me_irl

Yeah, it's mostly random, but the really dark ones are more likely with high stress of some kind. They're not usually connected in a thematic way though. It's more that stress will set off a general wave of imagery that's matching in unpleasantness, without being the same in detail.

That one in particular was out of nowhere though. Well, no stress above the norm at least.

But I've always had very vivid dreams, nightmare or otherwise, even as a very little kid. One of the oldest dreams I remember was what could be called an apocalyptic scenario. Tornados, fires, storms all destroying places I knew. I wasn't even in kindergarten for that one yet. Only reason I can place it in time is that it happened at the tail end of when I had measles and I told my mom about it. I was 4-ish

That one actually recurred a few times over the years.