I think I have made this post previously as this topic has come up before. But my anxiety dream was usually about not being able to find the class room, usually for some advanced statistics class which I knew I could ill afford to miss. Whatever, at a social gathering a number of us were discussing this common dream we shared. Then we discovered others in our group were totally nonplussed by our so-called "nightmares." It was like, what would be so anxiety-producing about missing some silly class/exam?! I considered those who did and did not have this type of nightmare and realized that it was the academic achievers who had it whereas the non-academic types didn't. So this is not a universal dream but reserved for us academic nerdy types.
BTW, when discussing this type of dream with my Dean, he mentioned the common dream of intructors missing one's class, a type of dream I never had --UNTIL the next week of course! But only that one time, thank goodness. Max, your dream sounds really upsetting as you are presenting in front of your peers. A friend of mine who's avocation is community theater has the predictable dream of knowing she is going on stage but has no idea what her lines are or sometimes even what the play is about. Interestingly, her dream never gets her to the point of actually getting on the stage with nothing to say--probably because her anxiety from the dream made her wake up. Max, I bet you also wake up before you actually get in front of your podium as the anxiety of not being prepared was sufficient to wake you up. Joan [email protected] > > The exam anxiety dreams I (and most of us, I suspect) had as a student > evolved as a faculty member into conference anxiety dreams. I would be at > a conference, usually in Boston or NY it seems, suddenly realizing that I > had to give a presentation (which I had not prepared) in ten minutes. > Similar dreams involve finding out on the first day of classes that I had > to teach a course well outside of my own area of expertise. > > No missed exam dreams, and so far, no actual missed exams for me. On two > occasions in 16 years of teaching I have missed a class, having confused > which day of the week the class was or which day of the week that DAY was. > > -Max > > Maxwell Gwynn, PhD > Psychology Department > Wilfrid Laurier University > 519-884-0710 ext 3854 > [email protected] > >>>> Sally Walters [email protected]> 8/7/2009 1:27 PM >> > > I've had the missed exam dream and also a variation dream: I'm in the > middle of class and realize I've forgotten some handouts. I try to find > the place where the photocopier is, then can't remember my code, then > can't find the way back to class, etc etc > > Sally > Capilano U > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
