Nightmares are the type of dream everyone fears and wants to avoid. By their nature, these dreams are fearful, but often they need to be faced. The mind may be presenting them to us in such a dramatic manner because we have ignored a message for a prolonged period of time and its resorting to more drastic means to get our attention.
The truth is, many nightmares are actually gifts that we should be thankful for because they are trying to help us.
Avoidance is the wrong response. The strong emotions evoked by these intense dreams are cries for help, and like a baby crying in the night for attention they will not be denied. The longer you ignore them, the louder they will get! Therefore ignoring nightmares is not only the wrong response, its impractical in that it will make them worse.
Sometimes the subconscious mind will work with your nightmares to bring resolutions without you being consciously aware of the entire process. But when nightmares become recurring, then its a sign that your conscious attention is being sought.
Its more common to wake up in the middle of a nightmare than during a regular dream. Its also more common to remember a...