Is it possible to control what you dream about?

Question

or to wake up when you're dreaming of something you don't want to? I dreamt of my father who passed away a couple weeks ago and the funeral and everything and it's so traumatic i don't want to deal with it ever again, especially not in my sleep.

Answer 1

I've found it very difficult to control what I dream about, but sometimes if before I go to bed I tell myself I don't want to dream about something, I can usually avoid it.

I should mention, I'm not that sure if you can do this when it's something as traumatic as losing a parent. I still dream about family members and even dogs that have passed on from time to time. But as time passes, these dreams turn from nightmares to fond memories.

There are times when I can control my dreams but only during naps, or brief periods of sleep. And if you remain asleep long enough the dreams usually spin out of your control.

Answer 2

There is a way to control over it. Few minutes before you sleep, just tell yourself you want to dream about your dead father. Keep telling yourself few times, then when you sleep, that kind of dream will not come. It is called "Suppression", by suppressing to your subconscious mind, your dream will not come out. However, only do it minutes you sleep. After a while, they will be gone. If you are thinking about it in the day time, the dream will keep coming and haunt you.

Dreams are your subconscious mind. You probably didn't get over with it yet with your dead father and that is why you dream about it.

This may not work for everybody, but I think you should give it a try.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Yes you can, but it takes years of practice, I have been able to control dreams on many occasions, also there is a difference to control and conciously aware. I have had dreams where even though nightmares I was able to understand that, which made the dream like watching a movie. I am stil learning.

When you wake up everyday and you remember a dream state to yourself a dream is not reality.

You are reliving your sadness in your dream, It is very prominant in your thoughts whether concious or subconsious. Ussually when you dream of an event means you have not accepted it, it is easier to state it but it is harder to convince your feelings. Most call this the grief process. Accept the events, feel the acceptance, as in you can change it, in otherwords you wish to change events, don't and the dreams will fade.

If you want to control dreams your looking at years of mental training, I have been doing it for about 6 years now and I am lucky to be ten percent efficient. I have died in my dreams, tryed to force death, but most of the dreams I control are not fantasy as in having 5 woman at once those I ussually wake up to a mess ;).

Most death dreams like yours are two things, non acceptace of events so your dreams will play on it till you accept for it is harder to let go if you do not accept. Two - it is your own mortality fears, so you relive the ones you know in your dreams. I guarentee as you become more accepting the dreams will subside.

When you go to sleep think of the dream you don't want, try to force the dream to happen, that is how I started, and the dreams hardly never showed again, for I was confronting the issue. It is hard to explain, but remember a dream is a dream and if you remember a dream it means you were concious of it.

Answer 4

Yes, I think it is possible to control (to a certain extent) what we dream about.

i am sorry to hear about your father. In time, I hope it is not painful to dream about your dad. If it is in a pleasant context and your father is alive and in good health, doing something he used to enjoy, it might be comforting to dream of him.

My father died 10 1/2 years ago, totally unexpected, and I did not dream of him for a while, but now it is comforting to me when I do see him in my dreams, because he is never dead or sick or hurt. The best is when he sees my children. To me then it seems as if it were really true, and that somewhere in the universe he still exists.

But the way to control dreams is to either yell "stop" and force yourself awake if you are having a bad dream. Or if you want to dream of something in particular, you can think about it before you go to sleep. sounds simple but it can work!

Again, I am deeply sorry for your loss, and my thoughts and prayers are with you.


p.s. this has happened to me and i heard it's common:
to dream of a loved one coming back to life, or that they never really died, or that the death was fake or even to hear the deceased loved one complaining or ranting and raving about how angry they are that they are dead. Thank goodness that these are just dreams, and we can shake them off when we wake up!

Answer 5

when u dream that someone dies, that means they have something that you want. weird, i know because i dreamed that my dad died and i never got to say goodbye to him and i was so upset, but when being told it means u want something they have, I was like "how can that be? i don't want anything he has." but it could be ur subconscious telling u something about ur dad or that u should spend more time together. we can't exactly control what we dream though. everything happens for a reason. luckily my dad didn't really die and he is still here, but the dream may have meant something?

Answer 6

dreams may be clear and vivid, or strange and labryrinthine. Though they use our thoughts, experiences, feelings, and memories. By keeping a journal of your dreams can help . When you feel the dream is assembled in your mind, write it down quickly, without thinking to much about it. Copied from a book named Divination. Google dream divination and read up on it. To understand your dreams, is to understand yourself. You may have been thinking alot about your dad, his health perhaps. when you are about to go to sleep, try not to think to much about what troubles you. think of positive things as you begin to fall asleep. If you would like to know more about your dreams and what they mean you can e-mail me [e-mail]. I would be glad to help you with your problem.

Answer 7

I am so sorry to hear about your dad,both my parents were killed 4 years ago and i had aw full dreams about it too. You are going through the stages of grief i know it sucks but i would suggest to find someone you can lean on through this and let out all your feeling,it does get easier.God bless.

Answer 8

Yes you can interact in your dreams, absolutely!

They are your dreams, take control. Go where you want to go, not where you are lead.

Answer 9

Yes And No