Thread: Anxiety

Ah yes I have this too actually! My "solution" is just to not WILD. I go to sleep expecting to LD. Ideally I wake up a couple times throughout the night and drift back to sleep expecting to LD, letting myself fall asleep like normal.

Don't feel like you have to do WILD to have a good lucid. Just find a way of getting there, then once you're there you can use techniques to improve your lucid.

I have overcame that problem in this way. I wrote this a while back on an inferior forum.

" I think the key to WILD for me is getting further and further, closer and closer to success. There are certain stages in the process. The first thing that happens is I get mild tingles. I used to get excited at this point, thinking, "Oh, is this the vibrations?" and that would throw me back to full wakefulness.

So next time I tried, I knew that the mild tingles didn't mean it was working, so I didn't get so excited. I ended up going to the next stage.

Now I am failing at later and later stages, closer to actual success. Last night I hit a REALLY INTENSE vibration. "OMG! I'm getting closer!" and I woke up.

Therefore, my technique is to slowly go through the stages until they're old hat, not so exciting anymore. Eventually I will be at the last stage and it will work! It makes for multiple nights of failure, however. Meanwhile, getting through the stages, I repeat, "It isn't working, it isn't working." I know, it's so contradictory, but it helps to avoid excitement. "

So when you notice signs of success, tell yourself it isn't actually working. I think eventually you won't get so excited or anxious about it.

Originally Posted by DarthNatas

There are many techniques to become lucid. Most of the ones involve you actually being 'in control' of the shift from awake to asleep, and are aware of yourself entering the dream. Accompanying these techniques, are usually strange feelings, SP, hallucinations, etc.

Now I have sort of a big problem with these things. I relax, and everythings pretty peaceful, but I am just way to anxious. Now I'm not sure if that is the right word, but let me explain.

At times, I am relaxed, and I catch myself slowly drifting of to sleep. This isn't necessarily bad, because I just noticed it, and now I can just go back to being aware. The problem is, once I notice this happening, my heart starts pounding and I sort of snap back to the awake state, almost like a reflex.
Also when I'm trying WILD or whatever, just the slightest sign of me getting somewhere, like feeling my limbs go to sleep, or getting HI, will get me all revved up. My heart will start pounding, and my mind quickly exits the state i was just in. I guess at those times I'm really excited about what is going to happen next, but also a bit affraid.

Either way, this is really keeping me from doing many of the techniques in here. I would really like to hear if anyone has a solution for this, or maybe tell me how they got over it if they've had it.

I used passionflower to successfully cure my anxiety issues, but what you are describing does not quite sound to be of the caliber of a full disorder. I imagine the passionflower may help quell some anxiety for you, anyways. If nothing else, some people do take it to help them fall asleep.