# Do you ever have this type of dream? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129 "2009-12-22T00:00:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/21 "2009-12-22T21:24:10Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Apart from my golf one above, I also have a recurring frustrating dream where I’m trying to dial a phone number, but keep hitting a wrong number. I just can’t seem to dial all the digits without making a mistake at some random point and then having to start all over again, and ALWAYS with other people watching me and wondering what the hell is wrong with me - just as in my golf dream! Me too. I got really, really sick one time when I lived alone, and was trying to call my mom, but was hallucinating this. It was awful. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/22 "2009-12-22T21:36:41Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > I have the abject poop dream: I _must_ go, but the bathrooms are always nonexistent, malfunctioning, or my entire 10th grade PE class is milling about watching. Thank you!!! I have these dreams, only they’re peeing dreams. I’ve mentioned them to a couple family members and they all seem to think I’m insane. Usually I’m on a cross country trip and I really need to pee but there’s always something wrong with the bathroom. I have learned that if I can wake myself up so I can go to the bathroom, the dream goes away. I decided that it was my subconscious desire to NOT wet the bed that stops me from peeing in my dream. And, on looking back, I have also learned that I should just read the whole thread before posting in my excitement. Apparently, you all know about pee dreams already. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/23 "2009-12-22T21:40:42Z")
I get trapped inside. I’ll walk through a door from the inside trying to go outside, but I end up entering a different interior room (often some strange family’s personal space, living room or whatever). Often the rooms become progressively smaller and the doors narrower. Repeat ad infinitum until in the dream I realise ‘oh crap it’s one of those dreams again’, firmly state (within the dream, still sleeping) “I’m leaving” or “enough” or whatever and make my way outside and on to some other forgotten dream. That’s my recurring frustration dream. None about any hobbies or interests. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/24 "2009-12-22T21:51:56Z")
Oh hell. ALL my bleeping dreams are like this. Especially the sexual ones. For pete’s sake, I can’t even get a break in my dreams. Wah. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/25 "2009-12-22T23:26:05Z")
I think I’ve had about every dream described so far in this thread (frustration/pee/school angst). But the really funny thing? Going back to the OP - I have dreams about playing golf sometimes. And I’ve never played a round of golf in my life. Never really wanted to. I figure that I can find much less expensive ways of exercising the old four-letter vocabulary. In my golf dreams, I’m usually playing with someone I know, and the course is just awful, torn up, not maintained, etc. And in my dreams, I’m always playing well despite the fact that I’ve never played (it’s always my first ever round in the dream). Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/26 "2009-12-23T00:58:29Z")
I guess I’ll cover both topics: The “bodily functions” dreams usually involve me going to the bathroom, starting to go, but the sensation never stops, so I feel like it’s going to go on forever. But, since I actually do start going, I don’t think it’s my brain trying to keep me from wetting the bed. It’s just my paralyzed muscles not letting me control them. AS for the frustration dreams, I’ve had them. I’m a (not-yet professional) musician, and I’ll have dreams where I can’t get enough breath to sing. And when I try to apologize, I can’t even get enough to talk more than a few words at a time. I also have plenty of dreams where I can suddenly do a whole lot better. And even dreams where, although I can’t do better, I can make up things on the fly, and people will believe it is true. For example, I’ll get to play rehearsal, and realize I don’t know my lines. So I’ll make crap up, and it’ll turn out, that’s really what’s on the page. Another example is not being able to open a doorknob. I’ll just close my eyes and walk straight through the closed door! I’ll be about to fall, and will myself to fly. It seems that, in my dreams at least, I’ve adapted a way to not let the frustration stop me. I game the dream. Heck, I’ve even had the classic “suddenly realizing I’m naked” dream, and, after hiding for a bit, I’ll just go out and act like I’m not naked, and people won’t notice. Would that you could out of these situations so easily in real life… ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/27 "2009-12-23T07:54:48Z")
I’m a straight female, (at least I think I am) yet this past week I’ve had two dreams that had me doing lesbian stuff with my ex-best friend. (Who, trust me, I would never be physically attracted to even if I were a guy, or indeed lesbian.) In the dreams, I wasn’t a willing partner, so I’m not sure what to make of that. But I’ve had plenty of frustration dreams, things like not being able to dial a phone or get to some place that I absolute HAVE to get to. I also get dreams about filthy toilets and stuff covered with bugs and maggots. Ew. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/28 "2009-12-23T08:08:09Z")
My “frustration” dream, if that’s what it is, is about shopping. I have tons of money and only a couple of hours to shop, and I have to buy things, yet I can’t find anything that I like/that fits. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/29 "2009-12-23T17:22:01Z")
One kind of frustration dream I get is that I’m doing a radio show but somehow I can’t seem to find any records in the studio, and if I do find one, it seems to last about 23 seconds, and I need to cue up another one NOW but there aren’t any… Funny because it’s been decades since the last time I was actually a DJ, but I still have those dreams occasionally. Another one I have a lot is that summer is ending and I’m trying to get to the beach but somehow I can’t. Pretty obvious mortality symbolism there, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Alzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@Alzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/30 "2011-10-23T13:05:52Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I have a recurring golf dream! > > My problem always is that it’s my turn to tee off, yet I can’t find a suitable spot to place my ball. I’ll put it down, and then realize my back swing is hindered, so I’ll move my ball, and then realize something’s blocking my view of the hole. This continues, and continues, and continues, and the other people in my group are growing increasingly impatient with me, and I’m getting more and more frustrated, and embarrassed that I can’t seem to be able to play my ball. > > Usually I end up settling for a shitty 1/2 back swing and a crappy 50 yard drive. And then it starts all over again! I just thought I’d drop you a line to say that you’ve summed up my recurring dream, I’ve had for some 15+ years, to a Tee… or some other object I have to use as a tee when trying to place my golf ball on a 90 degree slope :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/31 "2011-10-23T13:16:45Z")
Sex, usually. I’ve got it figured out though. In my case it means that my bladder is over full and has forced an erection. Since I sleep on my stomach, the wriggling around from needing to pee has stimulated the “morning wood” type hardon and produced a frustrating sex dream. I HATE those. Lately I’ve gotten good about waking up before I become to frustrated with the dream though. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/32 "2011-10-23T14:55:50Z")
Pretty much a Universal dream. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/33 "2011-10-23T15:03:15Z")
I’ve had all sorts of these frustration dreams. One I get often are driving dreams. It’s particularly freightening too, because not only am I lost, or trying to find a road to get to some destination, but I seem to acknowledge that something is certainly wrong and that I shouldn’t be driving because I can’t remember where I’m going, can’t quite make out the road, everything is super vague, or I even feel like I’m asleep at the wheel. It’s really bizarre and scary. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/34 "2011-10-23T15:03:32Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > One kind of frustration dream I get is that I’m doing a radio show but somehow I can’t seem to find any records in the studio, and if I do find one, it seems to last about 23 seconds, and I need to cue up another one NOW but there aren’t any… > > Funny because it’s been decades since the last time I was actually a DJ, but I still have those dreams occasionally. Oh god. It has also been decades since I was in radio, but every once in awhile I get dreams where I have to put on records, but the only ones are terrible, ancient discs that have nothing to do with the radio station’s format (obscure classical records, foreign language lessons, how to build a shed etc.). One record will be ending and I’ll have no time to cue up another, and there are no usable public service spots or anything to fill the upcoming dead air. Even worse, I’ll have only a couple of minutes to set up a long newscast, with no prerecorded local stories available. I’ll be leafing through mounds of Associated Press teletype paper containing no real news, only laughably inane features. I have to improvise, make up a weather forecast and so on. I don’t view these as “frustration” dreams - they’re anxiety dreams incorporating current work stresses and sometimes events that caused angst years and years ago. And yes, I still occasionally get revolting academic/postgraduate training dreams in which I have missed loads of classes with exams coming up, can’t find the assigned classrooms and so on. The most disgusting of these dreams have me needing to repeat college, medical school, high school or even elementary school. And I’m my current age in such dreams, which you’d think would get me funny looks in the classroom. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/35 "2011-10-23T17:40:23Z")
I have frustration dreams but usually it is something simple like I need to go to the store. Then usually my roommate wants to come with but first they must do this and that and the other. Then I can’t find my keys or my shoes. I hate those dreams. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/36 "2011-10-23T18:06:26Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > I also have a lot of dreams where I can’t stay awake. It’s weird, but I’ll be walking along in my dream and then I fall over from drowsiness. And then I can’t fully wake up. It’s like the feelng when you’re sitting in class or in a meeting right after lunch and you can’t keep your eyes open no matter how hard you try. I’ve had that one too, except I’ll be driving and can’t stay awake. And I can’t pull over either. Pretty scary. I’ve had a variation of the exam dream as well, where it’s the last week of school, but I realize I haven’t been to class all semester, haven’t done any of the assignments and I’m about to flunk big time. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/37 "2011-10-24T02:49:15Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > Flying. I know I can fly in my dream (like Storm from Xmen or something) but for some reason the best I can do is to hover unsteadily a few feet above the ground. It’s REALLY annoying. I have these too. Being able to fly is common in my dreams so I sometimes have dreams where I can’t fly like I normally can. I also have basic walking frustration dreams. In these I struggle to walk, as if giant slabs of concrete are attached to my legs. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/38 "2011-10-25T05:29:14Z")
I have dreams where I have to warn someone, but I can’t speak, or I’m in danger, but I can’t move, or I can only move very slowly, like I’m under water. Or I’m at an amusement park, and I want to ride a certain ride, but I can’t get there, or I’m planning on going swimming, but I never make it to the pool. Something ALWAYS prevents it from happening. When I was in college, I’d dream that for some reason my transcripts from elementary school were messed up, and I had to go back there. And I’d be like, “This isn’t right, I’m supposed to be in college!” And they’d tell me, “no no no, you have to finish some stuff here, then you can go back!” Aaaah!!! ---
**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129/39 "2011-10-25T06:17:43Z")
I have dreams where I cant walk properly or open doors. They piss me off ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-have-this-type-of-dream/522129.md?page=1)