That annoying, malevolent sound that shoves you abruptly from sleep is generally the enemy. After a night of strange dreams, however, it’s almost welcome. Like the sound of a rescue party or a cell door opening.
After the rude start to consciousness, those strange, disturbing dreams quickly fade, leaving vague impressions and an unsettled feeling. Sometimes, it’s a fleeting feeling. Sometimes, it lingers, shading the start to the day. Like the dreams are shadowy puppet masters, playing with your emotions.
For such short-lived creations, the resulting power of dreams is staggering. You could waken in tears, shaking with fear, or completely baffled. All from a seemingly random firing of neurons.
And the results are not solely emotional. The same days when the ghosts of strange dreams linger are often days with greater fatigue and active aches and pains. All caused because you woke in the wrong section of your sleep cycle? While it may be true, it’s hard to attribute so much to a matter of timing.
Is it any wonder that scientists are so curious and determined to discover the cause of these weird creations? Or that writers so often use them in their stories?
After all, strange dreams have so much potential power. They can add humor or fear through strange scenarios that would never be accepted in the story outside of a dream. And there’s huge potential for bonding or emotional maneuvering of characters afterwards.
If strange dreams are our shadowy puppet masters, then, authors get a chance for revenge as they create strange dreams and become the puppet masters of their characters.
Savannah Knightly 