Why PTSD Nightmares Replay Trauma

Ever wondered why some dreams feel like a weird movie, while others feel like a literal,

terrifying replay of your past? While normal dreams rarely mirror actual events exactly,

about half of people with PTSD experience "replicative nightmares". These are dreams that act as nearly

exact replicas of a traumatic memory. This is considered a "signature feature" of the disorder

because it is so different from how we usually dream. Scientists believe this happens when

the brain’s usual process of mixing memories with new, safe associations fails.

Instead of integrating the trauma into your life story, the brain gets stuck re-experiencing

the same frightening event. We’re exploring why the brain loses its creative filter