Nightmare Etymology: The Demon Behind the Word
A forum debate revives the etymology of 'nightmare', claiming demons cause bad dreams. A skeptic counters with fever as a physiological trigger.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
«Nightmaere»: The Demon That Originated the Word Nightmare
The English word «nightmare» stems from Old English «nightmaere», where «maere» designated a demon—also called «mare» in Old Norse or «mara» in Old High German—who, according to one debater, tormented sleepers and induced nightmares. This participant argues that it was once common knowledge in England that nightmares are created by demons. In a forum thread with 123 replies, this etymology has been revived to support a thesis: nightmares are not random brain products but the result of interaction with non-human entities, according to this viewpoint.
What Nightmare Etymology Says
The starting point is philological. The Anglo-Saxon term «maere» persists in Germanic languages with the same meaning: an evil being that presses on the sleeper's chest, according to this account. The connection to sleep paralysis is direct: the sensation of weight on the thorax, inability to move, and the presence of a threatening figure appear in stories across various cultures. In Japan, it is called kanashibari, "bound with metal," and attributed to spirits or yōkai. In China, according to a conversation cited in the thread, wooden or porcelain pillows were not just for hygiene: they were believed to stabilize the head and prevent nocturnal visitors from moving the mattress. In Europe, according to that same conversation, monks slept on planks or stone benches out of discipline, but also because soft beds peine the door to temptation.
Sin, Creativity, and Terrifying Nightmares
The central thesis is that there is a direct link between sin and nightmare. Not all sins generate nightmares, nor are all nightmares equal. Sins related to creativity—consuming or producing violent films, books, or video games, or those involving occultism or pavor settings—open the door to the darkest nightmares, according to this argument. Other sins produce thematic nightmares: a thief might dream of being robbed. Sinning in thought is equivalent to sinning in deed. The logical conclusion of this framework is that one who commits no sins will have no nightmares. And if they do not, it is not because demons do not exist, but because no demon is interested in causing them, according to this perspective.
Demons Need Permission and Physical Contact
According to this narrative, demons do not act with absolute freedom. They need God's permission for everything they do, but if a person gives them reason, God grants consent. To generate a nightmare, the demon must be in physical contact with the sleeper, according to this view. The medium is the brain, and its state matters: if a person is extremely tired, the demon may try to induce a nightmare but fail, because the brain is too asleep to process those instructions. In the nightmare, the demon can appear as a relative, friend, or any familiar figure, because what is seen in a dream is identical or very similar to something the person has already seen before. It never shows its true form, according to this account.
Why We Cannot Strike a Demon
Popular tradition says we would pass through ghosts like smoke. This argument claims the opposite. Demons can pass through walls and matter, but cannot pass through a person, because a person has a spirit, according to this interpretation. However, no one has ever collided with a demon. The explanation is twofold: they strive to move away quickly, and if someone accidentally hit one, the person would receive no force; all the force would be absorbed by the demon, and the arm would not slow down at all. On one occasion, in that borderland between sleep and wakefulness, the author noticed a presence behind him, turned to push it away, and saw for an instant a blurry shadow the size of a medium dog agilely moving aside. Based on its size, it could well have been a being similar to the one depicted sitting on a woman's chest in certain classical iconography, according to his interpretation.
Sleep Paralysis and Bedroom Visitors
Sleep paralysis, according to this interpretation, is also caused by demons, just like other phenomena associated with bedroom visitors. The experience is consistent across several cultures: immobility, oppression, presence. The difference lies in the name each tradition gives it. In the Anglo-Saxon world, the Germanic mare. In Japan, kanashibari. In China, the hard pillow as defense. In Europe, the plank bed as penance and protection. The coincidence is hard to ignore, even if the interpretation differs.
The Counterargument: Fever, Pizza, and Skepticism
Not all participants buy into this framework. A skeptic points out that when a person is sick and has a fever, the likelihood of nightmares increases, suggesting a physiological cause. The author responds ironically: "And when you eat pizza older than three days." The skeptic interprets this as an admission: if pizza or fever causes them, then demons do not. The response is that the body's state influences the demon's ability to generate the nightmare, not its authorship, according to this view. Extreme fatigue, for example, prevents the brain from processing the demon's instructions. Fever, conversely, facilitates the ground. The discussion remains open.
Other Tangents in the Debate
The exchange drifted into broader territories. There was debate about whether animals go somewhere after death—the Bible does not say so, but sacrifices of pure animals suggest YHWH had them in his kingdom, according to one participant—and whether they will resurrect in the new earth and heaven. The figure of the succubus was mentioned cautiously. The nature of holiness was debated: not as Catholic beatification, but as "set apart," according to Hebrews 12:14. Divine protection was discussed: demons cannot kill the soul, only the body, and believers should not antiestéticar them but avoid giving God reasons to deny entry to his kingdom. The conversation also touched on the artificial scarcity of gold and diamonds, the real utility of gold as a talisman or in industry, and accumulation in Fort Knox, according to some participants. And towards theories about historical chronology and the shape of the Earth which, given current scientific knowledge, lack backing.
The etymology is solid: «nightmare» comes from «nightmaere». The interpretation made of it is another matter. Anyone suffering from recurrent nightmares should consult a health professional before looking for culprits in the spiritual realm.
The English word «nightmare» stems from Old English «nightmaere», where «maere» designated a demon—also called «mare» in Old Norse or «mara» in Old High German—who, according to one debater, tormented sleepers and induced nightmares. This participant argues that it was once common knowledge in England that nightmares are created by demons. In a forum thread with 123 replies, this etymology has been revived to support a thesis: nightmares are not random brain products but the result of interaction with non-human entities, according to this viewpoint.
What Nightmare Etymology Says
The starting point is philological. The Anglo-Saxon term «maere» persists in Germanic languages with the same meaning: an evil being that presses on the sleeper's chest, according to this account. The connection to sleep paralysis is direct: the sensation of weight on the thorax, inability to move, and the presence of a threatening figure appear in stories across various cultures. In Japan, it is called kanashibari, "bound with metal," and attributed to spirits or yōkai. In China, according to a conversation cited in the thread, wooden or porcelain pillows were not just for hygiene: they were believed to stabilize the head and prevent nocturnal visitors from moving the mattress. In Europe, according to that same conversation, monks slept on planks or stone benches out of discipline, but also because soft beds peine the door to temptation.
Sin, Creativity, and Terrifying Nightmares
The central thesis is that there is a direct link between sin and nightmare. Not all sins generate nightmares, nor are all nightmares equal. Sins related to creativity—consuming or producing violent films, books, or video games, or those involving occultism or pavor settings—open the door to the darkest nightmares, according to this argument. Other sins produce thematic nightmares: a thief might dream of being robbed. Sinning in thought is equivalent to sinning in deed. The logical conclusion of this framework is that one who commits no sins will have no nightmares. And if they do not, it is not because demons do not exist, but because no demon is interested in causing them, according to this perspective.
Demons Need Permission and Physical Contact
According to this narrative, demons do not act with absolute freedom. They need God's permission for everything they do, but if a person gives them reason, God grants consent. To generate a nightmare, the demon must be in physical contact with the sleeper, according to this view. The medium is the brain, and its state matters: if a person is extremely tired, the demon may try to induce a nightmare but fail, because the brain is too asleep to process those instructions. In the nightmare, the demon can appear as a relative, friend, or any familiar figure, because what is seen in a dream is identical or very similar to something the person has already seen before. It never shows its true form, according to this account.
Why We Cannot Strike a Demon
Popular tradition says we would pass through ghosts like smoke. This argument claims the opposite. Demons can pass through walls and matter, but cannot pass through a person, because a person has a spirit, according to this interpretation. However, no one has ever collided with a demon. The explanation is twofold: they strive to move away quickly, and if someone accidentally hit one, the person would receive no force; all the force would be absorbed by the demon, and the arm would not slow down at all. On one occasion, in that borderland between sleep and wakefulness, the author noticed a presence behind him, turned to push it away, and saw for an instant a blurry shadow the size of a medium dog agilely moving aside. Based on its size, it could well have been a being similar to the one depicted sitting on a woman's chest in certain classical iconography, according to his interpretation.
Sleep Paralysis and Bedroom Visitors
Sleep paralysis, according to this interpretation, is also caused by demons, just like other phenomena associated with bedroom visitors. The experience is consistent across several cultures: immobility, oppression, presence. The difference lies in the name each tradition gives it. In the Anglo-Saxon world, the Germanic mare. In Japan, kanashibari. In China, the hard pillow as defense. In Europe, the plank bed as penance and protection. The coincidence is hard to ignore, even if the interpretation differs.
The Counterargument: Fever, Pizza, and Skepticism
Not all participants buy into this framework. A skeptic points out that when a person is sick and has a fever, the likelihood of nightmares increases, suggesting a physiological cause. The author responds ironically: "And when you eat pizza older than three days." The skeptic interprets this as an admission: if pizza or fever causes them, then demons do not. The response is that the body's state influences the demon's ability to generate the nightmare, not its authorship, according to this view. Extreme fatigue, for example, prevents the brain from processing the demon's instructions. Fever, conversely, facilitates the ground. The discussion remains open.
Other Tangents in the Debate
The exchange drifted into broader territories. There was debate about whether animals go somewhere after death—the Bible does not say so, but sacrifices of pure animals suggest YHWH had them in his kingdom, according to one participant—and whether they will resurrect in the new earth and heaven. The figure of the succubus was mentioned cautiously. The nature of holiness was debated: not as Catholic beatification, but as "set apart," according to Hebrews 12:14. Divine protection was discussed: demons cannot kill the soul, only the body, and believers should not antiestéticar them but avoid giving God reasons to deny entry to his kingdom. The conversation also touched on the artificial scarcity of gold and diamonds, the real utility of gold as a talisman or in industry, and accumulation in Fort Knox, according to some participants. And towards theories about historical chronology and the shape of the Earth which, given current scientific knowledge, lack backing.
The etymology is solid: «nightmare» comes from «nightmaere». The interpretation made of it is another matter. Anyone suffering from recurrent nightmares should consult a health professional before looking for culprits in the spiritual realm.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (123 replies).
More summaries
-
Anonymous accuses Arsuaga of copying his theories for 2021 book
An anonymous source claims Arsuaga stole his neoteny thesis for a 2021 book. The accusation, lacking public evidence, remains open years later.
-
Fine-tuning of the universe: 1 in 10^120 and the battle over God
A book puts the odds of the universe being as it is by chance at 1 in 10^120. Fine-tuning divides believers and skeptics.
-
Pedro Sánchez: Is Spain's PM a 33rd Degree Freemason?
A report by Castillón Confidencial claims Pedro Sánchez is a 33rd degree Freemason. Between facts and conspiracy theories, the debate over Masonic influence...
-
Spanish Red Cross blood funding controversy explained
Viral claims about Spanish Red Cross blood sales and €69.75 per bag compensation spark debate over its public subsidies.
-
Ayuso Cancels Mexico Trip Amid Diplomatic Tensions
We analyze the cancellation of Isabel Díaz Ayuso's tour in Mexico: political strategy, diplomatic tension, or expulsion? Join the debate.
-
Spain: Phone addiction dominates public spaces
In Spain, excessive smartphone use in public raises concerns about social detachment and behavioral dependency.