Blogpost 7 : Dreams into Movies

The worst part about nightmares is their tendency to repeat themselves. An isolated nightmare may not be cause for alarm, but recurrent nightmares with the same theme become quite troubling for most dreamers. The same is true with movie dream sequences. Directors use the emotional impact of recurring nightmares to ensure that characters deal with hidden fears and imminent dangers.


          According to the article Why Movie Directors Use Recurring Dreams by Leslie Halpern from Ezine Articles, movie directors often adapt this idea of unresolved issues becoming recurrent nightmares by using increasingly horrific elements in each dream until the matter is resolved.
Troubling and terrifying recurring dreams are plentiful on the silver screen, particularly in the horror, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery thriller genres. For a quick sampling of other characters struggling with their unresolved issues through recurring dreams, watch "In Dreams" (horror), "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" (science fiction), "Eragon" (fantasy), and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (thriller).

According to the article, “Although the best directors strive for producing the greatest emotional impact in viewers and stretching the limits of cinematic sorcery in their dream sequences”

I have observed that lesser directors sometimes use recurring dream sequences merely as a means of providing a back story for the characters without a lot of boring narrative. In a well-made movie, the artistic aspects of dream sequences are equally balanced with the practical need to tell the full story.

Many people have been inspired by their own dreams and the thought of dreams. 

According to the article Directors use Dreams by an Unknown author from Examiner, William Blake, artist and poet, for instance he highly valued dreams.

William Butler Yeats, who won the Nobel Prize for literature once, told Dublin producers that Cathleen in Houlihan, had come to him in a dream. It's said that Mary Shelley's idea for her novel, Frankenstein came from a nightmare she had as was for Robert Louis Stevenson who also said that he got his idea for, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from nightmares too. So dreams are inspiring for many people and helped create some of the world's greatest works.

The Spanish film director, Jose Luis Borau felt that cinema was able to expand our dreams, so it's no wonder that film directors use their dreams and the idea of dreaming as their movie plots. Some movies that play heavily on dreams are Nolan's "Inception," Hitchcock's "Spellbound," Gilliam's "Brazil," and slashed favorite, Wes Craven's "Nightmare on Elm Street."

            A quote from the article, “fragments and images from them were used to create his cinema”

For some people, it was their dreams that helped them create some of their works. It's interesting to see how dreams can change and help someone's art.

Blogpost 6 : Harry Potter's Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Everyone has been heard about Harry Potter. Immersing them in a fantastical world in which broomsticks fly, portraits talk, wizards cast spells–and dreams reveal honest emotional truths. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry also experienced recurring dreams

According to the article The Dreamsand Nightmares of Harry Potter written by Kelly Bulkeley from Dream Research & Education, as the story unfolds Harry learns more about his past, the death of his parents, and his strange connection to Voldemort.  Now he begins having recurrent nightmares: “Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.” (1.215)  by this point Harry recognizes that this horrible scene is not “only” a dream but an actual event that happened in his past.  The recurrent nightmares, like his other dreams, turn out to be legitimate memories of horrors in his past.

The term “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” is never used in the books, but observing Harry's situation it may find it impossible to ignore it.  The long-buried memories surfacing in his dreams reveal a primal experience of severe, shocking pain

According to the article, “Rowling’s fantasy tale carries a message of real-world significance: We Muggles (non-wizards) may not be able to fly on brooms or cast spells, but we do possess the magical power of dreaming.”

I observed that J.K. Rowling really believes in the magic power of dreaming. It reflects to Harry, he always had these dreams that have meaning and these dreams also serve as the communication on Harry to himself and to the other characters.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one cause of recurring dreams. I have read an article entitled Post-traumatic Stress Disorder by Harold Cohen from PsychCentral

According to the Article, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental disorder that follows experiencing or witnessing an extremely traumatic, tragic, or terrifying event. People with PTSD usually have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to.

Most people with post-traumatic stress disorder repeatedly re-live the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day. The nightmares or recollections may come and go, and a person may be free of them for weeks at a time, and then experience them daily for no particular reason. They may also experience sleep problems, depression, feeling detached or numb, or being easily startled. 

PTSD can occur at any age, including childhood. The disorder can be accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or anxiety. Symptoms may be mild or severe -- people may become easily irritated or have violent outbursts. In severe cases, they may have trouble working or socializing. In general, the symptoms seem to be worse if the event that triggered them was initiated by a person -- such as a murder, as opposed to a flood.

Post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated, usually with a combination of psychotherapy and medications. People with PTSD should seek out a therapist or psychologists with specific experience and background in treatment post-traumatic stress disorder.

             According to the article, “A flashback may make the person lose touch with reality and reenact the event for a period of seconds or hours, or very rarely, days.”

A simple flashback is very horrifying to the person who has Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSF is a very serious matter that when a person who has it doesn’t control him or her feelings can lead to a worst situation.

Blogpost 5 : Dream Catchers

In Twilight Saga: New Moon. Bella had these bad dreams.( Check my post about Bella’s Dream ) Jacob, Bella’s best friend had a remedy for her, a dream catcher.

            I have read an article by an Unknown author about Twilight Saga : New Moon from ReverseShot. According to the article, a dream catcher is Jacob Black’s 18th birthday present to Bella. 

Jacob is described as a Native American of the Quileute tribe in La Push, near Forks, Washington. The Quileute tribe is also known as the Quillayute. They settled onto the Quileute Indian Reservation.

Bella hangs it on the headboard of her bed and it is seen in several scenes in the movie. Charlie doesn't think that the dream catcher works as it doesn't keep away the nightmares Bella sees after Edward leaves her.

In the Eclipse film, Riley is seen examining it when he comes to Bella's house to steal objects with her scent on. After Edward realizes that Riley was in the house, he searches Bella's room and smells Riley's scent on it.

In the first part of the Breaking Dawn film, Bella is seen looking at the dream catcher and thinking about the missing Jacob, while packing her room.

            According to the article, "It catches bad dreams, just believe."

I saw some people buy or make dream catchers without knowing the real meaning of them. Some buy dream catchers because they are fab nowadays. But for some, I guess it is just the positive thinking that makes the magic work.

Generally, we are more vulnerable at night when our guard is down and, as a result, bad dreams occur. I have heard about the dream catchers, they are made to wash away bad dreams. I made a research about them if they really woks.

According to the article The Dream Catcher: Respect for the Sacred written by Ralph P. Brown from Fourwinds10 , it was the venerable spider who taught the Indian people the proper way to make and use the dream catcher.

Traditional dream catchers are made from willow picked near the water on a full moon, generally in the spring. The willow is bent into a circle where a web is formed using sinew. Proper dream catchers begin with thirteen tie points, in honor of the thirteen moons of the Indian calendar. It is tied only at night because prayers are made during the tying and the veil between the spirit worlds. Also since the dream catcher works at night, it is imbued with the spirit of the night realm and its helpers.

After the tying of the dream catcher a "prayer tie" or several prayer ties are made. Prayer ties are very powerful and only people who have the proper knowledge should make them. They are charged with positive or negative energy by the person tying them and you could unwittingly cause more harm than good. Both prayer ties and dream catchers should be made by people with this knowledge or under the instruction of such a person.

 Next a feather, bone or some other part belonging to a totem animal is tied to the dream catcher so that its spirit can work with the person. After the dream catcher is tied in this manner it is placed at the head of the sleeping person. During the night, dreams, energies and thought forms other than your own pass through the dream catcher. All of the negative energy is "caught" in the web while the positive is allowed to flow through. In the morning the sun's light transmutes the "dark" into light.

After a year (thirteen moons) the dream catcher should be taken down and burned.

According to the Ralph Brown, "There is a "medicine" that works to protect them in this vulnerable state and it is the dream catcher." 

The dream catcher has today gained popularity to the point of over-saturation. There are dream catcher earrings, key chains and apparel items. Dream catchers are made of any kind of material imaginable. Many tribes now make and sell them as well. Instead of being applied to cradle boards, they are hung as decor on walls. Once considered a sacred item, they now are mass-produced, and few people still believe the original legend behind them.

Blogpost 4 : Bella's Dream

One of my favorite Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga series is the New Moon, where you can clearly see that Bella had experiences recurring dreams.

In the article about Bella's Dreams and Hallucinations written by an Unknown Author from Shmoop 

According to the author Bella has four dreams. Bella’s first dream is about her grandmother standing right next to Edward, who turns out to actually her in the future.

The author claim that Bella fears aging because she's worried Edward wouldn't be with her.

Bella’s second dream is a recurring dream of running through the forest on desperate search for something that only leads into nothingness.

The author connects her dream to her painful break up that causes her to have recurring dreams.

Third, she also dreams about her best friend, Jacob, who transformed into a werewolf to protect her.

That symbolizes friendship, according to the author.

And lastly, When Edward came back to her. Her dream leaves her with the image of an angel who turns out to be Edward.

A quote from the article, “Bella’s dreams present a projection of her subconscious desires”

Dreams for me are like mirrors. They reflect us our desires in life. They reflect us our emotions in our walking life.

           

 I have also read another article about Bella's Premonitions by an Unknown Author from thetwilightsaga According to this article, the author seems that Bella's dreams are particularly vivid.

When Bella is at the stage of a painful break up with Edward, leaving her alone. She dream of nothingness, it is because the part of her soul and being has gone so there is nothing to see or to feel. And her dream of her best friend transformed into a werewolf, the author thinks that Bella has a gift of intuition and it is a way of seeing the future things that are connected to her.

According to the author, “dreams are particularly vivid.”

One cause of recurring dreams for a normal teen ager is a bad experience in our waking life that can lead to depression. Bella as a normal teen ager who experiences vivid pain cause her having these nightmares. It is important to learn how to face these emotions for they may lead to suicide. 

Blogpost 3 : Women have more nightmare

Women have wilder dreams than men, according to the article I have read in Science Dailly about this topic Women Have More Nightmares, than Men. written by an Unknown Author.

The article reveals the scientist’s study shows that Women have more nightmares than men.

They examine more closely the stuff that dreams are made of. The scientist study has focused on discovery that women suffer more nightmares then men.  The article introduced Dr Jennie Parker, a mature student was interested in looking at some aspect of psychology for her PhD study and it was at a lecture about dreams, given by former UWE (University of the West of England) researcher Dr Susan Blackmore that she had a moment of epiphany.

According to the article, she took a sample of 100 women and 93 men. They were aged between 18 and 25 and were predominantly Year 1 Psychology students at UWE.

Dr Parker concludes, “Each of these dream types has its own distinct subjectivity.”

We may have common dreams, but these dreams differ in what way they mean to us. Especially for women, who are very emotional unlike men, who are more likely are just into physical activities.

                Another article that I read from The Telegraph about Women have more nightmares than men, study finds by  Richard Savill. According to the article, the research concluded that women suffer more nightmares than men after they study and analyze the diaries recorded by the volunteers.

                The findings came from a study of 193 male and female volunteers at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol, when the researchers asked to record the volunteer’s most recent dream.  19 percent of male students reported having a nightmare compared to 34 percent of women. Their emotions were recorded in diaries. And it could all be down to women’s hormones because body temperature changes caused by their monthly cycle trigger more vivid, extravagant dreams, this study at the University of the West of England suggested. 

According to the author, “I found that women’s nightmares can be broadly divided into three categories, fearful dreams being chased or life threatened, losing a loved one or confused dreams." 

As a woman, I agree that women are more prone to nightmares than men, for women are having harder time to switch off their emotions at the end of the day. 

Blogpost 2 : Recurring Dreams: Symbols or Unfinished Mission?

Most of us have woken suddenly at night, shaken by a terrible frightening dream. Have you ever considered a nightmare as a symbol for something or an unfinished mission like in computer games?

I have read an article about Why nightmares can be good for your health by Charlotte Harding from MailOnline. The article introduced Dr Alex Lukeman, the author of the book “Nightmares, How to Make Sense of Your Darkest Dreams” and a psychotherapist with 20 years experience.

 According to the article, there are symbols in our dreams that represent the same things throughout the world.

Dr Lukeman believes that people have nightmares about the same things. Because of a common shared human experience.

He claims understanding this “language” of symbols in our nightmares can help us resolve hidden problems in our waking lives and improve ourselves. And, he says, recognizing these symbols can be the key to stopping bad dreams coming back for good.

According to Dr Lukeman, “Nightmares can be extremely distressing for people, but they are trying to warn us that we are caught up in some internal conflict needing resolution for the sake of our well-being”

Bad dreams may be the brain's way of helping us regulate our negative emotions in our waking life. We just need to pay attention to it. These dreams symbolizes us that we need to fix things in our walking life.

Another article I have read is about Why bad dreams can be good for you by Leon Nacson from Hay House Australia

As Dr Lukeman sees recurring dreams as symbols.  Leon Nacson sees recurring dreams as a common computer games.

Recurring dreams for the author are much like common computer games. According to the author, the computer games we play are challenging and almost impossible to complete in the beginning. It may be daunting and uncomfortable to us to see these scenarios in our dreams but he views them like a common computer game. For him our worst nightmare can be viewed in the same way as a computer games, the more we see them, confront them and challenge the outcome. The stronger we will feel when we wake up. After practice and familiarity it becomes easy for us to master the challenges and actually beat the computer game regularly.

 

According to Leon Nacson, “ I believe that living out our worst fears in our dreams is very healthy”

Just like in computer games, first, we may fail in the beginning. But as we face these dreams and try again to finish the level, we gain more strength within us as we wake up.

Blogpost 1 : Dreams that keep coming back.

Are you haunted by your thoughts in your dreams? And you just keep ignoring because it is only a dream? If yes, it’s time to look back in your life. Haunted thoughts in your dreams are known as Recurring dreams. These dreams are repeating itself and being recalled for a reason.

I have so much dreams that keep coming back. At first, I just ignored it. But when I realized that these dreams keep coming back for 3 consecutive weeks. I started to wonder and research why are they coming back.

I have read an article from "worldofdreamsymbols.com" written by a Unknown Author about "Learn the Language of Your Dreams". According to the article, like all dreams, recurrent dreams are a message from you to yourself. They came from our unconscious mind to our conscious mind using dream symbols. The difference between recurrent dream and the normal dream is that recurrent dream have a very particular message to you and you are not paying attention to it

And when you are not paying attention, the dream will keep repeating it self until you understand and do something about it.

Another is that people who experience recurring dreams might have some sort of trauma in their past and trying to deal with.

The majority of our recurring dreams usually appear as a nightmare or a very unpleasant dream.

The recurring dream can be last for days, weeks, months or even a whole life span. 

According the author, "In fact, the message is so important that the dream persists until you finally understand and implement its wisdom." 

Repeated dreams are not meant to ignore. They cry out for our attention to fix things up in our lives. This is one way to remind our self that there is something wrong going on in our life that needs to be resolved.

             Another article from “dreammoods.com” written by an Unknown Author about “Recurring Dreams”. According to the article, recurring dreams contain messages that serve to teach us something. The message may be so important and powerful that it refuses to go away.

Recurring dreams are quite common and are often triggered by a certain life situation, transitional phase in life or a problem that keeps coming back again and again. These dreams may recur daily, once a week, or once a month. What ever the frequency, there is little variation in the dream content itself.

According to the article, “The repetitive patterns in your dream reveal some of the most valuable information about yourself.”

These dreams may not be exactly the same, but the theme, setting and outcome remain the same. They mean a lot for us. Behind these dreams are the hidden emotions we can’t accept.