Why don't I dream? An outlandish theory connected with Atlantis

For this blog post, I thought I would go with something a bit fun and light-hearted that I discovered whilst doing some serious research. As you may have guessed from the title, I was researching 'why don't I dream'? I used to have such vivid dreams, but for the past couple of years I have had very few dreams. Or do I dream, but I just don't recall them? The only ones I do recall have either been insanely bizarre, or full on nightmares.


The theory I like the most is that dreams are our subconscious 'talking' to us, and I'm just so God Damn zen and in-tune with myself that my subconscious has nothing it needs to bring to my attention. However, there was another theory I came across, and one which is definitely more entertaining.


Can you imagine a group of peoples who just never dream at all? Not the occasional dream, not dreaming but just not recalling it, but just never experience dreams? According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, this group of people did exist many thousands of years ago in North Africa near a mountain named Atlas. Below are a few lines from book Four of his 'Histories':


"The natives call this mountain 'the Pillar of Heaven' and they themselves take their name from it, being called Atlantes or the Atlanteans. They are reported not to eat any living thing, and never to have any dreams."


Yes, that's right - Atlanteans. If you have never heard of the lost city of Atlantis, it is a mythical place that existed several thousand years before Plato's time (Plato being the Greek Philosopher who originally wrote about the story of Atlantis). Below is an excerpt from The National Geographic website on Atlantis, and I recommend you check them out for more information on this lost city:


"The founders of Atlantis, he said, were half god and half human. They created a utopian civilization and became a great naval power. Their home was made up of concentric islands separated by wide moats and linked by a canal that penetrated to the center. The lush islands contained gold, silver, and other precious metals and supported an abundance of rare, exotic wildlife. There was a great capital city on the central island."

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/atlantis

But what happened to Atlantis? There is a reason it is called 'The Lost City'. It is said that these half-God, half-human beings, who through their higher intellect and wisdom created one of the greatest civilizations in the world became greedy and 'morally bankrupt'. As punishment, the Gods sent fire and earthquakes which sunk the city beneath the waves.


There is little evidence to show that Atlantis actually existed, although researchers and enthusiasts have never ceased the search for this mythical place. There have been several theories put forward as to the physical location of Atlantis. But regardless, it is a myth which has persisted through the ages and still captures the imaginations of many. As someone who works very close with the element of water, I know people who incorporate Atlantean energies into their practice, although it is not something I personally work with.


It is said that after the cataclysmic events which resulted in the sinking of Atlantis, many refugees fled into North Africa and Persia among other locations, and those who went to North Africa settled near Mount Atlas. As such, it is believed that these are the same Atlanteans that Herodotus talks about in his histories.


Is it possible then that those people who don't dream are actually descendents of this mythical race of superbeings? Mortal descendents of Gods and the like is nothing new, and in a lot of cultures Gods and spirits would sometimes lie with humans. Is it possible that after fleeing Atlantis and settling in North Africa, the Atlanteans integrated themselves into this 'new world' and birthed a line of Atlantean descendents?


I mean, honestly, probably not. Whether you believe Atlantis existed or not, I'm pretty sure there is a much more rational and scientific reason as to why I don't dream, or at least don't recall my dreams. But, being a descendent of one of the most advanced and spiritual civilizations ever to existed is a lot more fun to imagine, so maybe I'll stick with that!