Dream, dream, dream

I have been having a strange recurring dream.

I had this dream many times before throughout my life but recently, it is cropping up more frequently.

I dreamt that I am rushing to school to take an examination. The reason why I am rushing is because I was just informed of the exam a day before, usually by a random friend.

And it is always high school.

The next scene will be me sitting in a dark examination hall waiting for the ring of the bell to indicate the start of the exam. I always remember the exam subject and sometimes even the exact questions on the paper. Recently, the subject is Additional Mathematics.

Since I only knew about the exam a day ago, I am never prepared. In my dream, I will be tearing hair trying to complete the paper. Most of the time, I can’t because my pen will somehow run out of ink or my eyesight will fail me.

Yesterday I dreamt that I received the results of my exam back – a follow up from the day before when I dreamt of sitting for the paper. My score is a shocking 18/90 (4-D anyone?) I got really very upset. I went through the paper thoroughly and argued with the teacher about my score.

Now, I am very curious to find out what this dream mean. I asked my BFF at the climb gym the other day. I figured since she is a teacher maybe she can shed some light on this.

My BFF asked me whether I am really bad at Add. Maths back in school. I told her I always score distinctions in this subject. She snorted and said that maybe I am just strange. It was then that I look down and discovered something even strange-r: My BFF have a lump sticking out from either side of her feet! She calls them ‘bunions’ but I know the truth. I have been suspecting it for a long time already.

My BFF is an alien.

Ok ok, I am digressing….

After doing some reading online, I realized that my so-called strange dream may not be so strange after all. Apparently, millions of people in this world have had this same (or similar theme) dream and so, naturally, someone came up with the meaning behind it.

I found and read a translated version of the thesis written by Sigmund Freud entitled, ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’.

In his study, Freud discovered that those who dreams about failing examinations are usually perfect students who never fail any exams in their waking life - also, the subject of the exam being tested is usually their best subject at school.

Bingo.

Examinations signify being tested and rated by others. Hence, such dreams usually indicate an anxiety about being judged and a subconscious fear of not making the grade or failing to live up to expectations of others.

The feelings of being unprepared and distress usually parallels one’s feeling about a particular challenge or situation in their waking life.

So if that is true, my recurring dream is probably trying to tell me that I’m currently facing a new challenge which I am unprepared for even though I probably can do it but at the same time, I feel like I’m being judged for it.

I also suspect that my fervent scrutiny of the exam paper afterwards (to look for mistakes in the marking i.e. the ‘judgment’) probably mirrors my concern that people may have formed unfair or wrong judgments about me.

I wonder what and who I have failed lately.

I suspect that it is most likely, myself.
They say that dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you. It certainly is painting a very provocative picture right now....