Response: Future Fears

In response to Lyndsey Johnson's post "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" (March 25, 2012):

In addition to nightmares being disguised versions of traumatic events in one's past, I think it is likely that they can be manifestations of fears.  For example, if one is afraid of the dark (even if one has had no traumatic experiences involving darkness) one might have a nightmare about being in the dark, with no access to light.  These fears might also be disguised, either in order to prevent the nightmare from becoming so bad that one wakes up (thus preserving sleep), or as a result of the (probably) partially hallucinoid nature of dreams.  This would explain nightmares containing such seemingly ridiculous elements as being, let us say, chased by a giant stapler.  The dreamer most likely does not have an actual fear of staplers; it is more likely that they are simply afraid of being chased by something dangerous - as a giant, sentient, angry stapler would probably be.