new toy = more efficiency + weird dreams

I bought some really expensive piece of software: Dragon Natural Speaking. Currently, that’s the best voice recognition software in the world (as far as I know), and I’m using it to translate my novels (which I write in English) back into German. I’m delighted. Since I’ve been using the software, I get 30 to 50% more of my ususal daily wordcount.

However, the side effects are really strange. Have I told you that I dream a lot at night and that I usually remember my dreams in the mornings? Not, well you know now. Since I started using Dragon, my dreams become weirder. A couple of days ago I began dreaming punctuation too. It went like this:

quote why are you so angry question mark quote

It really drives me nuts.

Have you experienced something similar? I find it really weird.

10 thoughts on “new toy = more efficiency + weird dreams”

  1. D J Mills says:

    Late to read this, but yes, this happens to me all the time. My dreams happen just before I wake in the morning, and I remember dreaming words, one letter at a time, especially after long days & nights typing my first drafts, or editing my drafts. 🙂

    I used Dragon Naturally Speaking for writing, and have two voice files, one AM and one PM/Night time voice, but haven’t used it for 4-5 years. I must find time to start the old server and use Dragon again.

    1. Cat says:

      I find it very easy to use but it makes a lot of spelling mistakes in German.

  2. I was an acctg clerk/asst for years and my husband use to say that I would talk about invoices and that’s what I was always dreaming about so your not alone. =)

    1. Cat says:

      Still, it is strange what the brain comes up with when we’re not consciously around, isn’t it?

  3. During finals or midterms, if I’ve been studying really hard, sometimes I’ll dream the whole night of someone reading all that material back to me in a random male voice. And in monotone. It’s pretty bizarre, but I put it down to my brain processing information more intensely and in different way than normal. Maybe that’s what’s going on with you? As in, these dreams are a normal part of learning how to work with the software.

    1. Cat says:

      The brain is a weird place isn’t it. 😉

  4. Jean says:

    I’ve dreamed in Facebook pages and Twitter hashtags. I also dream in color. At particularly stressful times in my working life, work populated my dreams. I think you’ll find it is a temporary thing in your dreams, but it would be perplexing to experience. Certainly, it’s an unusual side effect of using a great piece of software.

    1. Cat says:

      I’m sure I’ll get used to this it just feels kinda weird at the moment.

  5. Sally says:

    I’ve heard of dreaming in colour but not dreaming in words. It must be like having your own private secretary transcribing your words, at least it’s not a ‘nightmare.’

    1. Cat says:

      It feels strange though especially when the words and the pictures in my mind mix.

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