How to get rid of frequent and recurring Nightmares
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The short answer to understanding where dreams and nightmares come from is this: all dreams- pleasant or otherwise - arise from within you; they're a part of your inner subconscious making itself know.
If a frightening nightmare persists, or occurs at all, the question is - what part of you, is trying to get your attention? The good news is, its almost always a good wake-up call (pardon the pun). If its a recurring dream then it's an insistent message that is there to help make you aware of something going on in your life - a situation, an event, a way in which you show up in the world, which you need to attend to. The sooner you wake up to it (!), and understand it, the sooner you can act on it. And the sooner you act on it, the sooner you'll achieve the rewards of your action. And the faster that dream fades to be replaced by new and helpful insights for your next action.
Consider dreams your friend; a personal night-time messenger; a symbolic movie of clues, and a guiding light to the hidden 'must-do' lists in your life. All dreams, particularly nightmares, hold startling information.They alert you to a discovery, a wonderful attribute, talent, special quality that you haven't wanted to admit to yourself and are frightened to face. Almost invariably they are positive messages often about something you've neglected or ignored. And good dreams tell you where you're going well and what gifts are blossoming and being developed.
During your waking day you generally know what you want to get done and you go about your day often doing the same things over and over. This leaves little time for introspection or contemplation. In your hectic schedule, you'll encounter situations, experiences, people and challenges that you have no time to put into perspective nor to fully and deeply consider.
When you make the time for contemplation -whether its meditation, or any other truly meaningful down-time of mindfulness- you allow the subconscious part of yourself to be heard, above the hubris of your life, and it keeps you informed of what's going on internally. It's a way of processing the events of the day that might otherwise have missed your focus and attention. You can use this internal processing and resource, of subconscious awareness, to determine what your next step will be, in the external world, and use it towards the accomplishment of your hopes and dreams. And usually the next step required is simply to resolve old 'stuff'.
When there's no time put aside for contemplation, the significant and necessary events that pass us by daily get missed. And then get a night-time message appears.
The reason nightmares can often be so frightening is because within them are the immense possibilities they hold - which can often be so tremendous, and so outside your habitual ways, that they scare you. Dreams and nightmares offer insights to your waking life and where there's any hesitation, in that extra effort you're being called to do, and which takes you out of your habitual comfort zone, creates the dream.
Your dream might be alerting you to learn how to say no, acquire a spirit of generosity, forgive yourself or someone, let go of something or someone, or otherwise heal a relationship or situation in someway, spur you to confidence to start a business and implement your ideas. And your bad dream is showing, reminding and helping you recognize what that step is, that you can do what it is you need to do. And that its time to do so.
Here are some tips to help:
1. Write down the elements of the nightmare.
Write down the dream, or draw it in simple illustrations to get the overall concept in the dream. Is it dark for instance, or during the day? Darkness usually indicates something you're processing that's not entirely clear to you, while a day-time dream usually indicates something more obvious that you're not acknowledging. Are you hiding in the dream? Is it something you're hiding from and not wanting to turn around and face it? Or, are you being chased?
2. Having written or drawn the dream do you notice any patterns to the dream?
Is it dark everywhere throughout the dream, or do you emerge into daylight in some parts? Are cars a consistent theme for example? Is it always the same people? If parts of the dream changed since you first had it, make a note of those. Is there an upward theme- are you going upwards, are there arrows pointing consistently somewhere, are you climbing stairs? Note these patterns in your dream.
3. What do the symbols and elements of the dream mean to you?
Dreams are highly symbolic and hold within them ideas and concepts you can understand. Some are universal like rainbows, and some are very personal. Start with an online dream dictionary to get an idea of what some symbols might represent if you're stuck on their meaning. Is it taking place somewhere you recognise? Are there people you know in the dream? What do these things mean to you? For example is there a particular room in your dream where you used to feel safe in in real life? When does it appear in the dream?
3. Trust yourself to know what that dream is about.
Allow yourself to recognise it. Often we get nightmares because we repress something we may not want to acknowledge. In my experience it's always something positive. The feelings in a dream are very important clues. Do you wake up excited, scared, or anxious. Use those feelings to tap into what that information means for you.
4.Get more clues.
If you're still not sure, use your waking day to allow more clues through. Do you hear something that strikes a chord with you- something a friend says, or something you hear on TV. Other messages may come from a song you can't get out of your head, an ad you see in the paper that you feel compelled to reply to. Become aware of these things and see if they relate to the dream.
5. Take steps to resolve the dream.
If you know what the dream might be referring to, start taking little steps towards what it is you want. If you need to be more assertive in a situation then practise saying no. If it's something from the past you need to confront, what's your first easy, baby step towards resolving that issue?
6. Lucid dreaming.
Understanding your dreams is like having your own personal message board from your truest best friend. Get into the habit of writing your dreams down and then using them through-out your day and life. Some people practice lucid dreaming, which is waking up enough to observe the dream and even change it!
Have fun, jump in and be prepared for the rewards of understanding yourself.
Thanks to Andrés Lázaro and Mike3950 for their images.
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Hi Abhinaya, that's great- have fun with it!
Good tips. I get asked to interpret dreams a lot, too.
Hope, and isn't it fun?!
Great tips, I'll definitely try these. Thanks for a really useful hub :)
Glad it helped moonbun- let me know how it goes! :)
Nightmares can be os spiritual origin. Do see the findings at my hubs on Sleep well at
http://hubpages.com/_SpiritualSC/hub/Sleep-well---
regards
Dr. Anjesh
Hi dranjesh I agree that they are spiritual in origin as so far as they are internally generated. It's interesting they've been considered a result of external negative influences from the Regions of Hell. I suppose what the western cultures would call ethers and vapours. I don't particularly agree but thank you for visiting.
dreams are a mystery, I'm always fascinated by them, thanks for this information and I think it is very helpful to those times when our dreams disturb us. thank you!!!
they're so useful when we 'get' them. thanks for coming by marisue!
Hi Lifebydesign! Geeez weeez you're good!! Another great read!
I've tried lucid dreaming a few times, I reached the observation stage, but did never manage to change the dream!
That's funny Elena, one of my nicknames was 'weezy'. The observation stage hey that's good!
Dreams are such a healthy sign that our brain is functioning well. I notice that I dream more when my emotional life is healthy. Great hub!
I know what you mean- mine are messier when I'm off track, and pleasant and reaffirming when I'm doing what I should be doing. Thanks Cailin. :-)
I love Hubs like these! I always dream about something new I've seen that day, even if I spoke to a person I know but haven't seen for a while. I never really think they have a real meaning... I just see them as something on my mind
I've heard of lucid dreaming and it's something that I would like to do just to see much more of my dreams and change them a bit, I often recall my dreams quite often even though they are rather wierd, such as one time there was a talking block of cheese that followed me around, but I could never hear what it was saying, it's sort of a recurring dream but not a nightmare, just a weird dream.
Anyway great hub.
Hi glassvisage, I agree, definitely something on my (subconscious) mind. Mine are like hints too and I use them- when I understand them!- to improve on whatever I'm doing.
Waynet: cheese, ginger, superpowers..you have some cool dreams! I think the idea behind lucid dreaming is by being able to change it in your dream, your waking mind-mind picks it up and you then change the way you think about things in the cold light of day. Do tell us when you find out what the talking cheese is saying!
Lifebydesign, what a great job you did with this topic! It's written well, and it's very informative.
You make a great point about meditation. I had more lucid dreams when I was meditating every day. There's something very grounding and cleansing about meditation that really plugs you in. ;)
Dreams are very telling, and your number one tip of having a dream journal is awesome. :)
Hi Pam, I know what you mean about meditating. Everything becomes so much clearer when your meditate, and accessing dreams and other inner resources seems that much easier and becomes just part of your everyday 'flow'. It's so under-rated but the benefits are huge. :-)
Extremely interesting...
Hey marco, thanks for dropping by :-)
I like your thoughtful tips on dreaming. The positive value of dreams and attention they are focusing consciousness to attend is sure a good idea. I dreamed of myself recently as a young boy carrying a screaming baby through some dream landscape. When I remembered it on waking I felt like some caregiving got done and chose to interpret self nurturing. The language of dreams is symbols and actions for me and because I'm such a wordy guy translating that image language can be tricky, Thanks
Mike, that's a lovely interpretation, I use mine as feedback as well. The feeling of dreams is really key too in trying to understand it, and self nuturing is a great one to recognise. Great to see you here, thanks for sharing.
This article is well-written. Thank you for sharing on this subject.
Hi Satyam7, thanks for visiting :)
Haha, talks about syncronicity. I don't often recall my dreams, but twice last night I woke up in a lucid nightmare. Hmm..where's my vile of holy water...
G|M
Twice. wow. Love lucid dreams. They're so...lucid. Yep keep my holy water beside my bed, works everytime! lol
Hi lifebydesign, this is very interesting...sometimes there are people who would ask me to interpret their dreams/nightmares LOL and I will refer them to your hub. Thumbs up! :-)
Hi ripplemaker, thanks. This is such a rich field, would love one from you on it! :)
thanks alot but i have had the dream again once after trying the steps
Hey Briel, thanks for the comment. Did anything in the dream change, and what, if any, steps did you have difficulty with? When dream recurr generally the underlying meaning hasn't been resolved or understood. It may seem like it but its likely there's something else you need to understand.
I have had the same persistent nightmare for years Great hub
I have had the same persistent nightmare for years Great hub
Hi chefiaja, thanks for stopping by.
Ined someone to resolve this for me please.I've tried doing it on my own,and Istill don't know what the hell im doin.Night after nght i dream my boyfriend neglects me,for instance he kisses a girl infront of me...and says whats the problem...we are at a party and he dries off leaving me there without saying anything,then when he comes back he went partying somewhere else..and once again he's like...whats the problem etc.I wake up crying,or feeling depressed,or screaming.I am 19 years old weve been together a year and a half.were drifting apart.I know he loves me,but things arent what they used to be!Please help me!
i have bad dreames help me how do i get rid of this problem
well I started reading your hubs and all of my nightmares went away!
Thank you for your kind comment epigramman
my friend is having this reoccuring dream where she wakes up and the people are still there there are two guys and they are everywhere she turns its really scaring me and her and she says its like they are trying to find something. i want to help but she wont work with me i love her to death and im really scared this started happening last year too got any advice?
Hey Billy jim, happy to help. This is a dream, AND its also real?
thanks for the help. i used to have this nightmare all the time where the masked guy from scream would be chasing me and my mum through a super market and when he would catch up to us he wouldnt touch anyone but my mom. he made two little cuts on my mums legs in a shape of an x not really deep ones but just enough to see. i had this dream about 5 times and then my mum had a call from the doctor and she found out she had cancer and needed surgery on her legs to remove it. ever since then. i've never had this dream again. i really do believe dreams/nightmares have meanings. toodles.
Thanks it really help but they still occer
okay so what if you dont know what your nightmare is trying to tell you ? i have deams about people that mean the most to me dead so i thought maybe it was that i wasnt treating them well or something but- i thought bout it and well thats not it .. but then a new part came .. they were all (every one in the nightmare) telling me its was all my fault and they just keep repeting it till i find my self SEEING them die - almost to the point were i felt it .. so any ideas what THAT could mean at all ???
Hi Bailey, thanks for asking. I love trying to figure these out. Keep in mind though that the meanings of the symbols in your dreams are significant to you and 'intentional journaling' could help you alot in deciphering.
To some extent people in our dreams can be a reflection of parts of ourselves. What part of yourself, that is represented by these people who mean alot to you, is dying (or being killed) as a result of something you're doing, or not doing.
You hint there was a 'new part' - that sounds wonderfully interesting.
In short I think this is a dream worth understanding.
Alternatively, you can do something very different in your life and see how your dream plays differently.
And by new I mean 'better' new, something reflective of your nobility. What particular area of your life are you unwilling to act in? That might give you an idea of where to start or what to do.
um.. well for one thank you for helping me .. and lately i have been unwilling to do a lot of things like pay attention to my family that i love .. and i dont even know what happened to all of my friends ... i wont talk to the conslers about my um... habit .. And i think they are getting worse - like last night i had a dream that me and my friend roxanne (my Best friend we are like sisters) we were standing at some mall or maybe a hospital or something and out of no were its all on fire and shes bleeding form every were .. and it was so real and i thought it was i just remember a flash of her in a black shiny like - caskit after that .. so any idea's to what i could change to fix them so i can sleep ???
Bailey much of what you're saying about your family and friend life seem to be mirrored in your dreams. I would start with what you're thinking and work through them (thoughts and beliefs that are causing you to not pay attention to your family and friends), then put some energy and action into turning it around so those areas in your life that are needing attention are being attended to by you. These actions will help with your dreams. Dig in deep where you need to and get assistance/coaching/counselling if you're finding it difficult to do turn it around. All the best!
i still don't get it what if you try it and it still doesn't work what do i do
your advice has helped me the most of what i have got my bad dreams seem to be subsiting and i changed a lot about how i aproch things thank you (:
Hi Bailey, well done on doing something different and taking charge. Be sweet to yourself and I wish you all the very best!
Hi lakei, this is by no means the ultimate solution. I would recommend beginning with the end in mind ie what changes do you want to make, and adopt a frame of mind that expects you *will* have success. Having tried this, or something else you feel will help, if there is no changes for you tune into your own wisdom and intuition as to the next step that is true for you- and then take action on it. Warmest wishes to both of you.
I have never ever had any bad nasty nightmares in my life until recently. I am bad dreams since I have lost my memory, it is annoying has I have no peaceful sleep and i am tired and frustrated during the day. can anyone have any ideas to get rid of these beastly nightmares.I do not want to take pills or visit a doctor. I have tried meditation but it don't work.and I do not need a hot bath, I am not stressed or worried.
hi my name is cheyanne i have ben having nightmares and i am 18 years old i havent ben watching scarey movies and i havent ben scareing myself i am getting nightmares for apperntly now reasan is there something wrong with my brain?
can you please help me
sincerley cheyanne
What if you wake up and dont remember the nightmare? When I wake up all I remember is people running and screaming but I cant move when I wake up my arms hurt like I was being held down.....
Hi Gail, when I get dreams like that I write them down in a notebook, as soon as I can, and then see which elements of the dream really stand out. Such as being chased, or a particular person, a feeling or quality such as confusion or terror, or some item in the dream like a basement, or a gun. And then as best I can I see how it relates to my day to day life. What part of my life, and it may not be that day but some thing in the past, does it relate to that I have yet to resolve. Maybe its issues around abandonment, or an accident, or a person. I'm sorry I can't be more specific but each dream holds particular meanings to us and its in knowing what they are trying to tell us which is the key to deciphering them. Dreams talk to us in a different language than we generally use so I would put aside some time to think about it quietly and see what comes to you...
Hi Cheyanne, nightmares don't always come about because of scary things we've done or watched in our day unless it is something that has particular significance or meaning to us, like seeing an accident and someone die and then we may have nightmares about death if death is something we (secretly) troubled by. So dreams in and of themselves are generally keys so some underlying issue that we need to resolve. For example when I am presented with an opportunity to step up in someway during my day, maybe its to tell someone how I really feel, or maybe its to give a talk and I back away from it. Then often I will get a dream about being chased and feeling scared which to me represents something I am shying away from (such being in front of people, or hurting someone's feelings for example). Dreams are really very individual. If you're able start with one of your nicer dreams and see if you can start to tell what it might be telling you. What did you do during the day that the dream may be reinforcing? As you start to decipher those elements, write down your nightmares, step back from them and see what the story is that emerges. I learned to understand my own dreams by being curious about them as the first step...All the best.
More info please nicki :)
Hi Ambermack, the feeling is the important element in a dream. What is the feeling that is brought up, and what does that feeling remind you of? Go deeper into this. Is it helplessness, is it confusion, is it being isolated..? And then, what does it mean to be helpless to you? What causes these feelings to arise during the day, and what is going on in your day when there is a feeling of helplessness, for example. Often we're too busy during our day to notice what is really going on inside for us, and dreams bring our attention to those things that need attention and resolving. So in this instance, is there a situation thats ongoing which has similar elements in the dream? It may be family, it may be at work...Give yourself the benefit of looking into this some more.
whell what do you do whith images in your head that disterb you in the night thats whats happen whith me
The short answer commanda and the quickest solution is rather than fearing them or running away from those images, turn and look at them. Really go into the feeling that they bring up. If it's fear then face that feeling of fear and allow it to completely engulf you no matter how overwhelming it might seem or if it feels like you might even perish. It's a feeling, an image, a construct which your mind has come to recognise that its something to be disturbed by - and so it disturbs you in some way or frightens you. You however are not your mind ie its not your master, you are!(big difference). Let the feeling wash over you, go in and really give it rein and allow it to hit its intensity. Then. Then let me know what happens. Its quite amazing :) All the best!
I've had a recurring nightmare and it just won't go away. I've tried your tecniques but it wasn't helping. I'm 13 and I can't ever get one full night of sleep.
Hi ace_o_spades, sorry to hear of your dilemma. Tell me what you've tried - be as specific as you can - and lets get to the bottom of your nightmares.
Hi commanda, short answer is to go into the images and feel the feelings fully - the feelings that are disturbing you. They feel real but they actually won't hurt you. Take some time to do this - sit with them, look them in the face and feel them fully. Keep doing this and you will reach a point where they completely dissipate and fully release. All the best!
hi i am 74 and for 2 years i have been having nightmares that are work related
i can,t reach my sales target or i run out of stock and leave customers in trouble or i can,t cope with the job its all fear related and negative. When i wake my head feels full of all this rubbish and is pounding. i have to sit quietly and wait for an hour for it to subside, it is most unpleasant. What do you think of BACH flower remedies?
Abhinaya 4 years ago
Thanks for the tips.Lifebydesign.I was really wondering how to get rid of those dreadful dreams.This is really gonna help.