# Dreams **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 25, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497 "2014-03-25T02:01:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![whovian232](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/0ea827/32.png) [@whovian232](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whovian232)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/1 "2014-03-25T02:01:50Z")
When you dream are the places you dream of an accurate representation of real places or as re they embellishments or hodge podge cut and paste locations similar to arranging the pieces of a puzzle in the dark only to find yourself doing multiple puzzles and combining them into one puzzle? ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/2 "2014-03-25T02:04:12Z")
> [@whovian232](#): > > When you dream are the places you dream of an accurate representation of real places or as re they embellishments or hodge podge cut and paste locations similar to arranging the pieces of a puzzle in the dark only to find yourself doing multiple puzzles and combining them into one puzzle? Mine are. What are yours like? ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/3 "2014-03-25T02:55:01Z")
In my experience it isn’t a one or the other thing. I’ve had dreams set in places I remember and also set in places purely imaginary and any combination of the two you care to describe. I wouldn’t care to set many limits on what pops up in my dreams. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/4 "2014-03-25T02:58:02Z")
Mine are like real buildings only with fish. Plus, no exterior doors. Otherwise, just like real buildings. Except for the stairs that lead to the forest. Forgot those. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/5 "2014-03-25T03:01:16Z")
This is better suited to MPSIMS than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/6 "2014-03-25T03:09:53Z")
Another “all of the above” here: Identical to a real-world location dreams? Check. Entirely fictional location dreams? Check. Based on a real-world place (and in-dream I usually think it is said place), but actually very different to the real-world dreams? Check. With regards to the puzzle aspect…I want to reply to that but I’m not sure my interpretation of what you’re saying is correct. Can you have another run at it? ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/7 "2014-03-25T04:28:05Z")
> [@whovian232](#): > > When you dream are the places you dream of an accurate representation of real places or as re they embellishments or hodge podge cut and paste locations similar to arranging the pieces of a puzzle in the dark only to find yourself doing multiple puzzles and combining them into one puzzle? I would say “all of the above” too. Specific to the latter part of your post…yes, I’ve had many dreams along the order of “I was in the house I grew up in, except that when I went up the stairs it was suddenly completely different from how it really was.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/8 "2014-03-25T06:58:34Z")
Don’t get me started on the places in my dream. I could go on for twenty-one years. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/9 "2014-03-25T12:29:34Z")
Yes ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/10 "2014-03-25T15:06:36Z")
The places have always been odd. The woman singing the other night was new though… ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/11 "2014-03-25T15:10:36Z")
Rarely are my locations real-world locations exactly. Usually I can manage making a room the same, but leaving the room I may find the house configuration is different. If I leave the house, the neighborhood will be somewhere I’ve never been, or another location entirely. If I leave the neighborhood I may end up on an alien planet. It’s an order of magnitude thing. I’d say less than half of my dreams take place in reconstructed places that I’ve been. A reasonable portion are scraped together from places I have seen, but never been. The rest are completely made up. ---
**Author:** ![Calatin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/12 "2014-03-25T15:37:12Z")
Last night, I dreamed that I was in a combination of level 1-2 from Super Mario Bros., and Princess Bubblegum’s castle from _Adventure Time_. (It actually did make sense, but the less said about it, the better.) I’ve also had dreams that were so monotonous and just like an ordinary day, that after I woke up, I’d have to take a second to figure out if the events really happened - paying bills, going to a restaurant down the road, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/13 "2014-03-27T15:19:54Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > The places have always been odd. The woman singing the other night was new though… I’m angry at myself that I can’t remember more, but it was an incredibly beautiful voice and an incredibly beautiful song… but I can’t remember the words…☹ ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/14 "2014-03-27T15:40:02Z")
Always a mix of real-world locations jumbled with places that are wholly made up and/or that I’ve never been to. Like the moon, for example. Although my dreams often have spectacular levels of detail in the surroundings (wood grain, paint textures, lighting conditions, etc.) and the settings seem highly realistic in the context of the dream, on reflection they are always inexact representations of known places, and often physically impossible. Example: a first-class lounge on a 747 jetliner that is the size of a hotel conference room, with chandeliers and persian carpets. Just in the past year or two I’ve had dreams set in various US states, France, the UK, Australia and Poland, only some of which I’ve been to. For some reason I’ve never had any I can remember that were set in South America or Africa, although I’ve worked and extensively on both continents. Another curiosity is that I never seem to dream of a location if I’m actually there. For example, while I freqently have dreams that seem to be set in Paris, I only have these when I’m not actually there. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/15 "2014-03-27T16:14:55Z")
My most vivid dreams are set in specific, but wholly imaginary places that seem to recur on a regular basis. Several take place in resort locations in which the beach features prominently. Sometimes during the dream, I’ll even remember the location from a previous dream, but none of them are actual places I’ve visited outside of my dreams. I also have dreams that take place in real places like my childhood home or my high school. The most recent dream I remember took place on an airplane that was spinning out of control – a result of reading way too many posts and links about Malaysia Air and related airplane incidents. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/16 "2014-03-27T16:21:28Z")
We had a long-ago thread on [recurring dream locations](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=168761) that might be of interest. For myself, my dream locations tend to be either accurate representations of real-world places, or completely imaginary places. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/17 "2014-03-27T16:25:38Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Mine are like real buildings only with fish. Plus, no exterior doors. Otherwise, just like real buildings. > > Except for the stairs that lead to the forest. Forgot those. Be sure you take a halibut with you before you descend. Some strange tall men may demand that you chop down the largest tree in the forest with it. Trust me on this. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/18 "2014-03-28T02:08:27Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Be sure you take a halibut with you before you descend. Some strange tall men may demand that you chop down the largest tree in the forest with it. > > Trust me on this. 🆒 I dreamt it was…A HERRING!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/19 "2014-03-28T19:44:45Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I dreamt it was…A HERRING!! 😃 Oh shit, that’s right…now what am I gonna do with this useless dream-halibut?? :smack: To address the OP: The locations in my dreams are real locations, but their appearance almost never matches what they look like in real life. For instance, a few nights ago, I dreamed about being at the [T.O. City Hall](http://www.toaks.org/cap/info/about/default.asp) (which looked, in the dream, like a plain ol’ boring 2-story white building) and was telling a friend about how 171 trees were chopped down to create the parking lot – except for one old, gnarled, giant oak tree which appeared to have half of its branches intertwined with the building. (I’m sure that means something cosmically significant, but only god knows what…) ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams/684497/20 "2014-03-30T15:04:10Z")
I dream about real places that are slightly altered, completely unreal places, or combinations of the two. For instance, I’ll be in my childhood home but the backyard’s a foreign country with a war taking place. Or my old high school is trashed and surrounded by snipers and there’s a mad scientist’s lab in the basement. Sometimes I dream I’m in an imaginary slum or a large resort park. I dream about people changing identities too–Kafka and Ian Curtis or Debord and Johnny Rotten will be the same person.