Prophetic dreams

[Maia]

But don't you find that when you think about particular aspects of some disturbing dreams, you can often relate them to fears and anxieties that you are conscious of?

I find that most people, including me, piece together significance and relevance of dreams or nightmares post hoc, meaning that connection between the conscious and subconsciousness is tenuous sometimes.

Nightmares, for example, are a way of forcing your consciousness to address subconscious fears and premonitions.

It's a way for your brain and body to focus your attention to what your instinct believes is a direct threat to your person and those around you.

Perhaps they don't so much tell you what you didn't already consciously know, but rather prompt you to do something about it. I daresay dreams have other functions, but I don't think there is anything mystical about them.

Depends on how you define mystical. I think nature itself is mystical, or magical, but that doesn't imply, at least to me, that it's not also perfectly natural.

[Harbal]

I find that most people, including me, piece together significance and relevance of dreams or nightmares post hoc, meaning that connection between the conscious and subconsciousness is tenuous sometimes.

Nightmares, for example, are a way of forcing your consciousness to address subconscious fears and premonitions.

It's a way for your brain and body to focus your attention to what your instinct believes is a direct threat to your person and those around you.

Perhaps they don't so much tell you what you didn't already consciously know, but rather prompt you to do something about it. I daresay dreams have other functions, but I don't think there is anything mystical about them.

Depends on how you define mystical. I think nature itself is mystical, or magical, but that doesn't imply, at least to me, that it's not also perfectly natural.

Yes, it depends on how you define mystical.

[jasonlava]

Your description resonates with aspects of maladaptive daydreaming, a condition where someone becomes excessively absorbed in elaborate fantasies or scenarios. As someone who has struggled with it, I can relate. Maybe that's what you had when you were 14.
In my case, I would spend hours lost in vivid scenarios, often imagining outcomes of events that hadn't even occurred. These daydreams felt so real that they influenced my mood and decisions, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.
What helped me overcome it was to confront and challenge those unrealistic thoughts, a method described in this article. I started by acknowledging when I was slipping into a daydream and actively redirecting my focus to the present moment. It took time and effort, but gradually, I regained control over my thoughts.