• Question: It’s normal if I see a terror film and then my dream is about the terror film and if I try to forget it appears again?

    Asked by anon-189197 to Michael, Jason, Emma on 5 Nov 2018.
    • Photo: Mike Ambler

      Mike Ambler answered on 5 Nov 2018:

      Hi again, another great question!

      Yes this is totally normal. In fact, one of the important things that happens when we sleep is our brain goes through memories from t he previous day, and sorts them out – kind of like filing them away for future reference. What seems to happen is that the most important, or scary or interesting memories get played back during sleep so that we can learn from them. This is why a boring program you watch doesn’t come into your dreams, but an exciting or scary one (like a horror film) does!

Comments

  • Photo: Nathan

    Nathan commented on :

    Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (an applied form of therapy, thinking about mental processes) suggests that actively trying to not think about something just means you think about it more. A better approach is to try to actively think about something else instead, such as the memory of a positive experience.