.

No one? No one has any idea of what persistant dreams about being back in school mean?

No one else has dreams of being (back) in highschool? College? (I did realize some dreams have been about college too-being back in school in general)

geesh! I at least thought someone else if not knowing what it means might similarly had had such dreams!

ah well, guess I'll just have to try to disect the psychological aspects of it then.

I have no idea the "why", but I do share a similar experience. I haven't been out of school as long as you, but I do dream about being there quite often.

The thing that strikes me about dreams of that school, is that it is always the same, but not like the real school. If you can imagine, sort of like a "parallel universe" verison of it, that is always the same in the dreams. It's not just school that is like this though, it seems every area I have visited that reccurs in my dreams have their own "dream verisons" that never differ, but are noticeably different to their "real world" counterparts.

If you catch my drift.......

Sorry I couldn't be any help though

Actually I do know what you mean, about it not being actually the school but what your dream now represents as your school. My dreams are sometimes more surreal and incorporate an amalgam of schools I've been to though, but the theme of having missed certain classes for an entire semester or year is always present in some form or another.

what is it you dream about school though? Good times? Friends? Teachers? Classes? Tests? what is the feeling? Are these "good dreams" I guess I'm asking or like mine more anxiety driven?

Originally posted by think2much
what is it you dream about school though? Good times? Friends? Teachers? Classes? Tests? what is the feeling? Are these "good dreams" I guess I'm asking or like mine more anxiety driven?

It's always a feeling of nostlagia, wishing I was back there, even though I hated the place, and still blame it for half my woes

It's nearly always a feeling of just "shock" at being back there, and everything being right, so not like your anxiety based ones. I've always thought that it's been a symbol of my subcoincious thinking I should have done better, or more, while I was at school, but I'm no dream expert.

If I was to take a wild guess at the meaning of yours, I'd probably say something similar, even though they are different dreams. It could be that you wish you'd had a better time at school, wish you could have got more out of it, and the dream is just your minds symbolism of "Missing something" at school.

But like I said, I have no real experience interpreting any dreams other than my own. I hope there's someone "better" on ATS who can shed some more light on it for you. Good luck!

Hey there..

So many dreams are metaphors. The unconcious has it's best chance of communicating with us when the concious is distracted i.e. sleep.

Let's say that high school is a metaphor for learning in general. Is there a skill that you should learn but are running out of time? just a thought

Originally posted by mysterium
Hey there..

So many dreams are metaphors. The unconcious has it's best chance of communicating with us when the concious is distracted i.e. sleep.

Let's say that high school is a metaphor for learning in general. Is there a skill that you should learn but are running out of time? just a thought

Yeah see thats what I was hoping to find out...what exactly school or classes etc are supposed to represent-just learning or something else...but still back to learning...a skill I'm running out of time to learn...hmmm...interesting...

Hmmmm does coping skills count? Still haven't got a grasp on those...have NO coping skills...well no really good healthy appropriate ones!

hmmmm..and perhaps time is running out! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Anxiety...I need to learn coping skills!!!

doesn't have to be anything profound, The unconcious will prompt you about the most umimportant of things and make them seem urgent