Hi! I just want to quickly introduce myself and ask you something.

I've only had one lucid dream so far but I've been interested in dreams since as long as I can remember. As a child I'd heard about lucid dreaming and I made an attempt at it, lying in my bed, giggling, hoping to fall asleep and "awake" in a magical dream wonderland (of course I was too excited and it never worked out)
I'm an illustrator and I draw a lot about my dreams, last year I made a comic based on them (so I'm pretty good at dream recall by now) I would really like to have more lucid experiences, to inspire me and just because it fascinates me so.

there is one problem though, I'm easily frightened. I don't like to watch horror movies and it someone sneaks up behind me for a joke I'll most likely kick them because I'm so easily startled. I'm terribly scared of losing my mind and having nightmares - I know LD is good for treating nightmares but what if you can't control your dreams yet, and because your brain knows your fears it sends you a collection of frightening images?
Also I just read about sleep paralysis (as a sleep disorder) and the hallucinations that go with it and it doesn't help.

I find all this off-putting but I don't want to give up trying! Is anyone else here such a scaredy cat? Or are you all brave dream explorers?