Thread: My brain is trying to scare me out of being lucid - self sabotage or subconscious fear?

I had a nightmarish experience in one of my early lucid dreams.
I was being chased by three women, they were screaming and trying to hit me. I began running which made me feel even more afraid. "I can't run from myself" I thought as I turned around.
Now facing them I felt empowered, I possessed one of them like a spirit; my perspective would shift and I now saw out of her eyes, I lowered their fists, the other two attackers were now fighting each other. Like the first, I possessed and passified each of them.
I turn to the first attacker and with my finger I drew an x on my cheek, giving them permission to hit me. Their fists were still up, ready and wanting to hit me, but they didn't throw the punch, If her her face could talk, it would say "you're not supposed to do that!". I began walking away when I heard her shout "Wait!" She had a disappointmented look on her face.
-They didn't want me to go.

Basically, running away from and rejecting fear fuels it.
It's best to either not react or confront it.

I try and remember when I drew that x when I feel anxious or afraid.

You can try different techniques that may help with lucid dreaming. For example, start keeping a dream journal where you write down your dreams every day. This may help increase your awareness in dreams. Additionally, regular meditation practice before sleep can also help in controlling nightmares. It's also worth avoiding stressful situations before bed and trying to maintain a calm and relaxing atmosphere in the bedroom.

For me, false awakenings, or the relapse into non-lucidity, are also frequent; it may be less that your mind is attempting to scare you out of being lucid than that there is a natural reluctance to experience the dream state lucidly because your dreams are frequently stressful or nightmare-like. This is where it pays to be persistent in order to improve your ability to balance between the two.