Psychological Facts About Ghost Dreams
Have you ever woken up from a dream only to realize that what you dreamed about was actually happening in your real life? Did you ever get the feeling that somebody or something was following you and only when you turned around did you find out that it was nothing but your imagination? If so, then you might be experiencing a phenomenon known as ghost dreams, or deja vu, which can be both exciting and frightening at the same time!
Are you being haunted by your dreams? Here are some psychological facts about ghost dreams that may explain what's going on.
1. Types of Dreams
During oneiric events, many people claim to have seen objects from their bedroom appear out of nowhere and either pass through them or disappear completely. Other people report seeing strange visions in their peripheral vision — sometimes these visions even morph into forms that seem eerily familiar. For example, a friend who lived with her boyfriend claimed she saw him standing at her doorway every night, staring at her as she slept. She wasn’t aware he had moved out weeks prior until his belongings were suddenly removed from his side of the closet.
2. Why Do I Dream About Ghosts?
Your subconscious is at work, sorting through problems and decisions, imagining different scenarios and helping you decide among them in a way most advantageous to you (this is more or less how Freud explained it). When some of these scenarios relate to life situations that have involved significant loss or trauma, death can be a common theme in dreams because we often feel unresolved grief and guilt when those feelings aren't consciously dealt with. Dealing with them in our sleep can help us move forward—for example, saying goodbye to someone we love who has passed away; forgiving ourselves for something we've done; or accepting a situation as unavoidable, which allows us to move on with our lives rather than staying stuck in denial or regret. Death is scary!
3. What to Do When You Wake Up from a Ghost Dream
Many people worry after they wake up from a dream which felt extremely real but was actually completely false. If you just woke up from a ghost dream, there is nothing to be worried about since these types of dreams are completely normal and can occur for different reasons. The main thing is not to panic, since it might cause insomnia or nightmares later on. Though such an experience can be quite terrifying, most people aren't suffering from mental illness and there isn't anything wrong with them when they wake up from a nightmare.
4. How Do I Stop Dreaming About Ghosts?
Ghosts—like death and taxes—are inevitable, and maybe even part of our psychology. Because our brains crave a sense of logic (no matter how illogical), dreaming about a person or place is actually just a way to help us reconcile things we don't know with things we do know. If you dreamt that someone died but didn't realize they had until days later, then perhaps there is something in your life where information isn't coming together in a logical way. Ghosts don't actually exist outside of our own minds, but they can still be powerful symbols of an unfinished business or lingering mystery in our lives.
