hey guys, sory for the long absence, anyway here goes...


for ages ive had nightmares to the point that they dont wake me up or trouble me anymore... but for the past week and a half, ive had my scariest one come back nonstop... im getting eaten alive... the first time around, i was in a bleak plain with a red sky and black ruins, zombies (THE thing im dead scared of, although i know its an irrational phobia) are running amok. listening to my courage, i run away faster than if i had eaten mexican. i stop behind some ruins, and i see feathers (dawn feathers if i remember the name), all of a sudden, i see a boil on my arm, i pop it, and out comes a larva (if anyone ever played Morrowind, its a kwama forager), but not any larva, a foot long larva that jumps on and starts chewing me, while other boils appear and kwama pop out to devour me for in and out... when im in a pool of my own blood, the zombies arive and finish me off, eating me and the kwama with a total indifference...

so that was the first time around, it happened shortly before xmas 2006. about a week ago i got the zombies eating me up, the next night, it was monstro-worms, the next the kwamas, the next pirahnas, and last night giant freaking carrots!!! it may sound funny, but it isnt... im dreaming happy dreams as usual, then the pointy teeth start wanting hamster-meat...

ive decided to seek help here cos in two days time im gonna go thru a month of end of year exams, so, its a kick in the teeth if i cant sleep... i just wanna know what it means, help me guys, thanks

Maybe perhaps something bothering you, or as the term goes "eating you inside" maybe you want to tell someone something but you won't for whatever reason, or maybe it could be that your fears are some how getting to you, and so you need to confront them, no matter how silly they are!
maybe telling yourself that they don't exist or something, are you afraid of worms?

It could be that, or the first thing that came to my mind is that you are stressing out over your tests. You are afraid that you are going to "be eaten alive" by your exams and flunk. Have you studied until you feel really good about the material? Maybe your anxiety is causing the nightmares. Just a guess.

Giant Carrots? you sure you haven't watched Futurama? In Futurama Giant Carrots take over Earth in 2011.

I don't know about eating, but you might be hungry in your sleep. Happens to me and then I want to eat.

Do the zombies seem angry?If so maybe your dream is trying to tell you,you are letting anger consume you and you should stop it.

im not unduly scared of my exams, hell, ive had others, and i hate futurama violently, so i dont watch... i really wish i knew what was eating me up if it is something or a feeling... all i know is that the zombies look like your standard nightmare-zombie... dirty leather skinned, off-white ripped sleeveless shirt, ripped up black pants... they just "are"... they're not angry, just hungry... basic zombies...

thx for all yr help in any case, but has anyone had this kind of nightmare, or know by what it is provoked? im talking light downers to help me sleep dreamlessly, and it does help, but blarg... im not a medicine kinda guy... i wish there was just a meaning i could understand or a reason to help me cope with it, like my other bag of nightmares...

thx again, later

Dear Hamsterjuice,

Do you feel any pain while being consumed during your nightmare? Have you ever heard of the saying 'The only thing to fear is fear itself?' How about 'Fear is the offspring of ignorance?'

I once read there are only two 'real' fears the body naturally and appropriately reacts to: the fear of unexpectedly falling and the hearing of an unexpectedly loud noise. All other fears are processed through the mind, which is very adept at enlarging and exaggerating any danger.

I saw a documentary about a tribe of natives who were considered to be very happy and well adjusted. They claimed they practiced dream control. From an early age they were taught to meditate before they went to sleep, in order to learn how to control their reactions during their dreams. Understanding the nature of the mind and having a positive attitute was essential to their practice.

Then they progressed to meditating on how to practice control of the images in their dreams. Eventually they progressed to the point where they could actually control the nature, course and direction of their dreams.

It's been said that the person who has the power to control their dreams has the power to control their life. I wish you good luck on your exams!
_________________________
"Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil." Aristotle

thx russ, and no i dont feel any pain... kinda tedious actually, and shocking to see yr innards exposed... thats the scary thing about it...

otherwise, do you have any more info on those tribesmen? id like to learn to tell those zombies to go on a hamster free diet... later, and thx again for helping me

edit: "Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil." yr signature truly speaks to me, its really whats happening, i dont sleep well cos of it... so i need to tell myself that, thx again

Dear Hampsterjuice,

I'm sorry I cannot easily locate the name or location of the tribe I spoke of. I think they lived somewhere in Central or South America while they were being filmed by a documentary crew during the '90's', which is when I saw and recorded the program. When I have more time I will check my word processor for key words that might help me locate the program.

Personally, I feel the name and location of the tribe is irrelevent to your particular problem. Just knowing they exist and how they do what they do should be sufficient. If there was anything else that was pertinent to the subject I think I would have remembered it.

I sympathize with your sleep problem. Getting a sufficient amount of quality sleep is very important to everyone. Recent medical studies indicate insufficient sleep contributes to increased potential for illness.

When a person experiences a nightmare their heartbeat and respiration responds as if the body is actually under attack. This is not conducive to peaceful, restful sleep. That's why learning how to control your reactions to perceived threats in your waking life, I believe, will help you overcome the imagined dangers in your dreams. If you could achieve a natural state of unconcern about most things that presently bother you, I feel, you would be well on your way to gaining more tranquil sleep.

You might want to research various forms of meditation, i.e. Yogic, TM, Zazen, deep breathing exercises, lucid dreaming and/or creative visualization techniques. Find one that you are comfortable with and begin practicing it.

Hopefully you will soon find that everyday circumstances that used to cause you to become anxious and/or stressed lose their power over you. With practice you may find that worry, upset, frustration and anger will become a thing of the past. Enventually, I believe, this new found control will translate itself into your dream world affording you the peaceful sleep you seek.

To my knowledge, there is no magic formula or instant remedy for what you're experiencing. Whatever you attempt is going to take time, effort, and practice with your full attention. Good health to you.
_______________________
'God gives every bird its food, its true, but He does not throw it into the nest.'

When I have a dream I'm wondering about I go to dreammoods.com they seem fairly accurate.

LOL no they are happy and friendly...thats why they eat people lol...seriousll though anger leads to the dark side!

It's the only chance for carrots to get their revenge on you.

Dear Hampsterjuice,

I hope your sleep situation is improving. I cut the following article from the newspaper and thought it might prove beneficial to you.

"Practicing yoga might boost a neurotransmitter associated with regulating depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new report in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine."

The study used MRI's to measure levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA.

"They found the yoga group experienced a 27 percent increase in GABA levels after an hour of yoga, while 11 control subjects, who read for an hour, received no such benefits. Study authors say that's similar to the responses seen when people are treated with antidepressants."

Any good sized library should have a copy of my favorite guide to practicing yoga, written by Richard Hittleman entitled: 'Yoga 28 Day Exercise Plan."

It is my opinion that each of us know the answers to all of our personal problems. The difficulty is that we don't know that we know. If your nightmares are in any way connected to any feelings of guilt, the time spent in contemplative silence will eventually bring them into the light.

You should understand that whatever negative actions you may have committed in the past were done by a different person than who you are now. This knowledge may help you to forgive yourself and go from there towards experiencing more tranquil dreams. If you continue to suffer, please seek professional help.
_____________________
"Guilt is the source of sorrow, 'tis the fiend, the avenging fiend, that follows us behind with whips and stings." Nicholas Rowe