Conference hydra::dejavu

    re: .0
    
    Since he may be ready to seek help, strongly advise your dad
    to seek medical attention.  Really.  Serious physical injury,
    to your dad and/or to someone else could take place.  Five
    stiches is no joke as it is.  
    
    No fooling around with this one.  Get him to a doctor, and 
    pronto.
    
    Joel
    

    Maybe hypnosis could be used to find out what is bothering him.  I have
    no idea where or who you would go to though.  My old boyfriend used to
    wake up in the middle of the night screaming and jump out of bed.  It
    certainly scared me.  He couldn't remember the dream and wouldn't ever
    consider seeing someone about it.  You might want to check books about
    sleeping disorders too. 
    
    Cheers,
    
    Karin

    This is *NOT* the usual kind of (REM-state) dreams which the techniques
    described elsewhere are directed at helping people remember, nor to
    which the techniques of dream analysis have been developed to deal
    with.  The key observation is that he thrashes around and even moves
    purposivly during the dream.  During REM the body is paralyzed to
    prevent just that kind of movement during the dream.

    Negative non-REM dreams are called "night terrors" (as distinct from
    vivid, negative REM dreams which are nightmares).  Usually, though not
    always, they have little or no detailed content, unlike REM dreams --
    they are simply "I was fighting with someone" or "I was running from
    something horrible" or simply "I was afraid" with no further detail. 
    They are essentially neurophysiological (read that "physical") in
    source.  There may be psychological factors contributing to whatever
    content -- including emotional -- that they do contain, however.  And
    the neurophysiological problem may be caused or activated by stress.

    Night terrors are fairly normal in small children -- a matter of the
    nervous system not being fully developed.  In adults some people have
    mild ones commonly, and many people have an occasional, generally
    relatively mild one, especially when under clear and unmistakable
    stress.

    Repeated, violent night terrors, however, is something to be concerned
    about -- especially if there is no strong external stress evident in
    the person's life.  *Something* is wrong in the brain.  I don't want to
    scare you since it is likely to be something minor and even
    undetectable -- but it definitely *could* be something very series, for
    example, a brain tumor.  Do not play around with this -- urge your
    father with all possible force to see a doctor -- preferably a
    neurologist or a (medical not psychological) sleep specialist.  As soon
    as possible -- like today.

    The physical danger to both your mother and father are also quite real.
    Your father is unaware of his environment during these episodes and
    could easily injure himself or your mother.  Most such injuries are
    minor, of course, but serious injuries are not uncommon from strong
    night terrors, and you'll find a note I posted in this conference
    somewhere of a man in England who apparently killed his wife in his
    sleep thinking he was back in WWII and grappling with an enemy soldier.

    My strong advice -- do everything in your power to get him to a
    qualified doctor as quickly as possible.  I realize that this urgency
    seems odd for a problem which has gone on for years, but it seems to me
    that every day that passes is one more day at risk and one more day
    that whatever is wrong could be getting worse and harder to treat.

				Topher

    
    Personally, I think most dreams come from the "subconscious" and have to
    do with your "real" SELF as opposed to our acculturated perception of
    who we are and the life we lead, if you know what I mean.  I'm speaking
    moreless of "God's plan for your life" vs "Man's (my own) plan for my
    life".  I suggest your father do a some prayer, get to church, perhaps
    give some generous amount to the homeless and hungry (if he has it)
    because doing so atones for these kinds of forgotten/ignorred sins.
    
    I think it's a warning sign...listening to what you've said to
    far...his conscience is eating at him about something and a medical
    doctor can't "cut it out", only God can, IMO.
    
    Playtoe

    
    I second the recommendation that your father see a neurologist as
    soon as possible.  
    
    If he lives anywhere near Burlington, MA, the Lahey Clinic Medical
    Center might be a good place to contact.  No physician referral is
    necessary.  The Clinic is easily accessible from Rt. 128 - it's on
    Mall Rd., the street that parallels Rt. 128, on the other side of
    Burlington Mall.  I think that the Clinic has a Sleep Disorder Center
    as well as a Dept. of Neurology and, at the very least, should be 
    able to give your father an appropriate referral.  
    
    The Boston Area telephone book lists these Lahey Clinic numbers:
       
           Appointment Office.......(508) 273-8000
           Medical Information......      273-8041
           Various Depts............      273-5100
    
     
    If your father makes an appointment and then has some time on his
    hands before the date arrives, he might find it interesting to talk
    to Dr. Harvey Rubin, the radio "Talk-net" program psychiatrist. 
    This program is found on numerous radio stations around the country -
    for example, in Worcester on 580 am., where Dr. Rubin takes calls
    (no charge) on Sats. and Suns. starting after the 10:00 pm. news.
    Dr. Rubin would be able to put these night-terrors into perspective
    and to discuss the role (if any) that prescription drugs might play
    in their control.  He also gives appropriate referrals.
    
    Remember that your father is not having what we usually refer to as
    "dreams."  His large muscles aren't paralyzed as is the case during
    REM (Rapid Eye Movement or dreaming) sleep.  He's probably in sleep
    stages 3 or 4, which are characterized by delta brain waves and are
    often referred to as "delta sleep" or "deep sleep."   There are no
    eye movements here, and muscle tone is usually low, *but* it can be
    high, as when sleep-walking or sleep-talking occurs.  As Stephen La-
    Berge says in his book "Lucid Dreaming,"  "Recall of mental activity
    on arousal from delta sleep is generally very poor and fragmentary,
    and more thoughtlike than dreamlike."
    
    Please keep us posted, if you will, on your father's situation.
    
    Virginia          
             
    
    
    
     

thank you all for your advice.  Dad will be speaking with his Doctor within
the next two days.  He already visits Leahey CLinic, pretty regularly for
an anemic condition he has, so I will mention to him to ask his
hemotologist about getting a consultation with someone in Nuerology.

At anyrate, it's clear, he's ready and willing to seek some answers on
this...