Thread: The things that can go wrong?

Nightmares and lucid dreaming, here are your options: (although this may be a bit of an oversimplification, since different people's dreams are somewhat different, but overall ...)

Option 1) do not practice lucid dreaming nor dream recall, forget most of your dreams. You are as likely to have nightmares as with any of the other options, but you might forget their contents. You may wind up in a bad mood due to nightmare, but not remember why you are in a bad mood. You may be more likely to remember the nightmares than the pleasant dreams.

Option 2) Improve your dream recall but do not practice lucid dreaming. You are as likely to have nightmares as with any other option. You will remember your dreams better. When you have nightmares, they will likely be non lucid nightmares, meaning that you will not realize you are dreaming, and will think everything in your nightmares is real and can hurt you. You can however then use dream interpretations or dream incubation to try to improve your dreams even without lucid dreaming.

Option 3) Improve your dream recall and practice lucid dreaming. You are as likely to have nightmares as with any other of these options. If you do have a nightmare, and you become lucid, you may be able to realize that since you are dreaming, nothing can harm you, and you should be able to change your nightmare into a more pleasant dream by for example befriending that monster. Nightmares can become your dream signs, since presumably they are very different from your waking life, thus helping you recognize them. As you learn how to improve nightmares into pleasant dreams, you may well find them to be empowering experiences.

And that's all I have to say about nightmares and lucid dreams. I hope this helps.

Originally Posted by wannabelucidity

im worried about the nightmares that can happen... what other things can be frightening. how do i deal with them?

Did someone tell you that lucid dreaming causes nightmares? If so, they are wrong.

If anything, LD'ing is a useful tool for combatting nightmares, because lucidity affords you the opportunity to face them down with the courage of waking-life consciousness.

Any scary situation you might find yourself in while lucid is caused by something other than the lucidity, so there is no need to worry that your lucid dream will bring about a nightmare.

Your OP was a bit vague, so if I completely misunderstood, then never mind!

I would even say dream work in general reduces nightmares. That is that I have more or less reduced nightmares down to almost never. This is not because I become lucid and change the dream. I think it has more to do with general development of parts of the brain related to dreaming.

Originally Posted by sivason

I would even say dream work in general reduces nightmares. That is that I have more or less reduced nightmares down to almost never. This is not because I become lucid and change the dream. I think it has more to do with general development of parts of the brain related to dreaming.

Interesting! That actually does make sense. When I said above that with all the options you have same chance of having nightmares, I was oversimplifying a bit. Anyway, lucid dreams do not make nightmares more likely.

I was introduced to LDing at a young age (without knowing it) through nightmares*. Someone told me "next time you are in a nightmare, just wake up" Don't know who. The next four times I was in a nightmare I realized that I was dreaming and in one I even was able to change it from a nightmare while trying to figure out how to wake up. I didn't have nightmares for years after that. This brought me to two conclusions:

1) most nightmares, you are more aware than a normal dream and are normally aware that it is a dream, at least a little bit, enough to know that you can escape.

2) nightmares can give you easy LDs, and LDs can keep you away from nightmares!

Most nightmares (If you didn't know it) arise from insecurities or fears. Having actual self confidence will make you have less nightmares. Optimism can also help. Thinking the best out of the situation because dreams have a lot to do with expectation. To get around doing these two things (which are good things). You can just have more confidence in your dreaming self rather than yourself. This will lead nightmares (which I said before, you usually have a small idea that it is a dream) to a more happy ending, because you will take charge, even if it isn't something that you would do iwl (in waking life).

Hope this helps. LDing is really a way to get away from them, not bring them closer.

One thing you asked about is what else could go wrong if not nightmares, and thus far that has not been addressed I think.

One thing that could go wrong is if you were to convince yourself that you are dreaming and be wrong and then do something that you would regret in waking life. For example, even though attempting to fly is a good reality check and if you think you are dreaming, flying is a fine thing to do. However, it is good practice to just in case start flying up and in a safe direction, and not jumping off a roof top for example, unless you have established beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a dream for sure. Similarly, hitting or insulting someone would backfire terribly if you were to do it thinking that is a dream, and it actually turned out to be your waking life. Most people can establish beyond a doubt that something is a dream or can refrain from doing dangerous things unless sure of dream state. Lucid dreaming is not recommended for anyone who has serious trouble distinguishing reality and acting with safe caution.

Edit: I think though that this can only happen to people with some kinds of mental illness.

A nightmare would imply fear. With a little practice you should be able to realize that there is nothing to be afraid of in a dream. No matter how scary a situation may seem, if you are not afraid of it, it is not a nightmare. Seemingly scary situations are very easy to handle when Lucid without fear. On the other hand, if you're afraid, fear only amplifies scary events. But that in no way means you will be harmed, only that you might end up more scared before waking.

I recommend practicing things in your dreams that will help you to gain confidence in your indestructibility. Once you have complete confidence in yourself, there will be nothing to fear. And hence, no nightmares. At least not while Lucid.

And as has been mentioned, a non Lucid nightmare can trigger Lucidity. This is always a good thing. Especially if you're to the point where you don't have fear when Lucid. In that event, Lucidity immediately turns a non Lucid nightmare completely around. It becomes time to have some fun.

Originally Posted by JoannaB

One thing you asked about is what else could go wrong if not nightmares, and thus far that has not been addressed I think.

One thing that could go wrong is if you were to convince yourself that you are dreaming and be wrong and then do something that you would regret in waking life. For example, even though attempting to fly is a good reality check and if you think you are dreaming, flying is a fine thing to do. However, it is good practice to just in case start flying up and in a safe direction, and not jumping off a roof top for example, unless you have established beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a dream for sure. Similarly, hitting or insulting someone would backfire terribly if you were to do it thinking that is a dream, and it actually turned out to be your waking life. Most people can establish beyond a doubt that something is a dream or can refrain from doing dangerous things unless sure of dream state. Lucid dreaming is not recommended for anyone who has serious trouble distinguishing reality and acting with safe caution.

Your mind always reverts back to believing that everything is real. Seems hardwired that way. I have never heard anyone say otherwise.

I agree with what the others have said. I'll add that you basically have the same chances of nightmares in non-lucid dreams when you sleep, if not moreso than in lucid dreams. Just don't worry about it!