Addiction in dream

[Orcseeker]

This actually happened a couple months ago. It still is extremely interesting and fascinating to me however.

Basically in this dream I was addicted to cigarettes. In real life they disgust me and make me ill. However in this dream I was absolutely craving a cigarette and displaying all signs of a smoking addict who was starved of a cigarette. I was really grumpy, my brain was telling me I needed it. As nicotine has that effect.

Even in the dream the thought of having a cigarette made me feel calm and yearned for the taste.

When I woke up, there was no desire at all as normal to smoke. The experience was completely exclusive to that dream.

Anyone experienced anything like this or have any thoughts or suggestions as to what it may mean or how it came to be?

[spartan max2]

Actually this happened to me before and iv never smoked a cig

[Blink4567]

I would guess someone close to you might have smoked or does. In your brain, even though you've never craved it, you might have wanted to know what it was like or why people smoke. Maybe to you you can't understand why people do it at all. Thats my guess anyways for what it's worth... Subconciousness rocks!

Edited July 4, 2013 by Jessem

[Orcseeker]

@spartan I've never smoked a cigarette as well but tobacco through things like hookah and such.

@Jessem that's an interesting thought I mean, there is only one person I would try and make stop smoking but right now she is on the other side of the world. I'd be lucky if I got a chance to see her again the end of this year. But to my knowledge she doesnt smoke that much. It's not really a great concern of mine as it used to be.

Other friends of mine, I guess there is a concern but I think it would take a more intimate relationship like I have with the aforementioned. A boyfriend or girlfriend. To change most of their ways. A lot of them do it because they want to. Either they simple change their way themselves or it receives such an intervention like I mentioned before in this age bracket I think would be most common to adjust to.

But I do think about addiction and wonder how it is so hard. All one must do is simply avoid. But I experienced that craving, that need and constant nagging of the brain that it requires this to properly function.

I have realised through this that getting over an addiction is kind of like a dip on a graph. Once the point comes to drop they believe they need that substance to bring them back up. But just adjusting yourself and your brain to starve it of the substance after hitting that bottom pit of desperate need and then making that transition to climbing the graph again is where you have beaten that "need" factor of addiction.

Interestingly enough. A friend of mine strongly considered quitting and made substantial progress to do so after taking a psychedelic substance. Apparently they learnt a lot about themself in that trip. From what I've been reading, psychedelics could be used as a method of treating addictions. A lot of them do reduce some of the traits that feed and bring upon addiction as well. So I'd be interested in doing more reading about that.

However, after quite a stressful period my friend is back to smoking a lot and plans to give it another shot while providing enough time to recover and avoid stressful situations.

[Blink4567]

@spartan I've never smoked a cigarette as well but tobacco through things like hookah and such.

@Jessem that's an interesting thought I mean, there is only one person I would try and make stop smoking but right now she is on the other side of the world. I'd be lucky if I got a chance to see her again the end of this year. But to my knowledge she doesnt smoke that much. It's not really a great concern of mine as it used to be.

Other friends of mine, I guess there is a concern but I think it would take a more intimate relationship like I have with the aforementioned. A boyfriend or girlfriend. To change most of their ways. A lot of them do it because they want to. Either they simple change their way themselves or it receives such an intervention like I mentioned before in this age bracket I think would be most common to adjust to.

But I do think about addiction and wonder how it is so hard. All one must do is simply avoid. But I experienced that craving, that need and constant nagging of the brain that it requires this to properly function.

I have realised through this that getting over an addiction is kind of like a dip on a graph. Once the point comes to drop they believe they need that substance to bring them back up. But just adjusting yourself and your brain to starve it of the substance after hitting that bottom pit of desperate need and then making that transition to climbing the graph again is where you have beaten that "need" factor of addiction.

Interestingly enough. A friend of mine strongly considered quitting and made substantial progress to do so after taking a psychedelic substance. Apparently they learnt a lot about themself in that trip. From what I've been reading, psychedelics could be used as a method of treating addictions. A lot of them do reduce some of the traits that feed and bring upon addiction as well. So I'd be interested in doing more reading about that.

However, after quite a stressful period my friend is back to smoking a lot and plans to give it another shot while providing enough time to recover and avoid stressful situations.

I think you just answered your own question

[Professor T]

My guess is that you were shown what it is like for people who have such editions for reasons that are currently unknown to you. You gained insight into what Smoking is like for people who do smoke, are quitting, or who suffer from insane ideas that smoking is somehow needed in their life.

Edited to add: Ideas are powerful like that..

Edited July 6, 2013 by Professor T

[krypter3]

Never had an addiction dream, but I've had really strong emotions in dreams that have stayed with me when I've woken up. Fear, longing, sadness etc. Had a dream about my dead dog the other month and woke up in tears.

Edited July 6, 2013 by krypter3

[Orcseeker]

My guess is that you were shown what it is like for people who have such editions for reasons that are currently unknown to you. You gained insight into what Smoking is like for people who do smoke, are quitting, or who suffer from insane ideas that smoking is somehow needed in their life.

Edited to add: Ideas are powerful like that..

It was certainly a very real feeling. This would probably be the closest I will ever get to such a substance addiction in my life. Good insight I'd say however. A very valuable experience.

[Orcseeker]

Never had an addiction dream, but I've had really strong emotions in dreams that have stayed with me when I've woken up. Fear, longing, sadness etc. Had a dream about my dead dog the other month and woke up in tears.

I remember when I was a lot younger I had a dream with a girl I'd never met before in it and developed a strong emotional relationship somehow and woke up feeling pretty disheartened. I talked with a friend of mine who had quite a similar experience just from onw dream. Very interesting how things like that can happen.

I have had a few like you've described as well. Particularly loss.

[pantodragon]

Anyone experienced anything like this or have any thoughts or suggestions as to what it may mean or how it came to be?

The idea of smoking a cigarette may symbolise the concept of addiction. People become psychologically addicted to all sorts of behaviours and if, for some reason, they are prevented from following that behaviour, then they will display signs of addiction i.e. grumpiness etc. Do you suffer from grumpiness?