Interesting, what exactly about the American culture?

Point of clarification: night terrors and nightmares are two different things.

In a night terror, the child screams bloody murder and seems inconsolable, but never wakes up and has absolutely no memory of the event. It's awful for the parents, but totally harmless and not at all scary to the child.

Nightmares, on the other hand, often wake the child (or adult, for that matter...) and are thoroughly memorable and frightening. If you remember it, it almost certainly wasn't a night terror, but was instead a nightmare.

However, I was really asking about memories of those paralyzing waking fears, like clones, burglars, and death. Any of those?

Gotcha, thanks for the clarification. In this event, I would have preferred to have night terrors, I think!

No paralyzing waking fears that I can remember.

Incog

Yes, I'd definitely rather have night terrors than nightmares, given a choice. Nightmares are so disturbing! I rarely have them, thankfully, but my DH suffers fairly regularly. His nightmares are so upsetting, even to me! Just nasty tricks for a mind to play on itself!

On the other hand, I can tell you that having been a parent of a child with night terrors, they are SO SCARY for the adults watching them! Just remembering DS6's screams makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up even now! And I think it's that same helpless feeling you had last night. Very primal. <shudder>

I'm glad you had no awful waking memories, at least, even if you've had to suffer through nightmares. Small favors, right?

Wow Kriston - we had the exact same death issue with DS7 when he was a preschooler. It was a period of time where he absolutely obsessed about it and it eventually just played itself out.

And I am infinitely glad we've never had any night terrors in this house (knock on wood). DS lately has had occassional nighmere's about whatever book he was reading right before bed. But he still loves creepy books.

Not clones, LOL, but fire was a big fear. I think that was a perfectly reasonable thing to fear though, especially since I grew up in SoCal. Those terrible, heart-wrenching movies about fires devastating families DID NOT HELP. I hope they don't show that awful one where the dog is the only survivor anymore, it was the worst. I had a whole set of rituals that I felt I needed to observe to keep us safe from fire during the night, though I don't have OCD. I don't think that my parents knew how frightened I was of fire, I usually hid any of my fears from them.

Interesting. How old were you, kcab, do you recall? And how long did the fear last for you? Years? Or was it a shorter term thing?

Not sure exactly, Kriston. I can narrow it down to 6-10 yo based on where we lived. May have been that whole time. It did last years but became less of an issue after around age 10. Part of it ending was due to a move and due to other concerns becoming more dominant.

So what do you think?

The UCLA Center for Society and Genetics cordially invites you to its Sixth Annual Symposium, “Babies by Design: Redefining Humans?”

What if we could select our children to ensure that they will avoid devastating genetic diseases? What if we could select our children’s sex? What if we could select superior musical or athletic ability?

Technologies for testing embryos allow parents to discover an
ever-increasing amount of genetic information, inviting them to
select only the best traits for their children.

This symposium will explore the complex choices confronting us.
Do we have the right or the obligation to choose the best children? Or does this redefine what it is to be human?

“Babies by Design: Redefining Humans?”
Sunday, Jan. 27
9:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Grand Horizon Room, Covel Commons
See northwest campus map:
http://www.UCLAlumni.net/MapNorthwest?email=I1QN.

Speakers to include:

“Introduction to the Science – Designing Babies”
Edward R.B. McCabe, co-director, Center for Society and Genetics

“A Parent’s Perspective”
Lisa Nash, mother of a daughter, Molly, with a devastating genetic
disorder, proposed using genetic screening to have a second baby
whose cord blood could be used to treat Molly’s disease. The Nashes
succeeded in using this technique, thereby choosing traits in one
child that could save the life of another.

"Legal Aspects of Emerging Reproductive Technologies"
Judith F. Daar, visiting professor, UCLA School of Law

“Respecting Diversity“
Paul Miller, director, University of Washington Disability Studies
Program
Henry M. Jackson, professor of law, former commissioner, U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission

Panel Discussion – “Redefining Humans?”
The panel moderated by Edward R.B. McCabe will feature the event
speakers and include questions from the audience.

Admission is free. Campus parking will be $8 and is available nearby.

Please RSVP indicating your name, class year and if you will be
bringing a guest, by Friday, Jan. 25 to
mailto:lsevents@support.ucla.edu.

For information about this event, visit
http://www.UCLAlumni.net/BabiesByDesign?email=I1QN.

If you would like to learn about other activities at the Center for
Society and Genetics, visit
http://www.UCLAlumni.net/UCLAsocgen?email=I1QN.

We look forward to seeing you on campus.

Best regards,

Edward R.B. McCabe, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-Director
UCLA Center for Society and Genetics

M. Norton Wise, Ph.D.
Co-Director
UCLA Center for Society and Genetics

Well, I probably won't take DD7 to it, but interesting!

"Lisa Nash, mother of a daughter, Molly, with a devastating genetic
disorder, proposed using genetic screening to have a second baby
whose cord blood could be used to treat Molly’s disease. The Nashes
succeeded in using this technique, thereby choosing traits in one
child that could save the life of another."

Controversial........I won't go there, but is it really considered cloning?