Banishing Nightmares Options

hey everybody! i have a friend who keeps getting a serious nightmare since he was 11, something about a monster with red eyes. anyway...he stops breathing in his sleep (to make the monster go away) and gave me quite a scare, so that got me thinking its about time to run some interference. anyway i was wondering if anyone knew a way to banish the nightmare so that he can get a good night's rest? i was thinking about the process of hand making a dream catcher...but how is it done? any ideas would be great....

The red flag that popped up when I read this was:

he stops breathing in his sleep (to make the monster go away) and gave me quite a scare

If he's litterally sleeping and he stops breathing on a regular basis that is an indication that he is suffering from some kind of sleep disorder. Maybe I have this wrong. Reoccuring nightmares can also indicate some level of post trauma. It is possible your friend has some kind of condition, neurological or psychological, that should be at least examined by a doctor.

Just a suggestion you might run by him.

Aside from that I wouldn't try any magickal route to start, except maybe to help the process. I would simply have him record his dreams involving this shadow character, have him ask himself questions like "how am I like this shadow figure?", "What does this shadow represent?" Things like that. He could even write the question down on paper before he goes to sleep and place it under his pillow.

Nightmares can often represent our personal insecurities, fears, anxieties. Qualities about ourselves we don't like to talk about because they reveal self-doubt, low esteem things we aren't really proud of, even if they are pretty minor things. The nightmares could simply be related to a fear of sleeping in general. Sometimes the vulnerability of sleep scares people.

One thing you could have him try: Before your friend sleeps, have him cleans him self, then his room. He could walk in a circular fashion around his room touching random things as he goes. He could walk a number of circles, the number can be something special to him - 3, 7, 13, etc etc. At the same time he should say something (and say it with passion) like "This room is mine, pleasant dreams will be mine" By doing this he will reinforce his own will in the room. He will reinfornce the notion of not having bad dreams. And if it works, he won't have bad dreams. But he can't be afraid of sleeping or even afraid of the nightmare because then all this ritual will accomplish is dizziness.

yes...i DID suggest that his night-terror could be a symptom of sleep apnea. however, he remains cynical about it...he reasons that the breathing problem is deliberate (if he holds his breath, the monster will go away). in any case, you make a strong point about it possibly being a response to trauma. He denies that there is a physical issue so blatantly, i wonder that he actually DOES know what started it all. In any case, im not sure i can convince him to do a particular ritual like the one you suggest...he is not as "superstitious" as i am. And also, there is the issue of forcing introspection, which cannot be done. That is why my immediate focus was on a tangible item that is already reinforced by popular culture (hence, he already has an unconscious impression of its power in his mind). It would not be so easily swept aside or taken for granted. i guess what im trying to say is...the guy is daft and its no wonder that the nightmare is as bad as it is with his listening problem the way it is.

still you are right...he needs to see a specialist. perhaps a spell to force him to go to the doctors is in order. sigh*