What do these nightmares mean?

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On some nights I have nightmares of being forced to stare at hideous/creepy faces (as you can't exactly close your eyes in your dreams), and these faces I see in some of my dreams would make you almost die of fright if you ever saw one in real life (offline). It's a bit like the face in the scary maze game, or other "uncanny valley" faces you see on the internet (including 'momo').

When I have these dreams I usually wake up with night sweats and a racing heart. Occasionally I'll put my head under the sheets when I wake up because of the dreams giving me the creeps and so feeling like the faces are in my room staring at me.

I don't watch much horror movies at all and it takes a lot to scare me anyway in movies. Could having these nightmares be related to anxiety, stress and depression? I am suffering a lot of stress in my life right now. Do these dreams sound familiar to other people here? I tried looking this up on Google but I couldn't really find any answers.

I'm sorry you are having horrible nightmares! It's likely due to stress and anxiety!
Has anything different happened? Any significant changes that may contribute to your nightmares..?

I often have nightmares too.. often I'm drowning and dying. Perhaps you could have a look at one of those articles on dream interpretations via google search? It's what I did.

Food for thought, get a plate.

They May be due to a medication you are using as well.

I have had similar dreams in the past. I've always had nightmares, and usually they are in a different form than what you describe, but I have had some that sound the same. I think for me they meant high anxiety.

The same dreams mean different things to different people

Not all dreams have meanings

Having not heard of scary maze or momo I googled them, and yeah, they would scare me too.
Victorian dolls scare me, cruel faces.

Dreams are personal and they can mean things to different people.

Do you feel threatened by anyone who might hurt you?
Is anyone being mean to you?
What do these faces mean to you personally?
Look at the cause of your stress, if triggering look up online how to deal with triggers as you want to keep psychologically safe.

I often have dreams where I am with company and we get separated, and as we are in a strange place, I cannot find my way home. I have a poor sense of direction. I left belongings in peoples house in one dream, I do not take note of where I am if accompanied, and could not find the house in which I had come from to get my belongings.
This dream and others tell me I feel lost, which I do.

I used to have dreams where I was on the precipice and about to fall off, some kind of ledge or edge. I dreamt I did fall and floated near the edge of the ledge, another time I dreamt I fell in water as I somehow veered too close to the edge of a large body of water and fell in.
This told me I felt like I was on a metaphorical cliff edge, at the time I was worried about losing welfare benefits.
Ironically the ex DWP secretary Ian Duncan Smith MP who brought in a lot of draconian rules, talked about claimants feeling like they were on a cliff-edge, and one claimant felt he was in free-fall, and these dreams told me I felt the same.

Think of dreams as personal metaphors. I hope this helps.

Maybe you're just having to deal with too many faces at the moment?

Feeling overloaded by interactions with people is classic ASD, after all.

Interactions with people don't overload me. And if anything I'm having to deal with less faces thanks to pandemics.

I would guess that it'll be to do with something that's been on your mind or a consistent fear. Stress is likely a factor. Personally, my nightmares are mainly about being trapped in situations and not being able to escape. Makes sense since I'm claustrophobic.

Generally, I don't see scary faces in my dreams but I have in clothes piles and boxes on a windowsill.

Can you lucid dream? When bad things happen in my dreams, I can often take over and change things. I know that when something is truly disturbing, it can be difficult for me to take control at first. One time I dreamt I was being chased by a murderer with a distorted face, and I stopped running, turned to face him and yelled at the guy. Other options include sudden floor cave ins underneath their feet, turning the weapon into a bouquet of flowers etc.

Is there a way for you to destress a little before bed?

I think our subconscious can recycle nightmares on a loop. Our brains seem to remember what we dreamed last time and ruminate about it, which makes it replay. It's kind of like when something happens in our waking day, and we keep thinking about it or re-imagining it.

I have certain themes in my nightmares but beyond that, exact segments seem to repeat over and over even though I don't know why. It's like my brain just regenerates old material, either because I can't get it out of my mind or because my brain is too lazy to create something new.

I don't, and can't, lucid dream.

I don't have these dreams every night, just some nights.

Sometimes in these dreams I'm trying to shout out of terror at these faces but I can't shout as loud as I could in real life.

I do often look up dream interpretations on Google but I can't find any relating to this type.

I could be wrong but, if you are being forced to look at scary faces in your dreams, it could be your subconscious telling you to face your fears.

Or it could just be the fact that you’ve been stressed lately and are taking a medication that could be making you have weird dreams.

I would need more details but one possibility I thought of that has not been mentioned yet is that perhaps your having Sleep Paralysis. In the process of falling asleep or waking up a sufferer may see some kind of figure standing over them & be very freaked out but unable to do anything. Then the sufferer fully wakes up or goes back to being asleep & then wakes up. If those "nightmares" of yours are mostly just seeing faces & perhaps figures as well & perhaps your being restrained too but you don't see much other than the face & figure, I would lean towards it being Sleep Paralysis. If the dreams are more complex than that like the face or something is moving & talking, Your seeing things in the background, you are fighting, resisting, struggling, I would lean towards it being a nightmare. I've had Sleep Paralysis & other various sleep issues before when I was dealing with emotional stuff & single & VERY lonely & that stuff is NOT fun. I would recommend talking to your doc or psych if the "nightmares" keep up for a while. Weather it is really is just bad dreams or Sleep Paralysis, there are potential treatments available including making some changes with your psych meds. A sleep study might also be recommended by your doc/psych.

I'm not sure it's sleep paralysis or not. These faces are within a dream, like there's a "plot" in the dream and I'm coming into contact with these faces on and off throughout the dream.

This video is basically what these nightmares are. But like I said, I don't have them every night.

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OK that doesn't sound like sleep paralysis to me. Sleep paralysis is very brief. It may seem longer cuz your very scared but there isn't much else happening or going on. It's a lot less complex than a plot. I was just tossing that idea out there. I don't have much time to watch the vid tonight but I'm curious & plan to sometime soon. Might not have anything else to add though except I really do hope you have more pleasant dreams tonight

Joe that video frightened me.