Foreign Languages in Dreams?

[morrigan]

For many years now, I occasionally have dreams in which I am residing in Russia and speaking Russian. These dreams are often very detailed, yet never last long. In real life I do not speak Russian, yet somehow in these dreams I am able to not only speak it, but understand what is being spoken back to me. Upon waking, I have no knowledge of what the words I was saying actually mean. I have never taken a particular interest in Russian culture, and never studied it to any great detail.

Has anything even remotely like this ever happened to anyone else here? I'm not making any implications about past lives, OBEs, or anything of that nature...although I am open to the possibility of such things. Thanks in advance for any responses.

[Asphodel]

I've had similar dreams, only in French. I'm really not sure what city I was in. I haven't had one for a while. I can read it decently and understand basic spoken French, but I can hardly speak it myself.

[eight bits]

Are you journaling these dreams?

I wasn't completely clear what you do and do not know.

Would you recognize genuine Russian, or an intentional mimicry of Russian, if you heard it? That is not the same thing as understanding it, or being able to speak it.

If no, then why do you think that it is Russian? (Many languages are spoken in Russia.)

Do you remember the sounds you make and hear?

When you say you don't remember the words' meanings, do you remember the context of the conversations, or the gist of what was said?

Edited June 25, 2008 by eight bits

[morrigan]

Are you journaling these dreams?

I wasn't completely clear what you do and do not know.

Would you recognize genuine Russian, or an intentional mimicry of Russian, if you heard it? That is not the same thing as understanding it, or being able to speak it.

If no, then why do you think that it is Russian? (Many languages are spoken in Russia.)

Do you remember the sounds you make and hear?

When you say you don't remember the words' meanings, do you remember the context of the conversations, or the gist of what was said?

Thanks for responding. Yes, I do recognize genuine Russian when it is being spoken, primarily because of the dreams that I have had. The dreams clearly take place in Russia because I always wind up seeing storefront signs written in Russian or famous Russian landmarks like St. Basil's cathedral and the Kremlin in Red Square. While I never remember the words that were spoken once I awake, I usually do remember the gist of the conversations (an argument, discussions about money, and some sort of discussion about government stand out in particular.) I've mentioned these dreams to others before, and I'm usually met with a blank stare, so I'm glad to finally get some input regarding this.

edit: I don't keep a dream journal, although I probably should.

Edited June 26, 2008 by morrigan

[Rosewin]

Sometimes you also just know. I have had dreams of being in the Basque land and had no reason to know that I was there other than I just knew. I was thinking in English the whole time and the building was very modern and the land was semi-rural but for some reason I just knew. It had something to do with ETA.

[puridalan]

For many years now, I occasionally have dreams in which I am residing in Russia and speaking Russian. These dreams are often very detailed, yet never last long. In real life I do not speak Russian, yet somehow in these dreams I am able to not only speak it, but understand what is being spoken back to me. Upon waking, I have no knowledge of what the words I was saying actually mean. I have never taken a particular interest in Russian culture, and never studied it to any great detail.

Has anything even remotely like this ever happened to anyone else here? I'm not making any implications about past lives, OBEs, or anything of that nature...although I am open to the possibility of such things. Thanks in advance for any responses.

I used to work with Russian people, but when they went back to Russia not to long after...I had a whole premonition about them. I was talking to them in Russian, it was at a resturant, but the girl I wanted was sick so I told her 'Fine I will make plans to see her anyways'...as to make her feel better. Mind you my whole dream was in Russian (and I don't speak russian except for a few phrases ha-ha..and this was very complex russian all the way) anywho next day the girl comes all the way from Russia, to NY than down south and I find her right at Publix.

I told my mother about it because I found it all too funny, I usually don't tell her about my premonitions though because some of them are disturbing anywho, I told her and ironically she was with me that day.

We were walking into Publix, when boom there she was two days later all the way from Russia and we both hugged at first sight, I've also had dreams where I am speaking in egyptain...how can I understand a language that I don't even know?

I do not know in all honesty, but language is only a barrier if you believe it is

[Teej]

Doesn't the Bible reference something along the lines of "speaking in tongues"? Where people gathered from all over and were able to understand each other? Not sure I believe the story, but it might be of interest. Or if you follow the Bible, then it might be a place to start.

Just randomly searching through google (I don't know the Bible very well), it seems like Acts and Corinthians mention the idea the most.

[Nucular]

A dream journal would be a very good idea, I think.

It would be very interesting to know whether you manage to record any scraps of actual Russian (or the language that sounds like Russian) from your dreams. Since dreams are you, talking to yourself, it's perfectly possible to know the meaning of foreign or gibberish words, simply because it's you who've endowed them with that meaning in the first place. I would also point out that your answer to eight bits' question about how you know it's Russian is circular: you know you can recognise Russian, mostly from the dreams themselves.

If you didn't manage to recall any of the actual words in a dream journal, I would suggest that the likely explanation would be pseudo-Russian, which you understand because they've come from you in the first place. Or maybe something even more hazy, if all you're left with is the impression of some topics of conversation.

When we're left with hazy memories from dreams, we tend to assume that the dream itself had much more content, and we've only remembered tiny bits. Whilst this can be true (dream-forgetting is an interesting mechanism), it can also be the case that the dream was ill-defined at the time, and we assume, because it fits with our model of waking life, that we've forgotten bits which in reality didn't happen.

If you did manage to record actual Russian words in your dream journal at any point, there are a few explanations. I think everyone's got a tiny smattering of Russian vocabulary, just from being alive - possibly more than one could consciously produce if it were suddenly demanded. So it could be that bits and pieces are inserting themselves, and it's those bits you record. Or, it could be that perhaps these dreams have sensitised you somewhat to pick up on any Russian things you come across in daily life, which would then be incorporated (or perhaps your dreams even move you to go out and start finding Russian speech to listen to).

Beyond that, there are of course paranormal explanations such as past lives, telepapthy, precognition, etc. - but it's going to be extremely difficult to rule out the naturalistic explanations in this case.

Anyway, if you keep a dream journal, try to record any examples of the language, topics and content of conversation, geography, details, narrative, etc. if it's interesting to you to see if it matches with reality (maybe even with a particular point in history?); but it's also interesting to record feelings, meanings, your own interpretations and even fantasies about what happened next, to see what the dream might mean to you.

[morrigan]

Thanks everyone for replying. It's interesting to see that a few of you have had similar experiences. I am definitely going to start keeping a dream journal on the off chance that I can remember a specific word or two upon awakening. I'm seriously thinking about learning a few basic words and phrases in Russian to see if any of these match up with my dreams, and perhaps give me more insight into the dreams themselves. I'm really don't think there is anything paranormal going on...just odd. I appreciate everyone's feedback.

[puridalan]

hahah when I have these dreams they are anything but hazy, everything is so distinct it is mindblowing.

I remember everything, from what direction I walked in, what side the sun was on, who I was talking to and when, the names of the people, the color and stripe patchwork of the red and white table cloth, in a nice candle lit scene. I was sitting southwest and then walked up north to Jenna (boy name in russian) and started to speak to him, than he sent me to his friend, and thus I talked to Yena afterwards who was on the phone, note the phone was on her left side and holding it up to her right ear and talked for about 3 minutes saying how the person I wanted to see was sick. Then I told Yena that I would met (the sick female) anyways, as to cheer her up...of course she met me 2 days later...like I said.

People that have these 'dreams' they are not hazy, it is sort of like remote viewing except while really relaxed ha-ha, it can be annoying when you remember every detail and you have to tell it just right, from how the light was hitting, to the dark cherry wood floor, at first inspection I thought it was an italian resturant until I saw them of course and the wooden chairs.

ending with 'eez vee nee tee pulhjahsta meyleed nee lee ee'