I don’t really dream. It’s extremely rare to the point where I’ll have a handful in a year and I don’t remember them. Waking up with an emotional reaction to an odd dream inspired by life events or entertainment… Then the details slip away from me and I can’t even talk to anyone about the experience.
What’s it like for you?
Do you enjoy, dislike or analyze your dreams?
Is it really a window to the subconscious for you?
I have aphantasia so don’t really have full fledged scenic dreams with a narrative like some people have.
It’s more like I see my daughter crawling and falling into the plug socket so I need to go in after her, and then I’m suddenly in a field full of wasps.
I don’t ‘see’ much, it’s more like flashes of images and emotions; and I’ll often open my eyes and talk or shout but still be asleep mentally.
Thanks to this post I just learned I also have aphantasia!
Welcome to the club. In that case you might have SDAM too (hope not!)
https://sdamstudy.weebly.com/what-is-sdam.html
On the plus side we get a boost to abstract thinking, spatial reasoning and speed reading (if you also don’t have an involuntary monologue when reading).
Wow. I do have really good spacial reasoning and reading speed.
I chalked that up to being the only boy with a lot of sisters and doing so much packing/moving. Also reading as a hobby.
We seem to use spatial reasoning to compensate for episodic memory.
If I try and remember something, it’s usually my position in the room I remember first. And instead of remembering a picture of an elephant we store the dimensions.
And the reading is because you don’t have to say it aloud in your head, most people only read as fast as they can talk.