The theme of lottery numbers in dreams, though, goes a lot deeper than this throwaway remark.
There are several statistics from Statista, Amerisleep and other renowned authorities on the subject that centre around dreams and the thoughts we have in our sleep. From falling or being chased to work-related matters and scenarios involving money and more, the content within dreams is vast and varies in South Africa and globally.
In 2019, a woman from the Western Cape revealed she had a dream about her husband being showered with gold glitter. Her premonition, of sorts, became a reality when a few weeks later the couple won R141 million in the SA Powerball. The turnaround time between the initial dream and the eventual reality was significantly longer for Canadian Olga Beno. She had a dream about winning lotto numbers in 1989. But it wasn’t until 2017 that she actually won. Here dream, indeed, came true to the tune of approximately R65 million.
There are several scenarios, again locally and abroad, in which lottery winners have chosen not to give up on their personal and professional ambitions despite their newfound fortunes. Studies from Vision Critical and other trustworthy sources have shown that 37 percent of lotto millionaires would quit their jobs.
A further 20 percent would continue their vocation and another 28 percent would simply reduce their working hours. Take, for example, a 30-year-old man from Limpopo. The Polokwane resident, who chose to remain anonymous, won R52 million via the Powerball earlier this year.
“Winning this money does not mean that I must abandon my dream. I want to be able to offer effective and sustainable assistance to my community and getting the social work qualification will help me do just that,” he said.
As recent as May 2021, there was a Western Cape man who echoed the Polokwane person’s sentiment. He struck it rich via the lotto and pocketed R13 million. To some, this isn’t necessarily a life-changing amount. To others, it certainly is. For him, it was about channelling the new funds into his existing savings and expenditure relatively seamlessly, while continuing his job. “I don’t plan on leaving my job as I earn a very good salary, however, the winnings will make a difference in our lives,” said the Western Cape winner.
No matter how lottery winners choose to spend their winnings or change their lifestyle, the fulfilment of some of their dreams – literally and metaphorically – have been on the back of sleep, in some way or form. Intriguingly, dreaming can take up a significant portion of the number of hours we sleep. Up to 43 percent of people remember theirs dream well. They have between four and six dream phases per night and the duration of the final phase can exceed 30 minutes.
That’s a big change compared to the first phase of about five to 10 minutes.
