Have you ever confused your dreams with actual memories?

Question

My dreams are usual very detailed, vivid and realistic. Like, sometimes, I'll dream up a whole conversation with a friend or colleague, complete with jokes, questions and emotional reactions. There have been a few times when I've dreamt about doing something or talking to someone and it seemed so much like a real memory that I didn't realize it was just a dream until I find out that the action or conversation never took place, either by talking to the person or seeing that I didn't do what I think I did. It was weird and made me think there may be something wrong with me because I also have insomnia sometimes. Anyone else out there ever had their dreams get mixed up with their actual memories?

Answer 1

yes. I'm still not sure if my sister and I actually were in the hospital together. I went in for surgery and remember fighting and they had to hold me down but I don't know if it was real. I still have my tonsils and my appendix. I have to ask mom

Answer 2

Yeah, sometimes things happen that reminds me of something from my past but it turns out it was a dream I had 10 years ago (I used to write them all down so a lot of them are stuck in my memory) Dreams involving phone conversations mess me up because I do sometimes answer the phone if I'm sleeping. If I dream I'm on the phone I usually have to ask the person about it the next day. I sometimes get weird "déjà vu" moments out of nowhere but a lot of the time it's because something happens that I dreamt about and it causes me to suddenly recall a dream that I otherwise would have forgotten.

Answer 3

I don't have vivid dreams very often -- most of my dreams are very vague and I don't have all of my senses (I can't taste or smell -- sometimes I can't hear or see.)

These past couple of months have been hard for me and I'm very depressed, so a lot of my waking life is dream-like. Long story short, one morning I was half-awake, but I thought I was still asleep. I still wonder if I was awake or not ... After that, it's been hard for me to figure out which of my memories are dreams and which are real. (Just my memories for these past couple of months that I've been depressed, mind you.) I also daydream about talking with my friends a lot (I don't see them or get to talk with them very often) and sometimes I'll think I've told them something when I haven't.

Anyway, other than my depression and miserable lonliness for my friends, I feel very healthy mentally and I'm optimistic ... I know my answer is only slightly related to what you're asking about, but I thought I'd share, and I hope that it may help you, even if it's just a little. =)

Answer 4

If you ever saw Ronald Reagan interviewed, he was constantly confusing the parts he played in movies with real history. If your dreams are anything like how you would really be in in your waking life, I can see how it could happen as dreams for most people are a response to things that are happing inour waking hours or things we are thinking about. I have had dreams that seem so real it was hard to "come out" of them upon awakening.

Answer 5

I think it happens to most people at least once. A lady I used to work with dreamed that the boss asked her for an early paycheck. The next day she came into work and typed up the check and handed it to the boss. Needless to say, the boss was a little confused...

Answer 6

You're not alone! Not frequently but every now and then.
Especially when I'm stressed out. Stress may be the trigger?

Answer 7

Yes, that has happened to me. However, on rare occassions.

Answer 8

Absolutely!! Glad to hear it's not just me.

Answer 9

Never to that extent.

Answer 10

yeah. its crazy too