That little voice

Dreams are truly an interesting part of humanity; what caused our bodies to produce images while we rest? Imaginative situations and equally imaginative solutions so oft produced at a time when our brain is supposedly at rest, it leads me to wonder the nature of a nightmare.

Producing dreams where we escape from the bleakness of our lives is understandable, as these images are almost certainly enjoyable. Creating something enjoyable, in short, is easily understood, yet to create nightmares is something that is inexplicably both terrifying and exceptional to be an observer of, much less take part in, is something that I find interesting.

Why frighten ourselves? A precedent can be taken with the horror genre of literature, where fright is created and observed consciously. We enjoy this fear because in the back of our minds, we know its not true. The fright is an interesting and delightful feeling when you know the terror is fictitious.

Similar to thought process involved in playing in the rain. When you can play in the rain with a hot bath to look forward to, it's quite enjoyable. When you can walk in the rain with only the prospect of getting even wetter in the near future, it is anything but enjoyable.

The lingering effects of a nightmare can be emotionally scarring, leaving one to feel its effect for days to come, sometimes extending to weeks or months in some unfortunate cases. So, the question remains. Why?

Perhaps it is the nature of humanity, where we must understand our fears before we can feasibly overcome them. To see your fears materialize in front of you, whether in a waking state or not, you soon acclimate to such fears. In other cases, you realize what it is you truly fear, which is the first step towards overcoming it.

Yet, oftentimes, they are presented in elaborate metaphors that even the most analytical of persons can conjure up in a waking state. Is the creative state enabled while the rest of the mind is at rest? Is this why I prefer to write later on at night, as opposed to in the afternoon?



Maaayybbeee.