SECRETS OF THOSE VIVID DREAMS

Have your dreams become more colourful as a result of the pandemic? You’re not alone. Ella Dove discovers why our night-time visions are clearer than ever

We discover why the pandemic is causing us to have colourful nights

The other night, I dreamed I was riding a tiger. He was huge and majestic, with golden amber eyes, and I sat astride his back as we raced through jungle undergrowth, the feeling of exhilaration lasting until I woke up. Historically, I have struggled to recall my dreams, but these days I find myself remembering them in lengthy technicolour detail almost every single night.

And I’m not alone. Since the first lockdown in March 2020, there has been a surge in the number of people reporting vivid dreams. Research from King’s College London has shown that nearly half (49%) of those who find life stressful due to coronavirus report having had more vivid dreams than usual, while the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center found a 35% increase in dream recall. Yes, the lockdown dream phenomenon is real.

‘I’m getting five to 10 times the volume of emails about people’s dreams than I normally would,’ says Theresa Cheung, who has been researching, writing about and decoding dreams for more than 25 years. ‘Dreams have been dismissed as nonsense, but the people who write to me are teachers, prison officers, barristers… people from a whole variety of sectors, and of all ages. I’ve spent years working with neuroscientists to come up with theories on why we dream. There is no definitive answer as yet, but one thing I can say with confidence is that it’s not nonsense. Our dreams give us so much potential, and the pandemic has allowed us to explore ourselves in a new way.’

The reasons for increased recall have a lot to do with altered sleeping patterns. ‘People have always had dreams, but the reason we’re remembering them more now is that mornings for some of us have slowed down,’ says Theresa. ‘Whereas before we’d be rushing to get ready for work or to catch a train, we might now be lying in bed without immediately jumping up, so we have a chance to stay in touch with that unconscious realm.’

DECODING THE DAY

Sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley agrees: ‘Sleeping for longer means we’re often experiencing another 70- to 120-minute sleep cycle a night, adding an extra dream to our usual four or five,’ he says. Our dreams occur most frequently in rapid eye movement sleep (REM), which happens just before we wake up. More relaxed mornings lead to more REM sleep, which in turn can mean an increase in dreams.

The content of dreams is a response to our waking lives. ‘Research has shown that in times of stress, reports of dreaming increase,’ says Theresa. ‘The pandemic has caused a huge amount of worry, about being ill, relationships, careers and more, and that stress fuels vivid dreams. Conversely, if your life has become very

monotonous and routine – which has happened to most of us during the lockdowns – your dreaming mind will try to help you by giving you a little adventure, like taking you surfing in Hawaii or revisiting somewhere you miss. It’s trying to bring a sense of fun back.’

It can be cathartic, too. Theresa likens it to having our own internal therapist, asking us questions and trying to help us make sense of chaos in our lives. ‘Every single dream is an important clue,’ she says. ‘Dreaming is a powerful tool of personal transformation and growth. You can learn about yourself.’

So how can we tune in to this internal therapist? Start by getting into the habit of making a note of your dreams, Theresa says:

‘Put a pen and notepad by your bed and jot them down immediately when you wake up because, otherwise, you’ll forget.

If you can’t recall any images, write down the emotion. A lot of people think they should be recounting a story, but don’t try to make sense of it. Write in the present tense, then put it aside, get on with your day and come back later to see what your dreaming mind has come up with and if it triggers any associations. If you do this on a daily basis, you’ll be able to spot any patterns, begin to decode your dreams and work out what they’re trying to tell you.

‘If you don’t understand the message of your dream, before you go to bed the following night, say out loud: “Help me understand. Give me another dream.” The more you think about and talk about dreams, the more they will happen.’

FACING YOUR FEARS

For every exciting night-time tiger ride or adventure, the pandemic has also brought much darker vivid dreams, such as losing loved ones or falling ill. But don’t panic, says Theresa, these are not premonitions. ‘Your mind is trying to take you to your worst fear,’ she explains. ‘Because if you can live through it and be okay, you can deal with it. There are some ancient cultures where children are encouraged to go back into their scary dreams to deal with their fears, the thinking being that if they encounter such things in their waking lives, they will know what to do. Our dreams always serve our best interests, so if you wake up panicking, take some deep breaths and remind yourself of this. Death in a dream isn’t literal; it’s a symbol of change. It shows your relationship with that loved one is undergoing a shift of some kind.’

By understanding our dreams, it seems, we can deepen our understanding of ourselves. So, what about my tiger dream? ‘Animals in dreams are always linked to emotion,’ says Theresa. ‘The tiger suggests excitement, independence and speed. Orange is creativity and black is potential. But you are riding it, so you’re in control. It’s telling you to be ruthless and that you don’t have to apologise for that aspect of your personality. In short, just go for it!’

The Dream Dictionary From A To Z: The Ultimate A To Z To Interpret The Secrets Of Your Dreams (Harpercollins) by Theresa Cheung is out now. Visit theresacheung.com

Dreaming is a powerful tool of personal transformation