Self Fulfilling Prophecy, OCD scary thoughts interfering with Lucid Dreaming.

In Lucid Dreams, I have one main problem. My mind starts thinking about all of the things that I don't want to think about. I'm going to water down the horror details but to sugar coat it, creepy crawlers on me, a demon behind the door, my body falling apart, an alien bursting out of my chest etc. The most ridiculous absurd things! My mind always turns to the worse. It was never was like this in my early days of Lucid Dreaming, and I just want to know how to gain back control. It begins with the fact that I know that anything that I think can manifest in a dream. So it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

Anyone else struggle with this and overcome it?

Have you tried turning the scary things into something else or having fun with them? Or maybe you can try to confront these things and ask them why they're in your dream.

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Originally Posted by ProjectAL

Have you tried turning the scary things into something else or having fun with them? Or maybe you can try to confront these things and ask them why they're in your dream.

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I've tried both actually, and usually it either worsens the scenario or I wake up. Like for example if I see a dark figure, I would go up to it and see what it wanted then it would proceed to start eating me :P

I know perfectly what you're talking about, I bet everyone has intrusive thoughts every now and then but it's not the same to have them in a lucid dream instead of real life, if you're sitting on your couch home alone and you heard a noise in the kitchen, even though a ghost may pop up in your mind, you know it's probably the cat or something with a logical explanation, but in lucid dreams, if you think it's a ghost, it's a ghost.

Do any of these intrusive thoughts appear when you're in a 'scary' situation, like a dark room or paralysed or do they just appear anywhere?

You have to ask yourself how did this whole thing develop? As you pointed out, it was not like that in the beginning, so what behavior and thoughts led to this?

Rememeber that even if you now have a lot of unpleasant moments to recall, you are fully capable of reversing the situation at any given point in time. The one element you need to have is determination. Enough is enough! Once you feel you are tired of this happening, really feel that this is it, you are ready to stop acting in this way.

I'm speaking from experience as someone who has had a ton of nightmares for years and had also the habit of freaking out in some lds - it can totally be changed and for good!

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Originally Posted by Rein

Do any of these intrusive thoughts appear when you're in a 'scary' situation, like a dark room or paralysed or do they just appear anywhere?

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It depends, more often it will appear in places like dark rooms and when it's easier for my mind to wander towards the dark side. But sometimes it'll happen when there's nothing to make me think that, like during daylight. The thoughts will just start getting to me the "what ifs". "What if that tree comes alive and starts going after people." Just random, ridiculous thoughts like that. Like there's an annoying part of me that WANTS the LD to be ruined.

And @NyxCC I'm not sure what led to this. I guess once I had my first bad LD experience my mind started to run wild making me think I don't have true control. And I see what you mean. There was one time where I was so over everything (enough is enough) where I just became numb to the things trying to scare me in the dream. But that seemed to be a one time occurrence.

Maybe you can try to create a dream character whose sole purpose is to protect you from nightmares whenever you say its name? Or maybe make yourself believe that you can't affect the dream with your thoughts, only with words.

The same thing happens to me, although a bit less worse. Even though I have intrusive, often terrifying thoughts (Mostly stemming from external fears and scary LDing stories), those things usually never manifest, and I usually forget about them after some time. I'd listen to Rein up there, having a just as powerful mental block like a Dream Guide can help with your own personal mental blocks.

I know how you feel, what with the whole 'My mind doesn't want what I want' thing. I'd recommend talking with your subconscious and possibly getting a profound answer out of them.

I just dont believe we can easily manipulate everything...numerous circumstances beyond our control could alter experience (noise, temperature, physical pain) one dream i desperately struggled to maintain lucid.. suddenly white light flooded my field of vision..when i awoke rays of sunlight from window were shining directly into eyes

I'd say manifestations like this are due to stress usually, and stress levels can be the product of so many different things. Sleep patterns, diet, social situations, it could be anything. Maybe we drink too much or can't get a break at work.

I've had many phases and instances of terrible nightmares and episodes of fear, but it usually boils down to an underlying strain on your body/mind. And some things in the past have been to bizarre and surreal, they've made me question even some existensial laws. Terrifying things that come from our subconscious can be very unpleasant and distracting. But I've been lucid dreaming for maybe a little over a decade now, and a decent amount of lucidity leaks into most of my dreams at all times. On a good day I can do anything and be anything, but I've noticed that dreaming is a very physical thing as well as a mental exercise. When things effect you in the outside world, they effect your feelings of clarity and strength, and vulnerability and stress. So do what you can to stay healthy with a positive attitude towards your dreams and what they can do for you, and it will positively effect your emotions in both the day and the night.

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Originally Posted by Zech

I'd say manifestations like this are due to stress usually, and stress levels can be the product of so many different things. Sleep patterns, diet, social situations, it could be anything. Maybe we drink too much or can't get a break at work.

I've had many phases and instances of terrible nightmares and episodes of fear, but it usually boils down to an underlying strain on your body/mind. And some things in the past have been to bizarre and surreal, they've made me question even some existensial laws. Terrifying things that come from our subconscious can be very unpleasant and distracting. But I've been lucid dreaming for maybe a little over a decade now, and a decent amount of lucidity leaks into most of my dreams at all times. On a good day I can do anything and be anything, but I've noticed that dreaming is a very physical thing as well as a mental exercise. When things effect you in the outside world, they effect your feelings of clarity and strength, and vulnerability and stress. So do what you can to stay healthy with a positive attitude towards your dreams and what they can do for you, and it will positively effect your emotions in both the day and the night.

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THIS. It's been months since I've been back on this site, and that may have been for a reason. Back when I made this question, if you had given this answer to me, I don't know if I would have fully comprehended it-- I mean truly been able to take it in. Now that certain things in my life have transpired, and given me introspection, I am completely able to understand and relate to your message. Call it a spiritual awakening or whatever (that I'm still going through), but I gained an awareness of my situations, mind, and actions. How your thoughts lead to actions leading to situations whether it be positive or negative. How the daily stress and tribulations (like you mentioned almost as if by fate it's so relatable to what I'm going through right now) can really affect my dreams.

I always knew on some fundamental level that dark manifestations that surfaced in my dreams were caused by fears that you had sitting in the back of your mind. But I neglected to realize that my life overall had become SO turbulent. Drinking was a problem for me, because I was afraid to face up to the anxiety and other emotional problems that I had. I was, to put it quite simply, killing myself! And my dreams were trying to tell me that! They were trying to communicate ideas that I not even necessarily feared but constantly worried about, from insecurity to existentialism.

I know it's been a while since you responded but THANK YOU so much for this message! I feel like I can get back on track with Lucid Dreaming and continue with my original goal, which overall was to heal myself! :D