Nightmares
Nightmares can feel incredibly real. They can frighten us enough that the emotions follow us into the next morning—or even make us afraid to go back to sleep. Our sleeping and waking lives are more connected than we sometimes realize.
There are even movies that grew out of our fascination with nightmares. Remember A Nightmare on Elm Street?
Wes Craven said the idea for the film was inspired in part by stories he read in the Los Angeles Times about Southeast Asian refugees who experienced terrifying nightmares. Some became afraid to sleep, and several later died unexpectedly in their sleep. Craven took that frightening idea—what if something could get you in your dreams?—and turned it into one of the most recognizable horror movies ever made.
It's easy to understand why we want to forget a nightmare as quickly as possible.
But what if, instead of running from a nightmare, we went back and looked at it?
Sometimes the frightening imagery may be exactly what gets our attention.
Nightmares are vivid dreams that create strong negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, or distress. They usually occur during REM sleep and are more common during the second half of the night, when REM periods become longer. Because a nightmare often wakes us, we may remember it much more clearly than an ordinary dream.
Stress, anxiety, trauma, lack of sleep, certain medications, alcohol or other substances, and some physical or mental health conditions can contribute to nightmares. PTSD is also strongly associated with recurring nightmares. Occasional nightmares are common, but if nightmares happen frequently, interfere with sleep or daytime life, or make you afraid to sleep, it is worth talking with a healthcare professional.
But there is another kind of nightmare I want to talk about—the notice-me nightmare.
This is the nightmare that comes once in a while and seems to demand your attention. The imagery may be frightening, but when you go back and examine the dream, you may discover that the fear wasn't necessarily the message. The fear may have been what made you pay attention to the message.
I had one of those nightmares myself.
It frightened me so much that it took me about 35 years to finally sit down and really analyze it. When I did, I realized the dream wasn't telling me that I was powerless or that I needed something outside of myself to protect me.
It was telling me the opposite.
I already had the power.
My Nightmare
I was lying in bed, not asleep. It was early, maybe just
past dusk. I had been to a church that told me to ask the Holy Spirit to
possess my soul so no other entity could. They gave me a prayer. I don't
remember the prayer. That is an important detail. As I prayed, a man-type
figure flew from the sky and fell onto me like a slab of meat. This being was
like all human muscles with no skin, not male or female. The entity then put
its wrists over my wrists, ankles over my ankles, and the rest floated above
me. We only touch our wrists and ankles. It was so solid and heavy that I could
not move. It then began to steal my breath, and I thought, oh no, it was
killing me! I started to say I rebuke you in the name of Jesus, but I kept
saying I rebuke you in the name of Satan over and over again. I was so scared. I
finally pictured the letter J, E, then S, and it was gone. I sat up! That is a
scary nightmare, especially when you sit up choking for air!
The Meaning Of The Dream
This nightmare was about recognizing my own power. I had been told that I needed to invite an outside spiritual power in for protection, but my mind turned that idea into something frightening and overpowering. In the end, I was able to break free through my own focus and awareness. The message for me was that I didn’t need to invite anything outside of myself in to feel protected. The power I needed was already within me.
This is a guide to working through nightmares
Write the nightmare down while you still remember it. Treat it like a memory. Include the setting, people, objects, emotions, colors, unusual details, and anything that stood out. Then look at the symbols individually and ask what each one means to you. A symbol dictionary can give you ideas, but your own associations and emotions usually matter more.
Next, look at the dream as a whole. What was happening? Where did you feel powerless, afraid, trapped, angry, or threatened? Did anything in the dream remind you of something happening in your waking life? Instead of asking only, What does this symbol mean? ask, What might my mind be trying to work through?
Then change the ending. Rewrite the nightmare so that you regain control. You might defeat the monster, escape the situation, confront the threat, discover that the frightening figure was harmless, or simply choose to walk away. Read your new ending before going to sleep. This technique is similar to imagery rehearsal therapy, which is used to help reduce recurring nightmares.
Pay attention to what you take in before bed. Movies, social media, news, conversations, and stressful experiences can all become material your dreaming mind uses later. If nightmares are a problem for you, try giving your mind something calmer before sleep—a funny show, relaxing music, reading, journaling, or quiet reflection.
Look at what is happening in your waking life as well. Nightmares often become more intense during periods of stress, conflict, grief, fear, or change. Ask yourself whether there is something you have been avoiding, suppressing, or feeling unable to express. Journaling can help you identify those patterns before they show up repeatedly in your dreams.
If you like using crystals or other personal rituals, you can make them part of your bedtime routine. I sometimes keep Black Tourmaline near me because I associate it with protection and grounding. Whether or not you believe a crystal has spiritual properties, a familiar object can also become a reminder that you are safe and in control.
And most importantly, remember that a nightmare does not automatically mean something bad is going to happen. Sometimes it is simply your dreaming mind working with fear, stress, memory, or emotion. The goal isn't always to eliminate nightmares. Sometimes the goal is to understand what they are showing you—and to discover that you may have more power in the dream, and in waking life, than you realized.
References
Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) by Melissa
Bastek https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/
Nightmares and the Brain by Scott Edwards
https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/nightmares-brain
A Nightmare On Elm Street Was Inspired By This Horrific
True Story
By Sean O'Connell
published October 20, 2014
https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Nightmare-Elm-Street-Was-Inspired-By-Horrific-True-Story-67798.html
Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/ Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/
Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/ Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/
Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/Horror History: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). https://morbidlybeautiful.com/horror-history-elm-street/
A Nightmare On Elm Street Was Inspired By This Horrific True Story .... https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Nightmare-Elm-Street-Was-Inspired-By-Horrific-True-Story-67798.html A Nightmare On Elm Street Was Inspired By This Horrific True Story .... https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Nightmare-Elm-Street-Was-Inspired-By-Horrific-True-Story-67798.htmlA Nightmare On Elm Street Was Inspired By This Horrific True Story .... https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Nightmare-Elm-Street-Was-Inspired-By-Horrific-True-Story-67798.html