Occasionally it will be a song I heard the day before and this is obviously my brain processing information in my sleep. Usually it is a song I know well and play regularly enough to know it off by heart and sometimes it will be a song I haven’t heard in many, many years and it seems to have come into my head unbidden.
I will then often be able to link this song back to events in my dream and I have come to realise that I have my own inner soundtrack to my dreams now, almost like a film score or film soundtrack. Music plays in my dreams on radios, or in cars as I move around, but more frequently it plays over the top of the action in my dreams, really like in a film.
I guess we have all had occasions when external noises have become integrated into our dreams. The phone rings and the same happens in your dream, or someone knocks at the door and someone knocks at the door in your dream. I have also had it that music from a neighbour has infiltrated my dream, but more usually it only serves to wake me up; almost as if my subconscious scorns their musical choice!
It is great to wake up singing and the music I hear in my head as I stumble around the bedroom putting on socks and brushing my hair sounds as full and rich in my head as if I was playing it on a CD. This gradually fades down and by the time I have come downstairs and put on the kettle I will still be singing the song, but its richness has diminished somewhat.
This happens to me more and more these days and the music I chose as I walk to the station or as I sit on the train will often be the song and album that I woke up with that day. It’s almost as if the first musical choice of the day is taken care of and what’s more, I know it will perfectly suited to my mood as my subconscious has chosen it.
I love it that this happens to me and those few days when I wake up to inner silence is almost a disappointment. I wonder if anyone else experiences this and I’d love to hear about if you do and how you find it. Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
First of all, to see the GREAT illustration from Edmund Dulac--one of my favourites of his--of the Princess and the Pea sent chills up my spine. I regularly study his illustrations and we had many first editions of his work, with the pictures tipped in (glued in just on the top) on their pages.His incredible passion for his art has distracted me from the wonderful entry you just wrote. I could go on and on about the illustratore I love.
ReplyDeleteI have not been as fortunate as you--to have music visit me in my dreams--but I DO intrpret dreams. I am considered very good at it...I wonder if I could have a chance to do this for you some time, The challenge of adding music to the subconsious would be very exciting for me. I believe I am not psychic--rather simply that I read so much as a kid that I understand dream symbolism and the shorthand it offers.
I love this post and I hope you send me a dream. My latest weird experience with music was that I was doing the laundry today and got stuck thinking about and singing an Allen Sherman (of Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, Here I am at Camp Granada fame) song--it was really stuck in my head. The song I was singing was a lesser known one though. it is called "OH Boy". Off the same album. I certainly hope I don't dream of it tonight!!!
Thanks for an awesome and fun entry!
jean!
A very interesting entry and as always, I also enjoyed reading Jean's comments!! I often have music in my dreams and love the deeper meaning of dreams - to have music included is an added bonus, although I don't think I have it as richly as you describe. I especially like the thought that your subconscious has chosen your music for the day, very interesting and comforting I feel.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys for your comments and sharing your own experiences.
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