Still smoking regularly in my dreams. I quit 4 years ago and haven’t turned back… But it still seems an indelible trait my mind hasn’t let go of yet.
It’s not the main focus of the dream, just a noticeable part of my ‘normal’ self while dreaming.
I’ve never smoked in my life, yet every few years I have a dream where I’m sucking on a cigarette enthusiastically, all while being horrified that I’m enjoying it so much.
I wonder if your hypnagogic sensation matches the real thing.
I quit in 2006 after 20 years and from time to time I still have that dream, though the frequency has diminished. Congratulations on taking back a part of your life and health.
I’m still having dreams of being late to a school day so I don’t think past experiences ever really leave our unconscious mind. Props to you for quitting!
In my experience, it kinda sucks because smoking in your dream feels much nicer than smoking in real life. It’s like false advertising.
I think I managed to let go of it completely (probably by realizing how much I relied on it for stress management and looking for alternatives), and now I chew a lot of gum in my dreams. Go figure.
Anyway, congrats on your 4 years!
I’m pretty sure my issue overall is that I didn’t dislike smoking. I was never really a heavy smoker either, the worst I ever got was a half pack (about 10) in a day, and those days were fairly rare.
The smell while not exactly good reminds me of my (now passed) grandmother, which I’d say is generally tied for the worst part. The other main issue being the health issues, and yeah. I quit mostly because of those and my general dislike for being addicted to anything at all. I quit coffee after the first caffeine headache, and if I find myself crutching on anything else, I tend to cut it out too. Currently working on most sugars, and cutting back on carbs some.
