First Lucid Dream - Extreme Terror

I'm new to this forum (found it via reddit) - I've been interested in dreams and dreaming for many years and have kept a dream journal off and on for a long time (about 19 years). I have vivid detailed dreams, a lot of interaction with dream characters, a fair number of bizarre elements, and have spent a lot of time looking back and studying them, looking for patterns, etc.

Lucid dreaming just recently got on my radar and I've been reading about it, but have been somewhat afraid of it, and I don't entirely know why. So I haven't tried any of the induction techniques. But I had one spontaneously a couple of nights ago:

I'm in my house standing at the front door and realize I am dreaming. I turn around and see myself asleep on the couch in the living room. I suddenly don't know which one of me is ME and which one of me is 'dream me.' I then woke myself up out of sheer terror.

When I woke up I was sweating, clawing at the air, and my heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest.


I don't know how I feel about this! I wanted to share.

By watching yourself sleeping, alarming thoughts may rise (like thinking you died etc) so it is normal to be scared after that experience.

But your experience seems to me more like an astral projection rather than a lucid dream. I have never seen myself sleeping while I am inside a lucid dream. Every time I looked back to my bed, it was empty.

While you are inside the dream world, everything is peaceful and calm. They are the reflection of our inner subconscious thoughts which aren’t unfamiliar to us. There is nothing to be afraid of (even the mirrors), nothing can harm you and remember that more or less you have the control of your dream and also you can wake up anytime you want.

On the other hand an astral projection is indeed scary, at least at the phase of separation. Noises, uncanny voices, vibrations, flying shadows, pressure and strong heartbeat are factors that will scare you so much that will prevent you to normally sleep the next night. I had experienced numerous attempts to separate and 3 successful separations, all of them very scary, and the next time I have the chance I will be scared but I will eventually overcome all my fears.

So perceive the dream as something known and peaceful, remember that you are in control. Dedicate some moments every day to practice the lucid dream exercises and make a schedule for what to do while you are in a lucid dream as it will a bit difficult to think clearly.

The way to determine whether this was an astral projection or not is: Where you sleeping on the couch in the living room in waking life when you fell asleep? If you weren't sleeping there to begin with, then it probably wasn't an astral projection. If this was merely a lucid dream than there is nothing to be afraid of. It's just a dream. On the other hand, if this was an astral projection, than there is nothing to be afraid of since its extremely common to see your physical body.
Either way, its no big deal. Just relax and realize that seeing your body is just that; seeing your body. Nothing more.
You are always in control of everything in both circumstances and you determine how you react to something. Make it positive! Best Wishes beautifuldreame!

OneUp

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Originally Posted by OneUp

The way to determine whether this was an astral projection or not is: Where you sleeping on the couch in the living room in waking life when you fell asleep? If you weren't sleeping there to begin with, then it probably wasn't an astral projection. If this was merely a lucid dream than there is nothing to be afraid of. It's just a dream. On the other hand, if this was an astral projection, than there is nothing to be afraid of since its extremely common to see your physical body.
Either way, its no big deal. Just relax and realize that seeing your body is just that; seeing your body. Nothing more.
You are always in control of everything in both circumstances and you determine how you react to something. Make it positive! Best Wishes beautifuldreame!

OneUp

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Thank you, I had not considered astral projection before reading the replies here. However, I was asleep during this dream in my bed, not on the couch. When I realized I was dreaming, I was standing by my door and looking at myself asleep on the couch in the living room with all the lights on. So I guess it was just a lucid dream. I've just got to somehow take the thought "it's just a dream" INTO my dreams with me!

An 'Astral projection' is complete nonsense , it is just a lucid dream.

'There is no scientific evidence that there is any measurable manifestation of a consciousness or soul which is separate from neural activity, and there is no scientific evidence for the contention that one can consciously leave the body and make observations. Attempts to verify that such has occurred have consistently failed in spite of the variety of pseudoscientific claims to the contrary.'.

Barry, in the dreaming section of the forums, we (try to) abstain from judging people's dream-related experiences. There are multiple opinions on the true nature of LDing and AP, OBE, etc., some of which conform to yours, and some which don't. But please respect those points of view that differ from yours.

To beautifuldreme: it may be of some comfort to you that in my just over 1.5 years of LD practice and just over 100 LDs, I've not had a single even barely scary LD experience. In fact, nightmares tend to make me lucid now! So if you don't expect to have scary experiences, you likely will not.

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Originally Posted by beautifuldreame

...

Lucid dreaming just recently got on my radar and I've been reading about it, but have been somewhat afraid of it, and I don't entirely know why. So I haven't tried any of the induction techniques. But I had one spontaneously a couple of nights ago:

...I then woke myself up out of sheer terror.

...I don't know how I feel about this! I wanted to share.

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:welcome: to Dreamviews, and to the amazing world of lucid dreaming.

I'm not sure why you had bad experience. But dreams are formed by our thoughts, feelings and expectations. And you are saying that you were kinda scared of lucid dreaming. It's quite possible that was the cause of your scare in a dream. And I agree, seeing your sleeping body, and suddenly not knowing which one is you can be shocking, if you are not ready for it.

If I may suggest, read as much as you can here on the forum. To see, what kinds of crazy experiences we are having. And to know, that it's all safe, nothing can harm us. When thinking of lucid dreaming, have happy thoughts, be excited about some really cool adventures you can have. I bet your next experience will be much better.

I didn't have a single bad experience during my 200 LDs and many more attempts. Maybe because I take everything as "fun" new experience, no matter how crazy it is.

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Originally Posted by Barry

An 'Astral projection' is complete nonsense , it is just a lucid dream.

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Barry, that's something people who don't believe in lucid dreams say.

Earth was "proven" to be flat, until someone proved otherwise. The best scientists at that time said it has to be flat, otherwise people would be falling off. But science evolves, and who is to say, that our science we have now is the end of the line and will not be able to do more in the future. Prove or disprove things we can't today.

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Originally Posted by FryingMan

Barry, in the dreaming section of the forums, we (try to) abstain from judging people's dream-related experiences. There are multiple opinions on the true nature of LDing and AP, OBE, etc., some of which conform to yours, and some which don't. But please respect those points of view that differ from yours.

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Thank you for saying that, FryingMan! We are a community of open-minded crazy folk who... gasp... lucid dream! Just because we didn't experience something or it wasn't proven, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Happy dreams everybody :bow: