Taibhrimh as Gaeilge

[Héilics Órbhuí]

My girlfriend is very interested in the subject of lucid dreaming, which inspired me to think about dreams as a possible “training ground” for speaking Irish. Most people tend to think that their dreams are not something they can control, but that is not true. You can train yourself to dream more lucidly. One way you can do this is to plant a seed in your head so to speak as you are falling asleep. As you are lying in bed, tell yourself you are going to dream in Irish. You don’t need to focus so hard you are obsessing and not able to fall asleep – just think about it as being a suggestion you are making to yourself.

At least 3 nights this week I have been able to influence myself to dream about speaking Irish. I can clearly remember meeting people who engaged me in Irish conversation and I can remember myself going through the same mental process of thinking about what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it that we all use in real life when we’re trying to express ourselves in another language.

Granted, it is not a substitute for talking to real people in waking reality, but I think this is a potentially incredibly important technique, especially for those who don’t have access to Irish speakers in their ordinary lives. It is also a great way of internalizing the language and making it part of your consciousness on all levels.

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