I think it’s telling that some of the phrases people use to describe a really terrible experience they had is that it was ‘an absolute nightmare’, ‘worse then your worse nightmare’. Do other cultures and languages use this phrase? If so it seems like evidence to be that a lot of people’s reference for ‘very traumatic or unpleasant experience’ is nightmares. OP, I’d think you could put that to people who dismiss nightmares.
I think it’s telling that some of the phrases people use to describe a really terrible experience they had is that it was ‘an absolute nightmare’, ‘worse then your worse nightmare’. Do other cultures and languages use this phrase? If so it seems like evidence to be that a lot of people’s reference for ‘very traumatic or unpleasant experience’ is nightmares. OP, I’d think you could put that to people who dismiss nightmares.
That’s a good point, thanks