I learned something new last night. I always figured all people dreamt in a similar manner. I was wrong. Sure, I knew some people remembered their dreams while others rarely do, and even that some people can somewhat control what happens in their dreams. But what I didn't know, is that some people dream in the first person, while others dream in the third person. I had no idea!

So apparently some people see their dreams from outside their body, as if watching a movie. That's what I mean by third person. For example, if in their dream they fell off a cliff, they would see their entire body plummeting towards the ground. If they were fighting in a dream, they would be watching two people (one of them their self) fighting.

I dream in the first person. The perspective of my dreams is as if looking our from my own eyes. If I'm in a fight, all I would be seeing is the other person, and my fists as I punched. If I was falling off a cliff, I wouldn't see my body falling, I'd see the ground rushing up to meet me.

I found it interesting that people dream in such different ways. Judging from the comments on the post I was reading about this, it appears as if it was about a 50/50 split in people who dreamt 1st person vs 3rd. Those who dream in 3rd person claimed that even nightmares aren't particularly scary because it's more like watching a movie, than it actually happening to them, and that makes sense.

So, for those that can remember their dreams at all.... which one are you?

I've dreamed in both, 1st and 3rd person. Only twice in 3rd person that I can remember.

First person and reoccurring dreams.

1st person, when I can remember them.

Very seldom have dreams I remember unless something wakes me up. I must sleep too good to remember most.

Well , that's interesting. Had no idea.

By his actions, I'd say my dog dreams in the first - "person" (dog)...

Always first person, in colour. 50/50 controlling what I do, or not.

1st person for me. I find if I get up at say 3 and decide to sleep for another hour, I have the craziest dreams that I do remember, maybe because they are still fresh in my mind. I dont remember most of the earlier nights dreams.

I always dream in 1st person. Never heard of 3rd person dreams before.

If I ever have a gun in my dreams in a war, hunting, or shooting bad guys the gun never works. Or ends up being a toy, or jams, or the bullets end up shooting very slow and bounce off whatever I’m shooting.
Bow and arrow too.

Never fails!

Mainly first person sometimes both 1st and 3rd person.
The craziest dreams occurred with nicoderm. Talk about vivid I could smell distinct things

It is said dreams can be interpreted to mean something or indicate your feelings about yourself.
I read a book once written by some psychologist or something that interpreted the more common dream scenarios like falling climbing etc.

JP,I would say your dreams speak to a fear you have of being inadequate in some aspect of your life-not that you are inadequate but that you have a deep down concern of being or becoming inadequate.

I always dream in the first person.

Never had dreams as an adult until I got my CPAP machine 20+ years ago. Now I dream a lot, first person, but I don't typically remember them past about a minute of being awake unless they were real good ones.

My worst nightmare dream happened the first and only time I took tylenol PM, never again!

I wish my wife could not remember her dreams as it seems I'm always getting in trouble. lol

The dreams I like the best are the ones where you wake but are able to fall back asleep and pickup where the dream left off.

If you want truly wild dreams, have some Chantix...you will dream things you never dreamt possible

Oooo, can we guess?

Interesting... most on here seem to be 1st person dreamers like me. In the group I was in where people were talking about this... all of the third person dreamers were women. No idea if there's any correlation to that or not.

After leaving the hospital a couple years ago , I would have the most vivid dreams . Not necessarily nightmares , just so full of details and was like none I'd ever experienced. I dreaded going to sleep every time. Thankfully, it subsided.

First person for me. I don't often remember dreams and suspect most nights I don't sleep deeply enough to have them. I was a conservation officer for 30 years and had a fairly common recurring dream. I would be engaged with a bad guy in a deadly force situation. And when I would press the trigger it would bottom out without firing. In the dream I was always justified and acting without hesitation or reluctance but the gun just wouldn't go bang. I was always looking through my front sight at the bad guys chest. I was a state certified firearms instructor. And at one of our instructor trainings the presenter asked the attendees how many had dreams similar to what I described. At least two thirds of the class raised their hand. Apparently it is very common dream for Officers.

I retired 5 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed my career, but I was busy and enjoying retirement and not really looking back and giving my old job much thought at all. But, the first few months, I had many, many dreams of me still doing law enforcement. Apparently my brain was struggling with the abrupt change in my daily activities.