I know you all probably get tired of this, and I'm sure similar questions have been asked before, but if someone will please appease me.....I have a WILD question.

When I was younger, I had nightmares that made me afraid to sleep at night. As I've gotten older, I seem more cut off from emotions in my dreams, but I still sometimes get disturbing imagery and also sometimes do experience saddness, frustration and fear in my dreams. During one of my lucids in the last few months, I started getting scared at one point. Despite knowing I was dreaming, I was still afraid. I told myself it wouldn't be real, but I had become afraid I was going to see something scary, and it seemed even scarier in a way because it was more vivid and I felt more "in" the surroundings. And yes, this is relevant to the WILD.

I really want to try the WILD technique. However, I've been afraid of sleep paralysis- or rather becoming aware of it- ever since I knew about it. My cousin and my uncle experienced it and both found it very frightening. I know some say it won't be as scary if you know what it is, but my while my cousin was partially frightened because she thought she was dieing, she also experienced other things that I could experience (and which I think would disturb me) even if I knew it wasn't going to kill me. She experienced- as did my uncle- a heavy, crushing pressure on the chest. It sounds to me like this would be uncomfortable at best and painful at worst. Also, they both experienced a smothering feeling. I HATE that feeling. I used to freak out when it was humid outside because I find the feeling of not being able to breathe well, disturbing.

Also, my uncle experienced imagery. I am afraid I might have scary hallucinations, and even though I knew it was a dream, during that lucid, I still experienced fear just worried I would see something scary. So, I am afraid that being more aware may reconnect me to the old fear I used to experience more often in my nightmares, even if I know this time around, that it's fake. Yet, I really want to try the WILD technique. I also want to try to experience an OBE and I hear this is a good way to do it.

I want to know, does entering sleep paralysis while remaining lucid, feel the same as waking into it? What are the differences in experience with these two? Also, how do you overcome the fear factor? Thanks a lot for the help.