Nightmares reflect a suppressed fear or concern the dreamer may be experiencing. Nightmares are always scarier than real life because they happen in the unconscious mind, a place where the mind can explore what would “really happen if”. The dream refers to an repressed, or unexpressed, fear or concern. One can control the intensity of nightmares by 1. figuring out what the fear is about and addressing it in waking life; 2. addressing the dream before falling asleep (i.e. talking it out and planning a different outcome); 3. interpreting the meaning of a nightmare upon waking. Like a scary movie, the actual “monster”, or nightmare, is less scary once it is revealed, so interpreting the meaning behind the nightmare will cause it to dissipate.