Thread: am I too scared?

Hey

some of you know me by now, I'm a newbie who has a mini-past with LD. I kept a dream journal for a few weeks and had 2 MILD LDs and either an OBE or a WILD (felt awake though). That was about 8 years ago now, when I was 20.

I started all this up again about 5 days ago, I have been trying to recall my dreams and that is getting easier. But, for some reason (although I am happy enough to tell myself that I WILL remember my dreams in the morning) I just can't bring myself to tell myself that I will wake up and have a LD. So, what am I frigthened of? I've done this before, I know how much fun it can be! These are very cherished memories of mine in fact.

So, was I more carefree, more experimental when I was 20? I think I'm a bit afraid that the edges will blur between waking and dreaming life. I'm scared to LD - but I really want to. Surely I will have no success until I can get my head round this?

In the dreams that I HAVE managed to recall over the last few days, most of them have had me having conversations with dream characters about how to LD, how to remember my dreams etc. Is this a good sign that I am getting ready? I'm sure that I could LD quite soon if only I had the guts!

Thanks guys.

To me it seems (also looking at the other thread you've made) is that you really worry that you're going to have trouble with knowing when you're dreaming or when you're awake, and that you're afraid that you might like LD'ing so much you're gonna neglect your waking life, am I right?

If you do frequent RC's you wont really have a problem, after a while you'll be so experienced you will do RC's from a habit and you'll know when you're dreaming or not.

If you're afraid you might neglect your waking life you should just think about what you have in waking life, and what you want to do in LDs. What do you want to use LDs for? I see LD's as something extremely cool to do while you're asleep, but I wont sacrifice much waking life for it...

CT, that's one of the things, although I guess I feel happier about that now (thanks to replies to prev. posts). But it's something else too, almost like I'm scared of seeing a ghost or something (I know that makes no sense at all) - maybe I'm scared of what I'll find. I'm being so stupid - there's nothing to fear really, is there!!

and I think I'm scared too that I'll start to "see" stuff in waking life - like I did that night with the serpent (but as I said, that wasn't scary anyway).

What's my problem?!

Afraid of seeing things in real life... well I cant really help you there much, all I can say is, that there's nothing to be afraid off...

Think about what LD's are, and what they mean to you.
Because of what I believe that LD's are, I am not afraid of seeing weird demons or anything in waking life, and I know in my LD's that they're fake. I dont believe in OBE's (false awakenings with a bit of flying added for flavor...), and shared dreams are highly unlikely in my book, etc etc. So, i've ruled out anything that I can be afraid of.... which is practically nothing. (these are my beliefs... dont take offence, I dont want to start an argument about it, because arguments over the internet are usually pointless)

Ofcourse I dont know what you believe in, but perhaps you should take the same approach and see what you come up with. Think rational, and decide you dont want to be afraid too, you want to have LDs.

LDs are great! You can do awesome stuff, and use it to learn about yourself and become a better person. (which is one of the reasons I really want to LD). Dont be afraid, LD'ing is great! (sounds like a slogan )

hi again CT!

well, thanks for your words of wisdom, I did in fact pluck up some courage last night! Of course, I didn't LD, and my recall was awful, but at least I had the guts to start saying to myself before sleep "when you see something strange, wake up". It's a start, but I think I have a long way to go. Oh and by the way, I also was a bit more experimental in the bit before sleep, seeing if I could stay focussed to keep my consciousness awake long enough to see something. I was too scared to do that the other day too! Of course I didn't get very far, but I saw some cool shapes.
Actually, I kept trying to make the image of a pear come clearly into my mind, but it wouldn't. Think I'll keep on at that.

Better run to yoga.

Catch you later!

there is no need to be afraid of anything, if you define a clear line in your mind between the waking world and the sleeping world...jus get in the habit of frequent reality checks like CT said, and decide in your mind that you will keep your mind in your dreams and your mind while awake separated...i used to have the same problem as you're afraid of having...i would sleep 12-18 hours a day and i never knew if i was dreaming or not, but that was my own way to cope with that time of my life...really its not even that scary to do that, but it tends to make you pretty apathetic to many cares in the world...i dont have that problem anymore because i decided i needed to separate my lives, and now they are...its very clear to me when im sleeping or awake, and i dont even do reality checks.

as for the ghosts thing, are you afraid of meeting a deceased relative or loved one? or just ghosts/demons as malicious entities in general? as CT said, it is all a matter of what you think dreams are...if you think dreams are supernatural gateways, and are other dimensions/realities etc. i cant help you...if you believe them to be your unconcious mind telling you things, then it is just that, you unconcious mind telling you things...remember in dreams you're the one who controls that temporary world...see a ghost? command it to turn into a living person, or to go away...or if its a deceased relative, remember, its not actually them, but an after-image...a memory...if you dont want to meet this loved one for reasons like you're afraid of what they'll tell you ask you etc. then remember, they'll only tell you/ask you stuff that you already know, and are maybe afraid to admit to yourself...remember running away from problems rarely solves them, even in your own mind

worry is real if you make it so...

dream what you want, let go, you can do it!
it is as easy as thinking nothing when you want to worry
then, if you keep trying, you'll be enraptured in nothingness
and the opposite of nothing is everything, so you can do anything from that point.

find the nothing and free yourself from the idelogical world you've trapped your mind in. it's ok. it's hard. but well worth the reward of peace and solitude in your everyday thoughts, in your everynight dreams.

hi there, just seen these other replies to my fears! thanks guys. I really must set up that thing in my profile that alerts me to a post - these are almost a month old. I'm less concerned about these things now......... it was almost the feeling of exploring something new, that fear of the unknown (even though I did LD about 8 years ago). I feel much safer with it all now.

Werburn, I do really like the idea of having a clear line. In fact I think I'm making progress too. I know when I'm awake, and once I have identified that I was dreaming (but woke up too quickly). I just need to keep at it and be determined.

Blulanou - that reads like a poem!! I know it's so liberating thinking of nothing - just a bit difficult to achieve sometimes. But I'll keep at it!

yeah... I have trouble closing my eyes at night...
In fact i didnt read the thread once i saw the word ghost.

So what i am going to say is that when i see something terrifying in a dream its not... SCARY as it would be in real life. It is strange, you dont have an intense feeling of horror really, just a representation of fear... or something.

Perj, I know, it is strange. Why is that?? I have fought zombies and all sorts in my dreams - if that were real life I would run, if I hadn't keeled over from a heart attack!!

I'm weird though - sometimes I can scare myself just by thinking that things are not necessarily as they seem (in the waking world). I think to myself "what's to say there is not a ghost about to confront me when I go to the loo in the night?" - although I don't necessarily believe in ghosts, I don't firmly believe in a lack of them, either. One thing that my husband has taught me - belief is a state of not knowing.