Dream Identity

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

 Edgar Allan Poe

I'd say in about one third of the dreams I remember, I'm somebody else in the dream. Like, I'm in their body, I know who they are and it feels totally normal... and it's not me. For reference, I'm 60 years old. In my dreams, I've been men and women of all different ages, races, etc. This is just a normal thing. I don't generally remember their names, and the dreams are pretty standard dream stuff - sometimes it'll be a fun "wow, I can fly, let's glide over this lake!" dream, sometimes it's an awkward "I really have to pee and the only toilet is in the middle of this crowded cafeteria for some reason" type thing; sometimes it's mundane, sometimes it's wild, sometimes it's scary, sometimes it's funny.The only weird thing about it is that the person I "am" in the dream, is not who I am in my waking life.

It's never anyone I recognize, and I don't think it's ever been the same person twice. Oh, and when I'm someone else, nobody from my life appears in the dream - it's other strangers. When I'm myself, the dream will frequently include people I know.

As I said, I always figured this was something that happened in everyone's dreams. But whenever I've mentioned this to people in my life, they say they've never had any dreams where they wern't themselves. Some seem to think I could be "dropping in" on other peoples' dreams. LOL!

So how about you guys? Are you always "you" in your dreams, or do you sometimes find yourself playing someone of a different age/race/gender?

Just wondering.