My recurring "school" dream and its recent developments...

For years I've been having dreams about being back in high school. I understand these are very common and have several popular interpretations.

In mine, it's typically a 're-imagining' of my old high school. The layout is different, but everything looks pretty much the same. It's usually a stress-filled dream; I don't know where I'm supposed to be, and can't remember my locker combination (or location for that matter). I'll spend a little while wandering aimlessly, or looking for a classroom, and the whole time I'm thinking, "What exactly am I doing here? I clearly remember graduating in 1989. I'm in my thirties and I'm just gonna go home. The dream usually ends with a feeling of relief, as I realize I am an adult and the teachers can't make me stay.

Still, I've always been kind of confused as I woke, wondering what I'm trying to tell myself with these.

I have a similar recurring dream involving church, but that's for another thread.

My last two 'visits' to this school were different. A few weeks ago I dreamed that I was there, but also many of my peers were. There were also folks that I knew were supposed to be fellow ATS members, though I've never seen their faces. There was a feeling of 'the last day of school', and though I was still a little confused as to why I was there, I wasn't trying to 'find' anything, and I had no desire to leave.

I was going to post this then, but the one I had last night was even stranger.

Some of you folks know that I've been interested in lucid dreaming, OBEs and the 'Akashic Record' for a while. I've been trying to find ways to meditate, or at least get to sleep easier at night. I feel that the next step in my development is to learn to 'quiet my mind' and try to establish a better dialogue between my consciousness and subconscious.

A while back I mentioned in this thread how I used to try randomly attacking folks in dreams that became lucid. My reasoning being that it was MY dream so they were MY people and places to react to as I pleased. I've since then come to think of my dream settings, particularly those in lucid dreams as having more substance. I think that these dreams may be visits to an actual 'place', and the others there are not merely extensions of your own subconscious, but those of others, also 'visiting' the place through a collective consciousness. Or that place is the collective consciousness.

SO... Back to my dream last night. I'm at the school again, and this time my status is as a "visitor". I am with one of the students who is guiding me to a class of hers that I am there to observe. As I enter the classroom there is a young man of African descent with a video camera pointed at the door. I'm startled to see that I'm being videoed, but look directly into the lens and smile. Then I take a seat. It's a music class (some background: I'm a musician) and the students are preparing to give vocal recitals.

At this point I realize I'm dreaming, which has never happened in these school dreams. I stand up and remember that I have vowed to attempt to fly anytime I find myself dreaming lucidly. BUT, I'm indoors. The notion to attack folks never occurs, but would have if I had found myself there just two years ago. SO! WHAT TO DO?! I know that these dreams usually don't last long, so I need to try something. So what I decide to do is walk up to a pretty blonde-haired girl sitting at one of the desks and kiss her.

Blondes are not my preference, so it's a little strange. And even as I bent down to kiss her, I had a VERY conscious thought: "Oh sh**, what if I'm wrong?" But all she did was kiss me back, and it was entirely realistic. Her taste and smell and the way her lips felt. So realistic that concentrating on the sensation while knowing I was dreaming overwhelmed me and I woke up.

I interpret these school-themed dreams as my not having learned something that life is trying to show me. I've found them frustrating, because I didn't know exactly what that might be. But recently I think I've had a considerable amount of 'spiritual' growth, and I think I'm being allowed to 'graduate' to a slightly higher level.

reply to post by Teratoma


Interesting. I dreamt of schools/places of education frequently last year. I also have gone through a considerable spiritual growth over the past few years.

reply to post by fishneedh2o


Thanks for replying - I dunno if it's just my posts or does this section not get a lot of traffic?

So, in your dreams involving 'learning institutions', how did you feel? Were your thoughts similar to the way mine used to be? Confusion and what am I doing here?

I have to admit that the very idea of my recurring dream 'evolving' is exciting to me for some reason.

Originally posted by Teratoma
Confusion and what am I doing here?

I have been trying to figure this out as long as I can remember.


Dreaming of school/college

To dream that you are in school, signifies feelings of inadequacy and childhood insecurities that have never been resolved. It may relate to anxieties about performance and abilities. You may also be going through a "spiritual learning" experience. If you are still in school and dream about school, then it will naturally serve as a backdrop to your dream world. Alternatively, a dream that takes place in school may be a metaphor for the lessons that you are learning from your waking life.

I am also fascinated by dreams and what they mean.
Have you/do you keep a dream journal?

& no... not a great deal of traffic in these threads.

[edit on 30-9-2008 by fishneedh2o]

reply to post by fishneedh2o


Well, I was particularly interested in *your* particular reaction to the school dream scenario, and how it might compare with mine. I can accept the definition(s) you posted as being totally viable explanations for why I might dream such a thing, but an important part of dream interpretation has to do with the feelings brought out by the dream. Not only during, but particularly upon awakening. The way you feel when you wake up is perhaps the most important part of the 'message.'

Were your school dreams 'stressful' at all? I can definitely say that mine went from being an entirely stressful type of situation until just the most recent two, where they were actually pleasant. Especially the smoochin'!