Dreams Can Help You Confront What You Fear

Some dreams prepare you to confront what you are afraid of. It can therefore be said that the universe of dreams, where your brain takes you at night, fulfills a kind of therapeutic goal. According to some recent studies, it is possible that much of our anxiety arises in this unconscious setting precisely to help us deal with the impact of these elements in our awake, conscious life.

This information is striking to say the least. To think that an unpleasant dream or nightmare has a specific purpose in relation to your well-being, balance and adaptation, is as interesting as it is surprising. There are few things as enigmatic as the world of dreams. A dimension that not so long ago was far beyond our human understanding.

Dreams as part of our human development

In the 19th century, unpleasant dreams and nightmares were considered to be diseases of the soul, just like all other cases in which human suffering manifests itself. However, this idea changed over time. Today, experts in the field, such as Dr. Deirdre Barrett, clinical psychologist at the Cambridge Health Alliance, define that they are a form of emotional response that is part of human development.

Children aged three to six usually experience more nightmares than other age groups. Their surroundings are full of things they do not understand. The children’s everyday life is full of dimensions they experience as threatening and which return to their dreams in a frightening way. As they grow older and mature, this frightening dream world will slowly fade.

Dreams, discomfort and fear

A very specific strategy is used to get patients to reduce the intensity of their emotional reaction to things they are afraid of. There may be phobias or situations that generate high levels of stress in cognitive behavioral therapy. This approach is a form of exposure therapy where the person is placed in close proximity to what they fear. However, these situations are always strictly controlled and monitored by a psychologist.

Oddly enough, we humans all come out of the “factory” with a similar mechanism for the same purpose. A mechanism that will help you confront what you fear most. In addition, this human resource is very realistic. V in talking of course about dreams. We have all had some experience of a dream sequence where we are facing something we fear.

A job interview, an exam, going on a plane, fear of being abandoned or being deceived by our partner are examples of situations we may fear. Each of these can be a source of anxiety. The brain knows this. It knows our anxiety and proves this fear to our dreams. The brain does this to give us a chance to get used to and adapt to the situation we fear.

Thus, we are also exposed to what we are afraid of, which makes the problem visible and pushes us to find a solution. However, all this is done using complex symbols that can be very difficult to interpret.

Unpleasant dreams can be a secret friend

It can be hard to believe. The idea that unpleasant dreams can have a function that helps you confront fear can be difficult to accept for various reasons. First and foremost because unpleasant dreams generate unrest and discomfort. Therefore, it is not easy to accept that something so unpleasant can be helpful.

Another important factor is that very many people have difficulty remembering their dreams. How, then, can you explain the purpose of them? Last year, the University of Geneva, the University Hospital of Geneva and the University of Wisconsin published an interesting study.

Something that had come to light through a long study was how fear activates the amygdala in your brain. It is this structure that is responsible for evoking the feelings of fear and unrest. In this study, participants were asked to write down their dreams each night and try to understand them. They should try to attribute meaning to them.

Many of the unpleasant dreams were about real problems, situations that provoked stress and anxiety. Just trying to understand the message of the dreams helped them reduce the emotional burden. It also helped them develop strategies for dealing with these issues.

Those responsible for the study of how unpleasant dreams help you confront what you are afraid of, were nevertheless clear  that the same does not apply to nightmares. Unlike unpleasant dreams where fear is moderate, nightmares involve an excessive emotional intensity that can have a negative impact on a person’s health.

The world of dreams: a place of confrontation and understanding

Dr. Lampros Perogamvros points out that one goal of this study is to be able to use dreams and dream interpretation in the treatment of anxiety disorders. It will not be an exclusive form of treatment, but more as a tool in the approach to a problem. An aid to regulate the emotional impact.

This idea fits well with what Carl Jung once said: the unconscious world and the substance of dreams are nothing more than an attempt to restore the psychological balance. There is another channel we should try to understand and use to our advantage. Therefore, it may also be a good idea to write down be unpleasant dreams. By understanding and accepting them, we can also generate changes in our conscious state and thus be better equipped to confront what we fear most.

It is a complicated but interesting task that it can definitely be worth getting started with.