Nightmares are real and can be traumatic events. There are Movies made from these dreams; remember Nightmare on Elm Street? Nightmares can spill over to our waking lives. Our sleep and waking lives are connected.
Wes Craven, the creator of the Nightmare on Elm Street movie, was inspired by a story he read in the L.A. Times about a family that had survived the Killing Fields in Cambodia. They made it to the United States, but a young boy in the family still found himself haunted by terrible nightmares while he slept. The young boy died after having a series of nightmares. The boy stayed awake for days. Finally, he told his parents something was chasing him in his nightmares. He was afraid that if he fell asleep, it would get him. Exhausted, the boy finally fell asleep. Sometime during the night, the boy's screams woke his parents. They found him dead.
No wonder we fear nightmares so much and don't want to revisit them. So instead, I want to show you why we should and how it will benefit us in our sleep and waking lives.
Nightmares are dreams that cause a strong but unpleasant emotional response. Nightmares usually happen during sleep when REM intervals lengthen; these tend to happen halfway through sleep. Then, as we prepare to awaken, memories begin to combine.
We dream as we transition from REM sleep. Because we tend to dream at the sleep-wake point, referred to as the twilight zone, images imagined while dreaming, including the vivid, often terrifying images produced during nightmares, are remembered.
Nightmares happen for several reasons—stress, anxiety, irregular sleep, medications, and mental health disorders. The most studied cause is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there are places to reach out for help. If nightmares plague you, talk to your doctor.
I want to discuss the subconscious notice-me nightmare. The symbols might be scary, but you have a nightmare once in a while, and it is about taking notice of a situation.
I had a nightmare so scary it took me 35 years to analyze. Finally, I found I did not need to be afraid; it was a dream of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling my life.
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 dream is about the restoration of the mind, spiritual guidance, the need to relinquish worries, and the need to develop inner strength to become more confident. This dream was telling me I had the power.
This is a guide to working out those nightmares
Write out your dream as a memory, look up and write the symbols with definitions, use every detail of your dream, and analyze it. You need to know what the subconscious wants you to understand.
Write a different positive ending for your dream. Review it before you go to sleep. Give it a good, empowering end where you defeat the monsters or the beast is just a jacket on the chair. If you are a lucid dreamer, you can do it within the dream.
Be careful what you watch or allow yourself to see. I like to watch something relaxing or funny before sleep. The subconscious could use images you see throughout your day as a later symbol.
Place a Black Tourmaline crystal on your nightstand. It is said to protect you from negative thoughts and harmful spirits. I like to hold mine anytime I feel negative thoughts or enter a negative situation. I also place mine on my computer for protection.
Work on the things that happen in your waking life that are causing you stress. You may need to say no to a project or verbalize your feelings in a waking situation. Keep a journal and write your thoughts, experiences, and emotions. You can read them and reflect on how to change things. If you do this, your dreams will give you more solutions than nightmares.
The best way to have peace in your sleep is to conquer your suppressed emotions and thoughts during the day. If you don't, your dreams might become nightmares.
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/
Deedee has been analyzing dreams for herself, family and friends for over 30 years. She has taken classes by J.M. DeBord, author of several books about dreams, including the best-selling "Dream Interpretation Dictionary."
Deedee interprets dreams for those who ask. Email hauntedhourpodcast@yahoo.com and read her dream interpretations on her blog https://hauntedhourpodcast.blogspot.com/
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
