Nightmares are often frightening and unpleasant experiences, and it can be tempting to ignore them. The most common themes are being chased, someone or something you love being destroyed, terrorised by a monster, and being a victim of violence. However, the apparent trauma of a nightmare is usually a blessing in disguise as it can alert us to an issue that we need to urgently attend to in waking life.
The most disturbing aspect of a nightmare is the feeling that we have no control over it and we often feel terrified as our unconscious self forces us to confront our repressed feelings, frustrated intentions and deepest fears. This is the gift that the nightmare brings us as it helps us to identify specific solutions to the frustrations and anxieties we experience in our waking lives.
The more you try to ignore your nightmares, the more your unconscious turns up the volume, and so a nightmare is really just a normal dream on full volume. Your dreams are an incredibly valuable resource, which most of us simply ignore. The more courageously you explore your dreams, even the horrible scary ones, the more easily you will achieve your real dreams in waking life.
The most powerful way to resolve a nightmare is to try and remember as much of the experience you can, as everything your unconscious is presenting to you can be a vital clue. These clues can be translated and integrated into the safety of waking reality, and use them to powerfully resolve the underlying tensions that are causing the nightmares.
