No sleep without a dream

I never sleep without having nightmares or at least weird dreams. I still dreaming when I only take a short nap. It has been like this for years, maybe 10 years or more.

Those nightmares most of time including sleep paralyze and I would (finally) wake up screaming. Sometimes it takes a few sessions of waking-screaming-falling asleep again-waking-screaming again before I fully wake up.

Those nightmares were mostly about evil creatures trying to get me while I fight them for my life. Name all urban legends I think I have seen them.

What concern me a lot is the weird dreams though. Nightmares only caused me some fears, anxiety, and panic that will fade away in a few hours. But the weird dreams left me feeling lonely. I always feel lonely and after a weird dream it gets worse.

The recurrent weird dreams always have the same plot, though the stories might be varied. It is always about someone I don't recognize who, but in my dreams I know that I had lost them in past. In dream I always tried to alter the ending but always failed. I lost them anyway no matter how hard I tried.

I am not sure whether my psychosis plays in this but those dreams feel more real than real world while real world feels like dream.

Sleep never make me feel fresh after that. No matter how much I sleep I still feel tired. Take hours until I finally have some energy to do things.

Any insight about this will be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Hi,
I think I might be able to assist you. My take on dreams is different then many others. If you'd like to check me out go to a free website I created a year and a half ago "http://learningfrommydreams.com/". There you'll see the 10 things I've learnt from my dreams, a dream discussion paper, a story I created to explain about the multiverse we live in, a rich resource site, a section on different meditation techniques and some sample dream interpretations. As well, you can also view some of the numerous interpretations I've done on this board.

If after reading this you're intrigued, then here's what I want you to do. I want you to take 2-3 dreams that most bother you and/or are recurring. Choose ones where you can recall some detail for them.

Then here's what I want you to do...

What I've learnt from my own dreams is that there is nothing in a dream by chance. Therefore, if you answer the following questions, to the best of your recall ability, I will happily give you an interpretation of your dream as if it was mine.

First tell me the number of scenes in your dream. THEN FOR EACH SCENE I want you to tell me the following:

Location:
I want you to look in your mind, as the observer, in the following directions and tell me what you see:
1. To your left.
2. To your right.
3. In front of you.
4. Behind you.
5. Above you.
6. Below you.

It’s all right if you can’t recall much. Simply tell me what you see and make sure I know what direction it is from you the dreamer. In my interpretation, you’ll see how this is a symbol itself.

When you are describing what you see, tell me in as much detail as you can recall about it. So things I am very interested in is what are walls, doors, windows, stairs, tables, etc. made of, age/style, colour, etc. The same goes for anything outside. You’ll see in my interpretations how all of this tells us lots about ourselves.

Lighting:
1. Tell me what the lighting was like, i.e. bright, dull, black, cloudy etc.
2. Then tell me where the light was coming from.
3. Can you tell the time of day or season?
Lighting is important in a dream because it’s a symbol of vibrational state. I’ll explain this during my interpretation for you.

Objects:
If there are any objects in a dream scene, then tell me about them as follows:
1. Shape, size, colour and what they were made of.
2. Where the object is in the dream relative to you, i.e. left, right, etc.

I’ve found objects in dreams are usually symbols of things we first need to concentrate on spiritually. I’ll explain this in the interpretation if you had any objects in any of the scenes.

People:
For each person in a dream scene I want you to do the following:
1. Describe them to me in as much detail as you can recall. This includes age, gender, clothes, colour of the clothes, what the clothes were made of.
2. Tell me where they were in the dream scene relative to you, i.e. left, right, below, etc.
3. Tell me if they were lying down, sitting, standing, walking, etc.
4. Tell me what they did with you. Don’t skip the details. Simply tell me exactly what happened.
5. If there are any conversations or thoughts between you and the person or others, then tell me EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID. This is important.
6. If there were others you couldn’t see but felt, then let me know where you felt they were in a scene relative to you the dreamer, i.e. left, right, etc.
7. For people who you know in real life, tell me anything that's different about them in the dream versus the real life version.

Animals. Etc.:
If there were any animals, insects, birds, reptiles, fish or whatever in any of the scenes, then tell me. Describe them in as great as detail as you can recall. Also let me know where they were in the dream scene relative to you, i.e. left, right, etc. Then let me know of any thoughts that passed between you and them.

Thoughts/Feelings:
This is a very important part of every dream scene. Take your time, go back and tell me the following for each scene:
1. What was your first thought/feeling as the dream scene began.
2. Tell me of any thoughts/feeling changes as the dream scene progressed and let me know where in the scene this occurred.
3. Tell me your last thought/feeling as the dream ended.

I realize this is a lot of work. HOWEVER, I think you might be surprised by how much you can learn about yourself from a single scene.

As well, I will give you some ideas about how to enter a deep sleep state.

With kind regards,
Guy

Hello Grand. I'm sorry you're going through this, I have something similar. I was abused as a young child and I've had Chronic Nightmare Disorder since (over 20 years). I also have a sleep disorder which I believe is genetic because my child is displaying symptoms of it. The doctors at the sleep clinic weren't sure at the time what to call it, but I tend to skip non-REM stages to go quickly to REM. I was getting sleep paralysis frequently while falling asleep, which is terrifying. My child experiences it while coming out of sleep, with (thank goodness) elation. I've had OBE's (unwanted), and my nightmares are the stuff of horror movies. I don't at all enjoy that kind of media so I don't know where the imagery is even coming from.. I don't even watch the news because I refuse to fill my mind with anything foul. The good news is, I have found some coping strategies. For sleep paralysis, I leave a night light on. For whatever reason I almost never get it unless the room is completely dark.. For the few times per year that this doesn't work, I call on Jesus (in my mind, as I can't scream out loud) and it stops instantly. The nightmares I still struggle with, but when I realize that I'm in a dream I know that I am not powerless... I'll turn into a bird and fly up into a tree and hide, or I'll make myself a flaming sword and cut the monster's head off... I've written poetry and had visions (others in my family also do this) in them and somehow 3 times experienced my child's dreams while napping next to him. I also again scream for God if I can't get away in my nightmare. I used to get stabbed or shot in my dreams and then wake up aching in that spot... That almost never happens anymore as I'm able to hide, run, fight back or get out. But how exhausting to do this every night...

Hi to both of you,
I can't wave a magic wand to heal either of you. However, I can assist both of you with your dreams. It's been my own experience and, I find from interpreting hundreds of other folks dreams, that nightmares are some of our most powerful teachers. I used to have them each night, waking up with my heart pumping and today, several years later...they are completely gone.

So how did I do this? By learning to listen to myself.

Your strategy, Widlfowersinmytea, is a good coping strategy, i.e. calling on Jesus et al BUT it's not one that stops the nightmares completely from recurring again. Am I correct?

Here's a thought that you might not like on the surface. It's quite likely the "bad things" in your dreams are symbols of a portion of yourself in this life as well as in likely many, many of what I call "other" lives. Once a person can understand exactly what the symbols mean, then the spiritual healing process can begin.

I've helped others who have been raped, etc. I'm not a doctor, psychiatrist or a psychologist. What I am is a fellow dream traveler who can help you learn about yourselves by teaching you the language of dreams.

So, if either of you want to learn to face yourselves and stop, over time, the recurring nightmares, then you can reply to this post or, send me an email at guy@hvl.net or send me a post from my free website Learning From My Dreams | Dream Interpretation ? Learning.

With best wishes that each of you stop your nightly terror,
Guy

Look for an real life situation where you feel you lost yourself. Anxiety can cause bad dreams. Are you in a real life situation where you are feeling lonely?

I'll offer a milder one for interpretation.. I've been having this dream in different settings for over 20 years.
I'm walking alone, down a country road... I'm just getting exercise, or walking down to my barn to feed my horses, or headed back to the house. Sometimes it's the road I live on, sometimes one or another I don't recognize. The weather is mild and everything is quiet until I hear a car coming. The car elicits dread in me... I'm so afraid. Sometimes I try to hide in the ditch or brush, sometimes I take off running into the woods when I hear it slow, sometimes I stand my ground and tell myself I'm being silly. I don't see the person, just the car. I know there's a man, an evil stranger inside and he wants to hurt me. He's going to kidnap me, torture me, kill me. I've "woken up" later in my dream in the hospital, being told I had been beat up and raped. Other times I force it to end as the car pulls to a stop, or I run for hours through the woods being chased.

Hi,
Bad dreams and nightmares always have a phisical or psychological cause. If you had bad dreams for 20 years, it is likely that you have some breathing difficulties in certain sleeping positions, or some sleeping positions cause pain during sleep.
The most common problem is breathing difficulties, or mild sleep apnea. Ulcers in one or the other side of the stomach can also cause reoccurring bad dreams. The subconscious creates the dream to change your sleeping position or to wake you up.
Next time you experience this, check which part of your body is aching, perhaps you'll find the cause of your reoccurring dreams

Gojamadar,

Very interesting take on why one may be having certain dreams.

I had a pre-ulcer, fixed that. I had GERD, fixed that. I have sleep apnea, fixed that w/a cpap. I still dreampt the same strange dreams. So, not sure if I fall into your category. I've had vivid, scary nightmares and strange dreams since young childhood. I still remember my dreams since i was 4, I am now 57. I have vivid recall of most all my dreams without effort all these years.

I used to dream nightly, but medications have taken my dreams away, or at least my recall of any dreams, and I miss that. I stopped one medication that I knew interfered with my recall, but new meds seem to have the same effect, although they are not "sleep meds" per se. I think dreams are about feelings and I miss the chance to work out feeling in my dreams. I find myself more irritable when awake now.

Still, I can appreciate your take on why one may dream due to the reasons you stated.

Thanks for your post.

In real life you are taking care of yourself. However there may be a real life situation that seems threatening to you. Or someone near who seems threatening. It is good to see that you are taking care of your horses.

Thank you for the thoughts. I did stay at a sleep clinic as a late teen and was told I have no sleep apnea. I have no gut issues but my back frequently hurts. My therapist diagnosed me with complex PTSD and believes my nightmares are a result of my childhood sexual abuse, which has been layered onto by abusuve partners and strangers (all males). If that's the reason for my chronic nightmares, combined with whatever genetic disorder I have in which I skip over non-REM to REM, then it makes sense. I just don't know how to stop them from happening.

Hi,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Here's what I want you to do with this dream.

What I've learnt from my own dreams is that there is nothing in a dream by chance. Therefore, if you answer the following questions, to the best of your recall ability, I will happily give you an interpretation of your dream as if it was mine.

First tell me the number of scenes in your dream. THEN FOR EACH SCENE I want you to tell me the following:

Location:
I want you to look in your mind, as the observer, in the following directions and tell me what you see:
1. To your left.
2. To your right.
3. In front of you.
4. Behind you.
5. Above you.
6. Below you.

It’s all right if you can’t recall much. Simply tell me what you see and make sure I know what direction it is from you the dreamer. In my interpretation, you’ll see how this is a symbol itself.

When you are describing what you see, tell me in as much detail as you can recall about it. So things I am very interested in is what are walls, doors, windows, stairs, tables, etc. made of, age/style, colour, etc. The same goes for anything outside. You’ll see in my interpretations how all of this tells us lots about ourselves.

Lighting:
1. Tell me what the lighting was like, i.e. bright, dull, black, cloudy etc.
2. Then tell me where the light was coming from.
3. Can you tell the time of day or season?
Lighting is important in a dream because it’s a symbol of vibrational state. I’ll explain this during my interpretation for you.

Objects:
If there are any objects in a dream scene, then tell me about them as follows:
1. Shape, size, colour and what they were made of.
2. Where the object is in the dream relative to you, i.e. left, right, etc.

I’ve found objects in dreams are usually symbols of things we first need to concentrate on spiritually. I’ll explain this in the interpretation if you had any objects in any of the scenes.

People:
For each person in a dream scene I want you to do the following:
1. Describe them to me in as much detail as you can recall. This includes age, gender, clothes, colour of the clothes, what the clothes were made of.
2. Tell me where they were in the dream scene relative to you, i.e. left, right, below, etc.
3. Tell me if they were lying down, sitting, standing, walking, etc.
4. Tell me what they did with you. Don’t skip the details. Simply tell me exactly what happened.
5. If there are any conversations or thoughts between you and the person or others, then tell me EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID. This is important.
6. If there were others you couldn’t see but felt, then let me know where you felt they were in a scene relative to you the dreamer, i.e. left, right, etc.
7. For people who you know in real life, tell me anything that's different about them in the dream versus the real life version.

Animals. Etc.:
If there were any animals, insects, birds, reptiles, fish or whatever in any of the scenes, then tell me. Describe them in as great as detail as you can recall. Also let me know where they were in the dream scene relative to you, i.e. left, right, etc. Then let me know of any thoughts that passed between you and them.

Thoughts/Feelings:
This is a very important part of every dream scene. Take your time, go back and tell me the following for each scene:
1. What was your first thought/feeling as the dream scene began.
2. Tell me of any thoughts/feeling changes as the dream scene progressed and let me know where in the scene this occurred.
3. Tell me your last thought/feeling as the dream ended.

I realize this is a lot of work. HOWEVER, I think you might be surprised by how much you can learn about yourself from a single scene.

With kind regards,
Guy