Brain creates scary stories both while asleep and awake

While we sleep our brain makes up stories and then gets scared of them

This is a text-based meme consisting of a screenshot of an interaction on the Reddit subreddit r/Showerthoughts, a community for sharing casual, offhand observations. The original post from user u/kpingvin reads: 'While we sleep our brain makes up stories and then gets scared of them', a reference to the common experience of having frightening nightmares created by the subconscious during sleep. A reply from user JillieBean89 follows, stating 'Mine does that when I'm awake', which is a self-deprecating, relatable joke implying the commenter experiences anxious intrusive thoughts or overthinking that causes them unnecessary fear even when they are fully conscious, drawing a humorous parallel between nightmares and waking anxiety.

The original post and comment interaction originated on the Reddit subreddit r/Showerthoughts, posted by user u/kpingvin with the reply from user JillieBean89. This screenshot of the exchange was reposted as a meme on X (formerly Twitter) by the account @meme.jpg, as noted in the provided source information. It is widely circulated as a relatable meme for people who struggle with anxiety, overthinking, or intrusive thoughts.