tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post8277991302524313541..comments2008-08-04T16:07:45.247+09:00Comments on My So-Called Japanese Life: A Peck of Pickled PlumsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-15034242687601979342008-02-23T10:00:00.000+09:002008-02-23T10:00:00.000+09:00Sorry that I missed part of what you said, and you...Sorry that I missed part of what you said, and you're right, Wikipedia is generally not a good resource to cite. I was just too lazy to search around in other places. ;-)<BR/><BR/>Sometimes my comment responses aren't very good because I reply only early in the morning and late at night. I do try to be attentive but fog and fatigue sometimes get the better of me.<BR/><BR/>Some of the common dream themes have been covered in documentaries and there's a list of them on the Discovery Channel's page here:<BR/><BR/>http://health.discovery.com/centers/sleepdreams/universaldreams/universaldreams.html<BR/><BR/>Also, I've seen them portrayed in T.V. series (notably a dream-based episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer at the end of Season 4 - that one seemed to hit all the major ones). I think they wouldn't necessarily appear in popular media so frequently if they couldn't be related to by a broad base of people.<BR/><BR/>Also, I should mention that I studied psychology and wrote a major paper on dream interpretation, though, obviously, I can't reference the books I used for my research with my college library so far away. ;-)Sharihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419851636570519145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-51562635488693406002008-02-23T09:19:00.000+09:002008-02-23T09:19:00.000+09:00Hi Shari,I guess you missed the 'previously' menti...Hi Shari,<BR/><BR/>I guess you missed the 'previously' mentioned part of my sentence when I was talking about forgetting dreams. Even though I do use Wikipedia, I'm not sure I would use that as a main source for an arguement, but I certainly agree with you that there are main topic lines that seem to recur in dreams, and many of them are culturally bound. My point is more along the lines that many more dreams are forgotten than remembered.<BR/><BR/>I've previously read about dream theory, but as chris(i-cjw.com) noted, many dreams lack specific details about really unusual events to qualify them as premonitions of any events. I think it's more likley that it's a view of the subconscious mind at work, and it can be helpful for working on problems though fo some people with nightmares it may be a way for unresolved anxieties to persist beyond their waking hours.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-89168228776424234362008-02-23T02:39:00.000+09:002008-02-23T02:39:00.000+09:00I have had plenty of dreams where I have been some...I have had plenty of dreams where I have been someplace that I have never been before, and then suddenly I find myself there in reality. It is a strange sensation to say the least.<BR/><BR/>I think it may show that time, while perceived to be linear, may not be and we're receiving interference from the future along disparate timelines. If that makes any sense. If so, clue me in, too! :)<BR/><BR/>Also, I've seen pickled plums at the megamart. What do they taste like?badmoodguy (Бадмўдгуи)https://www.blogger.com/profile/00737755278975395898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-17697468558401875482008-02-23T00:39:00.000+09:002008-02-23T00:39:00.000+09:00Sleep paralysis is rather common in Singapore too,...Sleep paralysis is rather common in Singapore too, as is the superstitious belief that a spirit is sitting on your chest. And that's because during sleep paralysis, many people find it extremely hard to breathe, as though there was some heavy weight on their chest. Doesn't really matter which way you're sleeping.<BR/><BR/>I've never believed in any of these and have also developed my own techniques to counter sleep paralysis. Though your entire body may be paralysed, you're ususally able to move your fingers and toes, so I usually wingle them as violently as I can. Eventually, the movement returns some kind of sense to the rest of your body and you 'wake up'.<BR/><BR/>I don't remember ever being able to control my actions in dreams. Have always wanted to but the moment I realise it's a dream, I wake up :(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-23311377783923276302008-02-22T23:22:00.000+09:002008-02-22T23:22:00.000+09:00Alicia: Hi there and thanks for reading and commen...Alicia: Hi there and thanks for reading and commenting. It's okay to say you're "American", btw. It is a proper term for being from the U.S. ;-) I think I experienced very short-term sleep paralysis once, but didn't make much of it.<BR/><BR/>gaijinalways: Actually the dreams I mention are common. In fact, they are listed on Wikipedia in their section on dreams and show up in T.V. shows as common types of dreams. I've actually never had the naked in front of people dream, but others do. I have had the suddenly you have a test in a class you forgot you took one.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, you may want to read the Wikipedia page. It lists even more common dreams than I did.<BR/><BR/>Also, I'm not sure why you said, "Many people actually do dream, and as previously mentioned, forget them. I think that is much more common, not just in America, but world-wide," as I never said that people around the world do not dream and forget them. I only said that the common dreams I mentioned may not happen to people world-wide. Of course, all humans dream and most people forget most of their dreams. I never asserted otherwise.<BR/><BR/> Thanks for your comment.Sharihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419851636570519145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-34800839239923374052008-02-22T20:42:00.000+09:002008-02-22T20:42:00.000+09:00I do have dreams, but I can't recall the kinds of ...I do have dreams, but I can't recall the kinds of dreams you're talking about, hardly think they are common, as in many people hav them. Many people actually do dream, and as previously mentioned, forget them. I think that is much more common, not just in America, but world-wide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-88932340612909133092008-02-22T13:38:00.000+09:002008-02-22T13:38:00.000+09:00I enjoy your blog. It really opens a window into ...I enjoy your blog. It really opens a window into a different world.<BR/><BR/>I've never had recurring dreams, though I know several people who have. (I'm American.. er.. United States-ian.) I often dream of mundane events that actually occur later, though I've never been sure what to make of this.<BR/><BR/>Sleep paralysis is something that I experience regularly, sans the malevolent presence. I'm an extremely light sleeper and only need a few hours of sleep per night to get by. Often, especially when I try to nap or sleep in, my body will be 'asleep' while my mind is mostly alert. It used to terrify me, but I've gotten used to it. If I concentrate on kicking my leg out, I can snap myself out of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-71689745194989336492008-02-22T10:57:00.000+09:002008-02-22T10:57:00.000+09:00Hi, Shelby, and many thanks for your comment. I re...Hi, Shelby, and many thanks for your comment. I really enjoyed hearing about your experience. The story reminded me of the situation written about in "Only Love Is Real" by Dr. Brian Weiss. <BR/><BR/>I'm a strong believe in "fate" insofar as it provides opportunity (but it does not make or force the choice). That is, if there's a person you "should" meet, you'll have a chance to make a choice which will allow you to meet them, but it's not a certainty that you will meet.Sharihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419851636570519145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-14905721281857198442008-02-22T10:24:00.000+09:002008-02-22T10:24:00.000+09:00I've always been aware of my own eerie, unusual pr...I've always been aware of my own eerie, unusual precognitive abilitie but it wasn't until last year that I really started paying attention to them on a serious note. <BR/><BR/>Starting in Spring 2007, out of nowhere, I began to think a lot about a certain name (we will say 'Haruto'). I'd never personally known anyone with this name, but became unhealthily and unusually obsessed with it and confided in a close friend that I felt it was strangely important, somehow, utterly convinced it was the name of some cute boy I liked at the time. "It's just so adorable, it's my favorite name...Haruto, Haruto, Haruto!" Every waking moment was spent running through everyone and everything I knew to figure it out: Haruto, Haruto, Haruto, who could have that name?! It was driving me crazy, how in love I was with it, how enamored and obsessed I had become.<BR/><BR/>About a month later, I got an email from my Japanese teacher asking me to meet a japanese guy studying abroad over here (there are many at my school). His name was, by 'complete coincidence', Haruto, and the moment we met there was such an unmistakable sense of familiarity and happy reunion that I have sometimes wondered if -- should past lives 'exist' -- we were separated and connected again, somehow. Long story short, we fell in love and I'm waiting to see him again in December. I do believe not only in precognitive abilities (dreaming/otherwise) but in 'fate', now, as well. (:Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02037275024446619342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-14166943355484528672008-02-22T10:19:00.000+09:002008-02-22T10:19:00.000+09:00cmuwriter: The Japanese are used to being nude in ...cmuwriter: The Japanese are used to being nude in front of same-sex strangers because of onsen, and to a much lesser extent these days, public baths. They also have more cultural aspects (sumo, summer festivals) that have men running around in what are essentially loincloths and it's considered entirely appropriate. Though they aren't flagrant or immodest, they're more comfortable with the human body and all its flaws.<BR/><BR/>You may have other recurring dreams, but not remember them. Most people don't remember their dreams, particularly if they sleep in complete 90-minute cycles. It's likely that you remember a dream when you're sick because there is some disruption in how deeply or well you're sleeping and your sleep states are different. <BR/><BR/>I have quite a few recurring dreams. Some started recently, but others have been going on for decades. I have also been capable of lucid dreaming on occasion (in which you can redirect the events of the dream willfully - this isn't my imagination - it's been scientifically proven possible) and waking myself up from nightmares when I realize it's a dream, though I'm not as good at either of these as I once was.<BR/><BR/>I also studied dream interpretation in college, but have now concluded that no second party can interpret another person's dreams. <BR/><BR/>Many thanks for your comment!Sharihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419851636570519145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-48920706083318475532008-02-21T23:37:00.000+09:002008-02-21T23:37:00.000+09:00Wait, why are Japanese people used to being nude i...Wait, why are Japanese people used to being nude in front of strangers? The only time I usually have recurring dreams is when I am sick, and since I happen to have a pretty nasty cold right now, I had the dream last night. It is very strange, and I have had it since I was a child. I am sitting at a small cafe table next to a river, one that has concrete sides like in europe, and I am eating something, there is someone sitting across me, but I never get a good look to see who it is. As I am sitting there, everything will suddenly get filled with vines. They twist around everything, then as soon as they fill up the dream (I am looking at myself sitting at the table usually ) they disappear. This happens over and over, and to be honest it isn't that bad of a dream. It isn't a nightmare by any standards, and it has been useful. Whenever I have the dream I can be quite sure that I am about to get sick, or am sick with a cold or fever.CMUwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07254107188568419537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-60319100266423236832008-02-21T23:06:00.000+09:002008-02-21T23:06:00.000+09:00Chris: I do see what you mean. However, I remember...Chris: I do see what you mean. However, I remember most of my dreams full-stop. However, you must admit that the glass breaking/black cup experience was very specific and not the sort of thing with random memory, especially since it happened the next day. I've never dreamed about breaking things before, let alone that cup.<BR/><BR/>I don't think we can see things which aren't related to us. The vast majority of people don't have access to lives other than their own. There's no reason they should.<BR/><BR/>At any rate, I accept your skepticism as as valid as my theories. I don't assert that I know anything for sure, just that I believe certain things.<BR/><BR/>I've heard of sleep paralysis before and actually studied it a bit. It does occur in the west but tends to manifest itself as alien abduction scenarios whereas it comes out as a spirit (often an old woman) sitting on someone's chest in many cases in Japan. <BR/><BR/>I've heard that we're all actually paralyzed while we sleep but some people tend to be in a state where their minds are conscious (or semi-conscious) whereas their bodies haven't gotten the signal from their brains to wake up. It's all pretty terrifying to consider though and I'm gratified that it doesn't happen to me!<BR/><BR/>Chris: I've heard of remote viewing experiences before, though I haven't actually checked the studies. The main thing I feel is that it is important to remove the "hocus pocus" aspects from such things and try to view it from a point of view which is theoretical rather than metaphysical. I know that sounds like an odd combination, but I believe most studies are constructed around the idea of disproving any sort of extra-sensory capabilities.<BR/><BR/>The main problem is the studies are structured around a simplistic notion and structure. That is, such abilities or experiences occur on demand with one type of stimuli. If the researcher holds a card with a shape on it, the person should be able to tell what is on it. <BR/><BR/>What if such abilities only manifest when multiple conditions are met? What if A (the person wanting to know) and B (the thing to be known) only manifest when C (unknown factor) is present and interacting with D (unknown factor). The juxtaposition of factors could be very complex. This possibility is never considered. No one ever studies the conditions under which such things tend to occur or not because the bottom line is that it's not taken seriously and is only about disproving as quickly and efficiently as possible.<BR/><BR/>Heng: It certainly is possible, or it could be that it's about shared cultural anxieties. Japanese people are used to being nude in front of (same gender) strangers. Westerners are not. We're much more hung up about our bodies. The test one may have to do with feelings of not being prepared that don't translate to cultures where people have standardized tests which they can specifically study for. The ambiguous and subjective elements for gaining entry into school or jobs in the U.S. may influence the test-taking dream.<BR/><BR/>Thanks to all for the very interesting comments!Sharihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419851636570519145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-81946778977217776312008-02-21T22:29:00.000+09:002008-02-21T22:29:00.000+09:00I've not had any of those recurring dreams either....I've not had any of those recurring dreams either. Couldn't it be a solely american thing?<BR/><BR/>Something that's played out so often in the media that it gets imprinted in peoples' minds and dreams?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-86001888962124781712008-02-21T18:44:00.000+09:002008-02-21T18:44:00.000+09:00The mind and it's abilities are barely understood....The mind and it's abilities are barely understood. The C.I.A did studies about remote viewing and the results were interesting enough to keep the study going for quite a few years.<BR/><BR/>Some people can do amazing things but...their abilities to reproduce results on demand and consistently is the problem.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805296514972091365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33409496.post-83686938908690310962008-02-21T15:06:00.000+09:002008-02-21T15:06:00.000+09:00I'm in the skeptic camp so far as precognitive dre...I'm in the skeptic camp so far as precognitive dreaming goes. We remember, and attach meaning to, those dreams which "foretold" future events while forgetting the vast majority of which did not. It's statistically no difference from chance occurance. The fact that so many precognitive dreams involve mundane or everyday events (yes, even death and sickness) only serves to heighten the likelihood that our dreams will "foretell" a future event. If you'd dreamed of an Aegis destroyer sinking a fishing ship by accident then I might be willing to reconsider my position..<BR/><BR/>As far as Japanese dreaming goes, I've always been fascinated by the subject of <I>kanashibari</I> (sleep paralysis with a strong sense of someone or something, often malevolent, in the room with you). It seems to be quite common in Asian and African cultures, but I had never come across it in the West. My wife gets it from time to time, and it seems genuinely terrifying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com