Moreover, the recurring nightmares that relate to a waking-life event were associated with higher nightmare distress. The findings indicate that in addition to nightmare frequency heightened emotional reactivity measured as neuroticism contribute to global nightmare distress and, thus, supporting the neurocognitive model of Levin and Nielsen (2007). Nightmare frequency, global nightmare distress, and personality traits were measured. Overall, 2492 persons (1437 woman, 1055 men) completed the online survey. In order to understand nightmare etiology better empirical research should focus on studying factors that affect nightmare distress in addition to nightmare frequency. The diagnosis of a nightmare disorder is based on clinically significant distress caused by the nightmares, e.g., sleep or mood disturbances. The results indicate that although nightmare frequency is positively correlated to thin personal boundaries, only particular aspects of the concept of personal boundaries are correlated to emotional and cognitive consequences of the nightmares.

In frequent nightmare sufferers, the emotional and cognitive consequences of a nightmare as well as its possible explanations were correlated to boundary thinness mainly the personal total score and the Boundary Questionnaire scales sleep/wake/dreams, thoughts/feelings/mood and sensitivity. Confirming previous results, frequent nightmare sufferers had significantly thinner personal boundaries than occasional nightmare sufferers, and nightmare frequency was positively correlated to boundary thinness. Occurence of nightmares and their respective consequences were recorded daily during a 4-week period by diaries and questionnaires.

The present study investigated the relationship between boundary thinness and emotional, cognitive, and behavioral consequences of nightmares in frequent nightmare sufferers. Luja may be the protagonist (To a degree), but he in no way steals the show (He's an Illusionist with minor utility spells as well, so his strengths aren't overt).According to the boundary concept of Hartmann (1991), the occurence of nightmares was repeatedly shown to be correlated to thin personal boundaries. Original fiction isn't safe either (LOL Wesley Crusher), but at least I'm safe with my own stuff. Possibly he would have died during the first random fight, a testament to how pathetic self-inserts would actually be. Had I continued, he would have met a nasty fate at the hands of one enemy or another. I did once attempt to write a self-insert Inuyasha fic just to show other people how it would really happen, but I only got as far as my character wetting himself in fear after narrowly avoiding a Kaze no Kizu. The first is that you can't make a character Out of Character and then claim they're not. There are at least two things wrong with that statement. If I had to pluck one example out of my memory, it would be the X-Men fic on AFF.net that had in its summary a phrase that went something like 'No OOC! I made Logan a loving softy!' The years I've spent in the fanfiction community have educated me well on this topic. Our brooding posteriors could all use a good laugh. My request for the many people of Escapist, is: What is the Worst Mary Sue you have ever encountered? Some are even rebellious royalty in hiding. They often hide, (though a little less often brood, sobbing black rivers of mascara), traumatic pasts, filled to the brim with abuse and murder. Speaking to animals, witnessing prophetic visions, holding powerful abilities such as magic or expertise with a weapon they have just picked up, crying tears that resurrect the dead, holding a tie to an important licensed character, possessing the ability to vomit rainbows, etc.), these beings often possess abnormal hair and eye color, the ability to turn your most beloved licensed characters into drooling, lovesick shells of their former selves, incredible beauty, and astounding intelligence.

Often blessed with divine characteristics, (i.e. Otherwise known as the Mary-Sue, (or Gary-Stu: the male counterpart), these despised creatures lurk within the fanfiction community The perfect original character.

This topic may appeal to the slightly geekier, (read: OBSESSED with licensed material), of the Escapist Crowd: the Fanfiction community.

Personal nightmare characters