Like a lot of people, I’ve occasionally had those “anxiety dreams” about suddenly realizing that you’ve shown up to work naked, or that you suddenly discover it’s the day of a big final exam that you completely forgot to study for. Last night saw a new entry in this category: I dreamt I was out in public and was horribly embarrassed to discover that I had forgotten to wear a mask.
Anyone else having this particular nightmare, or any other garden-variety bad dream that’s morphed into something pandemic-related?
I started having mask dreams pretty early on, even though I was not going out in public much at all. Mine always involved being in a large group of unmasked people and realizing that I should have a mask on. I would freak out and run away holding my hand over my mouth and nose. But, now that I think about it, I haven’t had one in some time.
I had a dream a few days ago where I was visiting the Taliban in Afghanistan (maybe as some sort of humanitarian worker or journalist) when an F-22 suddenly showed up and dropped a cluster bomb nearby, then started strafing us. We all ran into a nearby shopping mall/office building for cover (the Taliban had really nice architectural/design glass buildings!)
I’ve also had a dream where I realized I wasn’t wearing a mask. As a bonus, in the same dream I realized I was in my pajamas. Another pandemic dream I had is one where I’m in a large crowd and I’m the only one wearing a mask.
Over the weekend I just had my first dream which featured masks. The next morning, reflecting on it, I felt surprised it has taken this long. I guess it really is the new normal now.