This may seem on the outset a strange post (after all raves are fun, aren’t they?) and quite a dark one but please read on..
Recently (last 6 months or so), I have been plagued by a number of mild nightmares.
Many of them are based around raves, The “dream scape”(!) is are similar in form to the layout of raves I have attended (either indoor or outdoor), although they do not normally involve other people I know; just a generic random rave crowd. Sometimes the “rave” is in London, other times Oxfordshire.
The main factor is that something seriously bad happens; usually involving the cops or incidents of violence amongst the ravers.
I’ve also had other dreams (not at raves, more in “normal” social situations) where I am commiting acts of aggression and violence, often serious ones. Trashing offices and houses, using guns, lighting stuff on fire, all sorts of crime!
Also panic attacks (where your breathing/heart stops apparently), and sometimes thinking people were trying to get into the house by night (to the point I once searched the area with a claw-hammer in my hand).
OK by now you are prolly thinking “what do you expect?” probably ‘rugs!
However I’ve calmed down loads from the ’90s, the bulk of these happen midweek rather than immediately after events, and still happen when I haven’t been out for a while, not touched anything or had relatively quiet weekends.
I do not watch violent television dramas or movies before bed either; I avoid soap-operas and reality shows because they encourage conflict (although I do monitor a lot of news) but I do not consider myself to be an aggressive person. I don’t get stressed thateasily either; a work colleague who is very religious actually mentioned how calm I remain even when all sorts of problems happen in the office….
Also when stuff does happen at parties like cops, fights, problems at other communal spaces, other crises etc I am fairly cool-headed about it (although I have seen a lot of this recently, perhaps more than I would like to )
Another odd thing is it has never happened before, even in my far wilder old-skool days – sometimes I am waking up thinking “WTF happened there?”
I’ve been looking the symptoms up on the net and they are coming back as similar ones to those who have been exposed to highly stressful situations – :confused:
Does anyone else get nightmares like this? I’m headstrong enough to class them as a minor nuisance but it is starting to bother me a bit..
I’ve never really experienced re-occuring nightmares. Except when I was younger and those were just bizzare.
Maybe it’s just the stuff you read on the internet etc subconciously influencing your brain then you try and make sense of it during your dream state.
On a related note though I am also naturally calm and very chilled out. I never used to be victim of stress or anything like that. I stopped doing chemicals for a while after a health scare and it wasn’t until 3 or 4 years later (still of the chems) that I started getting really anxious, suffering from anxiety (imo, not GP) and having panic attacks for absolutely no reason. Still got it and can’t seem to get rid of it. I’m not saying I believe 100% it’s because of over use of chemicals but i’m certainly not ruling it out.
I have a feeling that sometimes a spell of vivid bad dreams occurs long after a period of caning things. This might be due to the fact that at the time you’re putting your body and mind through a lot, so the subconscious mind doesn’t have time to expell or sort what it ‘normally’ would.
gradually, as your sleep patterns, emotions and life calm down, and your sleep becomes less deep than when you’re burning the candle at both ends, there’s a lot of accumulated stuff your brain needs to sort through.
I don’t know anything about other aspects of your life, but look at every aspect and se where you can make space to relax. Take up some relaxing hobbies and get some exercise… I like swimming 🙂
I had a nightmare that a copper wanted me to suck his dick to get a driving offense the other night… it was getting close to full moon.
and I’ve been driving around for over a year without a license:(
The strange thing is I already do all the stuff like relaxing, exercise (I cycle 60-100 miles every week) – and my day job isn’t that stressful – its actually the best job I’ve had in my working life! I have always been a bit nervous and highly strung so I try and relax as much as possible when I can…
Furthermore I am not having nightmares about traffic accidents, war and terrorism, environmental contamination etc and I read plenty of harsh stuff like this…
its nearly always situations at raves. Then again I have seen more violence and conflict over the last few years at parties than I ever have before in 14 years –
I briefly started re-attending parties in the London area and at every one there was one incident, in fact the last one may have been a factor in friends of mine leaving London!
I guess the effect of this has to come out somewhere…
My thoughts are that reading a lot of broadsheets and getting a more detailed, accurate veiw of the way society has changed, realising how dark some situations can get and how sinister some of the motives behind the men in power, its only natural to start wigging out a bit.
personally i find that if i start taking life less seriously for a bit, revel in simple enjoyments, detatch myself from the dark underbelly of society, and generally bathe in blissfull ignorance for a bit, then i find myself relaxing more. Then when i feel happy and relaxed and a bit out of contact with our nations situation, then i come to i afresh and aren’t quite so jaded by the stories.
I know this can feel like you’re turning your back on your moral responabilities, but if they fuck you up then you aren’t gonna be any use to anyone. you’ve gotta maintain yur mental state over anything else, coz its the most precious thing we’ve got, especially if youre using it to benefit society in any way. there is only so much you can give.
This is just how i see things, and you aren’t me, but i totally recognise the symptoms. personally the dark dreams are what gives me motivation to fix up, myself and my surroundings, and my dark side manifests itself in plans for revolution, terror attacks on parliament, assassination of political figures etc. they are never gonna be carried out, but knowing that i could and i dont brings me piece of mind. scary, but true. hope gchq doesnt start following me around now…
Anyway man, the piont is you arent alone, and as long as we all stay positive and dont get sucked into the darkside (yoda knows why its bad) then we can continue to make a positive impression on the world.
Good Luck with your head man, take care
Originally posted by USE
personally i find that if i start taking life less seriously for a bit, revel in simple enjoyments, detatch myself from the dark underbelly of society, and generally bathe in blissfull ignorance for a bit, then i find myself relaxing more. Then when i feel happy and relaxed and a bit out of contact with our nations situation, then i come to i afresh and aren’t quite so jaded by the stories.
I see what you mean – but thing is tho’ what I am experiencing is similar but in the opposite direction………..
I can handle the wider world situation no problem; I’m not that much of an “activist” type; but live my life in such a way that AFAIK I do not willingly or knowingly add to the world’s problems..
its the relatively small issues linked to raves and some of the social problems and conflict situation that affect them which were stressing me out; more so even than world problems / my day job / other life aspects? That was what I found strange TBH- why was this otherwise happy aspect of my life causing me so much worry?
I’ve not been out for two months and guess what; no more nightmares! I guess its only a penalty or the other side of being able to remember the good parts of raves even from years ago; and a warning from my own consience that there are things on our scene that still are not being sorted out.
Will probably be taking a break for a bit anyway; there are other creative things I want to do with my spare time and the recovery time from raves is starting to get in the way…
i´ve just arrived in a little lismand paradise where i will spend crimbo
i have nothing to do all day except go for a nice walk and make friends with a goat
now i have a chance to really relax my sleep has become less deep and i´m starting to remember my dreams… they are all really violent and fucked up:(
but i feel much less worn out, so that´s good:D
Originally posted by globalloon
i´ve just arrived in a little island paradise where i will spend crimboi have nothing to do all day except go for a nice walk and make friends with a goat
now i have a chance to really relax my sleep has become less deep and i´m starting to remember my dreams… they are all really violent and fucked up:(
but i feel much less worn out, so that´s good:D
went to London for the first time in ages – no (major) trouble at this party (apart from a friends coat getting nicked 🙁 ) and no more nightmares!
I definitely now think they were a “coping mechanism” of my brain rather than anything more sinister – and they happened because I had tried to put my brain into “happy/party mode” rather than “watch your back!” mode
when I go into the city streets I am aware of who is around me and keep alert for any potential dangers..
when cycling I automatically assume that drivers will try and cut in front of me, open doors into my path, sound horns, shout etc, so I always look at the road carefully and make sure I have an escape route that would enable me to avoid a dangerous situation. This sound very cynical but its kept me in one piece and I’ve ridden 2,500 miles in the last year alone! of course when drivers do not do stuff like this I try to wave and smile at them…
but when I’m at a party I try and not be so moody/paranoid (although it can be difficult sometimes!) however I got to the stage where I was around all my friends, everyone was happy, I let my guard down and then things kicked off… raised voices, fights, claret etc… it was that shock to the emotions which was affecting me… of course you do not show this at the frontline or people will take advantage, but it does get to you – you go from being blissed out to full-on paranoia and that is bound to take its toll..
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