Heightmeyers Dream - Could it really do that?

[Jedi_Master_Bra'tac]

Heightmeyer died because she dreamt herself falling off one of the Atlantis towers. Now I have one big problem with this, when I was younger I used to have the same dream quite often; It's a cold and grey morning, I walk to the edge of a cliff, near the sea, lots of rocks at the bottom, I walk off, see myself falling and wake up just as I'm about to hit the bottom. Basically Heightmeyers dream but not Teyla, Atlantis or John.
I know I never hit the bottom in my dreams (or maybe I did and that's when I wake up...), but I'm still here. Is it really possible to die from dreams? (I know it's sci fi but oh well.
I haven't had this dream in about 6 or 7 years, possibly more.

[P-90_177]

hmmm. it's an interesting question. i often have falling dreams and i even hit the ground but i instantly wake up. at the same time my body actually physically jolts.

My guess is that we can never dream about ourselves actually dieing becasue of our natural instinct to survive as well as the fact that we have never experienced death and since dreams are random memories all jumbled up, we can not possibly die.

[Falcon Horus]

I think the strain on the body would be too much to deal with...

I guess if the mind believes it, then it could actually hurt for real.

In the dream sequence, Kate actually did hit the bottom, that much was clear from the thud. *shudder*

[fuchsia]

When it's your dream you're in control, but in Kate's dream it was the entity.
I would think that in your own dreams you don't want to die... self preservation and all that... but in her dream the entity wanted to kill her so she died.
Maybe.

[Falcon Horus]

Good point... But still, the brain has to somehow believe it's real...

I don't know...

[P-90_177]

we need a proper dream......expert............thingy.

[Falcon Horus]

we need a proper dream......expert............thingy.

Yes, we do. Know anyone?

[Mattathias2.0]

Short answer. No. (I am no dream expert person)

[Platschu]

If I know well, falling down from a tower is a sign of oppressed creativity.

But what wil the dream books say?
To dream that you sustain a fall, and are much frightened,denotes that you will undergo some great struggle, but will eventually rise to honor and wealth; but if you are injured in the fall,you will encounter hardships and loss of friends.

[fuchsia]

Good point... But still, the brain has to somehow believe it's real...

I don't know...

Yeah... the sad thing is....

Kate would know. (sighs)

[Jill_Ion]

Oooooh, good point, fuchsia!

*Sad that Kate died.*

Kate's fall was very disturbing to watch. I suppose if someone had a physical problem, like a bad heart, and they had a terrifying dream, it could actually hurt them. I've had dreams where I couldn't breathe, and woke up to find I couldn't breathe cuz I had some phlegm caught in my throat. (Sorry if that grosses anyone out.)

[Hypochondriac]

You might suffer from a heart attack if the dream was stressful and your in bad shape. belive it was mentioned before. But thats about it. you can't die from dreams. Their's no real damage

[PG15]

Uh, I'm pretty sure if the dream induces a heart attack, you can die.

In a similar vein to the above examples; my dad once dreamed that he got shot in the stomach, only to wake up to a terrible stomach ache (I think it was heartburn).

Dreams are strange and wonderful things.

[garhkal]

And it was the matrix that said that if the brain dies so does the body.. perhaps that is how the 'crystal' does it's killing. By taking over the body and getting ti to die.

[Falcon Horus]

Yeah... the sad thing is....

Kate would know. (sighs)

I was thinking the same thing... psycho-analyze it or something.