The moment of fear you feel when you are chased by a veiled murderer, running for your life down a dark street. You cry and scream for help but no one can hear you. You collapse, and before you know it, the veiled murderer is standing right in front of you. He pulls out an ax and you wake up drenched in sweat, realizing it was all a nightmare. We've all had a nightmare moment, perhaps more than once. Nightmares can be very disconcerting because they are difficult to understand. What produces a nightmare and why does a nightmare act a certain way? Most people think that nightmares are nothing more than just a nasty dream, a sweet nightmare they wake up from in the morning, or a debauched dream that will be gone by the time they eat breakfast. In every nightmare, there is a reason to start. A nightmare is a vision with negative emotions. According to Psychology Today, “A nightmare is a dream occurring during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that results in feelings of terror, fear, distress, or extreme anxiety. This phenomenon tends to occur towards the end of the night and often wakes the sleeper, who is likely to remember the content of the dream. Nightmares begin in childhood and usually begin to fade around age ten or later. For some people, the nightmares don't stop. Some people have nightmares all their lives. Nightmares usually don't last very long; not all night like most people think. Yes, a dream or nightmare seems to last for hours, but think about it. Dreams or nightmares are just a short story told in a short amount of time. The mind has various dreams or nightmares every night, each one longer than the last. While dreams are in the middle of the paper, they can be processed in several ways. If a nightmare is caused by traumatic events, a therapist can help. Another way to avoid a nightmare is to try to change the events that are happening and dream of a new ending. In other words, nightmares are dreams with a lot of negative feelings. Fear and anxiety are the most common cause of nightmares. Remember, nightmares aren't real, they're just dreams. These nighttime scares can be caused in several ways. Something extremely traumatic or something as simple as a nighttime snack right before bed can cause you to wake up shaking during the night. Works Cited “Nightmares.” Psychology today. May 13, 2010. the web. March 13, 2014. “Causes of Nightmares.” Mayo Clinic. August 12, 2011. the web. March 19, 2014. “Study of Dreams.” International Association for the Study of Dreams. 2013. Internet. March 192014.