Fear to LD =(

[marias]

Hi! I had my first LD about two years ago. I looked for it and after many reality checks during a couple of weeks, I could get one. The experience reminded me of the only time I experienced with acid, which was quite horrifying. I can resume it in “fear to craziness and not to being able” to cope with everyday reality… My first LD consisted in becoming aware of the fact that I was dreaming, while I was walking in a beach. After taking a look at my hands, I became fully conscious about everything. I looked to the sea, and saw an enormous old city in a big island in front of me. Everything in this city was of a pale yellow color, and although I was at a certain distance, I could see the details of every construction in it. There was no one living in this city, and it seemed to have been abandoned hundreds of years ago. Although the view was beautiful I suddenly felt a state of fear of not being able to wake up again. I try to shout, to ask for help, and when I sometimes wake up I realize I’m still dreaming (sort of Waking Life) but with fear. Of course I do finally wake up, but since then, I’ve been trying to avoid LD, but I don't seem to be able to handle having or not having LD anymore. I try not to check reality, but I find myself many times testing reality in a dream itself, totally unconscious.. And another lucid dream from which I only want to get out from. While LD, I try to relax, to think that I’m just sleeping. I’ve also tried flying, which is something incredible, but in some point I still have fear. I guess that this could be compared with “try not to think about a pink elephant in your room”…. Haha…. I’ve also heard that to cope with these experiences (LD, acids or OBE) someone needs to have certain peace with himself, or at least with his spirituality. I believe I’ve tried to have LD for the first time while I was having a great existential crisis, and it was very difficult to be in peace with myself with reality, and while not understanding the world, the cosmos, or whatever is that someone needs to understand for not having a crisis. Did anyone have a similar problem regarding being very afraid while LD? Does anyone know a way on how to not have LD´s? I know this forum encourages LD, and I know that for many people this can be the greatest experience of all.. well, not for me, at least until now… =) Thanks. Sorry for my English. M. Argentina.

[Secret Neo]

I couldnt understand being afraid of LDing, but in your case I suggest a method of waking up, like closing your eyes and think about waking up. But also, you gotta remember that its just a dream, nothing will hurt you, you can do anything, meet anyone and some other sweet stuff.

[Rainman]

First off, hablas espanol? Second of all I had the exact problem, only with astral projection. I won't go into that, cause maybe it's the wrong forum, but the same happened to me. I smoked marijuana regularly, and once had some laced with PCP. The experience I had with that was so horrifying, painful, and traumatizing, that it broke every drug habbit I ever had, and have never touched any drug since. But it also made me afraid to LD, and moreso it made me afraid to OBE, because my few experiences with both were very similar. Eventually you have to make yourself come to the realization that in LD YOU are in complete control! Nothing and no one can harm you. In fact it is an excellent way to help you cope with fears you do have now. But in your case, if you have determined that you realy do not want to have lucid dreams anymore, you could do all of the opposite methods that you would use to GET lucid dreams. To me, I think it would be difficult to stop having them. I would really consider just trying to face your fear. It is more productive for you, and it will end beautifully if you do. But it's your call obviously. I hope this post was able to help you =/

[marias]

Hi Rainman! Well, si, I hablo espaniol =) I guess you tambien. You’ve gone thought the same as me. The story I’ve told in my other post, occurred in a period of my life when I used to smoke marijuana three or four times every day, during almost three years… I had to quit smoking because the level of craziness that I felt in my head was soooo intense and big, that I thought I could never ever come back to reality… Even just one puff and the effect of the drug was every time more intense and horrifying. I quit smoking two years ago… I never touched marijuana again, and I wouldn’t dare to smoke in my whole life after all the fear I’ve went though. I believe that for being able to relax in LD or OBEs, it´s very important and especially essential, to be able to relax in actual world and personal reality, which is something I find difficult. Haha.. not only I fear LD, but the reality I see surrounding my body all the time =) Quite difficult! Guess that I have to keep on working in trying to find a spiritual path first, and then worry about other stuff. I guess my real fear (the one I should face) is reality itself, and not reality in dreams. Thanks for your reply Rainman!

[Po Nation]

I began to question reality after doing mushrooms. It was the single most traumatizing/liberating moment of my life. I had since began to dabble in Buddhism, which I feel is a great spiritual path/paradigm to build your life around. I think you will feel more comfortable with LD'ing once you accept some form of reality as truth. I know it's hard to do when you see the other side so to speak. I also have heard that the book No Boundaries is very good, you may want to take a look at it.

[Po Nation]

Also, I too felt trippy effects (flashbacks) when I smoked marijuana after doing mushrooms. I quit for about 3 months and recently tried it again, and for the most part I am okay. I would say I still trip about 10% of the time from marjuana (slight visual hallucinations etc) but I have learned to be at peace with it and enjoy the experience. However, I am sometimes afraid of the long-term effects it could have on my mental well being so I do not smoke very much or very often.

[SEBSTER]

look homes i used to be afraid of the same, being stuck in a dream...but now i think about it and i think "hey you know what? if i cant wake up...good! i wont have anymore problems in a world created by me..jaja" but seriously...think about it, if you died in ur dream then it wouldnt be a dream anymore now would it..before u know it youll getr dragged off to either heaven or the basement lol so just relax homie and dream away

[Infraredkelp]

Some people do get trapped in dreams. It's called a comma But don't worry, at least you'll be perfectly safe in your dream world. I hope I made you feel better about LDing

[Po Nation]

Actually that is false. The brain activity shown by patients in a comma is not the same as REM sleep. People who wake up from commas also don't have any recollection of being in a comma, they don't have one gigantic lucid dream. Know the facts before you try to scare people.

[Infraredkelp]

I wasn't trying to scare him. I think it would be cool to be stuck in a long dream.

[Po Nation]

but what if it's a nightmare? go see vanilla sky if you havent already : )

[blade5x]

In my opinion, ride the dream out, and enjoy your break from the stresses of physical reality. Trying to end a dream early can send you straight into sleep paralysis which can be a much, much more terrifying experience then being inside of a nice dream setting (atleast until you get used to sleep paralysis).

[Cutterkk]

If you were trapped in a dream, it'd be awesome. You gotta learn to love dreams, not be scared of them. They are, in a way, your own perception of the world. If you ever encounter the same situation, calm down, and realize what's going on. You can do whatever you want. You can warp yourself to school and have the best day ever, get revenge on anyone you hate, ect. You can go to a city, fly around, and impress the little people below you. You have no reason to fear being stuck in a dream. You can have full control, and you can do whatever you want. If you're still scared, just wake yourself up, it's fairly easy to do.

[marias]

Thanks for your words, Po Nation, blade5x and Cutterkk! It’s great knowing that someone else knows something about LD, or at least know they exist. Haha! I’ve tried to talk about this with friends (and even with a psychologist).. They don't seem to understand what I’m talking about.. It’s been really comforting and relaxing to read your posts. I’ll try to do my best in my next LD. Po Nation, I’ll try to find the book you’ve recommended Thanks again!

[Infraredkelp]

Who knows. Maybe we are all dreaming right now and we are all still in our mothers womb waiting to be born! Now THATS something to think about

[Alprazolam]

You are afraid to LD for a legit reason. There are very few ways/situations in ones life in which they can be conscious but not in contact with reality. LSD would be one of these ways. Lucid Dreaming would be another. You had a bad experience with LSD (As do many people). You probably did research on its affects and freaked yourself out more. Lucid Dreaming reminds you of this experience for obvious reasons. But keep focus on that it is simply dreaming, and even if you never became Lucid, you will still dream every night for the rest of your life. LSD is a man made research chemicle in which you are not control. LSD can be harmful. Lucid Dreams are not harmful, and you are the master. And no, you will not get stuck in a dream or not be able to filter reality from dream in the "real world". Your brain only dreams for so long, weather you are Lucid or not, and will eventually stop dreaming/wake up, weather you like it or not A simple fact of life. And when you are truely awake, you will know. It's quite easy to tell. (Hint: Stay away from the more Psychadellic/Outside the box sections of this forum. Some ideas may be presented to you that may scare you a little. Who says they are true? No one knows.) Happy dreaming! (Tip: Next time you become Lucid, grab a small pill out of your pocket. Tell yourself it is a Lucid Drug that will calm your nerves and help you enjoy your dream. Take it. ) (By the way: For every LSD/Mushroom/Hallucinagen user that questions reality after a trip: Stop. I or anyone else with a background in psychology could take these mystical drugs and experiences and break them down scientifically, and explain whats happening in the brain and why. Your simply messing with chemicles in the brain, in lamens terms, and reality is and always will be, reality.)

[taltho]

Cool, I'm thankful for this thread, it really helped me understand my own fear of LD. Thank you for posting this marias, and thank you all who replied. I had a similar experience with LD, when I was about 5 years old I got stuck in a dream and it scared me. Since then I've only been able to Ld for a few seconds and then a trigger in my mind wakes me up. It's something I'm currently battling with, to overcome. if you figure anything out let me know I'll be interested. When I make a break through I'll certainly let you know.

[Alprazolam]

Taltho: The "create your own drug" method may help you. Imagine a drug in your LD that will make your LDs last longer, or make your "trigger" to wake up not trigger. Take it. Also, focus on techniques to keep your LD longer. Here are some effective simple ones: A. Rub your hands together. You should feel the sensation. (This is supposed to help you stay dreaming, its broken down scientifically) B. Spin, in a circle a few times. C. Focus on small details. Look at your hands closely for 15-20 seconds or maybe just the ground. Good luck!

[taltho]

Taltho: The "create your own drug" method may help you. Imagine a drug in your LD that will make your LDs last longer, or make your "trigger" to wake up not trigger. Take it. Also, focus on techniques to keep your LD longer. Here are some effective simple ones: A. Rub your hands together. You should feel the sensation. (This is supposed to help you stay dreaming, its broken down scientifically) B. Spin, in a circle a few times. C. Focus on small details. Look at your hands closely for 15-20 seconds or maybe just the ground. Good luck! Yes, I will try those things, if I can remember to. Thank you anything helps.

[marias]

Alprazolam, Yes, LSD and LD were very similar experiences in my life. Both scared me a lot, and they triggered questions about my spirituality and beliefs. I now think that these are not convenient ways if there’s a question or a uncertainty about reality that won’t let you relax.. When I started trying to find a “diagnosis” for all the anxiety that reading about reality brought me; the anxiety only increased, and a lot. For instance, as soon as I read about “depersonalization”, I started feeling all the symptoms about it and got more desperate… Now I’m trying to leave all those things behind, and to move on. For around one year I’ve haven’t read about things that do not convince me or help me grow, and I now feel better and more self-confident. I’m now trying Psychoneuroendocrinology and breathing techniques. Doing fine until now =) Thanks!

[Alprazolam]

Mhm. I had a similar experience with a different beast You must also realize, LSD is a stimulant to the dopamine and seratonin receptors. What this means is it can leave you depressed after a trip, and cause you to bring out an underlying disorder that may not have been present yet. I was never really into drugs, but I tried MDMA once, and immediatly knew after that something was wrong inside my head. To make a VERY long story short, it raised my dopamine levels high and brought out what I know have known as OCD and GAD. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). I would sit at the computer for days and look for things, and find ALL these bad symptons and each one I would start to convince myself I had. But In reality, none of it was true. I'm not saying you had/have some sort of disorder, but after taking something like LSD your dopamine and seratonin levels drop, which is FAR from normalization in the brain, which defineatly would have caused you some depression and much higher anxiety levels for an amount of time. (I'm willing to bet now you could go read all the bad things about an LSD trip and face the anxiety for a second and then be on with the rest of your life and not let it bother you anywhere near what it did.) Your doing what you should do. Don't look back, and focus on whats real. Perception truely is reality. You know who you are, you know that your doing good, and you know that thousands of people have gone through the same exact thing wondering what you have. Just do whatever works! Good luck.