Again, With These Hordes!, Why is it always hordes!?? Options

A long while ago, I did a post on dreams where I was facing off against hordes of some sort of foe or another.

Ever since, at least once a month, I have had a dream of the same theme. The enemies were different, but the feeling was the same.

First, it was Cops/Guards. Then, it was Nazis. Then, it was Zombies. Then, it was Demons. Just last night, it was a battalion of Starcraft Firebats all trudging to me, announcing that they mean to capture me.

A typical psychiatrist would ask, "Well? Why don't you surrender?" Because the compulsion to fight, and the feeling of danger was too great.

What do these dreams mean? Sometimes, I am sought to be killed. Others, captured. Always, I am the hunted, being pursued by a group force of some sort.

Insight, please. Serious insight. I've gotten lots of heckles of, "Lay off the video games!" but after a while, the joke gets old, and the question remains unanswered.

Please, help me with some input.

ADDED NOTE: I am always fighting back. Always swinging, or shooting back at my pursuers. I am always backing up, evading, countering.... but they keep coming!!

This post has been edited by Xenomancer: Mar 8 2010, 10:36 AM

Greetings!
I'm not a very good interpretter of dreams...or, at least, that's what other people think.
I'll try to touch upon what I have of an opinion about these dream 'attacks'.
This is an uncertain time in everybodies life, especially if you live in the US (which I assume that you do - siting "Akron, et al." in your profile.
There are lots of issues surrounding us, they vary in size, shape, etc. Your subconcious is trying to play out these confrontations to help you feel more 'in control'.
These issues are sometimes not surmountable in normal means. They may not even be surmountable! Only you know you. Try to examine how these
attacks occur and see if you can draw any conclusions from there. Adopting a more pro-active meditation cycle would be very helpful. Rage
management is a plus (I'm still working on that one!) Frustrations in our mundane lives frequently show up in the kind of dreams that you are experiencing! Also, just for giggles, try to keep a dream journal so that you can corroborate a heavy meal before sleep as the culprit and not some more esoteric circumstances. Also note any particular LUCID dreams when they occur. Those are the ones that usually
carry more esoteric messaging!
I really don't find that computer games to be very relevant other than they can be used by the subconcious to deliver a message when the imagination of the dreamer is lacking
in scope. *sigh* Of course, like anything, moderation is a good byword. You'll know if it's a problem.
I hope this may help give you more of a different perspective on these dreams. I used to have 'falling' dreams that would terrify me...waking me up! Finally, I forced myself to continue dreaming and see what happens when I fell. I bounced! I haven't had a falling dream since! Something to ponder... Good luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

As I said, I would love to let myself get captured, especially since their intentions seemed genuine on simply capturing me, but at the time, the compulsion to fight was too strong, and I could not calm myself down enough to talk with them.

Well generally speaking the ideal way to dispatch with a battalion of firebats is in a v line formation with several stragetically placed lurkers and at least one defiler that can plague them. Or you could get all air superiority on their asses and hit them with any flying creature since firebats can't shoot at anything that flies.... Of course if you're not the Starcraft fan I think you are, you probably have no idea what I am talking about.

Anytime you face off against masses of enemies, be they zombies, bugs, aliens, monsters.... an army of Gumbies (believe me its more scary than you might think... especially when they brandish battle axes and sing sing along songs), it symbolizes internal conflict. By that I mean that there is something deep within your psyche that your lower mind is trying to make you aware of. Its in conflict with your everyday to day life. This could be represented by being at a dead end job, going for a major you really are not into, having a relationship with someone who you no longer like, even something more subtle like not paying attention to what you eat. This could be related to something in your past (something part of you wants to remember or find closure for) or even be about anxieties in the future.

When these hordes chase you, be it to capture or kill you, it only underscores the main theme of internal conflict. Just because the underlying translation of these kinds of dreams you've been having is conflict do not think that this all means bad things. Interal conflict could be interpreted in a hundred + different ways. It may represent a desire to get out more, try new things, think from a different point of view, see different people, learn about new things, find a more fullfilling job/hobby (or just a job in general, as is the case for me....) or even face old demons from your past.

Where in relation to time and space this theme applies to you personally depends on other aspects of the dream. When you have these dreams are the details more related to situations you dealt with in the past present or future? So for example, if the dream was more about your past the theme of the dream might be a horde of zombies comming after you at the place you grew up as a kid. If its about your present then look for details in your dreams that you find in your current life. If its about the future then things might not make sense at all or simply look more futuristic. That is, at least, my linear approach to deciding if dreams are about your past, present or future.

If I were your psychologist, I wouldn't simply ask you why don't you give into those hoardes of attackers. That doesn't really get you to express anything apart from "I don't want to become zombie food". I would ask you something like "what do you think would happen if you did surrender" and this is really a rigged question meant to get you to look inside yourself and really just express your feelings. It might take a little beating around the bush to get to the resolution still. So say you did respond that you didn't want to be zombie food; my next questions would simply be what does being zombie food mean to you and where in your life do you feel like you are zombie food? The idea is that if you ask yourself questions like these, you can understand what it means to give in to these dreams as apose to keep resisting and you might be able to understand both the emotional and thought processes that are causing you to have these dreams. Thus you should be able to assess your life, where these dreams apply and make any changes that might be beneficial.

Of course, as always, I still think if you want to really get to root issue with any reoccuring theme within dreams you should record them as often as possible and examine the details surrounding the main theme. Those seemingly minor details can make a big difference. The real trick, which is always the main hang up of dream interpretation, is figuring out when a red wagon is just a red wagon and not a more significant aspect of your dream.

This post has been edited by Acid09: Mar 10 2010, 10:28 PM

The setting was definitely futuristic.

Now, if I were to give into being captured by soldiers, it would boil down to one thing: Total stop of progress in life. Think about it: Imprisonment. Now, where in my life do I feel imprisoned (that's a good reflective question! Good post!)? I feel trapped by many things. My situation in school, for instance, being that I do not agree with my school's practices. It is set up to where I am paying out of pocket from a college fund from when I was young, but the credits from this college are no good anywhere else. I am stuck there. If I fail, I will be 23,000 USD less rich in my "ultra-long term" life account reserves-- with nothing to show for it. At the same time, I find it hard to get motivated to work in school, as there are some things where contention is a major issue.

For instance, I am an IT major... yet I need to learn how to decipher 1,500 lines of Chaucer in order to graduate. WTF?!

The school has a 3 strikes rule: Fail a particular class 3 times over, you are permanently dropped. I failed twice. I have yet to take the third try.

Failing would mean a severe immobilization of my life. I would have no real prospects, no real future, as everything goes down the shitter, not to mention the money spent.

Ethics class? 97% Corporate Business structure? 83% Olde Literature? 34%. See the problem?

What's more, the teacher is a douche, and refuses to help. My schedule does not allow me for a good tutor, either. It would be easy to pass the class if I didn't have to write two essays a week.

If anything, I am at risk of my life being immobilized, and hence, "imprisoned" by my misfortune.

Yeah 23,000 simoleans is definately binding. I could see how that kind of commitment would seem like a never ending trap with no end. It also makes sense that you'd be chased by zombies since they are usually seen as mindless minions of evil who just do whatever they're told by their masters... or just randomly attack people to eat their brains... such wasted talent aye?

Well how about financial aid? Since I've been going to school I've gotten most of it paid for through grants. Fortunately I haven't to take out any loans yet but as I continue towards a masters degree, loans are going to be the only way I can ever afford to get a masters degree. And what sucks about psychology is that apart from working around lunatics or addicts (or both) there really isn't much of a job market for psych majors (I guess I could become a teacher... but that's not what I really want either). Not only that but if I want to become a "psychologist", in the legal sense, I have to earn a doctorite. Point is that in my situation if I want any kind of career in psychology that pays well and that I would really enjoy I pretty much have to move to a major city out of state away from my friends and family... who are basically all that I have in this life. And if it is my future to help lunatics and addicts why the hell do I need to know that a sinozoidal function is a product of an inverse tangent? So I can certainly relate to feeling trapped in a dead end degree with bull shit classes that really do not apply to anything.

The one thing I cannot relate to is transfering your credits from one school to another. That's just killer. I mean you either garduate with their degree or lose out on the credits you've completed (not to mention the money it cost) Here at least almost all of your credits transfer to other schools that are in state as long as you earned them within the last 5 years. That much you're going through must be really stressing you out. And three strikes? I think that is just an unfair policy on the part of your school so they can manage their own statistics to make themselves look better. See those that get dropped from their school (rather than flunk out) don't get counted on their roster that claims 97% successful graduation with 95% job placement within the first year of graduation.

So what do you do? You can sit here and keep telling yourself how you're going to fail or you can start comming up with ways on how you're going to succeed. Maybe try to find an online tutor, even outside of your school who can help you with your lit class... and don't try me, by the way, I'm terrible with literature myself!.. But you can still do what you can to make sure you at least pass the class. Now I assume you have a spring break, even if its just half a week - so use that time to really pick up the pace on this class and maybe even get ahead. If nothing else I would ask a student accademic advisor on what you should do. If you have to even write a letter to the deen of the school explaining your situation. If they really like your money that you've been giving them, they should give you some measure of amnesty (like summer school or something).

If they can't even do that then you really have my sympathies because that school sucks!

I think the worse thing you could do, in my opinion, is to believe that you truly are imprisoned with no way out. Stay active, stay proactive, seek solutions to your problems and if you cannot find those yourself, ask someone for help - financial/accedemic advisors, the head chair of the literature department, the school deen or president. Even other students in your class that may be doing better. Keep your options open and actively seek to exploit those options as much as you can. I'm making it sound easy, but its not. It'll still be hard work. However, if you pass this class even with a 60% that should be good enough to continue on your degree program and you'll never have to take that stupid class again! (untill you decide to double major 5 years from now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

Financial aid is a no-go due to bureaucratic BS of me being 23, therefore still dependent on my parent's tax status (unless I completely live alone, am married, have kids, or fit the socio-economic profile of the rock-bottom) until I am 24. But, whatever happened to, "You are 18, therefore an adult in the eyes of the law?" Too many inconsistencies. Hence, I pay out-of-pocket. I have no job, I am a full-time student. The grants are enough only to get books. Even then, there are flaming hoops and strings attached. It's all BS.

I don't plan on fretting on the failure.

In fact, after some retrospection, I noticed that "Horde" themed dreams happen whenever I skip an assignment. I guess I come down on myself VERY hard.

I think you figured it out! Now, if we can only give you an influx of cash....*sigh* Who's got money?
Our subconcious is capable of really kicking our ass at times...*more sighs* But, we learn to listen and act accordingly (or, at least, I hope so...).
Good luck friend! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Its certainly believable these types of dreams you have are stressed related and simply nothing more. Which is a good thing. Because that means as long as you control your stress these dreams shouldn't be a problem. As far as being a dependent you can go to your look county clerk's office and file for emancipation. When you are of age and you have no financial dealings with your parents for so long you can get your financial status changed so that you can qualify for financial aid through your school. Again I think you should be talking to a financial aid advisor (not the same as an accedemic advisor by the way). If you talk to someone who's more familiar with your school policies as well as your state and federal laws on financial aid, you should be able to sort this out more efficiently.

I think the name of the web site is "studentscholarshipsearch.com". I'll have to check to be sure when I have a little more time. But even I qualified to apply for over $180,000 in scholarship money. Now reread that last sentence because that doesn't mean I actually got that amount of money. But I did get enough to pay for a good chunck of college - without loans of any kind. And you can always reapply for some scholarships later on if you don't get them. The real catch is you have to be willing to write letters, fill out applications and what ever else. That takes time. I know you said you are busy but it might be worth it to at least try to get some scholarship money. You can also find out about any scholarships availible to your school specifically through the financial aid office.

Hey man all I am saying is I am unemployed too. I'm not saying I'm rich. But I've learned to play the system well enough to get buy. The money is there if you're willing to grab it.