Life vs. Dreams

Often heard of the saying "Life is like a dream" (人生如梦), you can hardly hold on to anything real. I think just the opposite: "Dreams are like your life". What you experienced in your real life would be reflected in your dreams as a distorted version, like a low budget drama/horror/comedy flick. Not a single night I could "rest in peace" because unsettled thoughts from the present would be mixed up with unforgettable or regretful memories from the past in a bizarre way that is beyond any logic yet seems perfectly believable in my dreams.

I never feel happy or somewhat satisfied when waking up from almost any dream. Sometimes I would feel relieved because I don't have to re-do my college entry exam or catch up with tons of homework that made me rather frustrated in my dreams; other times I would feel quite unfortunate that throughout my dreams I was trying to go on a vacation (catch a plane/train or a cruise ship) but either I could never reach my destination or the plane/train/ship never departed. All kinds of hurdles that appeared so real would haunt me down. There were occasions that I was already on a ship or train while the dream started, however, the trip would be quite bumpy: a storm in the sea (probably got it from the movie "The Perfect Storm") or a very dirty and crowded hallway in the train that made it impossible for me to go near the dinning section (memories from China).

There was one kind of dreams that I am especially fond of, which made me somewhat feel powerful beyond natural forces. For a few dreams, I was able to fly anywhere with my arms and the feeling was quite real. Though I could not control the landing very well in a couple of occasions (which woke me up with a very heavy heart), the overall experiences were still quite fascinating. I was also able to swim in a couple of dreams too and the swimming I did in those dreams were not the human one - it felt like a fish! How could you explain this type of feelings that I never experienced for real? Probably the evolution theory is not a complete illusion: birds, fishes, and we human beings did originate from the same life form many many years ago. But why can't I have more dreams like these?