“For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams…”

Edgar Allan Poe

Did you know nightmares are not all bad? Nightmares can be messengers of healing, not just fear.

By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it unfolds

As someone who dreams regularly, the idea that nightmares could be a benefit came as a surprise to me. Clearly, whoever said that had not experienced one of mine. One of my worst nightmares involved watching a beloved family member plummet to their death—and I could do nothing to stop it. I just watched, helpless.

Nightmares are terrifying. Nothing about that dream felt beneficial. I still remember it in vivid detail, though it happened years ago. It still scares me.

But Jill Mellick explains in The Art of Dreaming: Tools for Creative Dream Work that nightmares have both good and bad qualities to consider. Mellick writes, “‘Bad’ dreams can balance out idealized versions of ourselves, events, and values. They can bring form to the dark side of an event…Some dreams scream real warning, danger” (p.120). Seeing nightmares through that lens helps. You may have a repressed or painful memory you’ve been avoiding. Perhaps a dream is warning you about unhealthy decisions you continue to make. If you stay on that path, the repercussions may be serious. Bad dreams scream to get your attention.

In waking life, we’re encouraged to face our fears and rise above them. The same is true in our reveries. Nightmares allow subconscious fears to bubble up to the surface, giving us a chance to confront them. Many dismiss dreams as fiction—“it was just a nightmare”—but dreams are extensions of ourselves, worthy of attention and care.

I’ve been writing down my dreams for years, yet only recently have I learned how to truly respect them. I’ve discovered that many dreams want me to learn something about myself or about life.

Start by writing the nightmare down. I keep a dream journal on my nightstand, and if a dream wakes me, I try to record it right then. Sometimes the simple act of writing a terrifying dream on paper calms me enough to fall back asleep. It gives me a sense of control. Later, when I’m ready, I return to what I wrote. Take all the time you need. I’ve waited weeks before revisiting a nightmare. Follow your gut and be kind to yourself. The key is to come back to it.

Then explore the associations in the dream and what they mean to you. You don’t need a dream dictionary unless you want one—just make sure any interpretation resonates personally. Also consider what’s happening in your life at the time of the dream. It took me years to realize that most of my nightmares occur during the winter months. I dislike the cold and the darkness. Could there be a connection between my aversion to winter and the increase in nightmares?

Mellick also suggests imagining the opposite image of the nightmare (p.124): the threat becomes assurance, or the monster becomes a friend. I found this advice strange at first, but it helped soften the fear and offered a new perspective.

Nightmares are not all bad. When we take the time to pay attention to dreams and respect them, they may contain wisdom and guidance. While I will always wish you sweet dreams, there may be hidden value in the “bad” ones.

“‘Bad’ dreams can balance out idealized versions of ourselves, events, and values. They can bring form to the dark side of an event…Some dreams scream real warning, danger.” — Jill Mellick, The Art of Dreaming: Tools for Creative Dream Work, Conari Press, 1996

When we honor nightmares rather than dismiss them, we begin to understand the parts of ourselves that have been calling out for attention. These dreams show us where fear still lives, where grief still echoes, and where courage is quietly forming. The so‑what is simple: nightmares can help us live more awake. They invite us to meet our inner life with compassion instead of avoidance, and in doing so, they become unlikely companions on the path toward healing.

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