Playa Dreams & Nightmares

[Rice]

The vivid dreams of on-playa experiences have begun anew...

I woke up with my heart racing... Images of playa dust and that wonderful smell of the playa fresh in my mind!!

What is it about these dreams that makes one so excited and sad?? I think I need to go rummage through my gear, just to feel the playa and for that brief moment smell and taste playa joy...

In the last month I have dreamed of the playa at least 6 times. Most of those dreams are of people, places and positive experiences. A couple were of the "Playa Disaster" category - you know - when you get back to your camp and everything is gone but the bottom of your tent, or you are on the playa and have forgotten everything but 10 can openers.

Am I going crazy?

[Stephendragonfly]

You are not GOING crazy.. you're already there

[Rice]

You are not GOING crazy.. you're already there

I am therefore glad. The playa has been nothing but good for me...

Happily Crazy - Burner.

[tamarakay]

The other day I dreamed of riding my bike from light to light and finding adventure after adventure after adventure. I'd get thirsty and a smoothie bar would appear. I'd get hungry and there would be a hot dog cart with TomServo smilingly handing me a hot dog. I'd get lonely and there would be a group of friends. It was fabulous.

And like I said in another thread I have nightmares about running out of scarves and dye for the camp on the first day.

[ranger magnum]

I dream about it quite often. In one dream, it was on the beach in socal. In another, it was on the playa, but was next to a golf course.

In not-so-good dreams, i arrive without any supplies, or get there on the last day.

[Clar-i-ty]

I often have that dream. I get there, and don't have what I need. I consider it to be the new version of the naked at high school dream.

At least once though, I've met someone in one of those burn dreams, that I later met on the playa. And I'm so glad that I did.

WE

Best,
Clarity

[sassica]

ok this is weird, as I have never been to buringman. This will be my first year! As I am super excited, I have done a lot of reading on the BM website,forums and on the facebook pages... I have learned so much and am super excited to experience it and participate! But with all the negativity towards ticket distribution, and all the newbies getting tickets (including myself) I had a bad dream about Bm particularly the veterans.. I wasn't welcome, I didnt get to ring the virgin bell with pride and joy as it was taken down, and there was no Booklet distributed to the virgins to inform of all the theme camps and what they had to offer as we weren't welcome

the only funny part was all of a sudden I started to freak out that I didnt drink enough water! haha

I know it was just a silly dream, but the feeling is just sticking...

[theCryptofishist]

I'm a grizzled veteran. I don't have a ticket. I have hated watching that crap go on.

That is all the reassurance I'm gonna give you.

[maryanimal]

ok this is weird, as I have never been to buringman. This will be my first year! As I am super excited, I have done a lot of reading on the BM website,forums and on the facebook pages... I have learned so much and am super excited to experience it and participate! But with all the negativity towards ticket distribution, and all the newbies getting tickets (including myself) I had a bad dream about Bm particularly the veterans.. I wasn't welcome, I didnt get to ring the virgin bell with pride and joy as it was taken down, and there was no Booklet distributed to the virgins to inform of all the theme camps and what they had to offer as we weren't welcome

the only funny part was all of a sudden I started to freak out that I didnt drink enough water! haha

I know it was just a silly dream, but the feeling is just sticking...

No worries sassica, you will be welcomed! My virgin year,last year, I was welcomed with love and open arms. So let that dream, and that feeling go. You will ring the bell, roll in the dust, and proclaim you are no longer a virgin! Good times!

[AntiM]

My latest dream involved sewing orange and gold brocade banners for the alien overlord who was going to attend. I had to do a good job or they were going to punish ... someone. I had to keep doing chores for them to avoid nebulous threatening actions against others. Wasn't set at Burning Man, more like a slice of One thing for BM a Day Under Duress from Aliens.

[stinkyfoot]

Last night I had this dream where I wrote some e-mail to some kind of professional contact about an art project for burning man that I dreamed earlier that night, only to realize after I pushed send that I hadn't actually had any intention of completing the project in real life, it was just a dream I had. Then I woke up and realized that I dreamed sending the e-mail too, so everything was ok.

But normally, I don't dream at all about Burning Man, because it's already too dreamy and rad to need to dream about it too.

[VultureChow]

Last night I had an eplaya dream. I dreamed that I kept coming up with cool projects but people kept making fun of them. I didn't know why until someone pointed out that all my projects were penises.

I think I need to get laid.

[Drawingablank]

Last night I had an eplaya dream. I dreamed that I kept coming up with cool projects but people kept making fun of them. I didn't know why until someone pointed out that all my projects were penises.

So now when someone on the playa asks about all your penis projects you can tell them you envisioned them in a dream.

[Bay Bridge Sue]

Hey, new dream sequence... none of this park or fairground setting - more like Post-Apokiliptik desert wasteland... Spouse of BB is featured... we are moving things in, setting up camp, lounging and drinking bacon fat martinis (??!!)... There must be 40-50 people in camp... Next door is flea market still (WTF with that capitalistik stuff?) but we attack, overrun, and close them down this time. Features of camp include huge art factory, live fire shooting range, and 30's night club of wood and Marble... Is very strange, but is like small Outpost city...

[trilobyte]

Dammit comrade, did you get into my bottle of time-travel infused vodka again?

[AntiM]

I was having a long and rambling dream, involving well.... oriental women having birthdays and taking off their tops, and art in a bin, and a lap harp, and goings on and beads and going places in the desert in the SUV ... and I kept thinking, "This could be a Burning Man dream, there's so much burner stuff happening, but it is not. I wish it were."

Damn lucid dreaming.

[Onion]

Although I have yet to attend, I have had several Burning Man dreams. The thing that makes me realize they are dreams is that they take place in places that are not the playa. Once it was on a grassy field with rolling hills, another time in a dry southwestern river bottom. It always wakes me up when I realize " isn't this supposed to be flat?"

[Timezone LaFontaine]

Maybe you're having dreams of regionals, Onion. I have lots of dreams about burns in different landscapes.

A recent BRC dream of mine... I was arriving back in Black Rock City (in this case, a forest). I was naturally really excited to be there. But soon after arriving, I realized I had a half-finished bag of chips as my only food for the week. I sat there staring at it in disbelief that I could have overlooked something so obvious and important in my preparations. I knew I had to seriously think about leaving to get some food, and then coming back. While I was kind of beating myself up about this, I heard L and his wife A coming along down the road, so I climbed out of my truck, which had become something more like a bus at that moment, and excitedly greeted them. L seemed to be elated to be there for the first time, and was speaking in a soft, joyful voice. He commented on my vehicle's design, which now appeared to be a house on wheels with a long extended segment out the back that was apparently unsupported by wheels. I pointed out that it was constructed with two long steel girders that could hold a lot of weight even without a suspension system underneath them. We decided to walk together for a while looking at all the artwork. At some point our paths diverged, and I climbed into an RV that was like a large bookmobile. It was a bit dingy in there, with some water stains on the ceiling. The owner of the vehicle asked me if it was the dirtiest RV I'd ever seen. "No, I've seen worse," I said, trying to be reassuring, although as I really thought about it, I couldn't actually remember having seen the inside of many RVs at all, much less ones that were more neglected than this one. I selected a book to take with me, which was a paperback book called "Sleeping." The RV owner kind of scoffed at my choice.

The realizing-that-I'm-unprepared thing is a pretty common theme in BRC dreams... it also entails something about having to take on an undesirable, but necessary task (leave and come back; do work now that I should have already done). On the other hand, I take the symbolism of my vehicle/living space as being supported with an unusual, but strong, design as being a pretty positive thing. Not sure about the neglected bookmobile... maybe I just haven't been reading enough recently? And the prickly RV owner who scoffed at my choice of books...? The book called "Sleeping" was probably a clue that, if I'd picked up on it, might have shifted things around so it would've become a lucid dream.

[VultureChow]

Dreamed I flew into Reno and was shocked to find an old friend and their husband or boyfriend with them. Instead of renting a car, they convinced me to take a shuttle to the playa. About three hours (?!) into the journey on Sunday at 8am I realized I had not bought any food, water or any of the numerous thing I was planning to get in Reno. They tried to convince me I would be too late if I turned around and went back, but I couldn't show up with nothing. Then I got out and tried to hitchhike back to Reno.

[Clar-i-ty]

Need a playa dream about now.

[Wrath]

I dreamed that Black Rock City split in two. Half going out to usual spot, the other half to another dry lake bed, maybe south of i80?

No more ticket issues, no more crowds at the trash fence.

[moonrise]

I'm usually floating in the art in my playa dreams.

Huh, I've never had that naked in highschool dream or arriving without food and water one. Is there something wrong with me?!!

good luck with the dream Clar-i-ty

[VultureChow]

I'm usually floating in the art in my playa dreams.

Huh, I've never had that naked in highschool dream or arriving without food and water one. Is there something wrong with me?!!

good luck with the dream Clar-i-ty

I've never had the naked high school dream, but I have a very realist recurring dream where I find out that I missed a math class and must go back to high school. My BA is in Math, so It's unlikely this would happen.

[Trishntek]

A few days ago, I awoke with a panic! I dreamed we arrived in BRC and I open the truck and realize we didn't load the shade structure! EEEEEEK! Being 45'X60', it is a major part of our camp! When I woke up, I was so pissed at myself that I had to make the 1200 mile round trip again because of my stupid oversight.

I'll make sure EVERYTHING gets into the truck now for sure!

[moonrise]

I'm usually floating in the art in my playa dreams.

Huh, I've never had that naked in highschool dream or arriving without food and water one. Is there something wrong with me?!!

good luck with the dream Clar-i-ty

I've never had the naked high school dream, but I have a very realist recurring dream where I find out that I missed a math class and must go back to high school. My BA is in Math, so It's unlikely this would happen.

I'm curious Vulture Chow. Is that a dream, nightmare or just a quirky bad dream?

I googled floating.
Floating
To dream that you are floating on air indicates satisfaction, contentment and acceptance of some situation. You are letting go of your problems and rising above obstacles. You are experiencing new-found freedom and gaining a new perspective on things. Nothing seems overwhelming or too difficult to handle. Alternatively, floating in your dream suggests that you are wandering through life aimlessly with no goals. You are just going with the flow.

I like that new agey explanation. I have goals and obstacles. Time to get back to work...



Who's dream is next?

[VultureChow]

I'm usually floating in the art in my playa dreams.

Huh, I've never had that naked in highschool dream or arriving without food and water one. Is there something wrong with me?!!

good luck with the dream Clar-i-ty

I've never had the naked high school dream, but I have a very realist recurring dream where I find out that I missed a math class and must go back to high school. My BA is in Math, so It's unlikely this would happen.

I'm curious Vulture Chow. Is that a dream, nightmare or just a quirky bad dream?

Nightmare, though I went through a period of night terrors in my early twenties that make this seem like a pleasant dream.

Though now that I think of it, I haven't had the high school dream in at least 6 months. Maybe I'm over it. It's very specific. I'm back in high school because they figured out I shouldn't have graduated. I can't take just the one class, so I have a complete schedule of classes. It's halfway through the semester when I realize I've been ditching math classes the entire year and am going to fail again. Then I wake up in tears because I will have to tell my parents I failed again.

I think it stems from the semester I failed at college. Long story short, best friend tried to kill herself, left me a voice mail suicide note blaming me and I just shut down. Stopped going to classes, or even leaving my room.

Things are going very well at work and with family right now. Dad just formally named me successor to the family business (well part of it), so maybe those fears of failure and disappointing my parents are finally dissipating.

[moonrise]

Youch! Glad things are going well.

Do you have a decompression plan yet? If you go to many festivals it might not be such a big deal. Try to pace yourself during the burn, I'm tired and excited for weeks after the burn. Luckily I'm located in a burner friendly area. Samll-ish bonfires with friends help too!




Who's dream is next?

[VultureChow]

Youch! Glad things are going well.

Do you have a decompression plan yet? If you go to many festivals it might not be such a big deal. Try to pace yourself during the burn, I'm tired and excited for weeks after the burn. Luckily I'm located in a burner friendly area. Samll-ish bonfires with friends help too!

I hadn't thought much about decompression. I don't really do festivals and frankly have to jump right back into work. I'm antsy about taking so much time off already (6 days is a lot for me).

I've thought a lot about my mental health while I'm there, and have adjusted my plans accordingly. I'll bring some books so I can just lounge about camp if I am overwhelmed, or profoundly lonely (Odd for this type of event, but it happens to me a lot). Also bringing way less booze than I originally planned. I have a history of self medicating, but it is always at home alone. Going out to bars or other's homes I don't over indulge.

But I think I will formulate a plant for decompression as well. Thanks for the advice.



Who's dream is next?

[moonrise]

Youch! Glad things are going well.

Do you have a decompression plan yet? If you go to many festivals it might not be such a big deal. Try to pace yourself during the burn, I'm tired and excited for weeks after the burn. Luckily I'm located in a burner friendly area. Samll-ish bonfires with friends help too!

I hadn't thought much about decompression. I don't really do festivals and frankly have to jump right back into work. I'm antsy about taking so much time off already (6 days is a lot for me).

I've thought a lot about my mental health while I'm there, and have adjusted my plans accordingly. I'll bring some books so I can just lounge about camp if I am overwhelmed, or profoundly lonely (Odd for this type of event, but it happens to me a lot). Also bringing way less booze than I originally planned. I have a history of self medicating, but it is always at home alone. Going out to bars or other's homes I don't over indulge.

But I think I will formulate a plant for decompression as well. Thanks for the advice.



Who's dream is next?

Oh my VC. Sounds similar to my temperment. Except I didn't sit around camp and read, I took off both feet first. I hope you do the same (you can read books later).

My first burn I got invited to join a band and tour with them (and I almost did)!

I also almost ran off to an afterburn of 5k burners on permaburn land or some other ranch I forget the name of. Luckily my Reno friends stopped me and after showering and sleeping I woke up exhausted thinking wtf was I thinking?! Mainly because I am partially injured and NOT in my 20/30's!! I could've done the afterburn if not for my injuries and I make my own work hours sooo...who knows. I met one gal who was still having a great time a MONTH later. I met her first at the burn and ran into her at a gig of the band I almost joined. She was in Tahoe and headed for the SF Bay Area, possibly never to return home again (I think she was from Los Angeles). She told me she was a sex ed teacher!

You need a plan (and maybe a plant?) I don't know where you're from but be sure to get rested and then try to find a decompression party wherever you live. Or come back to eplaya if you're far far away. We'll try to catch you if you need us.

[VultureChow]

Oh my VC. Sounds similar to my temperment. Except I didn't sit around camp and read, I took off both feet first. I hope you do the same (you can read books later).

My first burn I got invited to join a band and tour with them (and I almost did)!

I also almost ran off to an afterburn of 5k burners on permaburn land or some other ranch I forget the name of. Luckily my Reno friends stopped me and after showering and sleeping I woke up exhausted thinking wtf was I thinking?! Mainly because I am partially injured and NOT in my 20/30's!! I could've done the afterburn if not for my injuries and I make my own work hours sooo...who knows. I met one gal who was still having a great time a MONTH later. I met her first at the burn and ran into her at a gig of the band I almost joined. She was in Tahoe and headed for the SF Bay Area, possibly never to return home again (I think she was from Los Angeles). She told me she was a sex ed teacher!

You need a plan (and maybe a plant?) I don't know where you're from but be sure to get rested and then try to find a decompression party wherever you live. Or come back to eplaya if you're far far away. We'll try to catch you if you need us.

New York has a decompression event I can go to, and my dog helps a lot with regulating my moods.

I am by no means planning on spending my time in camp reading and love to go out and explore on my own. I've traveled to Europe on my own without a problem. The loneliness issue happens when everyone around me is being social and friendly with each other and for some reason it doesn't happen to me. I'm not naturally outgoing so I've been taking some good notes from the shy person thread. That said, I love to read and with work I have little time to enjoy it anymore. Trade magazines or the Journal don't count. So having something to do, even if it's just the first day or so while I acclimate to the temperature and atmosphere will help and really feel like a vacation for me.