Does Anyone Have Nightmares That Are Not About Trauma?

[The Albatross]

Here's the things about unpleasant dreaming that are not related to traumas. It's largely unconscious and unless you're a pro at lucid dreaming it's a base starting point and in reality has no impact on your waking day. Those that are related to traumas fall into categories, those that perpetuate your waking perceptions, those that don't... either to shed/cast light or question your waking perception or those that are residual.

 

[Deleted member 42121]

For me 99% of nightmares are NOT specifically related nor are obviously related by metaphor. My brain just throws out as much bad and unrelated stuff on the dreamTV as it can possibly come up with. I avoid images that it can use on me later.

Maybe my brain is like... here are all the OTHER bad things that can happen!?!

 

[VioletButterfly]

Mixed bag here or trauma based, stress, death, violence, relationships and who knows what else. All I can say is that the bag is stuffed full and overflowing all of a sudden. Had another horrible one in the wee hours this morning and all I could manage to do was to lay there in a spinning twilight state trying to calm myself with visualizations that just aren't seeming to work anymore. Stayed that way for about 2 hours; just couldn't get up. Uglch!

 

[VioletButterfly]

Those that are related to traumas fall into categories, those that perpetuate your waking perceptions, those that don't... either to shed/cast light or question your waking perception or those that are residual.

I'm no pro at this, but it seems my dreams all of a sudden are of this sort. Like this morning, I again awoke in the midst of disturbing dreams about my mom still being alive, my visiting her at the facility and getting ready to go out, and my sister and some male members of family(?) all trying to intimidate me, my sister screeching and menacing me, and me and my mom clinging together and crying as she was pulled away from me as I let go. Not sure if I'm grieving what I didn't have with my mom and what did exist that wasn't healthy, how her end of life played out for her and the impact on me, the few lucid moments we did share that I cherish and that confuse me at the same time, the way the funeral played out with a confrontation with my sister and my not going to the service or burial, or with what's going on now with the estate and her accusations. Just a big old toxic jumble that is burying me. It feels like a flashback that I carry with me throughout my day and that seems to overwhelm my trying to sleep as well. Heck, I don't know. Lots of prayer on this one; it's all I can figure out to do at this point. God is the only family and support I have.

 

[The Albatross]

Subconscious stuff it not to bury you @VioletButterfly in a toxic jumble... it is available for you to process, to teach you something/for your edification OR... it is your brain giving you more of what it thinks you want... which is indicative of a behavior pattern. One that you may want to try to change. (Not talkin' about flashbacks here... just dreams/nightmares.)

 

[VioletButterfly]

@The Albatross - Thank you for your response. I think I get the processing part if I'm understanding your meaning correctly. I think the nightmares may be my mind trying to process a lot of grief which is bound up in a lifetime of family drama and abuse, and then the loss of my mom earlier this year and even the broken nature of the relationship I have with my Dad at this point. Teaching and edification are ongoing and I'll have to think about these. Thank you for noting them for me to consider.

I'm not sure how the brain would be giving me more of what I want in this regard as I don't want to think about these things, I want to lock them in a box. Maybe that's the problem. They're unhooking the latch in my sleep?? Not that I want you to shrink me, but could you please share about what behavior pattern this might be indicative of? I'm kind of getting lost in the second part of your response, but think it has merit as often when something confounds me I need to look more closely at it. If you care to offer your thoughts, I'd appreciate it, but understand if you don't. Thanks. VB

 

[ElleKaye]

I have bad dreams often, most of them usually don't have anything to do with my previous "trauma", usually other stressors going on in my life but I suppose in a roundabout way a lot of those stressors came from my home environment growing up. Anyways, I had a real bad one about a month ago to when I woke up, I noticed my carpet was wet and that while I was tossing, I had accidentally knocked my water cup (and other knick knacks) off my nightstand and was getting a bruise on my hand (I guess I smacked it at some point).

These are the moments when I wish I had a S.O to wake up to but I personally just can't sleep in the same bed with just ANYBODY. Our subconcious is trying to process ideas/thoughts/concerns that we have throughout our day. Sometimes you get one that's hilarious and other ones not so much, though one thing I do that helps is I find humor in my bad dreams. Like one I had the other day about having to evacuate my school, through all of the stress/issues going on in my dream, I STILL remembered to grab the red emergency folder with my class list in it, LOL.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Lately I have been having non trauma nightmares that are bizarre and make no sense, which I think are from the anxiety and other unresolved emotions and thoughts from my day.