Are bad dreams & flashbacks just stress or signs of bad things to come?

Flashbacks: Bad dreams and flashbacks are usually signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. They are indications not of future events but of some unresolved emotional trauma not yet worked through. Seeking psychological treatment will help you sort out what the meanings of these flashbacks and bad dreams are.

Nightmares ;: Flashbacks normally reflect previous trauma and are not prophetic in nature.