In a chapter entitled “The Everyday World by Night” Charlotte Beradt reports dreams of household objects, lamps, couch pillows, ovens that develop the power of speech and reveal all their owner’s secrets. Beradt uses these dreams to explore the pervasive fear of surveillance in Germany of the 1930’s (as will we when we discuss surveillance dreams). But the sense of infiltration, of intrusion into every crack and corner of everyday living is also of note, and is a common theme in our dreaming. The pervasiveness of Trump generated news into every room of the house and every moment of the day, the inescapable surround of Trump-noise is the subject of about thirty eight dreams in the collection, as if our very homes have been taken over:

Had a dream I bought a house but it was infested with talking termites that all had Trump’s face and sounded like they all inhaled too much helium.[i]

Stretched out on the couch & fell asleep with the news on (just now woke up) dreamed Trump showed up at my apt, secret service told me I had to let him in but then he wouldn’t leave, and kept wandering around complaining because I didn’t have snacks or soda[ii]

And the home invasion seems to often focus on a seeping toxicity that seems to penetrate any boundary that we attempt to set against it:

I had a dream that Trump and his son were hiding in my childhood bedroom and smoking cigarettes with gloves because they were afraid of burning their hands[iii]

I had a drawn out dream last night about Trump. He came into my home with his security guys and took over my house to use for some political event?? He started taking apart our backyard without even asking![iv]

I just dreamt I had to brush my teeth next to Donald Trump. Ugh[v].

 Trump, in these dreams follows us from the cradle to the grave, from birth to death.

I actually had this dream last night: Trump announced it would be a new law that if a birthday cake is purchased before someone’s birthday and it’s just sitting around the kitchen, it’s perfectly acceptable to cut the cake before the actual birthday. He said, “IT’S MANDATORY.”[vi]

I had a dream this morning that Trump wouldn’t leave me alone. To get rid of him, I ran into a cemetery but there were riddles I couldn’t figure out there and then I woke up[vii]

Paying taxes is made even more odious

OMG i just remembered I had a dream that my accountant told me my tax rate was 10% because of Trump but I had to sign a loyalty pledge, and I called my sister crying.[viii]

He disrupts our religious practices, and sacred rituals, disrupting vows and worship:

Last night, I had my first wedding stress dream. I dreamed the wedding was taking place at one of Trump’s golf courses and that he crashed our reception…[ix]

My husband of 42 years (who died in 2008) and I have just gotten married. I wear a long white bridal gown (simple with lace). There are many people celebrating w/ us. I want them to be happy. They drink wine and wait for the banquet. A man I don’t know comes in with a huge flat bowl and a large bottle of champagne. He’s making wedding punch. Everyone stands in a circle holding hands to have a celebratory circle dance. I go to get my husband who is sitting near the edge of the room talking to a close friend and a few other men. He comes with me, but looks upset. The men are talking about politics. My husband is mad about Trump. I grab his hand. “Don’t talk politics w/ your friend,” I say. “This is our wedding.”  He agrees and stands next to me in the circle holding my hand. ~ Anonymous

I had a dream that my old pastor said from the pulpit: “if you didn’t vote for Trump, you don’t understand the Gospel” except the pastor was Trump!!![x]

 I had a dream I went to Easter Mass to check out the scene and low and behold      Trump was at the alter trying to usurp the priest is a semi-hostile takeover.[xi]

In dreamtime he infiltrates and dictates our work lives, and also judges our performance:

My dream was that there was some kind of outdoor event or press conference we were all expecting Trump to show up to. I was holding a clipboard, and was there in some kind of “official” capacity. We were waiting and waiting, and then suddenly I am in the back of a limo with trump himself, on our way to the event. He had a sour look on his face. He talked to me but his face wasn’t really moving. He was berating me and telling me I sucked at my job. I woke up feeling bad about myself and ashamed. ~ Anonymous

A high school friend (male) was back in my life (I have literally not seen him or remembered him for years–which made it strange… I can’t remember his name, but remember his face). He was forced to resign from a job he loved to take on an electrician job which he never trained for. He told me that he had to do this under the new government. In my dream I remember feeling that was really normal and shrugging it off. In the background was the image of Trump on a TV, but no sound…just his pursed lips and angry face. The outline of the TV was red (not like a black framed TV). It was strange and felt so disconnected when I woke up. ~ Anonymous

I dreamt I had to go to a Trump rally for work.[xii]

I had a dream that Donald trump became a manager at my job . Like he was running the shift and I was working that shift too. Apparently he quit being president ( I wish) and apparently people respected him that he works at in n out and I would just give him attitude and talked to my boss on why[xiii]

I had a dream i was working for Mr Trump, Don Jr shows up at my job, gets on the phone with someone he’s hiring to take my place. I lost my job, then i found myself on golf course lawn. I’m so bad I can’t even keep a job in a dream[xiv].

I dreamt of Trump being my boss. Weird.[xv]

I had a dream that Trump fired me and ate my cake[xvi]

I had a dream that Donald trump became my new store manager and fired me and I’m shook by it[xvii]

Our weekend recreations are no more exempt from impingement than our work week. The intrusion into the National Football Leagues policies on taking a knee to honor black lives seem to have provoked several dreams:

A few weeks ago, I had a dream where Trump was on the sidelines of an NFL game. A kicker was practicing kicking into the net. Trump tried to swoop in and kick it first, but missed and slipped into a mud puddle. Then he tried to play it off like it didn’t happen. Great dream. ~ Anonymous

Had a dream last night that Donald Trump came out during an Eagles game with the NFL rulebook and tried correcting an official on a penalty call. He and Pence then sat right in front of me and I yelled at them the rest of the game to til they left.[xviii]

Last night I dreamed that Trump demanded everyone at the #CollegeFootball championship game go through security again & delayed the game[xix]

No recreational activity is exempt:

I had a dream I was taking a class on Shakespeare taught by Natalie Portman, and it was awesome until Donald Trump tried to take over. He literally ruins everything.[xx]

He haunts dreamers on their vacations. There is literally no place left to “get away from it all.” All escape routes are cut off.

I had a dream I was at Magic Kingdom on NYE. Fighting wall-to-wall crowds, only thing open was ITS A SMALL WORLD. 1 minute in, the lights go out. Lights come back on, all the characters were replaced by Showbiz Pizza Band but lead by the Trump animatronic.[xxi]

Dreamt I called a forest ranger to tell him that Trump had broken into a cabin in the woods across from my childhood best friend’s house.[xxii]

I had a dream last night that I was on vacation somewhere and to my complete horror, Donald Trump was there. I accidentally made eye contact with him and I immediately gagged –like as a biological reflex, not on my own volition. That sounds about right.[xxiii]

And even the psychotherapy office is not exempt:

last night I had a dream that Donald Trump decided he was going to be my therapist. tf, my brain?[xxiv]

Of course the psychotherapy offices, above all, are flooded with Trump-talk daily, as therapists listen to clients sharing their hopes and fears, sorting through their losses defining their values, struggling with feelings of helplessness and impotence as those who value introspection feel politically besieged and controlled by those who do not.

 

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[i] @brandy_goslin

[ii] @winestainedlens

[iii] @pregnantmemedad

[iv] @NERDSnROSES

[v] @InvPac

[vi] @DilairSingh

[vii] @sparrowpost

[viii] @bridgetwi

[ix] @drussdamonk

[x] @beccapierpoint

[xi] @Holl_and

[xii] @sarahw12

[xiii] @marybieee

[xiv] @Migxp1

[xv] @dayanerds_

[xvi] @jaflaaac

[xvii] @awitsjocelyn

[xviii] @tholzerman

[xix] @ProRoMo

[xx] @auturgist

[xxi] @Oddernod

[xxii] @w3irddreams

[xxiii] @RaquelTWG

[xxiv] @MxAvren