Dreaming Of Taking A Picture? Best 17 Answer

(Huffpost) Suppose you have a dream about your ex that is very similar to the scene in “Titanic” where Jack and Rose fog a car window.

Does that mean you want to get back together with your ex? Does that mean you should book a cruise for your next vacation? Or maybe it just means you have to watch Titanic all alone in a dark room one more time.

We often wonder if our dreams have meaning. But to understand the message behind it, it’s important to first understand the stages in which we dream, how our brain gets the content of our dreams, and how we can play an active role in the memory process.

Here’s what you need to know and do to interpret your dreams:

You’re unlikely to remember more than 10 percent of your dreams on any given night.

According to Tore Nielsen, a retired psychologist and current director of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at Montreal’s Sacré-Coeur Hospital, dreams are most vivid and common during the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage. When people are awakened from REM sleep in the lab, says Nielsen, they tend to remember their dreams best.

REM is the phase that energizes your brain and body, which is essential for your performance the next day. Your muscles are “shut down,” but your brain is still active, feeding the content of your dreams.

The quality of your dreams typically varies depending on the time of night. At the beginning of the night, the REM phase could lead to a brief dream, like a movie trailer, Nielsen said. Later that night, during a much longer REM phase, you may have a dream that’s more like a movie.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults typically have four to six dreams a night, although they won’t remember all of them.

“It’s unlikely that anyone would remember more than 10 percent of their dreams in one night,” said Robert Stickgold, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “We just dream too much.”

In other words, you probably won’t have the full picture when you’re awake.

Your experiences and emotions drive your dreams.

So where does the script for the trailers and movies that play out in your head come from?

Dreams are a combination of early, distant memories, recent memories, and everything in between, Nielsen explained. Many of the images in your dreams are from the previous day (psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud called this the “daily lag”) or from the previous week (known as the “dream delay effect”).

Often you have an image in your dreams that appears random but actually isn’t. Maybe you went to a flower show last weekend, said Nielsen as an example, and then flowers appeared in your dream the next week.

Although images from your memories can appear in your dreams, except in the case of post-traumatic stress disorder, you never replay memories as they occurred, Stickgold said. Instead, the brain determines what you dream about by calculating which of your newly formed memories are most valuable and not yet fully understood, he explained. You also dream about the things your brain associates with that most recent memory.

Here’s an example that Stickgold provided: Let’s say you almost get into a car accident. This event could appear in your dreams in a different form – like riding bumper cars with your son in an amusement park. He may laugh away, but you may be feeling very stressed.

“Emotional memories seem to take priority for our dreams,” Stickgold said.

As a result of the near-car accident, he explained, you may have a negative association with bumper cars in the dream. Or the dream could help you downplay the risk originally attached to the event.

“I might realize that about 100 other cars hit me when I’m in bumper cars, and I’m fine,” Stickgold said.

Most dreams contain some type of emotion, which usually stems from real emotions you’ve experienced, said Lisa Medalie, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist at the University of Chicago.

“Many of my patients will state that they experience more anxiety-provoking dreams during times of stress,” Medalie said. “Based on my clinical experience, it appears that daytime emotions play some role in the emotional undertones of dreams.”

There are some common dream themes, but their meaning is unique.

There are some dream themes that studies have shown to be more common than others. One study found that 81.5% of participants reported having had a dream in which they were being chased, 76.5% had a dream about a sexual experience, and 73.8% had a dream about falling.

Other typical dreams — like tooth loss — can be traced back to experiences from our early childhood, Nielsen said, adding that findings in this area are somewhat speculative due to limited information.

As children, we all lose our milk teeth. Your emotional response to this event, as well as that of your parents, could be different from that of another person and that of their family, Nielsen said.

These reactions are stored in long-term memory – and can come out later as a template with other things attached to it. For this reason, your tooth loss dream should be viewed in context.

“What has happened in your life lately?” asked Nilsen. “What emotions did you arouse? Is there anything in your life that resembles your emotional template from back then?” Your answers to these questions make your version of the dream different from someone else’s.

A dream about teeth falling out could be very positive for a person, he said, because they were getting $5 for each tooth and they loved the tooth fairy. For her, a tooth falling out would have been a great thing. Another person might have knocked out their teeth in a fistfight, which would lead to a more negative association.

As a result, Nielsen does not endorse the “dream dictionary” approach, which assigns a general meaning to each type of dream.

Remembering your dreams is the best way to decipher them.

When you first wake up, Stickgold recommends lying in bed with your eyes closed. When you open your eyes and move, the memories can be overwritten with new sensations.

“You want to remember being in a dream,” he said.

After remembering what happened in your dream, you could use a dream journal or an app to record the details, Nielsen suggested.

Joining a dream group is another great way to process your dream content, Nielsen said, even if the group isn’t led by an expert. It may awaken your desire to recall dreams to participate in group discussions.

If you would like to talk to a professional about a dream, Nielsen recommends looking for a psychologist who uses dream analysis in their practice. Some therapists may not be trained in dream interpretation, but they can use dreams or nightmares as a starting point to talk about deeper issues or a patient’s emotional responses.

“I think dreams can really, really quickly, reveal the underlying emotional issues that people have that they need help with in psychotherapy,” Nielsen said.

Dreams show the possibilities, not the answer.

“Many people’s dreams evoke emotions that they struggle with during the day,” Medalie said.

You can learn from your dreams by paying close attention to the emotions you feel when you wake up from them, she added.

“Knowing that dreams reflect our waking lives, I suspect our dreams can then inform us about the emotions that we’re not yet good at managing or tapping into during the day,” Medalie said. “We can then think about how to approach our emotional struggle more directly from there.”

If you wake up from your dreams anxious, and exercise helps reduce your anxiety, then maybe the realization is that you need to exercise more, Medalie said.

So does all this mean that your dreams are trying to tell you something?

No, said Stickgold – they are trying to show you something. He compares it to the difference between a textbook and a play. A textbook gives you information, while a play shows you the possibilities.

“Dreaming this way is like a good play,” Stickgold said. “You don’t leave a good play saying, ‘Okay, now I know what to do if X happens.’ You walk away and say, ‘I’ve opened up a whole world that I never had, I think. that’s what the brain is trying to show you—it’s trying to show you a world of possibilities.”

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Photography captures memories and guides you to be present as you explore the world around you. Here are 8 reasons why photography matters.

What is the purpose of photography?

Essentially, the purpose of photography is to communicate and document moments in time.

See also: Understanding Color in Photography

When you take a picture and share it with others, you’re showing a moment that was frozen by a picture. That moment can say many things to someone, from the environment to what people are doing.

Related: What is positive and negative space?

For example, if you work as a journalistic photographer in the city, the photos you take will be recorded for years. When people look at the photos in 50 years, they will be able to see what life was like.

When you are a wedding photographer, the couple you are photographing is relying on you to document a special day in their life.

The aim is to document moments of fun, happiness and love. These photos will be cherished for the rest of their lives.

8 reasons why photography matters

Photography is vision and art. Regardless of your skill level, capturing images is important to history and people’s lives. Here are 8 reasons why photography matters.

1. Photos show what is important

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

In our phone galleries and at home we have pictures that are important to us.

Photography is important because it freezes memories. It captures a moment that you will remember and cherish years later.

When you look at the pictures people save, they’re usually photos of their family, friends, pets, places, and things they love. You photograph things that are important to you. All the images you capture add up to tell your story.

2. Story through pictures

Images are powerful because they help us understand and teach history. People associate with images and it shows what life was like before today.

How things used to be, what people wore, where they were, animals and many things from the world are passed from generation to generation through images.

Pictures are great for learning about history because people are finding that it’s easier to learn about the past through pictures than through text (Source: Historians.org).

3. Photos are stories

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

There is a story behind every picture. Looking at an image, you can infer many things about it:

What do you like?

Where are they?

How old are you?

How do you feel?

When you look at photos you have taken of your family, you are reminded of that particular moment and there is a story behind that picture.

What happened this morning? Where did you go? why did you take the picture

4. Photos evoke emotions

Have you looked at a picture from the past and immediately felt the same emotions as in the picture? That’s the power of a photo.

The reason you feel emotions isn’t because of how aesthetically pleasing a picture is, it’s because of the emotions expressed in the photo.

5. Self-expression

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

One of the best reasons photography is important is that it allows you to express yourself. It’s a great creative outlet to express what you feel, believe, think and love.

The cool thing is you can do whatever you want. Regardless of the “rules” and techniques, photography knows no boundaries. You can express yourself freely.

6. Photography inspires

Photography can inspire you to travel, enjoy life and celebrate the moments. It can help you become more aware of the little things in life.

Taking pictures makes you want to experience more and take risks.

7. Build connections

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Through photography you can meet many people and form relationships that you would not have had before.

With friends and family you don’t see often, seeing your pictures helps them feel close. It’s a great way to keep in touch with those who live far away.

8. Photography does not judge

Regardless of age, gender or race, you can take photos and capture memories. No expensive camera is required, you can use any camera, even the one on your phone. You can start anytime, anywhere.

Related: How to start a photography business

development of photography

Over the years, photography has changed and become more accessible. It’s cheaper, faster, and easier to take and share photos.

It has also given us the ability to see things around the world that we have not seen with our own eyes. It has had a huge impact on our world and has changed the way photos are created.

The beginning

Photography was invented in the early 19th century. It shocked the world and was quickly adopted (Source: National Gallery of Art).

When it was invented, people tried to understand what its purpose should be and what photos should look like. This led to experiments with different types of photos, textures, tones and details.

Small cameras

The original Kodak camera. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of American History

After many experiments and technological improvements, Kodak was invented. The Kodak was a small handheld camera that made photography more accessible.

Rather than being something only the upper class could have, it has now been made available to the middle class (source: National Gallery of Art).

Modern photojournalism

The Leica 1 Model A. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

In 1925, modern photojournalism was born in Germany (source: NDSU). That was when the first 35mm camera was invented, the Leica.

At that time, people in Germany were oppressed and persecuted, which caused many to flee to America. Most of the photos that were taken were from World War II for magazines and newspapers.

The 35mm was small and could take photos quickly. However, not all photographers used 35mm cameras. Some used the 120 format camera, which was usually a Rolleiflex.

Later, the 35mm film camera became more versatile as it was improved. It was able to use a telephoto, zoom, and wide-angle lens.

The polaroid

In the mid-20th century, the Polaroid was invented by Edwin H. Land (Source: Nithin Kalorth, Ph.D.). What made the Polaroid special was its ability to snap and print a photo in a minute.

digital cameras

The first digital camera. Photo courtesy of The New York Times.

Eastman Kodak developed the first digital camera in 1975 (source: NASA). Soon after, Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and other manufacturers also started working on digital cameras.

At the end of the 20th century, newspapers and magazines went digital (source: HBS). Around this time, manufacturers began working on mirrorless cameras, which have become popular with many photographers.

smart phone

In addition to digital and mirrorless cameras, smartphones have become popular for photos. With advances in technology, phone cameras have been able to take incredible pictures, and since they are built into phones, many people don’t see the need to carry a separate camera.

Conclusion

Photography is a great way to tell stories, capture memories and express yourself. It can be a beautiful work of art or a precious moment frozen in time and that is why photography is so important.

More resources:

Featured photo from Unsplash.

Dreams are sequences of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.[1] The content and purpose of dreams is not definitively understood, although they have been the subject of scientific speculation as well as philosophical and religious interest throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology.[2]

Dreams mainly occur during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep – when brain activity is high and resembles that of waking. REM sleep is characterized by continuous eye movement during sleep. Sometimes dreams can occur during other stages of sleep. However, these dreams tend to be much less vivid or memorable.[3]

The length of a dream can vary; they can last a few seconds or around 20–30 minutes.[3] People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase. The average person has three to five dreams a night, and some may have as many as seven;[4] however, most dreams are forgotten immediately or quickly.[5] Dreams tend to last longer as the night progresses. During a full eight hour night’s sleep, most dreams occur in the typical two hours of REM.[6]

In modern times, dreams have been seen as a connection to the subconscious. They range from normal and ordinary to overly surreal and bizarre. Dreams can be of different nature, e.g. B. scary, exciting, magical, melancholic, adventurous or sexual. The events in dreams are generally beyond the dreamer’s control, with the exception of lucid dreaming where the dreamer is self-aware.[7] Dreams can sometimes evoke a creative thought in the person or convey a sense of inspiration.[8]

Opinions about the meaning of dreams have changed and changed over time and culture. Most people today seem to support the (Freudian) theory of dreams – that dreams reveal glimpses of hidden desires and emotions. Other prominent theories include those that suggest dreams aid in memory formation, problem solving, or are simply a product of random brain activation.[9] The earliest recorded dreams were acquired from materials approximately 5000 years old in Mesopotamia, where they were documented on clay tablets. In Greek and Roman times people believed that dreams were direct messages from one and/or more deities, from deceased persons, and that they predicted the future. Some cultures practiced dream incubation with the intention of cultivating prophetic dreams.[10]

Sigmund Freud, who developed the discipline of psychoanalysis, wrote extensively on dream theories and their interpretations in the early 1900s.[11] He explained dreams as manifestations of our deepest desires and fears, often related to repressed childhood memories or obsessions. He also believed that virtually every dream theme, regardless of its content, represented the resolution of sexual tension.[12] In The Interpretation of Dreams (1899), Freud developed a psychological technique for interpreting dreams and formulated a set of guidelines for understanding the symbols and motifs that appear in our dreams.

You are not the only one making the whole global pandemic thing worse, there is a surge in people dreaming about their ex. Fear not: COVID-19 has no plans to get you and your ex back together. And no, “dreaming of an ex” is not a symptom of the disease. Certified dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg says that in general (read: pandemic or not), dreaming about an ex is very (very!) normal. Why exactly has the implementation of physical distancing led to an increase in ex dreams? Below, Loewenberg and three certified therapists answer that very question. Plus what 23 different ex-dreams are trying to tell you — if anything. HEALTHLINE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE Stay up-to-date on the current COVID-19 outbreak with our live updates. Also visit our coronavirus hub for more information on how to prepare, advice on prevention and treatment, and expert advice.

Why the Pandemic Blamed Your Ex Dreams There are a few reasons why the novel coronavirus has caused your ex to end up in your dreams. You Have More Free Time Whether you were recently laid off (condolences) or are simply bored without the gym or bar to fill your off hours, Loewenberg points out that most people have more free time on their hands. “Lockdown has given a lot of people a lot more time to think about their interpersonal relationships — including their exes,” she says. Basically, the dreams are simply a symptom of staying in the past for a long time. You Slept More Than Usual Many people are also spending more hours napping than they did before the pandemic. “Without a morning alert (or with a later alert), many people may now be entering the final phase of their REM cycle during quarantine,” says Loewenberg. And this stage is associated with deeper sleep and dream memory. So not only do you dream more about your ex, you also remember it more often. Pooh. They Mourn “Right now, we are collectively experiencing the loss of life as we knew it,” says Brooklyn-based psychotherapist Aimee Barr, LCSW. “It’s very common for figures from the past to surface during times of grief.” You’re Lonely Even if you’re not quarantining alone, physical distancing has likely caused you to spend a lot less time with people you care about . “It’s normal for the subconscious to return to a point in your life where you could spend whatever you wanted on people who cared about you at the time and vice versa,” Loewenberg says. They’re Anxious “Due to a heightened sense of anxiety and insecurity in our waking life, many of the dreams people are currently having are nightmares,” says Sula Malina, a therapist in training at the Gender & Sexuality Therapy Center in NYC. “That said, many people have dreams that depict another anxiety-provoking situation (like a breakup or a painful relationship).”

It’s usually related to one of these underlying issues. Every dream about an ex is as unique as that ex themselves, but Loewenberg says it generally boils down to emotional dissatisfaction

sexual dissatisfaction

unresolved feelings about the ex or the breakup

released feelings about the ex or this breakup

Exploring Specific Dream Scenarios These wild times have resulted in a long list of wild dreams, ranging from scary to sweet to violent. Below we go over the most common ones. If It’s a Long-Term Ex “Dreaming of a long-term ex–especially first love–is incredibly common,” says Loewenberg. “This ex becomes a symbol of passion, unbridled desire, unabashed love, etc.” These dreams are your subconscious’s way of telling you that you want more ~spice~ in your life. When it comes to a recent ex, it seems like your subconscious is trying to sabotage all the hard work you put in in your waking hours to get over that person. On the contrary, Loewenberg says, “Your subconscious is actually trying to help you heal and process how you’re feeling about the breakup.” If You’ve Been Abusive To dream of an abusive or toxic ex (think: physical or mental abusive, serial cheaters, etc.) is a very common trauma response, says Malina. According to Loewenberg, if you’re dreaming about an abusive ex, it’s probably because in your waking hours you’re still trying to find a W-H-Y behind what happened. If during waking hours you are “beating yourself up” about that past relationship, the dream could symbolize the abuse you are now subjecting yourself to by rumination. If you miss them or they miss you What qualities did your ex have that you’re missing in your life right now? For example, if your ex was funny, set up a Zoom date with another funny friend. What qualities did your ex bring out in you? Time to use these without your ex’s help! If you want them back or they want you back again, think about the qualities you liked about your ex or the qualities your ex had when you were together that you want back in your life! If someone apologizes to an ex in your dream ≠ your ex is really sorry IRL! Rather, it’s just your brain conjuring up a scene of exactly what you wish your ex would have said. And if you’re the one apologizing? Chances are you’ve done or said something recently that you regret. The dream = your first attempt at redemption. When someone confronts the other about past mistakes “When you have a dream in which you confront someone, you are confronting the part of you that was hurt by that person,” says Loewenberg. “It’s your way of slowly coming to terms with how you were hurt.” If you’re getting babes back together, it’s time to look deep and consider whether or not you would actually get back with an ex, should they cringe . If you want, it’s time to remember why you broke up in the first place. They were probably damn good reasons! (This is where a therapist or protective BFF can be very helpful). However, if you have ZERO interest in that ex in your waking hours, the dream is a sign that you have made peace with the relationship and learned the lessons you had to learn from it. Exciting! When you fall in love again, says Loewenberg, it indicates that you long to feel cared for and loved now. Pretty damn understandable wish in the middle of a pandemic, right? If you get physical aka kisses, touches and the like. In dreams, sex = connection. So, it’s time to check if you really want to reconnect with that ex. This is another instance where it can be helpful to make a list of the reasons for the breakup. Loewenberg adds, “When you have a child together, it’s not about sex or kissing, it’s about bonding for the good of the child.” Good to know! If you have a child together Don’t take a pregnancy test just yet! In dreams, children represent promise and new growth. Here the dream probably means that your ex will allow you to give birth to a new part of yourself. If you’re struggling “Dreams like this suggest that there is a current conflict in your life,” says Loewenberg. Given that we’re all going through major routine upheavals right now, this is normal. If someone is cheating on the other “If your ex has indeed cheated on you and you have dreams that he is cheating on you, it is a sign that you are bringing distrust into your current relationship,” says Loewenberg. “If you dream that you did it even if you didn’t, then there’s probably something about your current relationship that’s making you feel like the third wheel.” Think: the Xbox, the TV show or the kid. If you break up again Was the breakup recent? Calm down! You are still processing. Was it a while ago? Ask yourself what else in your life is making you feel rejected. Have you recently been made redundant due to COVID-19? Has one of your BFFs started texting or calling a lot less? If they’re in a new relationship Cool, cool, so deal with the fact that your ex will (or is already) moving on. Conclusion: time for you too! Whether they are in danger Depends on whether you are trying to save them or not. If you’re playing the knight in shining armor, there’s probably a lesson you need to take away from the relationship. For example, has your ex brought out your extroverted side? Your subconscious is reminding you to tighten your schmoozing muscle IRL. If you haven’t tried to save her, that is actually a sign that you are letting go of this relationship. boo-bye! If they died, congratulations! This dream indicates that you have let go of the past and you are ready to move on. If they kill you murder = forced end. Ask yourself: During my relationship with my ex, did I lose a part of me that I want to get back? For example your: trust

ability to trust

Confidence If you kill her Sayonara baby! You are probably having this dream because you have killed all the lingering bitter feelings you had towards your ex. However, if you still carry a lot of anger towards your ex, this dream could indicate that you still have a lot of anger and hurt to process.

Exploring Pandemic-Specific Dream Scenarios Usually, the thought of seeing an ex-IRL is a nightmare… So why, now that there’s no chance of seeing him, is he making its way into your coronavirus dreams? Let’s investigate. If you are single and dreaming about them, don’t miss your ex. You miss human interaction! And feel loved! And kisses! Loewenberg recommends thinking (though not for too long) about this ex’s positive qualities. Your subconscious might compile a list of qualities you want to look for in a partner once that *wave around* is over. If you are in a relationship but isolated alone and dreaming about them How did your ex make you feel in your dream? Sexy, adored, groomed or special? Time to plan a digital date night with bae. Your subconscious is telling you that you’re feeling a little neglected right now. If You’re Isolation With a Current Partner and Dreaming About Them Again: How Did Your Ex Make You Feel? If it’s something positive, it’s probably been a minute since your quarantine baby made you feel that way, and you miss that feeling. As Barr says, “Now that people are together 24/7, relationships can feel slightly stale.” She suggests actively planning dates (and tissues) to rekindle the spark. If you dream that you’re developing COVID-19, you still have some ugly feelings towards that ex, says Loewenberg: “Your subconscious uses the virus as a metaphor to show you that you still have something left of your ex, that You need to work through it.” LOL, yes, your ex = the virus. If you’re very over your ex, Loewenberg says, it could indicate that something in one of your current relationships (romantic and/or sexual or not) is feeling unhealthy. Do you become codependent? Do you take each other for granted? Solve after that and the dream will stop.

So… when are these dreams a red flag? According to Barr and Loewenberg: if they become a constant thing (read: nightly or bi-nightly)

when you wake up stressed and find it hard to shake that feeling

when those dreams reflect fantasies you have while awake

What if you’re in a relationship – should you tell your partner? While communication is generally a good thing in relationships, Barr and Loewenberg agree that telling your current boo that your ex-boo is cooling off in your subconscious will do more harm than good. “It’s likely to make your partner insecure and jealous without giving you or him anything,” says Loewenberg. Still, as Jesse Kahn, LCSW-R, CST, the director and sex therapist at The Gender & Sexuality Therapy Center in NYC, says, “There is no ‘should’ when it comes to relationships because every relationship and every person is different. Kahn adds that these questions can help you figure out what’s right for your relationship: Do you want to tell your partner, and if so, what are your intentions and motivations? If you tell your partner, will there be consequences for you or your relationship? How do you feel about these episodes?

How to Talk About It Should you tell your partner the intimate details about these dreams? Probably not. But as Barr points out, our partners are really intuitive. So when you are affected, disturbed or haunted by these dreams, your S.O. probably noticed. Therefore, when your partner asks you what’s going on, Barr suggests sharing the fact that you’ve had some confusing dreams. For example, “I know I’ve been acting great in my head lately. That’s because I had super vivid dreams with scenes from my past, and that disoriented me. But I’m here, I love you, and you don’t have to worry.”

“You’re right, I was in a weird mood. My dreams have been really disturbing lately and they have been haunting my waking hours. I promise to let you know if I’d like to discuss this further.”

How to Address the Underlying Problem While sometimes a dream about an ex indicates an enduring love, resentment, or affection for that ex, this is not always the case! Sometimes it highlights: dissatisfaction in a current relationship

Dissatisfaction with current living conditions

that you moved away from your ex

that you are ready to move on from the ex. Ultimately, your next step depends on what the underlying problem is. Regardless, Barr recommends speaking to a teletherapist. “They can help you figure out why these dreams are happening and develop a concrete plan to help you stop them.”

Share on Pinterest Most people generally agree on the benefits of a good night’s sleep. After hard work, a good nap gives you a chance to recharge your body so you wake up refreshed and ready for another day. If you’re struggling with anxiety or other life challenges, a good night’s sleep can help you feel better for stressful days. But when anxiety creeps into your dreams, sleep may not offer the restful escape you’re looking for. Anxious dreams can feel quite uncomfortable. Not only do they disrupt your sleep, they can also contribute to stress and anxiety in the morning. You might even worry that they mean something bad is about to happen. If you’re wondering what’s really causing your anxiety dreams and if you can get them to sleep better, you’ve come to the right place.

In short, an anxiety dream usually refers to any dream that causes stress or stress. During the dream, you may feel panicky or nervous, but these emotions can linger even after you wake up, and your general discomfort may linger throughout the day. Although nightmares often produce more intense feelings of terror than general anxiety, they are also classified as nightmares because anxiety during the day can make nightmares more likely. Some common causes of nightmares and anxiety dreams are: Anxiety or stress

Recent life changes, especially those that create uncertainty or other stresses

traumatic events

insomnia or trouble sleeping

Substance use, including alcohol But how exactly does anxiety trigger disturbing dreams? As you may already know, your brain stays active while you sleep. It uses this time to do important tasks that refresh your body and keep important processes at optimal levels. For better or for worse, part of this nocturnal brain activity is sometimes fitting memories and sensations into a semi-narrative. It follows that if your recent thoughts and feelings are causing you stress and anxiety, your dreams will likely follow a similar pattern. Not everyone living with anxiety will have bad dreams, but research suggests that anxiety may play a significant role in night-time stress. In a 2014 study of 227 adults, those who met criteria for generalized anxiety disorder had more bad dreams than participants who were not anxious. The study authors also found evidence that bad dreams led to greater daytime anxiety and depression and a reduced quality of life. In short, anxiety and nightmares can feed off each other and create an uncomfortable cycle.

Do the dreams mean anything? Dreams often don’t make much sense. Some of your dreams may seem very clear and coherent but have a few unrealistic elements. Maybe you’re naked at work, or you have wings, or you’re making out with a celebrity. But just because you dream about these things doesn’t mean they will happen, and the same goes for nightmares. Maybe you keep dreaming about missing a final exam or that your partner is cheating on you. When you wake up, you may be afraid of these possibilities becoming a reality. However, usually these dreams mean nothing deeper than maybe some unconscious (or conscious) worry about these things happening. If you spend a lot of time worrying about the possibility of your partner, it is understandable that these worries will appear in your dreams, even if they appear in an abstract way. The study of dreams is a vast field of study, and there are many theories as to what dreams might mean. However, there is no scientific research to support the idea that dreams can predict future events. So if you’ve noticed an increase in anxious dreams, especially before an important event, your brain is probably just alerting you to the stress you’re experiencing.

Falling asleep again Falling asleep after waking up from a bad dream isn’t always easy, but there are a few things that might help you to close your eyes a little. Try Something Relaxing A relaxing activity can help put your brain back into sleep mode. It doesn’t have to be boring or boring, but it shouldn’t wake you up again. Try: a warm drink

Quiet music

a calming podcast

a favorite book or one with a slow pace

Breathing or Meditation Exercises Just keep your lights low and avoid watching TV or scrolling through your phone as it can wake you up even more. However, ASMR videos help many people with anxiety-related sleep problems to relax, so this may be an exception to that rule to consider. Get up When the time drags on and you can’t seem to get back to sleep, don’t stay in bed. It’s easy to get frustrated and upset when you can’t get back to sleep, but that often only makes things worse. So get a sip of water, take a walk around the house, or try a warm bath. Wait until you feel sleepy again before going back to bed. Whatever you do, don’t look at the clock. You wake up and immediately notice the time. Ten minutes later you’re still awake. Ten more minutes go by and before you know it you’ve been awake for almost an hour. Now you are less worried about your dream and more stressed about all the sleep you missed. The more time goes by, the more frustrated you feel. If you regularly have nightmares, you have probably experienced this many times. To avoid increasing your stress, upon waking up, check your watch or phone once, if necessary, and then stop looking at it. You’ll probably find it easier to fall asleep again if you don’t worry about what time it is or how long you’re up.

Preventing It in the Future While you can’t always avoid anxiety completely, there’s a lot you can do to manage anxious thoughts. Reducing daytime anxiety can benefit your overall health, but it can also help you sleep better. Start a Calming Bedtime Routine A routine of activities that help you wind down and relax before bed can help you sleep better. Turn off the TV and computer, and put your phone aside about an hour before bed. Then try: Read

listen to music

meditate

Taking a Bath Journaling just before bed can provide an opportunity to express stressful or negative thoughts. The act of writing them down can help you feel like you are physically filing them. When you’re in bed, let your mind wander to positive thoughts instead, like people or places you love, good things about your day, or the things you appreciate in life. Avoid Stressful or Agitating Activities Before Bed If the last thing you do before bed is go through your finances or read a distressing email from a loved one, chances are you keep thinking about those things when They’re trying to get some rest. Of course, not all stressful tasks can be completely avoided. But if you know something causes stress or anxiety, try to deal with it earlier in the day. Then follow it up with a hobby you enjoy or something else that makes you feel better, like spending time with your best friend or romantic partner. Doing something positive can help alleviate the anxiety caused by the uncomfortable task and restore your spirits. Make time for exercise. Exercise has many benefits, including improved sleep. Adding just 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity to your day can help you sleep better right away—maybe even that night. Try brisk walking

Bathe

To go biking

Walking However, try to get this exercise at least an hour before bed. Exercise leads to endorphin release and higher body temperature, both of which can wake up your body rather than helping it prepare for sleep. Talk About It If you’re having a nightmare that keeps coming back, it can be helpful to tell someone about it. Sharing things that scare or worry you with someone you trust can often lessen the impact of those feelings. Loved ones can also help you talk about other causes of anxiety. Sharing a burden can lighten it, so sometimes just opening up to anxiety can help improve your symptoms, which can lead to better sleep.

Sometimes we include products that we think will be useful to our readers. If you make a purchase through links on this site, we may receive a small commission. Read our affiliate disclosure.

Dreaming about someone is just a side effect of our brain’s natural defense mechanism designed to protect us.

You will not see the person you dream about in real life and this prevents your subconscious from focusing on negative emotions.

Essentially, when you dream about them, it makes your brain feel like they are with you, and that makes it more secure.

Want to know more about dreaming about someone and its meaning? Let’s dive in!

Is it a positive sign?

When you dream about someone you like, it means that you subconsciously wish for that person to be present in your life.

This is a good sign if you want him as a friend, partner or companion.

In addition, it means that you think positively about them and want them to be a part of your life in whatever way.

If you dream about a person and you see them in your dream but you cannot communicate with them, it means that you are feeling lonely.

Your subconscious is trying to fill the void in your life by having this person in your dreams.

This could work well because it is a sign that you need this person in your life. You just need to see if it manifests itself in other ways over time.

Another way to dream about someone is a positive sign if you are talking to them in your dream.

If you are arguing with the person you are dreaming about in your sleep, it means that you have been thinking about them recently and it is a sign that they are thinking about you too.

Some people also report that they know exactly what their subconscious is trying to tell them through their dreams, so when this happens look past the obvious interpretation and try to see what else is being said.

What if I dream about someone who doesn’t like me?

Needless to say, it’s uncomfortable to think about, let alone dream about, someone we don’t like.

However, it’s not as bad as you might think.

It is a sign that you want to start something new with this person.

These people often influence your life because of the past or what you thought of it as a couple.

This can tell you things like they will eventually move away, they may come back into your life, and so on.

Dreaming about a certain person is also a sign that you have been thinking about them lately and it is good that this person is thinking about you.

It’s a positive sign if the thought of her crosses your mind when you wake up.

Some people also tend to dream about the same people over and over again, so pay attention to how often this happens.

While it can mean a few different things, dreaming about someone a day after their death shows that they are still with you in spirit.

They are trying to guide you in some way, so it’s either a positive or a negative sign depending on how you interact with them in your dreams.

Does that mean they’re thinking of me?

While dreaming about someone usually means they are thinking about you, dreaming about the same person repeatedly could also mean that they have been thinking about you so much that if you dream about them, it’s just another case where this thought comes to your mind.

If you dream about them often, it could mean that they are thinking about you, but it’s really no different than if you were thinking about them often.

Do shared dreams with someone mean they’re thinking of you?

Yes and no, it depends on the dream.

If you are dreaming about this person but the scenario in your dream is nothing that happened or is not related to any emotional event or situation then he is random in your dream and he is not thinking about you.

If the dream is related to an emotional event or situation that happened between you and the person you are dreaming about, then there is a connection between your thoughts and their thoughts.

Your brain can pour that feeling of theirs into a dream because it’s been in your head lately.

What would a talented consultant say?

The ideas that I share with you in this article will give you a good idea that someone you dream about is thinking of you.

But could you get even more clarity by speaking to a gifted advisor?

Of course you need to find someone you can trust. With so many fake experts out there, it’s important to have a pretty good BS detector.

After going through a messy breakup, I recently tried Psychic Source. They gave me the guidance I needed in life including who to be with.

I was really blown away by how kind, caring and genuinely helpful they were.

Click here to get your own love read.

Not only can a gifted counselor tell you if dreaming about someone means thinking about them, but they can also reveal all of your love possibilities to you.

What if I have bad dreams about someone who annoys me?

A bad dream is a sign that something unresolved is happening with that person in your life.

It’s a sign that you need to work on building better relationships with them or solving a problem with them.

The problem could be that they don’t get along with you, ignore you, or intentionally do something that bothers you.

There are many different reasons why someone might be in your dreams and if the events in your dream are not related to anything emotional then it is just a coincidence.

Sometimes we dream of someone annoying us to protect us from our unconscious anger.

The brain will create that person where they are the problem and you are just a bystander because you don’t want to see that you are the problem.

If this has happened to you and the dreams are extreme in nature, pay attention to what is bothering them about you or causing this problem.

It is also important to note that having a bad dream about someone who is annoying you can also mean that you are training your subconscious to be positive about that person.

Also, if you had a positive interaction with them before or after the dream, then chances are it was just your subconscious preparing you for something good.

What if I dream about cheating on someone?

Cheating on someone in your dreams is a sign that you have doubts in real life.

It’s a sign that you feel disloyal to that person or think they are disloyal.

It can also mean that you have been unfaithful in the past and your brain is reminding you of it.

It could also mean that the person you are dreaming about is emotionally cheating in your relationship and you need to confront them about it.

If this dream happens once then it is probably just a coincidence and should be wiped away.

When it happens multiple times, it’s important to look at the why and how behind it.

To dream of cheating on someone could also mean that you have a dream image of yourself.

The reason for this is that dreams are usually symbolic and based on emotions that you have while you are awake.

What if I dream about my ex?

Dreaming about your ex or someone who is still in your life but not in your current relationship could be a sign that you want something new with that person.

It could also mean that you want to catch up on something that happened in the past or that you want to change something.

Some people also dream about their ex-boyfriends so they can come over and make up with them.

If you are dreaming about your ex, it means that he is still in your life no matter he is in a romantic relationship or not.

It also means that this person is on your mind because of something unresolved between the two of you.

If you are dreaming about your ex, it could be a sign that he thinks about you by default.

⌄ Scroll down to continue reading the article ⌄ Struggling to get back to life? Learn the weird new way to take control of your life without visualization, meditation, or other self-help techniques. Watch the free video now ⌄ Scroll down to continue reading the article ⌄

Sometimes when we think of someone while we are dreaming, they appear in our dreams.

It then has nothing to do with thinking about her, it’s just a coincidence.

However, if you keep having a recurring dream about your ex, then you should pay attention.

What if I keep dreaming the same dream?

Having the same dream over and over again is a sign of being stuck or not moving forward in life.

It can also mean that you are afraid of something that might happen in your life.

It could also refer to thinking about something a lot and it will disturb your sleep.

If this happens once or twice, there is no need to worry.

However, if it is happening more often, then it is imperative that you pay attention to the recurring dreams and what they mean for your life.

I have already mentioned how helpful the Psychic Source counselors have been when I have faced difficulties in life.

While we can learn a lot about a situation from articles like this, nothing quite compares to getting a personal reading from a gifted person.

From clarifying the situation to helping you make life-changing decisions, these counselors empower you to make decisions with confidence.

Click here for your personal reading.

What if I can’t remember my dreams?

If you cannot remember your dreams, it means something is wrong in your life.

It could mean that you become so focused on your waking life that you can’t stop remembering your dreams.

It could also mean that something is going on in your life that is preventing you from getting proper sleep.

It’s important to pay attention to the quality of sleep and rest you’re getting.

When you’re exhausted from a stressful life, you need to find new ways to manage stress and sleep.

What if I dream about an ex who died?

If you dream about a deceased ex, it means that there is something unresolved in your relationship.

You probably haven’t processed your death, and the dreams are a way of dealing with the pain your death caused.

Maybe you need to talk about the relationship you had with them and how it ended, or it could be because there is something unresolved from years ago that is affecting your life today.

What if I dream about someone every night?

Have you ever wondered why this happens?

Dreaming about someone every night is a sign that you think about them a lot.

This can be an ex or someone you work with.

If this is a frequent occurrence, it’s important to talk to the person in your dreams and ask them why they keep popping into your mind and what you can do about it.

What if I’ve been dreaming of something specific for a while?

If you’ve been dreaming of something in particular for a long time, then there’s probably something afoot that’s preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Pay attention to your dreams and find out what they are all about.

What if I had my first dream, but the next time I dream would it be like a sequel?

First dreams are usually the easiest to remember because they are the first dream we have and they are usually quite emotional or important.

However, the dreams you have afterward could be just as important and that is why it is important that you write them down in your journal or keep a dream journal.

All you have to do is keep it next to your bed so you can write in it first thing in the morning when you wake up and then you will have all your dreams in one place.

It’s also important that you write down your dreams throughout the day and not just at night before you go to sleep.

That way, as you read, you’re sure to get a clear picture of the potential meaning and how to apply the message to your life.

What are some red flags to look out for?

If you notice any of these signs in your dreams, it means that something is going on in your life that you should deal with.

It can mean that something positive is happening in your life, but it can also mean that there is also something negative.

If you have too many dreams, it means your mind is overloaded or something deep within is working.

It could mean that someone is trying to reach you with energy vibrations so that you remember them or their message.

Find out the message the universe wants you to know, or someone you’ve already crossed paths with.

For example, if you’re dreaming about the person you’ve been in love with for years and never managed to tell them how you feel, then that could be a sign that they’re thinking about you too and want to reconnect .

If this person is an ex, then it could be unresolved feelings between the two of you.

If you are dreaming about someone you still interact with but are not in a romantic relationship, it could mean that you are redefining your relationship soon.

Maybe there’s something you need to tell them or something they need to tell you.

You can tell if it’s a positive dream by how you feel in the morning.

If your mind is clear and refreshed, then this is a sign that the message was positive and everything is clear on your part.

You see many dead people or animals in your dreams

This could be a sign that you are very sad and need to talk to someone about your feelings.

It is also possible that you dreamed about these dead people because they recently died in real life or they reminded you of something.

Sometimes when we are dreaming we are subconsciously looking into the future and the direction we should take in life.

This can be good or bad, but it’s important to pay attention to each one and see if those mesmerizing dreams continue.

If you see animals in your dreams, it could be a sign that something is going on in your life that is making you feel lonely.

It could also mean that people want to scare you.

What if some characters or people are unknown in my dreams?

If you see characters or people in your dreams that you don’t know; It could mean that you are trying to find answers from the subconscious and you are getting closer to the solution.

It could also mean that something is bothering you and you need to work on figuring out who these characters are or what they represent.

Keep thinking about this problem in your life and how to deal with it, or think about the mystery that is bothering you that you soon need to address and solve.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that dreams are the treasure trove that can help us discover something new about ourselves and our future.

Each dream you have can tell you something different, so think of it as a puzzle and put those pieces together carefully!

We can’t always know why some dreams come to our minds, but they never come without a good reason.

If you start dreaming about a person who means a lot to you, it may be because you are connected at the subconscious level and that person can guide you through the emotional rollercoaster called life.

Dreaming is a gift and you should enjoy every moment of it.

Hopefully you understand when someone is actually thinking about you while you are dreaming about them. But if you want a fully personal explanation of this situation and where it is taking you going forward, I recommend you speak to the folks at Psychic Source.

I mentioned her earlier. When I got a reading from them I was blown away by how kind and genuinely helpful they were.

Not only can they give you more direction for your dreams, but they can also advise you on what’s really in store for your future.

Click here for your personal reading.

There’s nothing worse than accidentally bumping into someone in your dreams while you’re happily enjoying your REM cycle and drooling on your pillow. Whether you’ve totally forgotten about the person you kissed at summer camp by the lake or are still embarrassed about that big fight with your high school best friend, having people from your past appear in your dreams can be extremely unsettling .

Read more: What do dreams about cats mean? Here’s what experts say

Your dreams may seem completely random or unfounded (cue: you jump out of a cartoon plane into a pile of spaghetti), but Lauri Loewenberg, a professional dream analyst, says Bustle can allow you to look at your dreams with a metaphorical approach to tap into what your subconscious is trying to convey. Rather than trying to find the literal or logical meaning behind the people or places in your dreams, Loewenberg suggests following your emotions and intuition.

A surprise metaphysical visit from your old college roommate or your mean boss from your old internship appearing out of nowhere might seem like utter nonsense, but Loewenberg says there’s always a deeper reason behind everything in your dreams.

“The subconscious often pulls a specific memory or person etc. from our past when something is happening in our present,” Loewenber tells Bustle. “There was a lesson from back then that we need to apply now.”

According to Loewenber, your subconscious is total packrat. It stores every experience, every thought, every emotion and every encounter – even if you are not consciously aware of it. If you’ve been actively thinking about someone of yours lately, or someone approached them in a conversation, it might be more obvious why they’re appearing in your dreams.

Whether you’ve had that person on your mind for a week or haven’t thought of them in ages, Loewenberg points out the importance of taking a moment to examine both the dream and your feelings .

“Our dreams are very good at warning us when we’re falling into the same old patterns or when we’re getting into the same type of relationship,” says Loewenberg. “[They] speak to us to guide us, advise us, and warn us so we can do it right.”

according to dr Carla Marie Manly, a clinical psychologist and author of Joy from Fear, your dreams can be an invitation to heal a hurt part of yourself or to learn something new about who you are or who you want to be.

“In Jungian psychology, each person in a dream represents an aspect of the dreamer,” says Dr. Manly to Bustle. “The person who ’emerges’ is generally symbolic of some aspect of the dreamer’s self; other people are simply conjured up by the psyche to offer a symbolic representation of a particular issue or problem.”

If you’ve always felt judged by your high school choir teacher or never knew how to talk to your best friend’s older brother, seeing him in a dream can be a reminder to be more confident at your next staff meeting. Maybe you were too nervous to tell your middle school crush how you feel and seeing them in a dream inspires you to ask your cute colleague for a coffee. Or maybe you see a girl you weren’t very nice to in college and you make a mental note to be kinder to your little sister. dr Manly says that seeing people from the past in a dream means there is a lesson to be learned in the present.

Of course, knowing exactly what that lesson is isn’t always easy. When you wake up and scratch your head, totally confused as to why you just dreamed about your ex-boyfriend’s mom or your college newspaper editor, Loewenberg suggests asking yourself the three adjectives that describe personality or essence best describe the person.

“Do any of the three descriptors you selected suit you right now? Or someone you’re dealing with right now? Determine if this is a good thing or a bad thing,” says Loewenberg.

Rev. Connie L. Habash, MA, LMFT and author of Awakening from Anxiety: A Spiritual Guide to Living a More Calm, Confident, and Courageous Life adds pondering what these descriptions or qualities mean to you in the present traits, you look for in people? Are there things you are currently missing? Are they things that you never try to deal with again? If you get lost in your own thoughts, Habash suggests keeping a journal to slow down and really reflect.

Additionally, Loewenberg suggests thinking about what you remember most about the relationship you had with the person from the past and considering whether you currently have similar relationships.

“Sometimes dreams use people from the past as a friendly reminder to tell us, ‘Remember that? Let’s not repeat it,'” says Loewenberg.

Habash goes on to say that it can be helpful to reflect on what that person has meant to you and whether you feel like you have anything unresolved about them. “You’ll know when it’s worth exploring by the intensity of the images and feelings,” says Habash.

While reaching out to her might be your first instinct, Habash suggests taking a moment to really collect your thoughts.

“Before you decide to reach out, take some time to work with the symbolism and explore what that person means to you,” Habash says. “Often they represent something to you that has regained meaning in your current life, and you can work with the representation rather than seek it out.”

Sources:

Lauri Loewenberg, a professional dream analyst

dr Carla Marie Manly, clinical psychologist and author of Joy from Fear

Rev. Connie L. Habash, MA, LMFT, and author of Awakening from Anxiety: A Spiritual Guide to Living a More Calm, Confident, and Courageous Life

Sometimes we include products that we think will be useful to our readers. If you make a purchase through links on this site, we may receive a small commission. Read our affiliate disclosure.

Dreams.

what do they really mean

Are they just the babble of a sleeping ghost, or do they actually have meaning that we can interpret and act upon in our daily lives?

Some people believe that dreams can be interpreted because we connect to the larger collective unconscious while we sleep.

So what does it mean when we dream about strangers and why exactly do we dream about strangers?

Here are 14 possible reasons why you might be dreaming about someone you’ve never met in your life and how to make sense of these unusual dreams:

1) Someone new enters your life

One of the most common reasons we dream about strangers is so we can feel like someone new is coming into our lives.

We can feel the energy of a new, unknown person approaching us even if it hasn’t happened yet.

Whether that’s a good thing or not, we don’t know yet; All we know is that our daily routine is disrupted by a new person we’ve never met before.

All you can do at this point is be open to the possibility that the next person you meet could be someone who will become a recurring figure in your life, not just someone you once and never see again.

2) You have lost confidence in yourself

Your self-esteem and confidence play a big part in how you see yourself and of course how you dream.

And strangers appearing in your dream can possibly mean that you have lost all the confidence you once had in yourself, even if you haven’t realized it yet.

Strangers stand for the unknown, but also for caution and fear.

Seeing a stranger in your dream might be a reflection of seeing yourself in your dream, but you no longer recognize who you are.

After a series of heartbreaks, failures and struggles in your life, you may not recognize the person you see in front of you so much that they now resemble a stranger more than you do.

3) You may not be dreaming about a person but about a feeling

Dreams should rarely (if ever) be taken literally.

So if you are dreaming of a stranger, it does not necessarily mean that another person is involved in your thoughts or interacting with your energy at all.

Instead, that “stranger” might just be your mind’s way of interpreting a particular feeling you may be having that you haven’t fully understood yet.

When you think about this stranger in your dream, try to remember what you might have felt the night before or what you felt immediately after waking up.

And what did you feel in the dream; What did the stranger do and did his actions evoke strong feelings while you slept?

If you can’t remember the actual feelings, try remembering the mood or color of the dream.

4) The person may represent a desire or desire within you

There are several ways in which a stranger can be interpreted in our subconscious; In a way, you can imagine strangers representing fear and anxiety; In other ways, you can associate strangers with the unknown, but not necessarily in a negative context.

If there is something in your life that you would like to have – but something you have been held back from – then a stranger in your dream could represent just that.

That stranger is just your intense longing for that goal or desire, whatever it may be, trying to bring it back to the forefront of your attention.

If you had a dream about the stranger is in love with you, it could mean that you are longing to be loved.

5) Maybe someone will contact you

When we sleep we are more connected to the collective subconscious than at any other time of the day.

So, if you see a stranger in your dreams, it could be the manifestation of a person’s energy intentionally or unintentionally affecting you while you are sleeping.

Simply put, someone else is thinking deeply about you and their thoughts are occupied with your energy while you sleep.

So what can you do?

Try meditating more and focusing your thoughts.

Open your energy before you sleep as if preparing yourself to be more aware of whatever may be coming your way.

The more open-minded you are, the easier it will be for you to see who that person might be.

This “stranger” may stop being a stranger in your dreams.

Specific dreams and situations: what they mean

6) If you are a woman who dreams of a strange woman approaching

If you, as a woman, see a strange, unfamiliar woman coming your way in your dream, it could be a sign that bad news will come to you soon.

The news could be related to rumors being spread about you, so it’s time to make sure all your tracks are covered and you don’t have any dirt for someone to use to tarnish your reputation.

7) If you are a woman who dreams of a strange man approaching

However, if you are a woman who dreams of a strange man approaching, it could mean something completely different: the beginning of a new, unexpected relationship.

And the stranger’s age is very important: a young man could mean that your next lover is a playboy; a middle-aged man could mean that your next lover is from a mutual contact; An older man could mean that your next love will be completely unexpected.

8) When a stranger keeps asking you questions in your dream

Nobody wants to be asked too many questions, especially when the person asking is a complete stranger.

So if you are dreaming that a stranger is asking you various questions about your private life, it could mean that you have some issues in your private life that you want to hide and your mind is reminding you of the consequences that would happen if someone ever figured out.

9) When a stranger dies in your dream

You may think that dreaming about death is a bad thing, and while that would be the case most of the time, it’s not exactly the case when death is a stranger you’ve never met.

If you dream about the death of a stranger, it could actually mean good luck for you.

Your career, company or job prospects will soon receive good news, because the death of a stranger in this context means the death of insecurity and worry.

10) When a stranger slept in your bed in your dream

There is nothing more unusual than seeing a total stranger sleeping in your bed, so what could it mean in your dream?

Well, some think that if you are dreaming of a stranger in your bed, it could mean that your plans are about to experience some major turmoil.

You should start planning backup plans for your most important life decisions as there may be some new, unexpected issues that appear out of nowhere.

11) When a stranger hugs you in your dream

Being hugged by strangers in your dream?

This almost always means one thing: you will soon have an unwanted visitor in your life, and that person will stick with you for much longer than you would like.

It’s time to relearn how to tolerate even the most annoying people because you might be with them for a while.

12) When a stranger and you fall in love in your dream

Strangers and love in dreams are always an unusual but interesting mix because there could be a number of ways to interpret them.

It could mean that love is on the horizon and your next relationship will happen sooner than you think.

It could also mean that you are just ready for the next romance in your life, or maybe you are bored and tired of waiting.

However, if you are currently in a relationship, it could mean that you are dissatisfied with your partner and you feel that there is a gap missing in your life.

13) When a stranger gives you money in your dream

So what does it mean when a stranger gives you money in your dream? This is usually interpreted as a good sign.

Remember: strangers generally represent fear and insecurity in our subconscious.

So when a stranger does something positive for you like giving you money, it means your confidence could be sky high and you feel the good vibes of good luck and lucrative partnerships awaiting you.

This is a time to keep an open mind and say yes to any new deal or business opportunity that may arise.

14) When a stranger breaks into your house in your dream

There are few worse instances of them dreaming about a stranger than when they break into your home because there is almost no way to interpret this type of scenario positively.

If you dream that a stranger is breaking into your house, then it is time to hold on to all your most prized possessions because you may be predicting a future where something valuable will be stolen from you.

Can a relationship coach help you too? If you want specific advice about your situation, speaking to a relationship coach can be very helpful. I know this from my own experience… I contacted Relationship Hero a few months ago when I was going through a rough patch in my relationship. After being lost in thought for so long, they gave me a unique insight into the dynamics of my relationship and how to get it going again. If you’ve never heard of Relationship Hero, it’s a site where highly qualified relationship coaches help people through complicated and difficult love situations. In just minutes you can connect with a certified relationship coach and get advice tailored to your situation. I was blown away by how nice, empathetic and really helpful my coach was. Click here to start.

Putting Yourself First Hey, Lachlan from Hack Spirit here. What is your most important goal at the moment? Is it to buy that car you saved for? To finally get started on that side job that will hopefully help you quit your 9-5 one day? Or to take the plunge and finally ask your partner to move in? Whatever it is, you won’t make it unless you have a plan. And even then…plans fail. But I didn’t write this for you to be the voice of doom and darkness… No, I’m writing this because I want to help you achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself. I recently attended a workshop called Life Journal developed by teacher and career coach Jeanette Brown. Covering all the bases and more of what it takes to achieve your goals, Jeannette tackles everything from creating habits and new behaviors to executing your plans. She’s not messing around – this workshop requires effort on your part, but that’s the beauty of it – Jeanette carefully designed it to put YOU in the driver’s seat of your life. Click here to learn more about Life Journal. So…think back to the important goal I asked about at the beginning of this message. how bad do you want it Are you willing to make an effort to get there? Then take a look at the workshop here. If you participate, I’d love to hear how your life journey goes! All the best,

Lachlan

Overview Lucid dreaming occurs when you are aware that you are dreaming. You are able to recognize your thoughts and emotions as the dream is happening. Sometimes you can control the lucid dream. You may be able to change the people, the setting, or the plot. These types of control dreams could potentially reduce nightmares and anxiety. Read on to learn more about lucid dreaming – what it is, when it occurs, and what you can do to experience it.

When Lucid Dreaming Occurs When you sleep, your brain cycles through rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep includes three separate phases. During non-REM, your brain waves, heartbeat, and eye movements gradually slow down. In REM sleep, your brain is extremely active. Your heart rate and eye movements also increase. Lucid dreaming, like most dreams, usually occurs during REM sleep. In a lucid dream, you know you are dreaming. You are aware of your awareness during the dream state. About 55 percent of people have experienced one or more lucid dreams in their lifetime. However, frequent lucid dreaming is rare. Only 23 percent of people have lucid dreams at least once a month.

How to Experience Lucid Dreaming To explore lucid dreaming, try the following tips: Get more REM sleep Because lucid dreaming usually occurs during REM sleep, giving yourself more time increases your chances of lucid dreaming spend in this phase. You can prolong REM sleep by getting enough sleep overall. If you have healthy sleeping habits, your body can properly cycle through all four stages of sleep. To practice good sleep hygiene: Follow a sleep schedule.

Train daily.

Avoid electronics before bed.

Create a relaxing sleeping environment.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Even if you’re not lucid dreaming, these habits will help you get restful sleep. Browse our sleep shop and discover the best products to help you sleep better Keep a dream journal Many people use a dream journal or dream journal to support lucid dreaming. Writing down your dreams forces you to remember them. This is believed to help your brain become more aware of dreaming. To keep a dream journal, keep a notebook and pen by your bedside. Write down your dream as soon as you wake up. Read your journal regularly to familiarize your brain with your dreams. Practice Reality Tests Your level of awareness is similar when you are awake and dreaming. So by increasing your awareness during your waking state, you can increase your awareness during your dream state. Reality testing is a popular way to do this. It trains your mind to recognize your own consciousness while you are awake. The method is to do reality checks throughout the day. As testing reality becomes a habit, you can create awareness while dreaming. Popular reality checks are: Finger through palm. Press your fingers against your opposite palm. When they go through you dream.

Press your fingers against your opposite palm. When they go through you dream. Mirror. In a dream state, your reflection will not look normal.

In a dream state, your reflection will not look normal. pinch nose pinch your nose You will be able to breathe when you are in a dream.

pinch your nose You will be able to breathe when you are in a dream. Reading. Look away from the text and then back again. When you dream, the text changes.

Look away from the text and then back again. When you dream, the text changes. tattoos. If you have tattoos, look at them. They look different in dreams. Pick a reality check and do it several times a day. You may need to experiment with different reality checks to determine which one works best for you. Try Induction Techniques While lucid dreaming often happens randomly, it is possible to initiate lucid dreaming through induction techniques. These methods include: Wake back to bed (WBTB). Wake up five hours after bedtime. When you go back to sleep, you’re more likely to enter REM sleep while you’re still conscious.

Wake up five hours after bedtime. When you go back to sleep, you’re more likely to enter REM sleep while you’re still conscious. Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD). Tell yourself that you will have a lucid dream tonight. You can do it before bed or during WBTB when you are awake.

Tell yourself that you will have a lucid dream tonight. You can do it before bed or during WBTB when you are awake. Waking Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD). In WILD, you enter REM sleep from wakefulness while maintaining awareness. It’s about lying down until you have a hypnagogic hallucination. To increase your chances of lucid dreaming, use these reality testing and dream journaling techniques.

The Benefits of Lucid Dreaming Lucid dreaming has several potential benefits: Fewer Nightmares While occasional nightmares are normal, recurring nightmares can be distressing. They can interfere with consistently good sleep. Common nightmares usually affect people with: Stress

fear

depression

sleep deprivation

sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

medication

Substance Abuse Lucid dreaming could provide relief by reducing recurring nightmares. During a lucid dream, you can realize that the nightmare is not real. It also lets you control the dream, allowing you to transform a nightmare into a more neutral or pleasant scenario. Alleviating Anxiety By reducing nightmares, lucid dreaming can alleviate anxiety associated with nightmares. It is also used to relieve anxiety due to PTSD. There is also anecdotal evidence that lucid dreaming helps with general anxiety, but more scientific research is needed. Some people say it allows them to get past the source of their fear. Improving Motor Skills Visualizing physical movements can increase the actual ability to perform them. This can happen during a lucid dream, which allows the dreamer to mentally train their motor skills. Performing motor skills while dreaming activates your brain’s sensorimotor cortex. This is the part of the brain that controls movement. In this regard, lucid dreaming could help in the physical rehabilitation of people with physical disabilities. It may also benefit those without physical disabilities by improving athletic performance and other motor skills. Increase Creativity Lucid dreaming could potentially increase your creativity. Typically, people who are more creative are more prone to lucid dreaming. This could be due to their increased ability to remember dreams and visualize events. However, according to anecdotal reports, it also works the other way around. People claim that lucid dreaming increases their creativity and imagination. Although not scientifically proven, many people use lucid dreaming to sharpen their creativity.

Interpreting Lucid Dreams It is possible to interpret a lucid dream just like a normal dream. Dream Interpretation can help you understand the relevance of your dreams. In fact, people say that dream interpretation is easier during a lucid dream. Your awareness increases your ability to observe the dream as it happens. Lucid dreams are also more vivid, which helps you remember the events and details. Keep a dream journal to interpret your lucid dreams. Writing down your dreams will help you discover important themes. It is also recommended to keep a regular journal. By charting your dreams and daily life, you are more likely to find connections.

The Risks of Lucid Dreaming Lucid dreaming is generally considered safe, but there are some risks for people with mental disorders. These include: Insomnia. Because lucid dreaming techniques intentionally disrupt sleep, it can be difficult to get adequate sleep. The risk is higher if you have a sleep disorder.

Because lucid dreaming techniques intentionally disrupt sleep, it can be difficult to get adequate sleep. The risk is higher if you have a sleep disorder. depression and anxiety. Sleep problems can increase depressive symptoms and anxiety.

Sleep problems can increase depressive symptoms and anxiety. derealization. Induction of lucid dreaming combines reality and dreaming, making it difficult to determine what is real.

Induction of lucid dreaming combines reality and dreaming, making it difficult to determine what is real. Dissociation. The intersection of reality and dreams can also lead to disconnection from your surroundings or your self.

We all dream every night

Our brain is active all night. But after waking up, we often don’t remember our dreams.

We dream most vividly during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.

Part of our sleep has vivid, structured thoughts – or dreams. These occur during a sleep phase known as REM sleep. REM sleep occurs each night in short episodes about 90 minutes apart. Our longer dreams are in the morning hours.

We are specially wired not to live out our dreams

During REM sleep, many of our muscles relax completely, preventing us from living out our dreams. When this system isn’t working properly, we can try to act out our dreams, especially when the dreams involve strong emotions.

Many dreams are bizarre because part of our brain shuts down

When we are awake, the front part of our brain controls how we understand the world. This turns off while you are dreaming. Because of this, the dreaming brain puts together ideas that don’t normally go together.

Most dreams relate to recent waking experiences

Dreams are often connected to real events from the past. Usually these are events or thoughts a day or two before the dream.

We dream in pictures

About two-thirds of dreams are primarily visual in nature, with fewer involving sounds, movement, taste, or smell. Color occurs in only about a third of all dreams. It has been said that when we are awake we think in ideas but when we sleep we think in pictures.

We can learn to control our dreams

Many people have bad dreams or nightmares. These can happen again and again. But people can change the events in these dreams to be less scary. First, write down memories of the scary dream. After that, think about how it could end differently.

Scientists disagree about the meaning of dreams

Some people say that our dreams mean nothing. They say we only have them because parts of our brain are stimulated when we sleep. Other people say dreams have value. They say it’s a form of therapy when we’re feeling down. Having vivid dreams about and remembering stressful things in our lives can help manage stress. Many people think that dreams carry messages, but the evidence for this is weak.

Have you ever woken up from a dream feeling horrible? You may even feel depressed. You look around and see that your partner hasn’t actually left you or you haven’t been running down the hallways of your school in your underwear. When you wake up you realize your dream was absolutely ridiculous! And yet they all looked so real. Your feelings felt real. Your chest may still be tight and you may sweat even when you get out of bed.

It’s not uncommon for dreams to feel very real, even when they have a very unreal premise. Take a moment to reflect as we examine how our brain processes dreams. If our emotions can run so high during a dream, what does it mean for our emotions in real life?

Why do dreams feel real?

Dreams feel real because we use the same brain to process them! Parts of the brain that process “real” sensory information while awake are active during REM sleep. The more rational parts of our brain only kick in when we are awake. That’s why dreams play out like any “real” experience!

About dreaming

We dream in REM sleep. What does that mean? Sleep with rapid eye movements. It’s true! We don’t just lay our head on the pillow, fall asleep and wake up. Our bodies go through many stages of sleep that are essential to our growth, recovery, and cognition!

Most sleep phases are non-REM sleep phases. During this time, our brain is less active than our body. Our internal temperatures rise and fall, our breathing rates change, and tissue is critically repaired. During the deepest stages of non-REM sleep, our bodies also release human growth hormones. Sleep helps us grow! We don’t dream in non-REM sleep.

It is in REM sleep that all the weird, bizarre, and pleasant dreams take place. Our bodies are mostly paralyzed. (That’s why you can’t live out your dreams!) The only thing that moves are our eyes. And yes, they move pretty fast. Our eyes and brain are very active during this time of the night. Good thing the brain is active! We are able to learn more efficiently, remember more, and create proteins that help us function throughout the day.

What parts of the brain are active or inactive while we dream?

Even though this heartbreak isn’t “real” in our dream, we may feel the same way in our bodies and minds when we wake up. Our visual cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus work hard to process information and emotions while we are dreaming.

It is particularly important to note that the thalamus, which processes sensory information, is active during REM sleep and inactive during non-REM sleep. That’s why we don’t dream when we’re in other stages of sleep. Nothing in our brain tells us what “is going on!”

Our frontal lobe is not active during REM sleep. This is the part of the brain that rationalizes and uses logic. Without it activated, you can’t look at the giant marshmallow man chasing you and think, “That doesn’t make any sense!”

How do experts explain lucid dreaming?

In some dreams, the prefrontal cortex may even be active. Most of the time, when we dream, our frontal cortex is turned off. But have you ever had a lucid dream? If so, you may have been using parts of your brain that you don’t normally use!

Lucid dreaming occurs when the dreamer realizes they are in a dream. Some lucid dreamers can actually go through their “dream world” and manipulate the situation they find themselves in. You may realize that the giant marshmallow man is part of a crazy dream, stop running and take a chunk out of his leg. Or you might realize you’re in a dream and finally have the courage to call your crush!

Experts aren’t exactly sure why we have lucid dreams. We know they have been going on for centuries and they are difficult to pin down. Observing someone’s brain while they sleep and wait for a lucid dream can take months of research. There have been cases where a person has had lucid dreams and technology has shown that parts of the frontal cortex are activated, but more research needs to be done to confirm what happens during this type of phenomenon.

Why do we remember our dreams?

There are nights when it seems like waking up in the middle of a dream. Maybe your alarm clock is part of the dream. Or you wake up and have to take a moment to realize that you are not in your dream world! Other nights you wake up and can’t remember if you even dreamed!

Why is this happening? Sleep experts believe this is because we may wake up in different stages of sleep. We go from light sleep to deep sleep, to REM sleep, to deep sleep, and to light sleep many times during the night. In a perfect world, we would move smoothly from the lightest stages of sleep to wakefulness. When this happens, we are less likely to remember our dreams. Too much time has passed since the dream and our mind just forgot about the dream.

If you wake up and remember your dream, chances are you were in REM sleep at the time you woke up. That’s not bad! It’s not always easy to adjust our alarm clock to our sleep schedule, and we need to get up at some point to go to work or school. Plus, it can be fun to remember our dreams.

Photography helps us to communicate – Photographs help us to share our memories with others. What better way to share your vacation than through precious pictures at the beach? They say a picture says more than a thousand words. Photography shares emotions, tells a story and captures the personality between loved ones.

We are artists – photography is an art form. As photographers, we appreciate the artistic value of photography. Photography allows us to express and highlight the beauty in front of us.

It’s in the details – As photographers, we notice the little things. It’s the details that make an experience. We perceive textures, nature, light, facial expressions and surroundings. This allows us to capture the beauty in every situation.

Documentation – We may document your love, your beauty and your story. For this reason we are forever grateful.

A good challenge – photography is much more than just the push of a button. In the midst of our quest to document the perfect moment, we face new challenges every day. We face the uncertainties that come with weather, lighting and more. Well, that’s actually a good thing! It keeps us excited, eager to learn and on our toes!

Big Moments – We love photography for the exciting moments. Photography is the perfect way to capture important milestones. Life is full of big moments like birthdays, weddings, graduations, anniversaries and family vacations. These are the moments when you need a photographer the most and we are here for you.

Connection – Photography is a beautiful experience. Not only do we have the opportunity to provide an unforgettable experience, but we also connect with people in a fun way.

It’s fun – We love photography because it’s fun! Our photographers are professionals. You know the secrets to making people happy and having a good time. When everyone is having fun, it’s an exciting experience for both the photographer and the subjects.

The Process – We love the process of assembling the perfect photos. There is much more to a photo session than the shooting itself. We enjoy the editing, use our creativity and select the best images.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON OPPOSITES OF RED BEFORE THEY TURN SCARLET

We have a challenge that will make you blush: do you know the many words and ways to describe the opposite of red?

Question 1 of 7

Which of the following colors is used to symbolize AIR?

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There are so many benefits of photography for mental health, perspective and life!

Photographers have the opportunity to really see an environment. They must use basic photography techniques AND creativity to capture the scene in front of them and make the best of every situation.

Time spent in photography is almost like alternative therapy, helping people overcome anxiety, daily overwhelm and depression. Photography can have a positive impact on your well-being, boosting self-esteem, confidence, memory and decision-making. It helps you focus and calm the mind from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

We asked other photographers to share their story of how photography helped them through a difficult time or how it’s helping them today. Thank you to everyone who shares the benefits of photography in their lives and knowing they will help others!

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. H. if you book or buy something through one of these links, we may earn a small commission – at no additional cost to you! Read the full disclosure policy.

THE BENEFITS OF PHOTOGRAPHY TO MENTAL HEALTH, PERSPECTIVE AND LIFE

There’s a reason we enjoy landscape photography so much. Spending time in nature increases life expectancy by 5 years. And when you participate in something you’re passionate about, you’ll experience less depression and anxiety.

Did you know that 20 minutes a day outdoors has the same effect as an antidepressant? Use your camera to focus on the present to relieve stress, create order, and calm your mind. You will see the positive effects on your health and happiness.

Here are the stories of other photographers sharing the benefits of photography in their lives!

Focus on creating something beautiful with photography

I never expected to learn photography as a hobby, but in high school I took a class on a whim and fell in love. It was a film photography class and I loved the whole process.

I loved choosing my subject, thinking about the light and deciding what kind of emotion I wanted to evoke in the viewers. It was particularly exciting on film because you couldn’t see it right away – you had to be patient and wait for it to show.

This school year has been a little stressful for me as I have struggled a bit with my mental health and photography has been an amazing release. When photographing or developing in the darkroom, I forgot everything. My mind would be completely focused on the task at hand and what I could create next.

After that I was hooked. I bought a digital camera, then a DSLR, which quickly became two.

I still have that same calm, centered feeling when I take photos. It has something to do with turning something in your head into art; about capturing a moment to have forever. I also love the focus it brings – I can shut out everything else and just focus on creating something beautiful. Kelsey – Sights seen better

Photography inspires exploration

I am a survivor of domestic violence. When I was married, I wasn’t allowed to communicate with old friends, use the internet, or even get out of the car when we were going on a trip. Once outside, I began to wander and explore any part of the world around me that sparked interest. I’ve also created social media accounts to keep in touch with the friends I thought I’d lost along the way and to make new ones.

One day, while exploring all these crazy cool places that brought me so much joy, I decided to share my photos. After all, my friends have been to places I used to live that I’ve never seen. So not only is my photography a way to show the world that I’m still alive and free, it has inspired people to get out and explore and has even been a catalyst for some aspiring photographers. I think it’s kind of cool how so many people can come together over images or images that evoke a sense of wonder within themselves!! Daphne Brislin Photography

Portrait photography helps overcome social anxiety

As an introvert struggling with social anxiety, photographing a stranger used to be my idea of ​​a nightmare! Street photography has always been one of my passions, but it took me a long time to muster up the courage to approach someone for a portrait.

Over time I’ve learned that my camera can actually be a great icebreaker. I never know how someone will respond to a portrait request – but nine times out of ten I get a big smile and a hearty “yes”. Now I always ask permission before taking a picture and show my subject the end result on my digital camera.

I got my biggest push into experimenting with portrait photography while living in Southeast Asia. I remember one morning photographing a wet market in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. I lurked in the shadows (as I often did) trying to snap a picture of a woman whose face was dramatically lit by the market’s neon lights. She spotted me and gestured for me to come over – for a moment I actually thought she was going to scold me! Instead, she pointed to my camera and asked to see the photos. Together we create a perfectly framed portrait. Two of her friends wanted to join and after a few minutes I had a line of people waiting for a photo.

Portrait photography has helped me to meet countless people on my travels and to be more confident in my everyday life. It’s a gift I’ll be forever grateful for. Emily – Wander Lush

Reduce stress and anxiety with photos

Photography is one of the most powerful mediums available to convey a message. “A picture says more than a thousand words”, as the saying goes. Images can evoke both negative and positive emotions, and therefore repeating similar images can affect your feelings in the short, medium and long term.

After suffering severe work related stress in the real estate industry at the age of 24 and having a subsequent work related anxiety panic attack 3 years later, I discovered the healing power of images.

After undergoing 10 months of self-rehabilitation, I discovered that by focusing on images of nature, whether in my own head or actual photographs of nature, I could induce calm and reduce feelings or sensations of stress and anxiety.

What the mind focuses on is what your body feels afterwards. When we imagine or look at photos of stressed people, we will feel stress at some level. And if you focus on them and repeat them often enough, these feelings can become an almost permanent state of being.

That’s why it’s important to focus on positive images of nature or anything else that evokes positive feelings in you. This simultaneously reduces stress while increasing positive feelings of calm, peace, love, compassion, connection, etc. Surround yourself with positive images and focus on them and you will experience positive feelings. It is really that easy. Matt – Expert on work stress

Connect with your surroundings through photography

My mindful photo hikes came about after I hit menopause and learned that cortisol plays a big part in weight gain, anxiety, and depression during menopause — a double whammy for women my age (and really not cool!).

After learning how being in nature automatically reduces cortisol and knowing how much I lose myself in my photography, I made a conscious decision to combine this with some mindfulness and meditation. Despite using a camera or phone, mindful photo hikes are about completely disconnecting from technology so I can be more present (my phone goes on airplane mode, no calls from the kids or social media notifications).

It was about connecting to my surroundings and often using five senses meditation to hear, smell and feel the texture of the natural landscape around me. I then quiet my mind and immerse myself in the experience of true “seeing” using visual exploration and seeking beauty in whatever form.

Mindful photo hikes help me take my focus off negative thoughts and those little daily burdens, and just for a while I can focus on the positive energy of life and the living beings that I have found through exploring with my eyes and camera . Gabby – Do more, be more

Appreciate the extraordinary of the ordinary through photography

Photography lets you see the world through different eyes. Not only because of situations or places that you might not otherwise be able to explore, but also because of the angles of the photographs themselves. Seemingly boring objects or scenes from everyday life can be brought into focus and attract attention that they never would have received before. Photographic series may even enable you to approach objects from different angles and perceive them in all their facets. This perception of parallax (seeing objects from different angles or perceptions) is such a powerful power of photography.

It helps me personally to appreciate the extraordinary in the ordinary. I came to this powerful aspect of photography through modern literature. I’m a big fan of James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) which celebrates everyday life. It takes place in a single day (imagine how many meticulous, almost photographic descriptions there are in 732 pages…) and follows in the footsteps of Leopold Bloom. Bloom is a very nonjudgmental, easy-going character who enjoys life’s little pleasures. When reading some passages, one falls in love with the small details of life that make life so worth living. Sometimes Joyce describes the same scene from a different perspective, giving it a different twist and showing you that there is not just one truth, but multifaceted views open to non-judgmental interpretation. This philosophy can also be translated into the art of admiring great photography. Emer and Nils – Let’s go to Ireland

Nature photography heals the soul

My interest in photography started at a young age when I was given my own little pink Canon 35mm camera for my 15th birthday. “Photography” has always fascinated me, but it only became much more for me after a recent drastic life change due to an accident.

A little over five years ago I had a bad fall at home and injured my back. Most days I could barely move, let alone work, without severe pain. I became homebound, isolated and very depressed. After a few months, I finally decided I needed to do something else to heal.

I had bought a Canon Rebel T3 on sale about a year earlier and slowly taught myself how to use it. After my accident it became a kind of therapy. Both physically and emotionally. It got me to be outside, to exercise, to meditate, to seek beauty in the smallest things, to enjoy nature and to learn to live in the moments and circumstances as they pass because they pass so quickly and often never seen again.

I didn’t have internet access at home at first, so I started traveling to the local Tim Hortons to take advantage of their free Wi-Fi (and a little vanilla French cappuccino for a much-needed caffeine boost). The excursions became a daily necessity and I traveled the surrounding area and back roads in search of new locations and photo opportunities.

I started joining several photo groups online where I made some very good friends who encouraged my hobby and offered me support whenever I needed it. In particular, a very good friend from the UK, Darren, was a huge influence and taught me a lot and I owe him so much credit for getting my photography to where I am now. He was always there to answer any of my questions and when he didn’t know the answer he would do his own research and then take the time to teach me. It’s funny how people we’ve never met can be so supportive, inspirational and encouraging.

I love that photography has taken me beyond my walls and through it I’ve met so many wonderful people from all over the world, including many locally. It means so much when someone recognizes me along the way and takes the time to just stop to say hello or to tell me they like the photos I took.

I’m still learning every day with my hobby, still healing, still growing and always chasing the next sunset. I have found nothing more soothing than sitting next to the bay, listening to the sound of the waves gently kissing the shore, listening to the echoing call of a loon above the water and simply watching and capturing the ever changing colors of a sunset .

I think this quote from famed environmental writer Edward Abbey explains it best: “The love of the wild is more than a hunger for whatever is unattainable; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth that has carried and sustained us, the only paradise we will ever know, the only paradise we will ever need, if only we had the eyes to see see.” Nature photography heals my soul. April – Soothing My Soul, photograph by April

The power of photography

When I started photography I had a super busy corporate job and a very unhappy relationship. I didn’t have any hobbies to help relieve stress, but I did have a brand new digital camera. And no idea how to use it. So I took a basic photography course and then decided to try this new hobby. I realized how photography helped me to forget the stress and pressure of the job. And it helped me forget about that toxic relationship.

My grief went away as soon as I was shooting. And something else began: I began to see the beauty in everything I captured. I started seeing the little things I had never seen before – the beetle on the leaf, the bird on the tree, the different colors of nature. My new hobby became a passion. I started traveling solo and I’ve made some great road trips dedicated to photography. I soon realized that capturing moments and landscapes is more than just a passion – I wanted to make it a career. And so I did. I left my well-paid but stressful corporate job and started teaching photography. I want other people to feel the power of photography and what it can do with them. Nicola – suitcase and wanderlust

Relive memories with photos

We experience life with our senses. One of our greatest senses are our eyes. With them we get to know the world. We learn how to build, read, create and express emotions on our faces. We learn about science, math and other things. But we also see the beauty of creation. The beautiful birds are fascinating. The wild cats are fascinating. The amazing massive sequoias are breathtaking. The colorful dart frogs look like they’ve been painted with bright shiny paint. The strange and amazingly luminous deep-sea creatures appear to be from another world. Blinking fireflies are magical. The list is endless. We are refreshed, impressed, intrigued, intrigued, informed. We like to remember our favorite places and things we see. This is where the beauty of photography comes into play. We can capture our Creator’s beautiful works with our cameras. It immediately takes us back to that moment. It reminds us how fortunate we are to experience the beauty of life.

It also leads us to our favorite place. I personally love the beach with its crashing waves, crackling campfires and many other things. I love my local desert and it’s unexpected beauty, quiet solitude and historical places with native american wall art and rocks where they grind their grain and so on. I love the city of music, Nashville, with its old buildings, history, fascinating sculptures, the Parthenon and of course its music. Like all of us, I have favorite places that we hate to leave.

If we love to take pictures, then we have a wonderful tool to put these places in our pocket, so to speak. We can relive these memories over and over again. We can bring our friends and family into our world. You can feel our joy, fascination and wonder with our photos.

Photography is also an art form. Coming from a family of creative people, expressing myself creatively is in my blood. That’s why I also draw and make music and write something. I started taking photos when I was a little boy. I could never afford decent gear until I was an adult. My first good camera, bought when I was 19, was a Topcon, which was very similar to a Nikon. It’s out of business. I’ve never lost my interest in finding ways to capture the unusual, the beauty, the reflections of my real world on camera.

When I’m feeling down, my paintings serve as a natural anti-depressant. When I share them with others and they like them, it fills me with satisfaction that they are also transported out of the everyday routines of life into new worlds of stimulation. I recommend taking up the hobby if you also want to enjoy this wonderful gift of our lives. Erik – Photography carved in stone

See the beauty of the world through photography

Experts in a field see things differently than the common folk. The doctor and the mechanic look at the different parts of the machine. Where everyone sees only one color, the painter notices different shades. Exactly the same thing happens to me thanks to the camera. Ever since I started taking photos, the world seems to have filled with details and patterns. I notice the light and shadow and how a landscape can have varying degrees of beauty with more of one or the other.

When it comes to macro photography, I notice peculiarities. By photographing people, I understand facial expressions better. Landscape photography makes me realize that every mountain, every field, every tree is different. Where before I saw uniformity, I now see a world of diverse beauty.

My travels would be very different if I didn’t photograph what I saw. I sometimes wonder how my backpacking tour of South America would have affected my soul if I hadn’t also seen it through the lens. Photography has broadened my horizons more than I could have imagined, giving it depth and meaning. In a way it has made my travels – and my life – more complete. Anthony – Green Mochila

Processing grief through photography

My mother died in an ATV accident in January of this year. It happened while she was on our property in Texas. The next day I went to the site to find a closure. I brought my camera because that’s what I do. I started photographing the landscape and something rare happened that day – it actually snowed! This is a rare event in Texas, typically occurring only once a year.

Then I started photographing all the best things that reminded me of my mother. I felt like the landscape could change and unique memories could change. I wanted to capture all these moments with my camera. As I processed the photos I could feel the healing and therapeutic vibrations. Hoyt – Family Tails Photography

Photography is a creative outlet

For years I felt lost. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, what was really important to me and at some point I no longer knew what makes me happy.

Then I got back into photography. I had studied film in high school and decided to teach myself digital. Suddenly the world opened up.

I knew I loved travelling, learning about other cultures and experiencing a different way of life. With photography I now had an outlet for it. I was able to capture these places in a beautiful, authentic way and share them with the world!

Not to mention I LOVED the editing and the whole creative process. Editing photos is the greatest creative outlet I’ve ever felt. I could do it all day and not even notice the time flies!

Now I’m finding new ways to travel the world as I build my photography business, blog and Instagram. I have found new meaning and fulfillment and will be forever grateful for it. Hannah – Bad Tourist Travel & Lifestyle Blog

Your camera is the ideal travel companion

Not all travel companions are ideal – except for one: your camera. While photography preserves your travel memories, it also enhances your travel experience and shifts your focus.

I have found this to be especially true when traveling alone. I’ve traveled to couples’ destinations like Positano in Italy, watched the sunset over Laguna Beach in California and taken morning strolls along the soft sandy beaches of the Caribbean…alone. I’ve even stayed in 5 star hotels and eaten my breakfast by myself.

was i lonely crap no! I had my camera with me as a companion. Here’s why it works.

Instead of dwelling on solitude, when you have your camera in hand, look for the perfect shot; create the scene to share on social media; a voyeur of the beauty around you.

Photography requires you to step out of yourself and your emotions and take on a new perspective regardless of your personal circumstances. It compels you to bear witness to the larger world. And in the process, you’ve found a perfect companion to lighten your spirits, share your experiences, and keep every moment matter-of-fact.

In fact, I can’t think of a better travel partner. (No offense to my significant other!) Jackie – Enjoy the travel life

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