Nightmares can be a huge hurdle for some people, especially if they are recurring nightmares that do not resolve themselves. However, nightmares are a gift from your unconscious mind. These are the chances for you to address deep issues that hold fear for you. Nightmares bring to your conscious mind those things that you have been trying to avoid. My advice would be to face the fears head-on and stop running from them, for these are causing you distress in your waking life even if you're not aware of it. These deep-seated issues eventually cause disease in the physical body, and contribute to emotional and mental unbalance. Look at nightmares as a gift rather than a curse, and you will find that facing your fears in a nightmare will bring freedom that you didn't have before.

Tips For Handling Nightmares

Being Pursued

Stop running, face the pursuer, this alone may cause pursuer to disappear or become harmless if not, start dialogue with dream character, find out why it is there

Being Attacked

Don't flee or give in to the attack, show readiness to defend yourself engage attacker in dialogue accept and love the Attacker as yourself, understand and have compassion for its position

Falling

Relax and allow landing allow fall, death, and see what happens turn falling into flying

Paralysis

Relax, no anxiety go along with images or things that happen to the body adopt attitude of curiosity about what happens, could lead to astral projection inside dream state

Unprepared For Exam Or Speech

You are allowed to leave the dream enhance self-confidence by creatively answering test questions or giving a spontaneous talk on whatever topic you want

Being Naked In Public

Who cares in a dream? Have fun, can be erotic make everyone else in dream remove their clothes

A Waking Life Meditation For Handling Recurring Nightmares

1. recall and record the nightmare
2. choose a re-entry point and a new action
3. relax completely
4. imagine you are re-dreaming the nightmare, seeking resolution
5. what happens? evaluate the new dream as if it was an actual dream
6. write it down
7. if not satisfied, imagine you are re-dreaming it again with a different new action
8. if dream recurs, follow your pre-meditated new course of action

Tips For Seeking Out Difficulties In Dreams In Order To Incur Growth Of Self

1. seek out physically dark areas, leave physically light areas
2. go from high levels to low levels
3. go from present to past (or future, if future induces fear)
4. seek out characters who are troublesome or unlovable
5. seek out challenging situations, scary situations
6. seek out problematic relationships
7. refuse to avoid anything uncomfortable that comes up, for it is an opportunity for growth
8. look for trouble!
9. look for things that are distasteful, frightening or repelling