[OneInBillions]

Does anyone here have frequent bad dreams, or nightmares? It seems like I get them at least 2-3 times a week, and they're usually powerful enough to affect my mood the following day. I think they probably stem from my anxiety -- I worry so much while I'm awake, so naturally my unconscious mind worries too.

For example, last night I dreamt that my parents forced me to go to the church I hated so much when I was a kid (I'm 30 now.) I always hated going to church, and as soon as I was old enough I gradually stopped going. Incidentally my parents stopped too, and they didn't give me much grief when I finally told them I was an atheist -- a huge relief. But they were so devout when I was a kid... I worry that they could end up going back, and drag me with them in an effort to "save my soul" or whatever.

I just hate bad dreams like that... It makes my mood sour all day long, as I worry about what it meant and whether or not it could really happen. I envy those who never dream... The majority of mine are decidedly negative, and they occur so often. And now I'm afraid to sleep again.

[Thunder Bow]

You are probably forcing yourself into doing some thing in real life you don't like. Such as a job or living situation.

[MusicMike]

I'm sorry you are having frequent bad dreams. I have read that most people's dreams, for the most part, have unpleasant feelings or involve unpleasant situations. It's actually amazing how few genuinely happy/well-being dreams there are for many people. It sounds like yours are more distressing than average.

Commenting on your specific dream, I have a particular perspective on this. I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household and was force-fed religious belief, then became an atheist in college, then a few years later was overcome with OCD, bipolar, and severe PTSD and sought the help of a therapist. He told me about the 20th century psychiatrist Carl Jung. This guy is simply amazing! He studied dreams and how the symbolism of dreams can be found across many cultures and religions. His contemporary Freud thought the unconscious mind was basically a trash heap of rejected/repressed thoughts and feelings. Jung instead saw the unconscious as a rich source of wisdom and a universal perspective that can bring people together. He saw dreams as communications from the unconscious to the conscious mind, trying to provide an informative and helpful perspective. He called the totality of conscious and unconscious mind the "psyche."

What blew my mind was that I realized every religious experience I ever witnessed or felt could be explained as a manifestation of the psyche, which meant that it was neither true nor untrue. It was neither something I had to take on faith or reject. Rather it was one way that the psyche manifests itself.

I believe my parent's religious views were very unhealthy for me, so my journey became then to express my own psyche in a healthy way. I've had to come to terms with the existence of a deep part of me that is wise but not entirely rational, like the intuition of a dog for instance.

So one explanation for your dream is this. Perhaps there is something in your life right now that is affecting you deeply but doesn't seem entirely "rational" (in other words, not something that can be easily analyzed or explained). Or something that doesn't fit with your current set of beliefs. By being irrational, it evokes religion. Some part of you is pulled toward this experience -- to some part of you, it's intriguing, or seems to hold some promise for your future. Yet because it evokes religion, it feels like you are being forcibly dragged to it against your will.

As always, whether this interpretation makes sense is for you to say.

Originally Posted by mike1127

I'm sorry you are having frequent bad dreams. I have read that most people's dreams, for the most part, have unpleasant feelings or involve unpleasant situations. It's actually amazing how few genuinely happy/well-being dreams there are for many people. It sounds like yours are more distressing than average.

Commenting on your specific dream, I have a particular perspective on this. I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household and was force-fed religious belief, then became an atheist in college, then a few years later was overcome with OCD, bipolar, and severe PTSD and sought the help of a therapist. He told me about the 20th century psychiatrist Carl Jung. This guy is simply amazing! He studied dreams and how the symbolism of dreams can be found across many cultures and religions. His contemporary Freud thought the unconscious mind was basically a trash heap of rejected/repressed thoughts and feelings. Jung instead saw the unconscious as a rich source of wisdom and a universal perspective that can bring people together. He saw dreams as communications from the unconscious to the conscious mind, trying to provide an informative and helpful perspective. He called the totality of conscious and unconscious mind the "psyche."

What blew my mind was that I realized every religious experience I ever witnessed or felt could be explained as a manifestation of the psyche, which meant that it was neither true nor untrue. It was neither something I had to take on faith or reject. Rather it was one way that the psyche manifests itself.

I believe my parent's religious views were very unhealthy for me, so my journey became then to express my own psyche in a healthy way. I've had to come to terms with the existence of a deep part of me that is wise but not entirely rational, like the intuition of a dog for instance.

So one explanation for your dream is this. Perhaps there is something in your life right now that is affecting you deeply but doesn't seem entirely "rational" (in other words, not something that can be easily analyzed or explained). Or something that doesn't fit with your current set of beliefs. By being irrational, it evokes religion. Some part of you is pulled toward this experience -- to some part of you, it's intriguing, or seems to hold some promise for your future. Yet because it evokes religion, it feels like you are being forcibly dragged to it against your will.

As always, whether this interpretation makes sense is for you to say.

found that interesting.

thanks so much for sharing that