International Writers Inspiring Change Featured Book: Bad Dreams and Bad Memories
- IWIC Admin
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 23
Bad Dreams and Bad Memories
Bad dreams feel real while they’re happening. Bad memories can feel the same—long after they’re over.
In Bad Dreams and Bad Memories, Keith Thorn explores a quiet but powerful truth: both dreams and memories occupy the mind, not the present. They borrow intensity from the past, but they no longer have authority—unless we give it to them.
This book is not about reliving trauma or diagnosing pain. It is about understanding why certain childhood experiences once felt overwhelming, why they still echo in adulthood, and how growing within ourselves changes the scale of what we carry. As we expand, what once dominated us loses its power—not because it disappears, but because it no longer defines us.
Through reflective prose and lived insight, Thorn shows how memory, fear, and identity can loosen their grip when we stop mistaking what is remembered for what is real. The result is not emotional erasure, but presence—learning how to live fully in the life that continues now.
This is a book for anyone who has:
Been shaped by experiences they couldn’t name at the time
Woken from dreams that felt convincing and heavy
Carried memories longer than they deserved to stay in control
Wondered why the past still feels close, even when life has moved on
Bad Dreams and Bad Memories offers no formulas and makes no promises. Instead, it offers something quieter and more enduring: a way to recognize where you are, what is no longer happening, and how to live without being led by echoes.
Every once in a while a book comes along that speaks to you, like it was written for you - Bad Dreams and Bad Memories, by Keith Thorn, is one of those books. Unless you have lived a perfect life, with no pain in your past, this book might not connect with you, but otherwise, it is a brilliantly written work that touches deep into the quintessential essence of who we are and how our memories affect us. More to the point, and what makes this book so valuable is that the author presents an approach to dealing with them, not through denial or anything, but rather, coming to see our past as part of the learning curve of life, reconfiguring our past memories into a narrative that no longer defines us. Beautifully and softly written, the author shows, in so many ways, how to free oneself from the pain, not by forgetting it, but by realizing that we adapted to that pain at a time in our lives when we had no other way of dealing with it. Through his wonderful prose, he coaxes one out of the cave of darkness and into the light, to see that one's past no longer controls who we are today.
This quotation depicts his message:
"You are no longer trying to escape your history.
You are learning how to carry it without being
shaped by it.
And in doing so, you are stepping into a freedom
that does not deny the past, but transcends it."
A book that enriches one's life and highly recommended.
Five-stars!
Review by International Writers Inspiring Change
Keith Thorn – Author, Storyteller, Soulful Observer
Keith Thorn writes from the heart—with honesty, wisdom, and a quiet strength earned through years of living, loving, and learning the hard way. Whether through fiction, memoir, or daily reflection, his work explores what it means to be present, to grow through pain, and to carry kindness forward in a noisy world.
A martial artist and lifelong student of inner peace, Keith blends personal experience with spiritual insight to offer stories that heal, inspire, and linger. His books have resonated with readers who value authenticity, emotional depth, and the sacred simplicity of real-life moments.
Keith spends his time between Collinsville, Illinois and Port Isabel, Texas with his wife Melody—his greatest companion and muse. Together, they live a life shaped by sunsets, road trips, and the belief that it’s never too late to start again.
If you’re looking for a voice that honors vulnerability, celebrates resilience, and reminds you that you’re not alone—Keith’s books are for you.
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