Everyone seems to have a solution for fending off nightmares. When I posed the dilemma to a group of friends, I recieved so many varied responses -- some funny, some fascinating. Here are just a few I gathered:- Drink warm milk.
- Or...cut dairy from your diet completely.
- Take a sleep aid, like Ambien or Lunesta.
- Put a dream-catcher by your bed.
- Keep a dream journal, and write down the dream as soon as you wake.
- Abolish guilt {perhaps nightmares are a product of guilt?}.
- Play relaxing music or a funny movie in the background.
- Keep a glass of half-full water on your nightstand -- an old wive's tale.
- Learn to wake yourself while dreaming, or train yourself to lucid dream.
- Be grateful that your dreams, rather than your life, are nightmarish!
I personaly like Nietzsche's bit of snarky wisdom on what to do when you wake up after a nightmare: "You ingrates! You should go to sleep again and dream better!"
::The images above are from the Coma pool on Flickr. Also check out Coma Magazine, to see more work from these amazing surrealist photographers...who seem to have a bit of experience with nightmares.
12 comments:
take B6...it works!
Love the haunting photos! I keep a dreamcatcher by my bed, lol.
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Rachael -- I've never heard that; I'm excited to try it!
Francy -- Does it work? ;) I am from from Oklahoma, so they are a little, how should I put it? Cliche, I guess. I secretly think they are lovely. I even have some silver dream-catcher earrings.
i keep trying the lucid dream thing--once, i couldn't change what was happening (via lucidity), but i was so certain i was in a nightmare, i started banging my head against the wall in the dream to wake up, and that worked. haha. but so far, no luck with actual lucidity. if you have any luck with it, i would love to hear about it!
the photos are really beautiful and haunting, great find!
Wow! These are such haunting photographs! I'm never any good at fending off nightmares. The only think I can think of is not to go to sleep!! :/
LOVE these images!
and when i have nightmares (and/or bad day thoughts/experiences), i tend to chant PUPPIES AND KITTENS. over and over again.
Oh goodness - these images are so beautifully sinister. Nightmares don't bother me to the extent that I want them to go away. I feel as if sometimes there's no use trying control whether or not they visit you in your dreams.
zoe -- I used to be able to do it when I was younger...but not any more :(
erika -- Just like Nightmare on Elm Street! Scary!
droll -- Well, cute and cuddly does seem like a good way to fend them off...I am going to try that!
ana -- I just get tired of waking up feeling bad because of a dream...it doesn't seem right that they should affect your waking life. I wish our brain had a way of balancing every bad dream with about 5 good ones to make up for it!
Love these photos!!!
I keep a dream journal. It has helped me to connect certain types of dreams to emotional activity in my waking life. I have many recurring themes, alternate endings, etc. It is comforting to know that even my most malevolent dreams can serve a purpose in waking life - instead of just haunting it.
Have I already told you this? - I love your blog so much! Thank you for sharing of yourself.
Lindsay -- Glad you enjoyed them!
Catherine -- I do need to start keeping a dream journal...I think I just feel like I already write so much that I don't want to take on another writing project - ha! But I imagine it would be a productive one. Thank you so much for your kind words ;)
i love these photos, especially the gauzey body behind the curtain.
i never remember everything from a dream... only weird small fragments and emotions, never enough to tell someone about it. i wonder what that means...
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