highjacking element

Over the years, I have noted a consistently recurring theme in my dreams that is very significant. When I have dreams that are going well, a character often appears in the dream who seems intent on standing between me and the realization of my intentions. This hijacker can be very difficult to overcome. It is like there is a part of my subconscious that is programmed to derail my success, and it manifests itself through characters in my dreams.

Last night a hijacking character showed up in my dreaming again. I was finding myself lucid, to the extent that I was very aware I was dreaming. And for once, in my life, I was not snapped awake upon realizing this! Unfortunately, there was a hijacker in the dream. The character was a leader of a martial arts dojo. He had extraordinary super powers and sought to use his students to do harm to me. Being aware I was dreaming, I decided that would not be the case. But I was unable to defend myself against him. At every turn, he was overriding my intent. To escape him, I felt I had to wake from the dream. And it was difficult to do so, perhaps because I was in really deep sleep.

Anyway, do others experience a similar phenomenon? How do you deal with it?

Furthermore, there is a parallel in my waking life of profound psychological implication. There has been self-sabotage behavior in my past (something I constantly work on controlling). I have read that the subconscious mind, out of fear, can actually compete with the conscious pursuit of success. I think that the part of my mind that brings the hijacking characters in dreams could be the same part of my mind behind foolish actions and decisions in my past: those many "what was I thinking" moments. Perhaps someone can shed some light on the plausibility of my speculation of this parallel too?

Well, I often go through periods of time where I have dreams that also pertain to a certain element or theme. For example, I used to constantly be trying to get to my goal in the dream plot, but never got there. Some other sub-plot would arise and I would always awaken right before I got to the end. And dreams where I would be running- or escaping from something. Not necessarily a monster... but like a feeling. I find that with the ability to become lucid, use this to your advantage. The next time you see a hi-jacker, you will remember you are dreaming. From there, ask him/her what they want. Ask them- what do they represent? The answer awaits you :)

Thanks for the advice, parkmeats. I think you have suggested a good strategy by saying I should ask the hijacker what's up. As much as I have tried in my waking life to get all parts of my mind cooperating for my best interests, there is still a conflicting side that is revealed in dreams. The dream environment may be the forum where I can best confront the part of me in conflict and make my mind cooperate with itself once and for all. Let's hope I can make a habit of being aware of my dreaming, so that I can think to bring the hijacker to see eye to eye with me.

Maybe striking up a friendly discussion with the hijacker is indeed the thing to do. But I, being rather defiant, would probably choose another strategy: threaten the bastard with starving him/her into oblivion, if s/he does not immediately cease all efforts to thwart you in your endeavours - both in dreams and in waking life!

And if this does not meet with full acceptance, then suck the life force out of the misfit, until only its dry wrinkled skin is left as a dire warning to all other potential hijackers ever after. :bslap:

Know you can do it, and then do it! The force will be with you! :)

Thanks Voldmer and parkmeats. I just came across this TedTalks video about lucid dreaming. The speaker talks about facing what Carl Jung called the "shadow aspect". This is very much like the mind hijacker I deal with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1i6A7t6L2g