It is assumed that nightmares appear in response to the characteristic feelings of a strong threat that human beings experience in fear of the unknown, fear of punishment for misdeeds, abandonment of a loved one, illness, death, etc.
It most clearly defines the painful status of a nightmare poet
The great Polish 20th century poet describes the nightmarish dream of Don Żuana, a sinner, iconoclast and turner of social norms. It seems that the nightmarish dreams would have been a punishment for him, which had already reached him on the ground before the Commander had seized him with his bronze hand.
Don Zuana's face faded when in the darkness
He met his own funeral, and urged his step.
And he lost the difference between the body in motion
And the other, which lay in the coffin's stuffiness.
He felt the identity of both of them - the retinue went hastily,
And it seemed to him that the place was ridiculous.
He waited for him to fall asleep in God, but he stated visually,
That God is not - an overnight stay - and that he will not rest anymore.
The genesis of drowsy fears seems to lie in childhood
This phenomenon usually appears in childhood, usually around the age of 5, although it was noticed in younger children. It is assumed that nightmares (pavor nocturnus) occur as a reaction of the child to anxiety in the family or due to other psychological trauma meeting them.
So where is the source of nightmares in adults?
Adult nightmares are similar to children's, inasmuch as they are a signal of mental wounds. The feeling of helplessness and danger can occur at any age. American psychiatrist John Mack believes that nightmares appear in response to the characteristic feelings of danger that human beings experience in fear of the unknown and fear of abandonment in infancy, the fear of physical trauma in early childhood, fear of failure, death and loss of fitness in adulthood and elderly ... Sleepy nightmares are an archetypal expression of activity, characteristic of each stage of development.
This is how Charles Baudelaire describes his dreamlike fears in the poem The Abyss (translated by A. Lange):
I am afraid of sleep, like a child of a great dark hole
Full of terror, leading into the world do not know which one
The face of Infinity is still watching me with an eye ...
A typical compromising dream about being naked in a public place
Being naked or incomplete wearing is a relatively common element of our dreams. However, nudity is interpreted differently, depending on how the community perceives it. In Western culture, public appearance without clothing is not tolerated, and sometimes even prohibited. Therefore, dreaming that we are naked, we feel anxiety, embarrassment and even deep fear.
Here is the report from my patient who periodically complains about insomnia:
For a dozen or so years, I have dreams whose content is constantly returning. These are dreams about my outfit, or rather, lack of it. I dream, for example, that I am going to a party, I have beautiful makeup, pretty hair, I am elegantly dressed and suddenly I see that I do not have a skirt. I only have a T-shirt that can not cover my pants. I am completely helpless, I try to pull my shirt down, but nothing comes of it. I wake up and I know it's just a dream.
Another time I'm on the street again. There are a lot of people around me and I suddenly realize that I left the house completely dressed. I'm wearing only a short blouse and completely naked bottom, which I can not cover or cover. I am burning with shame, I start to run away and then I wake up.I do not include these dreams into my "nightmares", but I am only interested in the fact that it is precisely those that concern my nakedness that constantly return. And again I ask the question why?
Comment of a psychotherapist:
It is assumed that dreams in which we parade naked or incompletely dressed, probably date back to the period of childhood, when severe parents instilled that nudity is shameless and should be hidden. It seems that childhood experiences leave a lasting impression in our psyche, and in adult life they reveal themselves in periods of strong tensions. Interpretation, however, depends largely on the context of sleep. In the Freudian symbolism of dreams, nudity can mean a subconscious longing for an unhampered, free life from the early childhood period.
Nightmares can stimulate the artist's work?
Many eminent creators from the world of nightmare drew inspiration and stimuli. Sometimes they were symbolic metaphors, as in the works of Piranesi or Giorgi de Chirico, and other times the wraiths, as in Goya's. In literature, so-called "Gothic" novels are full of descriptions reminiscent of nightmares. The world of dreams was particularly close to Franz Kafka. It can be assumed that in his imagination, he was experiencing states that were close to dreams. He often drew pictures and figures in notebooks that appeared in them. Some of these drawings were illustrative of his stories. Kafka realized that too much fascination and delving into the illusory world of dreams could weaken his bond with the outside world, but hard work ensured that these relationships were maintained. A talented writer depicted dreams in a way characteristic of his work. He equally accurately depicted real phenomena as well as the world of delusion. The transition between these two realities takes place in the writer smoothly and without conflict. One can assume that he treated dreams as peculiar "works of art". While in writing a metaphor is necessary, to present an emotional state, it is possible to change it in a dream and literally and symbolically. And so for example: in the Przemiany story, the protagonist is a disgusting, great insect. This is what the hero of the story tells us and we realize that he reports his nightmarish dream. The writer's talent can be attributed to the fact that both the real world and the nightmarish dream are equally suggestive and realistically presented.
Doctor of Medicine Janusz Krzyżowski
psychiatrist
