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Scientist reveals chilling truth about dying in your dreams and the common triggers behind it

Home> News> Science

Published 16:36 11 Nov 2024 GMT

Scientist reveals chilling truth about dying in your dreams and the common triggers behind it

Dying in your dreams won't leave you at the mercy of Freddy Krueger but it does mean something, scientists say

Tom Earnshaw

Tom Earnshaw

It might have been 40 years since the terror of Freddy Krueger was unleashed upon global audiences, but the fear of A Nightmare on Elm Street lives on four decades later.

And with it, the worry that the film brought about by the idea of you dying in your dreams.

Now, a scientist has revealed what that means for you if you've experienced it, and it is rather chilling. Pay attention.

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Back on 9 November, 1984, the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise was born and with it, chilling images of Freddy Krueger that have defined the horror genre alongside other villains such as Michael Myers, Jigsaw, and more recently, Art the Clown.

Haunting teenagers in their dreams, Krueger would attack and kill them in the Wes Craven franchise, including a very young Johnny Depp in his very first film role as Glen Lantz.

And while actual death is not something that is going to happen to you for imagining such a thing in your vivd dreams, the nightmare itself could indicate something worrying nonetheless.

Professor Tiina Paunio, a sleep expert from the University of Helsinki, told MailOnline that these nightmares are likely related to parts of our brains associated with stress.

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Krueger gets you in your dreams but thankfully, only in films (New Line Cinema)
Krueger gets you in your dreams but thankfully, only in films (New Line Cinema)

It is during a nightmare that there is a spike on the levels of something called noradrenaline in the amygdala and locus coeruleus regions of the brain; regions of the brain associated with fear, anxiety, and rage.

"Nightmares usually occur under emotional stress - so acute life stress is one risk factor," Professor Paunio said.

"Lifestyle, in particular alcohol use, is another well-known risk factor for nightmares."

Getting scared, even in dreams, sees your body enter fight or flight mode. When this happens, your system is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol due to the fear that feels very real.

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Nightmares can leave you feeling awful given how real they feel (Getty Stock Image)
Nightmares can leave you feeling awful given how real they feel (Getty Stock Image)

And while adrenaline can actually be the thing that saves your life in a real life encounter with danger, it is in fact lethal to your organs in large doses.

So if you're vulnerable, there is a chance the made up fatal encounter could end up costing your life, the professor explains.

This is rare, she adds.

"Generally, the health risks of nightmares are typically indirect and are linked to the causative factors that underly nightmares," Prof Paunio explained.

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"In vulnerable individuals, for example, those with a heart disease, nightmares can indirectly contribute to death, although this is rare."

Being physically frightened to death is incredibly rare, the American Heart Foundation says. In fact, if this happens it is likely due to an underlying cardiovascular condition.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image/New Line Cinema

Topics: Film, Health, Mental Health, Science, Sleep

Tom Earnshaw
Tom Earnshaw

Tom joined LADbible Group in 2024, currently working as SEO Lead across all brands including LADbible, UNILAD, SPORTbible, Tyla, UNILAD Tech, and GAMINGbible. He moved to the company from Reach plc where he enjoyed spells as a content editor and senior reporter for one of the country's most-read local news brands, LancsLive. When he's not in work, Tom spends his adult life as a suffering Manchester United supporter after a childhood filled with trebles and Premier League titles. You can't have it all forever, I suppose.

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@TREarnshaw

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