On May 15, 2023 I took to Facebook to reference the phenomenon of the “dream flashback,” which I’d experienced for the first time the previous weekend. When something as weird and unexpected as this occurs, one’s first thoughts turn to strokes and other nasty brain matters.
But thanks to Diana’s sleuthing, I became aware of dream flashbacks, which are a symptom of anxiety, as exacerbated by stress, fatigue, sleep disruption and sundry other distractions.
It’s been three years, and there have been no recurrences. I still find it difficult to describe the bizarre sensation of constantly examining one’s consciousness in an effort to determine whether any given moment is live or Memorex (to quote an oldie).
Did this event happen, or did I dream it? Usually there’s a clear delineation between the two, but on that Saturday, everything seemed to blend together. I did not find the surreal feeling enjoyable. But it wasn’t traumatic, either. Just strange.
Already in May of 2023, it had been a stressful year.
The terminally ill Common Haus experiment was mercifully abandoned, and Pints&union suffered from the after-effects; my cashiering there came in November, but in retrospect the poisoning effect was ongoing much of the year. Also, a long-term friendship ended in March, albeit not by my choice. My left hip was turning sour. Mortality started creeping into my daily world.
And yet the dream flashback came entirely out of the blue. Normality returned almost immediately, and I was left with an acute understanding of why dream flashbacks might frighten people into thinking they’re going bonkers (as you’d expect, the “cure” is to reduce stress, get some sleep, and the usual “be healthier” admonitions, as if these prescriptions are easy).
Following are “dream flashback” bullet points. Has anyone else ever experienced these?
- Have dream flashbacks when awake.
- Dream-like state while awake.
- Have dreams even though not sleeping, drifting off to sleep, or waking up.
- Conscious yet have vivid memories of dreams you’ve had.
- It feels like your conscious world is mixing with your dream world.
- Drifting in and out of dreams while awake.
- Awake yet part dreaming or dream-like.
I’ve been through rough patches of stress and anxiety since May of 1923, without dream flashbacks. However, there has been one significant aftershock, because nowadays it is rare for me to remember my dreams. There is a sensation of having dreamt, and little else concrete. It’s gotten better the past year, as though slowly regenerating.
Something changed following the dream flashback day in May of 2023. The medical consensus is placid; insofar as my brain ever was healthy (chuckle), it seems hale and hearty now.
It’s worth remembering that 2023 also was the occasion for one of my most cherished of travel memories in Copenhagen. Do I know what it all means? Of course not. It’s just a diary entry, you know (the cover photo is waterside Nice, France, in early 2024).
