Literally paralyzed by a fear of lucid dreaming! :|

Last night I fell asleep and, to my surprise, found myself in a false awakening. It was light in my room, and I looked at my hands to create clarity. However, I fell into another false-awakening, but this time it was dark. I hate the dark! And it happened again, except my body stuck in a door... and I began to get frightened! I couldn't seem to retreive the rest of my body or sit up? And then I fell into yet another false-awakening... except this time my roommate ran over to my bed to attack me. I was panicking at this point! My worst fear is for dream characters to be creepy. So I instead made her hug me (the most control I could muster up). But the way she ran towards me in the dark... and how real her body felt... it just creeped me out so much! I woke up and I was so glad that it wasn't another false awakening.

Why does this happen to me? Am I just fulfilling my fears by being fearful? I think this stems from a fear of the dark... and unfortunately, 80% of my lucid dreams happen from false-awakenings and I start them in the dark room. When that happens, my control dwindles to literally nothing... and sometimes I even feel like I can't move in my dreams. Does any one have any advice whatsoever? It's so so so important to me to overcome these strange fears, and to welcome any lucid dream with open arms... but in the end, it seems I become paralyzed with fear, even if it's not real!

Some people think darkness in lucid dreams is caused by their fear of the unknown, or simply because they fell asleep in dark conditions (you sleep with the lights off... right?). Perhaps if you keep the lights on when you attempt to LD, this will carry over to your dream, but I can't promise anything. If you end up in a dark dream, don't give in to your fears and keep thinking something bad will happen.

If you are confronted by a creepy DC, remember that you're in charge. Of course, holding your palm out and telling them to 'go away' won't work 100% of the time, but it will help a lot. You have control over them.

False awakenings will probably occur A LOT to one who takes up lucid dreaming. It's a bit scary, but you have control over the dream. Many of my dreams are in dim or darker lighting, but I've learned to ignore it because I know what I'm doing within the dream.

Yes, I do sleep with the lights off! I suppose it must just be to make my false-awakenings believable. Unfortunately, I can't keep my lights on since I'm in college and I have a roommate. Do you have any advice about not giving into your fears? It seems that for me... I can't exert control when it comes to positive things... but if I'm afraid of it, it will automatically happen. Once in a lucid dream, I attempted to make the sky light, and it immediately grew dark and began to storm. Also, do you (or anyone) have any advice about how to "turn on the lights" in a dream, for someone who isn't great at control? I feel like if I had a plan of action... or confidence in finding light... I would be alright in these false awakenings.

i always am in the dark in my false awakenings, but when i exit my room its day light, so the next time you have FA try exiting your room or exiting the building you are at, and you will see light :)

Dream spin and imagine a light place.

Also keep telling yourself that this is YOUR dream, and you have nothing to be afraid of. Nothing can really hurt you. Your in control!

If you can somehow control-dream it, why don't you create light somehow? When I have a false-awakening sometimes I feel stunned and confused, so I try to change the layout of my room or wherever I false awake.

I usually call Freddy Krueger in my own dream to get some help for me if I can't "control the dream myself" (which I'm still controlling it because I do summon him, but is like if I had enough powers to summon him to get help but not enough to solving the issue by myself.

Sorry for the bad news though. I hate fake awakenings too.

Close your eyes and lie in bed. Stay awake. Imagine your dream of the false awakening in the dark. Say in your mind: This is a dream. Say out loud: This is a dream. Now, take the flashlight out of your pocket that you always have in dreams, and turn it on. It lights up the whole room.

Say in your mind: This is a dream. Say out loud: This is a dream. Do this at least once during the day at a random time, and right before you fall asleep.

Wow thanks! I think I really need to try verbal cues. Every time I've been in a lucid dream, I've never spoken out loud. I always lie there silently trying to control things. I will definitely try that!

Oh, I should also add that whenever you're in a dark place, you can always teleport. Whenever I am in a dark area (it's the dark rooms that bother me, not dark outside), I just open a door and imagine the lights to be on in the other room. It's easier than trying to adjust the lights inside.

One must remember, that one's reaction may itself be a message, a question to be answered--sometimes perhaps several questions.

I always looked at my results as questions. In the way of fear, I always resolved it by realizing that the mind looses awareness when fear is incited. One must learn to face one's fear and calm the mind. Once fear is mastered, one may proceed.

What one is not yet taught in schools, is that there are two primary categories of logic-commensurate with the definition of a thing. A thing is any material difference in any form. So, your mind will create the thing called human will when emotion is contained within reason. The idea of eliminating emotion is as stupid as letting emotion run uncontained.

You may understand the two categories like this: When you see something, the material of what you see does not end up in your head. When you eat something the form does not become your form. All craft is the bringing together of form and material difference. This is fundamental to becoming sentient also. Emotion is the material difference within the confines of reasoning--all emotion.

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Originally Posted by cecile

Do you have any advice about not giving into your fears?

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I haven't been able to test this as I am calm in the dark but try throwing in some MILD. Just before going to sleep say to yourself: 'I will stay calm when having a FA' or 'i will create light in my dreams'. Then go to sleep before losing yourself to negative selftalk. This may help.

regarding the false-awakening and possibly darkness issue: when you become lucid.. close your eyes. and 'feel' around in the darkness on the 'ground' for objects... imagine gravel maybe. most of the time, for me, it turns out to be gravel, or ends up being the carpet in my dream room, random junk on the carpet, lol.
also, for darkness, sometimes it helps to "take off the sunglasses". that's worked for me once.