Thread: Scary LD I couldn't control

So my dream started when I was lying in my bed, on my left side and curled up like I normally sleep. Somehow I knew right away I was dreaming. I was in unimaginable pain that I can hardly begin to describe. In a way it felt like something was in my skin and my body tearing me apart from the inside, but there were no visible signs of the pain. Because I generally have good control over my lucid dreams, I tried changing it, but no matter how hard I tried I still laid in my dark room in terrible pain. I couldn’t change anything about the dream whatsoever. I tried to get myself to wake up, to escape this nightmare. But I couldn’t. I got up and picked up the knife that I keep by my bed. I figured if I couldn’t control the dream and I couldn’t wake up I should just end it by killing myself. I stabbed myself with the knife, but there was no blood and I was still alive. It just hurt more. I was trapped in a nightmare.

I looked in the mirror. I appeared normal, however when I turned around and lifted my shirt, there was this strange, black blob of an infection on my lower back for some reason. Scared, I walked out of my house to look for help. Everything about the setting of this dream was realistic other than the dark, monotonous colors, which is not unusual for my dreams. After awhile I noticed something: I was alone. There was not another living thing in my dream. I called out to my dream guide, but all that responded was the echo of my voice. The silence was unnerving.

I don’t entirely remember what happened, but after walking for a long time I ended up in a pitch black, big, empty room with no floor, no ceiling, just a long staircase that went on forever and a door that disappeared as soon as I closed it. I remember climbing this staircase, believing that maybe at the top there was something that could help me. But after climbing for what seemed like hours, the pain became too unbearable and I gave up. Crying, I sat in the fetal position, repeating to myself “Please wake up” over and over.

I don’t know how long it was, but I finally “woke up.” However, it was like I was brought back to the beginning of the dream, lying on my side in my bed and in the same pain I was before. After a few minutes of confusion and the realization I was still in a dream, I “woke up” again. Again, it was like I was at the beginning of the dream. I woke up one more time like this before I finally woke up for real. I was lying in the same position I was in the dreams, but there was no pain. I checked the time. It was 4:13AM. I went back to sleep.

Has anyone had anything similar to this, or at least had a dream where you were fully lucid and you could not control anything but your own body? Is there any significance to a dream like this? Because I feel this was one of the worst dreams I’ve ever had. I just felt so hopeless and alone.

Has happened to me quite a bunch of times, but since my control is solely based on controlling my dream body, I don't find it that hard to stop the pain. What I find the hardest is to get out of bed, whenever a dream like that appears, it is really, really hard to move. So to solve that problem, learned of a way to move from the dream to waking and that way throw myself out of bed/call someone/hit someone if they are close to wake up and end the dream.

It definitely sounds like a lucid nightmare. I've had a few of those; one in which I was paralyzed on my bed and felt a shadow standing on me, whispering things. No matter how hard I tried to make it go away, or confidently say "stop", it didn't leave. Sometimes lucids just lack control, which unfortunately in your case wasn't the best time to happen since you were already having a nightmare. I wouldn't say the lucidity caused the nightmare, or vice versa, so don't let it deter you from trying again.

One thing I noticed is how you seemed to become extremely scared, which in turn will only make the dream content worse. How many lucids have you had, and on a scale of 1-10, how lucid would you say you were in the dream?

I've had way too many lucids to count. I think I started having them when I was around 7 or so and I always tend to have a good handle on them. I don't recall having too many lucid nightmares, however, so I think the fact that I couldn't really control this one threw me off and made me even more scared.

In the past, have you been able to prevent nightmares with lucid dreaming? I, for example, am just starting lucid dreaming, and I had a would-be nightmare last night that I prevented with lucid dreaming. You can see it in my dream journal if you want.

Also, I find that removing stimulus is a better technique for waking from dreams. Simply closing your eyes (squinching them shut as hard as you can helps) or staring at the exact same spot always wakes me up.

(Why do you keep a knife beside your bed?)

I generally have been able to prevent nightmares with lucid dreaming (part of the reason I became so interested in lucid dreaming was to prevent nightmares). Also, I usually do close my eyes to wake up and I did try that in this dream. For some reason it didn't work. It was really weird.

I keep a knife by my bed because I am extremely paranoid.

I guess this dream was different. Dreams are unpredictable, so stuff like this might happen sometimes.

By the way, if this was a dream where you were half asleep, you could have stabbed yourself in real life, because you'd be dreaming but still controlling your body.

hm... if you've ever played HALO or Starcraft, you could embrace the infectious life-form, and believed you were geting infested by the flood/zerg, and once the infestation was complete, the pain should stop. of course, you are the dreamer so you would keep your free will in the process.

This is what I'm scared of being new to LDing. I'm afraid that I'll make myself have a nightmare, out of fear of having one. I know that your usually able to control your dream for the most part but... I don't know, I think you understand what I mean.

Originally Posted by Bam5559

This is what I'm scared of being new to LDing. I'm afraid that I'll make myself have a nightmare, out of fear of having one. I know that your usually able to control your dream for the most part but... I don't know, I think you understand what I mean.

the easiest way to wake up is to find a way to get an adrenaline rush. getting extremely excited about something, or getting terrified usually wakes you up. i heard that the more experienced you are, the more excitement you can handle.

Originally Posted by Wristblade56

the easiest way to wake up is to find a way to get an adrenaline rush. getting extremely excited about something, or getting terrified usually wakes you up. i heard that the more experienced you are, the more excitement you can handle.

You can always try closing your eyes and falling backwards, not thinking of any sensations. Sure, it might put you in a void or lead to a false awakening, but it'll get you away from the nightmare. You can also think of yourself lying in bed and the physical sensations of the blankets, pillow... That may wake you up or create a false awakening, in which you can start over.

hmm.... I have had lucid nightmares also. They suck. +