My Road Block To Lucid Dreams

I have been experimenting with lucid dreaming for the past five years. Off and on I start to try again, and it always results in the same thing, nightmares. Last night I discovered this board, read up on the usual techniques used and went to sleep.

Every time I realize I am in a dream, I always create a frightful atmosphere. For example last night I dreamed I was in a church and I healed someone. Once I realized I was dreaming everything became evil, the nuns donned masks with insane expressions suddenly, the room turns red, and I hear insane laughter. Then I said "screw this dream, I'm out of here!", and forced myself to wake up before it got weirder. Don't know why, but when I try to close my eyes turn my neck fast in a dream, I instantly wake up with my eyes open.

I read all tips about facing your fears, ignoring them etc, they don't help, because all my nightmares are mostly sound, how do you "face" a sound? It's always loud screams, evil voices, evil laughs. Always the "it's gonna get me!" feeling. I know it can't hurt me, but I get this "pins and needles" feeling on the back of my head when I think about it, why? When I ignore my dreams altogether it goes away, but when I get interested in dreams again and try to lucid dream, the same thing happens.

(NOTE : I am not taking drugs, I don't smoke, and I don't drink, and I'm not mentally unhealthy so don't ask =p)

The weirdest part is that for the past month, when I force myself awake out of a dream, I awake with my eyes open, but paralyzed, and the nightmare seems to continue in the back of my mind then fades (not always). Next, I feel like I am moving SOMETHING while I am paralyzed but what is it? I can see an outline of my hand above my face just barely, but my actual hand is not moving, I touch my face but feel nothing. Moments later I can move again.

This is a serious post and I'm looking for answers and advice, so no sarcasm or jokes please, thanks.

have you read up on sleep paralysis?

one time when I was having a sleep paralysis I tried really hard to move my arms. instead, two ghostly arms moved out of my physical arms and started moving. Then I woke up for real.

as for your road block, thats a problem that needs to be fixed!! There is nothing else you can do, but conquer the fear right? I mean, the alternative is to never enjoy a lucid dream. Its not impossible to conquer your fear, and with dream control you can do it! The first step is to desire lucid dreaming, and see it as a fun experience.

When you go to sleep at night, forget the lucid nightmares, forget they ever happened. Dreams are primarily shaped out of our expectations. If you expect a lucid dream to be frightful, it will be. Instead, expect it to be fun and exciting. I suggest day-dreaming something you would like to do in a lucid dream as you fall asleep. Wether its flying, breathing underwater, exploring space or what not. Believe as you fall asleep that this is what your dream will be like tonight.

If those screams and frightful sensations come back, you dont have to leave the dream to leave the situation. This morning in my lucid dream I was nearly gang raped. I became scared and ran from the situation, then I remembered this is a dream and I am in control. But although I knew this was a dream, I didnt want to even look at the rapists again, or the horrible environment I was in. I just wanted to leave, desparately. As I approached a door that was originally leading into a bedroom I screamed "DREAM, BEHIND THIS DOOR IS A BEAUTIFUL BEACH!" Well, it wasnt the most beautiful beach I have ever seen to be honest, and the ocean looked more like a giant pool than anything else. But the sun was shining, kids were laughing, dogs were chasing lobsters, and there was a forest of palm trees behind me. It was nice enough to forget the horrible world on the other side of the door!

So if you find it hard to literally 'battle' your fear, just find a way to leave without actually leaving the dream.

Try using a door the next time you feel scared. And tell yourself, or command the dream that something else will be on the other side, what ever you want it to be. Close the door behind you and never look back, and never think about what you left behind the door. This way the dream characters and the voices are sorta trapped behind the door. You can also try flying into another dream. To fly into another dream, fly up high into the sky, above the cloudline so that you can't see the world below you. Then fly back down, and before you can see whats below the clouds already start thinking what you would like to see there. An ocean, a forest, your home town, ect. I've done this a lot when I have nightmares, works every time. Sometimes there is even a portal in the clouds waiting to transpart me to my happier dream.

Things to remember, don't 'run' away from your fear. If you run away you are constantly thinking if its behind you, you created the dream. If you think something evil is right behind you, what do you think will happen? It will be behind you. You want to find a way to leave the situation while forgetting what you left behind. I also suggest learning to walk through walls. This way you can run through wall after wall after wall until you feel more comfortable so that you can focus on using another technique like creating a world behind a door.

Also if you are religious or spiritual, you can use names or commands when you feel something 'evil' in a dream. For example a christian dreamer can yell 'in the name of Jesus Christ!' to something evil in a dream, and it will go away as long as they believe the name of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to conquer evil. You can also yell "Light!" if you feel light has some power over evil. It might just give you enough confidence, even if for a moment to realize you can be in control of the dream!

happy lucid dreaming!

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Originally Posted by Zakar

I have been experimenting with lucid dreaming for the past five years. Off and on I start to try again, and it always results in the same thing, nightmares. Last night I discovered this board, read up on the usual techniques used and went to sleep.

Every time I realize I am in a dream, I always create a frightful atmosphere. For example last night I dreamed I was in a church and I healed someone. Once I realized I was dreaming everything became evil, the nuns donned masks with insane expressions suddenly, the room turns red, and I hear insane laughter. Then I said "screw this dream, I'm out of here!", and forced myself to wake up before it got weirder. Don't know why, but when I try to close my eyes turn my neck fast in a dream, I instantly wake up with my eyes open.

I read all tips about facing your fears, ignoring them etc, they don't help, because all my nightmares are mostly sound, how do you "face" a sound? It's always loud screams, evil voices, evil laughs. Always the "it's gonna get me!" feeling. I know it can't hurt me, but I get this "pins and needles" feeling on the back of my head when I think about it, why? When I ignore my dreams altogether it goes away, but when I get interested in dreams again and try to lucid dream, the same thing happens.

(NOTE : I am not taking drugs, I don't smoke, and I don't drink, and I'm not mentally unhealthy so don't ask =p)

The weirdest part is that for the past month, when I force myself awake out of a dream, I awake with my eyes open, but paralyzed, and the nightmare seems to continue in the back of my mind then fades (not always). Next, I feel like I am moving SOMETHING while I am paralyzed but what is it? I can see an outline of my hand above my face just barely, but my actual hand is not moving, I touch my face but feel nothing. Moments later I can move again.

This is a serious post and I'm looking for answers and advice, so no sarcasm or jokes please, thanks.
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Sounds like sleep paralysis, it has happened to me in the past and i usually hear heavy breathing and get the feeling someone has their hand on my shoulder. It is certainly scary and I am unable to move and find it hard to open my eyes although they sometimes are half open and I can just about see my bedroom wall. At this stage I am trying so hard to wake up and be rid of this horrible feeling. What happens here is that the body is disconnected from the brain temporarily and it takes a few minutes to for it to re-establish that connection at which point you wake up properly. Read up on sleep paralysis

juroara : Thanks for the tips! To be honest, I never thought of using a door to change the scene.

When I try to imagine something, it usually comes out all wrong. Also another problem I have is when I actually do lucid dream, everything seems very dark and hard to see, as if all light is fading, and usually that is what happens, and I wake up.

Last night I took some allergy medicine, it knocked me out and I fell asleep fast. The weird part is that I was able to get lucid dreams all night, crystal clear, and I slept almost 12 hours straight. I have no idea why taking a cold/allergy medicine helped me lucid dream, but it did. My conscience seemed much stronger when I was under the effects of the medicine. I read sleep inducing medicines cancel lucid dreaming, I guess this isn't the case?

dagmar : Yup, I read up on sleep paralysis several years ago, but I never noticed I was able to induce it just by waking up quickly, and that I had "stealthed hands".

This is the part I was mainly curious about, seems this person had the same experience.

"one time when I was having a sleep paralysis I tried really hard to move my arms. instead, two ghostly arms moved out of my physical arms and started moving. Then I woke up for real."

Thanks for the replies, it was nice having others to talk to about this, my friends/family get freaked out when I mention this kind of stuff -_-

Well, what happens in a dream is exactly what you think/expect to happen. If you truely belive the screams will continue, they will. However, If you truely believe that you can stop them just through will power, you will. But thats hard and its difficult to rid yourself completely of doubt.

Thats why its good to use objects. When in a lucid dream bring earplugs or a white noise generator. These'll stop the sounds. If the light's a problem wear night vision goggles.

The whole point is that you gotta fight it. If you run, the nightmare wins. If you want any chance of vistory you have to stand up against it somehow. And in lucids, its surprisingly easy because anything is possible.

Personally, I don't have nightmares, and all my lucid dreams have been exciting and uplifting, not dreary and frightening. However, four nights ago I had my first lucid dream in about 6 months, and at the point when I realized I was dreaming, I saw 4 demons flying towards me...and I was on a strange vehicle racing towards them as well. My first thought was that these demons were gonna kill me, and it seemed as though my lucidity had vanished, but when one of them grabbed me and we were flying at around 100 mph over this paved road, I thought "Why am I scared of a demon created from my own imagination. If I created it, I can also destroy it". The moment I realized that, I looked straight at the demon (we were still flying over the road) and its chest opened up, revealing another creature inside. It seemed as if it were trying to scare me, but I just slammed him into the road and landed softly on the ground. When I turned around to face the other three, they were gone. After that I proceeded to have the most vivid, longest lasting lucid dream I've ever had, not to mention 100% complete control. It was great.

Although it may seem difficult to overcome this roadblock, you really have no choice. If you run and hide from these lucid nightmares, then you will never enjoy lucid dreaming. Face this fear head-on, with conviction and confidence and I promise you can take it down.

I think there's a point in LDing that you get past and it has to do with control of your surroundings.

Sounds like you're realizing you're dreaming, which is great. But from there you lose control. Work on gaining it. It may take time, or it may take heeding advice from this group and using that in your dreams.

Try this.. next time you become lucid, and things turn for the worse, remember, you have the control! Raise your arms like you're a god and will everything to stop. It should. Maybe even dissapear.

Or try making out with one of the nuns... lol.. try it! Just walk up and do it.

Whenever I have a femal character that bugs me and I become lucid, I normally end up at least giving her a big fat kiss... sometimes more.. lol kinda like "you really were irritating me, now I'm in control and here's what I am going to do!" Funny thing is, they usually end up enjoying it.. lol.