RE: Nightmares (Full Version)

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WyldHrt -> RE: Nightmares (5/26/2011 9:38:09 PM)

quote:

This may or may not work, but what about looking into learning lucid dreaming where you learn to control your own dreams?
I actually did this on my own as a child. When I would get stressed, I always dreamed about being trapped between a huge incoming tidal wave and a cliff. Eventually, I learned to move myself to the top of the cliff (dream teleportation, lol). The nightmare stopped for good once I did that.

ETA- now I just have 'workmares', where I dream of being at work for 8 hours before getting up and... going to work for 8 hours. I told one boss that I should be getting overtime. [:D]




hausboy -> RE: Nightmares (5/26/2011 9:43:03 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: WyldHrt

quote:

This may or may not work, but what about looking into learning lucid dreaming where you learn to control your own dreams?
I actually did this on my own as a child. When I would get stressed, I always dreamed about being trapped between a huge incoming tidal wave and a cliff. Eventually, I learned to move myself to the top of the cliff (dream teleportation, lol). The nightmare stopped for good once I did that.



I think it's called "Lucid dreaming".   While I've never been able to control my dream, once I'm able to determine that it is a dream, and not real, the anxiety in the dream stops.








WyldHrt -> RE: Nightmares (5/26/2011 9:50:08 PM)

quote:

I think it's called "Lucid dreaming".   While I've never been able to control my dream, once I'm able to determine that it is a dream, and not real, the anxiety in the dream stops.

I learned later that it had a name [8D]
Realizing that I was dreaming was the first step. What followed was a bit like Neo finding out about the Matrix. [;)]








MistressDarkArt -> RE: Nightmares (5/27/2011 12:00:30 AM)

May I recommend 2 wonderful books? The Dream Game by Ann Farraday and Living Your Dreams by Gayle Delaney.

I've been working nightly with dreams for 45 years. My parents (both in the psych field) taught me how to harness the dream power when I had recurring nightmares as a child. Since then dreams have helped me solve problems, make decisions, diagnose illness in my body, inspire creativity and even comfort me when I need it. Both the books above explain how to do this, and it's both easy to learn and fascinating. It's exciting to realize how much dreams are there to help you. The dream-power is benevolent; it will only send nightmares if you are not paying attention to the message.

You can program your dreams before you go to bed. For instance, you could say 'dream-power, you sent me the nightmare again last night and it terrified me. I know you want me to do something about the underlying cause. Would you send me a gentle dream tonight that will guide me to resolve my problem once and for all? I'll remember my dream in clear and vivid detail and will write it down upon awakening."

Btw, I don't recommend anything titled '1001 Dream Interpretations' or similar. Everyone has their own symbolism unique to them. So for the folks who dreamed of being overcome by a tidal wave (I have that one too), it may mean different things to each person. Sure, we're feeling overcome by something. Duh. But if you want to know WHY you're being sent a tidal wave ask yourself: if someone was from another planet that doesn't have tidal waves, how would I explain what they are? Was the water cold? Was it clear or murky? Warmer and more pleasant than I thought it would be? Did I make it to safe ground or did I let it overtake me and perish? Did I actually swim in the wave, possibly to safety? Break the symbol down elementally and it might not seem so weird or disconnected.

Dreams also have a habit of occurring/recurring within a few days of waking-life events, and they often have a sense of humor or use play-on-words. They are trying to get your attention, give you information, or warn you about something (I have precognitive dreams that occur 2 days, weeks, or months...even 2 years! in advance of the event.) When they recur they are giving you a reminder (sometimes not so gently) that it's time to finally pay attention to whatever it's about. So if you write down significant events of the last week, say...and then write down the details of the dream, you can often find the parallels in the language and say 'AHA! My neighbor brought her new car home last week and I keep dreaming that my eye is floating over it. In the dream my eye was bright green instead of brown. Hmmm, maybe it means 'I' instead of 'eye.' 'I green'? "Green with envy"...now we're getting somewhere..."I'm envious of my neighbor's new car!" This is kind of a silly, simple example but gives you an idea who the process works.

Now you don't have to read the books ;-) Feel free to CMail me on the other side if you'd like more info on working with dreams. Good luck to you...may learning to harness the dream-power bring you insight, inspiration, healing and peace.




FelineFae -> RE: Nightmares (5/27/2011 10:47:47 AM)

i have no doubt what the dreams are telling me about in their own warped visions.
When you have anxiety such as i do, your subconscious can turn into a three year old screaming for attention it doesn't need.
i have no ability to change the cause of the nightmares, thats why i'm trying not to have them.
Spending undue attention to the details of the dreams would only fed an obsessive compulsion and spin into a cycle of over-thinking the problem and to obsessing nonstop, which could lead into anxiety panic attacks,
that is what i am trying to circumvent.




Phoenixpower -> RE: Nightmares (5/27/2011 11:02:33 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: hausboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: WyldHrt

quote:

This may or may not work, but what about looking into learning lucid dreaming where you learn to control your own dreams?
I actually did this on my own as a child. When I would get stressed, I always dreamed about being trapped between a huge incoming tidal wave and a cliff. Eventually, I learned to move myself to the top of the cliff (dream teleportation, lol). The nightmare stopped for good once I did that.



I think it's called "Lucid dreaming".   While I've never been able to control my dream, once I'm able to determine that it is a dream, and not real, the anxiety in the dream stops.


For me its similar to what Hausboy is saying.

During my teenage years I had nightmares for about 8 years of my life for approx. 4 times a week on average.

In the first few years it regular made me jump out of bed and I felt like going insane with it happening again and again and again.

however, thankfully at some point I made the connection that in my case the nightmares were more likely to occur when I was sleeping on the back than on my side...so I avoided as much as possible to fall asleep on my back...then at a later stage I realised the nightmare is leaving once I switch on the light (before switching on the light it was still there despite that I knew I was awake by then and despite that I knew it isn't real) so I managed at some point to switch on the bedside lamp instead of jumping out of the bed and turning the light on...

Then over time that step enabled me to not being bothered about the nightmare anymore as I knew to just switch on the light and it will be gone...switch it off and continue my sleep...though that being said, it didn't happen overnight and it took me about 5-6 years to get to that stage...and about 2 years later that nightmare pretty much stopped except approx. twice a year on average where it still can occur...though that stopping IMO was due to having managed to get over my past and I still try to figure out why that nightmare is still coming back approx. twice a year...

So I would look if you can influence the likelyhood of your nightmares, e. g. if any eat or drink before going asleep might make it more likely or if sleeping position can make a difference etc.

Sometimes looking at the nights when it doesn't occur and check what has been different in that night to the other nights when it does occur, gives a huge inside to what to do to increase the likelihood of not having a nightmare.

Good luck OP, I will get back to you in a few days time on the other side, but don't have the time to do so today.




Phoenixpower -> RE: Nightmares (5/27/2011 11:23:53 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: MistressDarkArt
They are trying to get your attention, give you information, or warn you about something (I have precognitive dreams that occur 2 days, weeks, or months...even 2 years! in advance of the event.)


lol, thats true.

Many years ago my boss in a childrens village said during the break from our team meeting "I have to tell you something later (when we are back in the meeting)." So I said "you mean that we get a new kid into our group?" He said "How do you know that?" I replied "you mean that we get a girl into our group." He again "How do you know that?" I told him "I dreamed it last night." He was baffled and his surprise (as we were hoping for another girl in our group to balance it more out gender wise) was ruined thanks to my dream [:D]

Same happened when when my best friend and I both dreamed within a few days that she would be pregnant now and she was, with twins or from a warning side I once dreamed on a flight home that my tooth would come crushing down...soon later I had a check up due to moving to the UK and voila there was one tooth who looked perfect from the outside, but the tooth behind it had secretly drilled a hole into that tooth and because of that this tooth was far from healthy from the inside and would have come crashing down soon if it wouldn't have been removed the next day.

So I agree, I find dreams fascinating [:)]

Or at least, most of the time [8|]




MistressDarkArt -> RE: Nightmares (5/27/2011 1:57:48 PM)


quote:

Then over time that step enabled me to not being bothered about the nightmare anymore as I knew to just switch on the light and it will be gone...switch it off and continue my sleep...though that being said, it didn't happen overnight and it took me about 5-6 years to get to that stage...and about 2 years later that nightmare pretty much stopped except approx. twice a year on average where it still can occur...though that stopping IMO was due to having managed to get over my past and I still try to figure out why that nightmare is still coming back approx. twice a year...


Phoenix, when your dream comes back twice a year, is there something significant that is occurring in your waking life? Is there a pattern between when this dream occurs and something in particular you must deal with twice a year?




MistressDarkArt -> RE: Nightmares (5/27/2011 2:10:34 PM)

quote:

i have no ability to change the cause of the nightmares, thats why i'm trying not to have them.
Spending undue attention to the details of the dreams would only fed an obsessive compulsion and spin into a cycle of over-thinking the problem and to obsessing nonstop, which could lead into anxiety panic attacks,
that is what i am trying to circumvent.


Don't give up on dream power Fae! I promise it's there to help you! The goal is not to change the past (not possible!), but to access your vast ability to reconcile the past, heal and move forward to peace and comfort. Here is an example of incubating a helpful dream before bed: 'OK dream-power, the nightmares are breaking me down and keeping me stuck instead of helping me move forward. I'm ready to receive what I need to know and do to attain a peaceful, comfortable state. Please send me a dream that will guide me toward reconciling my past and move me forward to peace. I will remember my dream in clear and vivid detail and will write it down upon awakening." You can also add "thank you" at the end as a vote of confidence in yourself :-)





Phoenixpower -> RE: Nightmares (5/27/2011 2:13:24 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: MistressDarkArt


quote:

Then over time that step enabled me to not being bothered about the nightmare anymore as I knew to just switch on the light and it will be gone...switch it off and continue my sleep...though that being said, it didn't happen overnight and it took me about 5-6 years to get to that stage...and about 2 years later that nightmare pretty much stopped except approx. twice a year on average where it still can occur...though that stopping IMO was due to having managed to get over my past and I still try to figure out why that nightmare is still coming back approx. twice a year...


Phoenix, when your dream comes back twice a year, is there something significant that is occurring in your waking life? Is there a pattern between when this dream occurs and something in particular you must deal with twice a year?


Thats what I am still trying to figure out [;)]

edited to add: you got cmail [:)]




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