When I was a student in the Kabbalah Centre, we had a strange practice called a “dream cancellation.” Steeped in its own ineffable blend of Chassidic Jewish mysticism and New Age woo, the Centre taught that dreams could be foreshadowings of things to come. This was true of happy dreams, but especially true of nightmares. If you dreamt that something terrible happened to you, or to a loved one, you were advised to seek immediate assistance the next morning.