plausible gullibility

What’s the worst about waking up from a plausible nightmare is that you don’t know if what woke you up is real or not, not yet, not for hours.

This is the opposite of grasping at the warm, bright things that wisp away as soon as you think of them, still glowing, the next morning. This is the hand you wish you hadn’t felt on your throat as you gasped and choked awake in the dark.

So which is worse: insomnia or nightmares?

About Halsted M. Bernard

Halsted, a/k/a cygnoir, does stuff with words. Her favourite things to do with words are keeping this diary, writing stories, and organising information. She lives in Edinburgh with her husband, two cats, a few gadgets, several fountain pens, and many books.

Posted on 21 Nov 2006 in Diary
  • http://tommx.livejournal.com tommx

    I’d have to say insomnia is worse because you can’t wake up from insomnia. That and nightmares are, perhaps, sometimes necessary.

  • David

    I vote for nightmares as worse. I can take a pill for insomnia :-)

    I have a recurring nightmare that consists of a replay of bad events from the early 80s. The events were now more than 20 years ago, and still every time I have that nightmare (several times a year), I am unsettled and wigged out for *days*.

  • http://www.seeginablog.com gina

    I would rather be an insomniac than have nightmares. Nightmares haunt you in the daytime following too and that I could do without.

  • http://manager-marketeur.viabloga.com Jean-Pierre

    When insomnia and very tired, you can dream !

  • http://accesscom.com/~darius Darius

    Nightmares, I think. One time I woke up knowing a friend was a murderer — I shambled half-awake over to the computer needing to check the evidence and had a web browser open, trying to remember what to search for, before I decided it really was just a dream. It took a while to really believe it.

  • Raul Julia

    Nightmares are worse. At least with insomnia, you can get stuff done.

  • Pingback: Those Long National Nightmares Are The Worst - from The Zero Boss by Jay Andrew Allen

  • http://maureensphotoblog.blogspot.com maureen

    For me, insomnia is worse. you can’t learn much from insomnia. You can learn something from a nightmare, no matter how bad it is — sometimes you can learn something really important about yourself. And often, when you finally “get it” your subconscious will stop replaying the nightmare. (oh, that’s when it’s a recurring one)

    i have to agree about the nightmares that last 4 to 8 years starting the night after elections. those are pretty damn bad.

    btw, I like your blog — can’t remember how I landed here, but I’m glad I did.