Overwhelming Fear

Hey Kids,

I don't know if this is the right place or even the right website to discuss these things, but I would greatly appreciate some help or advice on this. I am a twenty-one year old college student who is greatly interested in meditation, altered states, and lucid dreaming. When I was younger (about sixteen and seventeen) I fooled around a lot with astral projection, never achieving it but I learned to put myself into a meditated state. I think my problem with my inability to achieve the next level is that my conscious mind just will not let go. Last night while using one of the techniques I read about on this website (the opening the eyes every five seconds while going into a meditated and sleep state) for the first time I felt an unbelievable sense that my mind was starting to take over my body and I felt as if I was entering a different state. I could see bright lights with my eyes closed and I almost had the sense I was floating as the music I had on in the background started to fade away. I was extremely excited when this overwhelming sense of fear came over me. I could feel all the muscles in my body tense, and I could feel myself grinding my teeth. I immediately plunged out of whatever state I was just in back into my normal state. I tried a few more times to return to that state but there was no way I could get my mind and my body to relax enough to return.

Anyone deal with anything like this before?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Could be HI and some Hallucinations; you could be going into deeper sleep or close to a dream. But anyways welcome to DreamViews.

Hi,
Well, I'm afraid that I can't answer your question because I'm a newb as well, but I can definately relate. I started fooling around with astral projection around that time too. I came quite close early on, but the vibrations kinda shocked me out of it and I haven't experienced that sensation since. Anyway, you should look around the forums-- maybe you will find some answers.
:)

Did you have any Sleep Paralysis associated with any of that?

It definently sounds like sleep paralysis to me.

The irrational fear or sense of being vulnerable is not something new to me.

Just go with it, imagen what it would be like to have gotten past the fear, you should want it to happen, ask for it to happen so you can get past it, then you will seem bigger then the fear it's self.

Thanks for the kind reactions and honest replies everyone. To be honest with you I think I'm much closer to Astral Projection than I am to lucid dreaming (I got a basic understanding of Astral Projection, where with lucid dreaming I don't really understand how it's supposed to go or what it's like.) I think I jumped out of my state because I've been taught that if you ever become afraid in a altered state that you should get out of it and return. I really need to read more and continue to work on this.

Will the fear go away with experience or is it something I should try to fight through?

It's trippy though. I love these altered states. Even in a bad experience like I previously mentioned, when I come back I feel extremely relaxed and refreshed. For instance last night during a meditation session trying to attain either a lucid dream or a OBE, I came down and cleaned my apartment which I had been putting off for a long time. I also have trouble with social anxiety but I find myself much calmer and able to deal while messing around with these states. I really think I'm on to something with all of this.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Well, it will go away with experience.

But you have to fight through it first to gain the experience ;)

Good luck!