Last night, I had a dream – one that’s been visiting me quite often lately. It always begins similarly:

Image like in my dream

I was walking peacefully under the midday sun in a very familiar place. Feeling a bit weary, and seeking refuge from the strong sun, I ducked into a bar (it seemed to be the only place open).

The interior was dim, a stark contrast to the bright sun outside, and the bar was quite empty. Seeking a cool spot, I settled into a corner and ordered an orange soda.

It was only after I sat down that I realized I was completely naked. Yet, despite my state of undress, I was served as if everything were perfectly normal.

I sipped my soda and even recall exchanging a lighthearted joke with the owner, before calmly leaving.

Interestingly, I don’t recall paying; I simply walked out, and then I woke up.

Waking up, the vividness of the dream, coupled with the feeling that I’d had it recently, prompted me to jot it down in my notebook. As I was writing, a flood of memories returned – memories of strikingly similar dreams from my childhood and teenage years.

But unlike the recent versions where my nakedness was ignored, those earlier dreams felt like true nightmares. I was seen, pointed at, and everyone was laughing at me. I vividly recall dreams set in school or even waiting in a bank line, all ending with that humiliating laughter.

The core scenario is indeed similar: I’m in a familiar place, realize I’m naked, but since no one reacts, I simply shrug it off, and the dream continues.

But the question lingers, one I’ve even posed to dream interpreters: What are these recurring dreams trying to communicate? And why are they so intrinsically linked to those stark, humiliating nightmares of my youth?