Why do we dream about our traumatic experiences?

Angela
5 min readMar 16, 2020

The Study of Dreams

Austrian neurologist and forefather of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud believed dreams could reveal a person’s deepest unconscious wishes and desires.

While I was studying Art Therapy, I learned about how dreams can be useful for therapy. I began remembering nightmares I used to have as a child. They’d replay in my head with such clarity. I brushed them off, only to revisit them later with my psychologist.

From then on, I kept a dream journal beside my bed in the months that followed. I became engrossed in what I dreamt and how it could inform my own actions, thoughts and behaviour. One day, I was telling my best friend about a strange dream I had (unrelated to trauma). She mentioned dreammoods.com — a website with a collection of dream meanings for those who are curious. Keep in mind that although the site does come from a psychological and Freudian perspective, take it with a grain of salt. Dream interpretation can be different for each person, based on their own life experiences, education and opinion.

So why do we dream about our traumatic experiences? Dreaming can be a re-enactment of our trauma. If the traumatic event/s are severe and ongoing, the mental strain can be significant.

PTSD and Nightmares

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Angela
Angela

Written by Angela

Your local well-being enthusiast! Thank you for being here and reading the words I write :)