2 ms·

If you give me a real example of a dream I can help. It's hard to give feedback otherwise.

drakonka 1mo ago
I have an example I think, that I've been curious about! Every few years I experience a recurring nightmare, where I am being chased by some kind of giant monster, but I've never gotten a look at what it is and I don't know specifically what it wants but always just assume it wants to do me harm. After a long time running from it and panicking, eventually I realize no matter how hard I try to run, it's futile - the monster will catch me eventually. So I just decide to accept there's no way out and give up. Either I jump off a cliff to go ahead and kill myself (in which case I always wake up before hitting the ground), or I just stop, sit down, and begin to turn around so I can finally get a look at the monster before it catches me (in which case I always wake up before it gets me, AND before I can see it). I have scary dreams sometimes, but this is the only one I'd classify as a real nightmare. Nevertheless, I find myself waiting for the nightmare to come again, because I really just want to finally get a look at what it is that's chasing me. Sometimes I wonder if, when I finally get to see it, I'll somehow be changed as a person.
- FailMore 1mo ago
  Interesting dream, and not obviously in line with the theory / dream examples in the paper. Is there anything else going on in the dream? Other people you are with/could be with/what kind of location/can you fight this thing or are you sure it will get you?
  - drakonka 1mo ago
    No, no one else around. Just me and the monster and I'm sure it will get me. The whole dream is pure terror throughout until the moment I decide to give up and let it get me, at which point it’s just a flash of relief and then I wake up.
- bar000n 1mo ago
  Your dream is most likely coming from a video game you played or are still playing sometimes. I was having the free fall "nightmare" once in a while and i was on my bike falling free. But. Every time i touched the ground i kept going on them wheels no problem. Then it hit me, once in a while i had been playing this game on my phone Hill Climb, where i found myself with the motorbike on the moon which is a great way to farm gold coins. There is a lot of falling down on that map. Since i had this revelation many years ago i started to "decipher" most of my dreams. Makes me feel life is now a bit more boring though.
- dwd 1mo ago
  Generally dreams are simply the continuing resolution of externalities against your brain's internal world model. When dreaming they become unhinged from reality because there is no actual sensory checks to keep them grounded. A simple one to understand is the Tetris Effect where you brain continues resolving potential patterns of blocks falling. That this nightmare has never been fully resolved could be why it reoccurs. I would guess when you see the monster it will stop, but depends what the monster is potentially standing in for. What you could consider is what triggers it - is there something during the preceding waking hours that causes you to revisit that dream?

I have an example I think, that I've been curious about! Every few years I experience a recurring nightmare, where I am being chased by some kind of giant monster, but I've never gotten a look at what it is and I don't know specifically what it wants but always just assume it wants to do me harm. After a long time running from it and panicking, eventually I realize no matter how hard I try to run, it's futile - the monster will catch me eventually. So I just decide to accept there's no way out and give up. Either I jump off a cliff to go ahead and kill myself (in which case I always wake up before hitting the ground), or I just stop, sit down, and begin to turn around so I can finally get a look at the monster before it catches me (in which case I always wake up before it gets me, AND before I can see it). I have scary dreams sometimes, but this is the only one I'd classify as a real nightmare. Nevertheless, I find myself waiting for the nightmare to come again, because I really just want to finally get a look at what it is that's chasing me. Sometimes I wonder if, when I finally get to see it, I'll somehow be changed as a person.

FailMore 1mo ago
Interesting dream, and not obviously in line with the theory / dream examples in the paper. Is there anything else going on in the dream? Other people you are with/could be with/what kind of location/can you fight this thing or are you sure it will get you?
- drakonka 1mo ago
  No, no one else around. Just me and the monster and I'm sure it will get me. The whole dream is pure terror throughout until the moment I decide to give up and let it get me, at which point it’s just a flash of relief and then I wake up.
bar000n 1mo ago
Your dream is most likely coming from a video game you played or are still playing sometimes. I was having the free fall "nightmare" once in a while and i was on my bike falling free. But. Every time i touched the ground i kept going on them wheels no problem. Then it hit me, once in a while i had been playing this game on my phone Hill Climb, where i found myself with the motorbike on the moon which is a great way to farm gold coins. There is a lot of falling down on that map. Since i had this revelation many years ago i started to "decipher" most of my dreams. Makes me feel life is now a bit more boring though.
dwd 1mo ago
Generally dreams are simply the continuing resolution of externalities against your brain's internal world model. When dreaming they become unhinged from reality because there is no actual sensory checks to keep them grounded. A simple one to understand is the Tetris Effect where you brain continues resolving potential patterns of blocks falling. That this nightmare has never been fully resolved could be why it reoccurs. I would guess when you see the monster it will stop, but depends what the monster is potentially standing in for. What you could consider is what triggers it - is there something during the preceding waking hours that causes you to revisit that dream?