An incident I recall clearly is a childhood memory that I have re-occurring dreams about anytime I feel stressed or fearful in my life.
When I was 4 years old, my mother and I went to visit my older sister in her new home. Since my sister had no furniture in the home yet, my sister, mother, niece, and I made a bed on the floor in the middle of the living room that happened to be directly under a sky light.
In the middle of the night I woke up from a bad dream and sat up for what felt like a few minutes. While I sat awake, I looked up at the sky light and saw a bird’s claw print on the window and then an earthquake occurred;
My individual perception of the event is that a bird shook the house. Whether or not there was actually a bird sitting on top the sky light is still unclear to me as no one else was awake to witness it but the earthquake was real and my interpretation of this event has made a lasting impression on me.
As a child, experiencing an earthquake for the first time is an emotional experience that one cannot comprehend.
As an adult, when faced with an emotional experience that I have a difficult time comprehending, I subconsciously revert back to my childhood memory and have the same re-occurring dream. Why is that?
The re-occurrence of a childhood memory through dreams when feeling stressed or fearful in adult life can be attributed to several psychological factors. Dreams often serve as a way for our minds to process emotions, memories, and experiences from our past. In your case, the childhood memory of the earthquake and bird's claw print on the window seems to have had a strong emotional impact on you, which has resulted in it becoming a recurring theme in your dreams during times of stress or fear.
Dreams can act as a way for our minds to work through unresolved emotions or experiences that we may not fully understand or process consciously. When you face a difficult emotional experience as an adult, your subconscious mind may draw upon this childhood memory as a way to process and make sense of the current situation. This is because the initial memory of the earthquake and the bird's claw print left a deep impression on you, and your mind is using it as a reference point to understand and navigate your current emotions.
It's also worth noting that dreams often incorporate symbolism and metaphor, and the bird's claw print and earthquake in your recurring dream may represent deeper psychological or emotional themes. The bird's claw print could symbolize vulnerability or a sense of being watched or monitored, while the earthquake may represent feelings of instability or loss of control. These symbols and metaphors may resonate with your current emotions, hence why they appear in your dreams during times of stress or fear.
In order to gain a clearer understanding of why this specific childhood memory continues to manifest in your dreams, it can be helpful to explore the emotions and themes associated with it. Reflecting on the deeper meaning and possible connections to your current experiences can provide insight into your emotional landscape and help you navigate stress and fear more effectively.