What To Do When Dreams Go Bad: A Practical Guide to Nightmares

A thoughtful and practical look at why we have nightmares and how to cope with them. Includes valuable information on stress and sleep disturbances, how to tell night terrors from nightmares, and how to interpret common dream symbols in nightmares such as chase scenes, war, sickness, violence, tsunamis, falling from great heights, and more. The heart of the book is a "dream first-aid" list, seven practical steps to take immediately following a nightmare, and in the days afterward. This advice is invaluable for parents whose children suffer nightmares, and readers of any age who are afflicted with disturbing dreams. While acknowledging the power of nightmares to predict actual events and traumas, the author suggests that most nightmare imagery is best understood as symbolic of other conflicts in the dreamer's life. The book also shows how to use advanced dream techniques such as dream re-entry, re-scripting, and lucid dreaming to transform nightmares into creative allies. The author discusses how nightmares challenge us to live up to our potential and make use of information and opportunities we may not be aware of consciously. This is a book that should be within easy reach of everyone who has been disturbed by a dream. Overall, it is a reassuring portrait of mind-body healing, and the power of the human psyche to overcome periods of great stress and adversity.