I'm afraid to lucid dream now.

[Skateaton]

Okay, so I have never been seriously dedicated to lucid dreaming, I have never even had one, despite being here for a while. My New Years resolution was to be dedicated to it, write the dream journal and all that neatness. I spend today, bored, and so I decided to look at creepypastas (if you dont know what that is, its scary stories that are usually emailed to others or posted on image boards, some are sarcastic [ex: google "BUT THEN WHO WAS PHONE?"] and some are meant to actually be scary [ex: google "Dead Bart", "Happy Appy", and "Candle Cove"]) I found one called "Sleep Paralysis." I look at the title and say "Don't read it, you'll get scared, and unmotivated to lucid dream" That is exactly what happened. The story is as follows: It’s a simple enough thing. It’s all a part of the body’s sleep processes. Sleep Paralysis, right? No big deal, really. Your body produces a chemical that paralyzes your body during R.E.M sleep to prevent you from hurting yourself by thrashing about during your dreams. No big deal. Okay, so, you opened your eyes and you can’t move your body. It’s the chemicals. Oh, you can keep trying to wriggle those toes, but it’s not happening. Forget it. Just relax. It’ll go away. It’s fine. It’s normal. Oh, now there’s something pressing on your chest, real hard, it’s making it hard to breathe. It’s heavy, so very heavy, whatever’s on your chest. Chemicals. It’s all chemicals. Stop trying to scream, it won’t work. Your throat muscles are paralyzed too. You still can’t breathe. You are staring at a blank ceiling, you can’t stare anywhere else. Shadows flit across your vision, forming shapes you try not to think about. A clawed hand, a flash of jagged, shadowy teeth. All images from your subconscious. A face forming above yours, leering through black void eyes. You think you hear sibilant whispering. Angry hissing, like a snake that’s been disturbed. Suddenly, a sharp white light briefly flares in the room as a car pulls down the street, dispelling the shadows. The weight is gone. You can breathe, your hands clench sheets. You feel an eternity has passed by but it was all the work of a moment. You wriggle, just to prove to yourself you can. You sit up, take a deep breath and then laugh a little at yourself. Sleep Paralysis. Stupid. You turn to shake your spouse awake, eager to share your experience. You feel paralyzed again, but it has nothing to do with Sleep Paralysis. You stare at the blood, the jagged wound in her throat, her wide, staring eyes, mouth opened in soundless scream. You survived your Old Hag Syndrome. She didn’t. -------------- I know Old Hag Syndrome is real, and all this horror could possibly happen (minus the spouse dying part with the knife) and now im scared. I know Old Hag could possibly be a figure coming at you trying to kill you or something, and that is scary, all of this or worse can happen. The story is right here. Slap some sense into me.

[Puffin]

I understand your frustration and hesitancy in wanting to LD. But first off, let me say that intense experiences like those are terribly uncommon. The majority of my own episodes, for instance, have involved nothing but the feeling of the covers being pulled off me and a "um, is there someone in the room?" type presence. The scary hallucinations that can often accompany SP are caused by a chemical that's released in our brain during REM sleep. Mind you, I've had two insanely scary episodes but I'm bound to be in the 1% of people who experienced anything that frightening. You can't die in SP, and the "old hag" isn't real. It's just a hallucination, and actually one that I've never really experienced myself in its entirety. Sure, I've felt people breathing on my neck a few times but never felt suffocated - which apparently is a common SP occurrence. That just proves that these episodes are all unreal, as well as subjective, so just because you read a scary account of SP, it doesn't mean you'll get the same thing.

[Mystycal]

Haha, I've done this kind of thing before. Purposefully read these scary stories cos I'm bored, and then get scared witless lol. So I don't do that anymore. I suppose the best you can do is realise that sleep paralysis carries no threat whatsoever. The fear should fade naturally after some time.

[Puffin]

I suppose the best you can do is realise that sleep paralysis carries no threat whatsoever. The fear should fade naturally after some time. ^ This is huge. Also, you go through SP every night anyways (except the difference is that you're unconscious then), so if there really was any danger associated with SP, you'd already know.

[Skateaton]

INTERNET IS BLUH THIS POST SHOULD NOT EXIST. Thank you, I feel a bit better. Im going to read other scary stories so I forget this fear and get another!

[Puffin]

Remember that the WILD technique is one of many different ways to induce LDing. As hallucinations are a natural part of WILDing, you have two options: face them and simply ignore them, which will get much easier after a bit of practice, or try out a different technique. You can't really do much about the hallucinations, unfortunately, but if you get used to them, WILDing can be one of the most convenient ways to lucid dream.

[Skateaton]

Remember that the WILD technique is one of many different ways to induce LDing. As hallucinations are a natural part of WILDing, you have two options: face them and simply ignore them, which will get much easier after a bit of practice, or try out a different technique. You can't really do much about the hallucinations, unfortunately, but if you get used to them, WILDing can be one of the most convenient ways to lucid dream. I'll imply that you mean that all hallucinations are going to be scary/weird

[Puffin]

Most of them will be weird, and some can be scary or uncomfortable. But that doesn't mean all of them will be! I've seen a fluffy white kitten lying beside me before (yeah, I opened my eyes once during SP, but you shouldn't do that during WILD attempts because you could wake out of the SP!) and at other times I felt like I was floating in a pool.

[jake1596]

I went into SP for the first time the other day! after weeks of trying a couple months ago, I gave up. I haven't thought about it in quite a while. I woke up early, and was very tired when I got home so I kind of rested my eyes. I was dreaming, but I wasn't unconcious. In my dream, I dreamed I was climbing on monkey bars, and all of a sudden... While on top of the monkey bars, I couldn't move! I thought to myself OMFGGGG ITS HAPPENING I KNOW WHAT TO DOOOO. lol I was so stoked. So I kept talking to myself // counting down to keep my mind active. My body went COMPLETELY numb, and the cooooolest most weirdest vibration sensation was coming over me (the coolest thing I've felt in a long time)l. I didn't open my eyes, but yes my chest did get tight like it was being pressed. I dreamt (but was still concious) that I was falling from the sky into the ocean. When under the ocean, I couldn't breath, and that's when my chest got really tight. I started to panick and hyperventillate because I couldn't breath, but then I just said to myself "relaaax it's just your imagination you can breathe completely fine!" I focused on regulating my breathing, and I got too excited and woke up. SO, now I'm 100% motivated to do it again. =D I needed to tell somebody my story because my family thinks it's all hocus pocus! :p thanks for reading!! =) But yeah it is all in your mind. Nothing bad is happening to your body! =D

[lazerblade]

You quite literally have nothing to fear but fear itself.

[Castles]

It's okay ponybro, whatever you see/hear/feel during SP is 100% hallucinations no matter how horrific. And yes. It can be horrific. But very very rarely. The scariest thing I've had happen to me was whispers calling my name and talking. I kept trying to wake my boyfriend up to help me but I couldn't seem to speak. I ended up bawling but ALL IS WELL NOW AND THAT NEVER HAS HAPPENED AGAIN.

[Oneironaut Zero]

The more scary stories you read, the more likely you are to have a scary experience while dreaming. It's pretty much common sense. I have non-lucid nightmares that are scarier than any bout with Old Hag, and that doesn't stop me from going to sleep. Your nightmares are only as powerful as you allow them to be.

[lifeinsteps]

So far my two experiences with SP have been as such: 1) I lay there for a bit and my body begins to feel as though it's vibrating. I open my eyes. I'm in a lucid dream! Simple and clean. 2) I lay there for a bit and my body beings to vibrate. I feel as though I'm lifted into the air and spun twice over. I land on the ground on my hands and knees. I open my eyes. I'm in a lucid dream! Simple and clean, with 20% more spinning! The more that you feel afraid of SP, the more that you will experience trouble when going through it. Keep in mind that going through SP is completely harmless. You do it every night. We all do! Just be calm. Don't let it frighten you, and it's not a frightening experience. It's tingly, but not frightening. Possibly a little startling the first time... but not frightening. You have nothing at all to worry about. Take it from a fellow brony~ Edit: Got a like from the person who's Sporadic Awareness Technique got me my first lucid dream. Life complete! Then erased it by editing. Whoops. :I

[MBA42]

INTERNET IS BLUH THIS POST SHOULD NOT EXIST. Thank you, I feel a bit better. Im going to read other scary stories so I forget this fear and get another! Try smile.jpg. Have fun!

[Avalanche]

Don't know if this will help, but hags are beatable

[OpheliaBlue]

Haha oh man, I remember how stupid I felt having a hag dream after seeing Blair Witch Project. My first husband (Carsten) and I fell asleep with the bedroom lights on accidentally, and at some point I had a FA with SP. All I knew is I could sense the hag in the room: the presence of evil, sibilant whissssspering, and overwhelming fear. I tried to move but couldn't. I tried to say "Carsten, Carsten!" but my mouth and throat muscles were paralyzed. I could sense Carsten next to me, even hear him snoring. I was able to just barely move my hand to touch his back, but all I could do was lightly lightly tap him, not enough to wake him. After a few minutes of this torture I finally woke up, heart beating insanely in my ear. It was sooo hard to sleep after that. All that said, I've had quite a few LDs that were truly disturbing, but they are a small percentage compared to the ones I've had that were great, or even mediocre. It's a gamble, but I believe worth it to continue trying to have more favorable LDs, and just cut your lost efforts with the creepy ones.