So far, says Michael Schredl, a dream researcher at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Germany, the most effective form of treatment for recurring nightmares isn’t flashy or high-tech—it’s based on talking. In image rehearsal therapy, a counselor asks a person to imagine their nightmare and then come up with a strategy to make it less scary. “For this therapy, it’s important to take the nightmare seriously and think about how you would handle this nightmarish situation in a better way,” says Schredl. For example, a dreamer running from a monster might imagine turning around to ask the monster “What do you want?” Once that happens, “the monster often loses its terrifying qualities,” says Schredl. Then it might change into something less scary, like a small dog! By rehearsing a new storyline for the dream, people can train their brains to think of constructive solutions to scary situations, and instead create a happier ending.
Although much is unknown in the field of dream research, scientists have realized one thing: The better we understand nightmares, the less likely we are to be scared by them. We might not be able to avoid bad dreams, but “if we work with nightmares in a constructive way,” says Schredl, “we can cope with them.”