Haunted by a dead monster for 7 years

[Nihal]

Hi everybody! I've been having the same nightmare for almost 7 years now. It's the only dream in which I'm lucid, fully aware that I am dreaming and sometimes I'm able to control the dream. In my dream I'm always in my bed in the exact same way as I fell asleep. Everything is an exact replica of the real world, even the pyjamas I'm wearing. When I'm in the dream, I immediately feel a weird sensation in my body that tells me I'm dreaming. I always pinch myself to test if I can feel any pain, mostly in my belly. When I don't feel any pain, it's confirmed: I'm asleep. In the dream I'm almost always paralysed. At first, I was lying with my neck in a weird angle, facing the wall. I could hear scratching and breathing near my bed and I knew the monster was there. Moving was almost impossible, and every time I was able to turn my neck in a desparate attempt to see the monster, I woke up again facing the wall. I wake up like that countless times, but I am never really awake. It seems impossible to escape the dream, even though it sometimes helped to close my eyes and count to three, or to scream very loud... Then I'd wake up screaming in the real world. Later I'd gain more control in the dream. I'd be able to try and grab the light switch (after which the monster grabs my hand and pulls me under my bed), I'd be able to move, ... I guess the most important moments in the history of the nightmare where when I was able to chase the monster away. When I show that I'm afraid of it, it grows stronger and sometimes even crawls in my bed. But when I get angry, it cannot harm me. (It once pulled me under my bed and when I was lying there, struggling to get free, it yelled in my face. I yelled back with all the anger I had in me and that made me wake up). Once, when its hand grabbed me and tried to pull me under the bed, I lovingly held its hand. Immediately it let go. I asked: "Why would you let go?", but it never replied. After that the nightmare was gone for a while, but now it's back. Important things to note: the dream started to occur when my father died. I guess it's somehow related. The monster has three appearances: a dead... thing that looks like a monster-corpse, a dead little girl, and something invisible. If anyone has some advice on how to get rid of these nightmares or any clue what it might mean, that would be great. Thanks!

[GrannyPigms]

Alright, so. I think I can share my experience with this kind of nightmare too. The most common version is where I'm standing on a rock on the beach. A giant waves starts building up, and I try to scream and run away. But I can never move, and if I do its a slow walk. A crawl almost. And all my screams come out as whispers. It happens in almost all of my nightmares. I think the thing you need to try, is since your lucid usually, try and combat it. Hold on, I'm gonna quote someone here... I think lucid dreaming was made for recurring nightmares: the perfect antidote. I know you too are persuing LDing, and I wish you luck with becoming lucid during one of these nightmares. If I were you, I would probably then ask one of the kidnappers why I am dreaming of this. Then tell them firmly that I expect these nightmares to stop now. Oh, and if you like, I suppose you could fight those kidnappers and get revenge for all the trouble they have caused you over the years. Actually, if I still had recurring nightmares, I would probably try to incubate them, instead of hoping to avoid the nightmare, think about it and plan ahead that I expect to have my recurring nightmare now, but on my terms this time! -JoannaB (who helped me overcome my "kidnappers") So I think you should try something like that. For me, I asked them why they were doing this, and why am I dreaming about them. Then I gave them a hug and let the dream end. That was only last night, so we'll see if it works, but I definitely feel "over it". Best of luck for getting rid of this nightmare. Sweet dreams.

[Nihal]

Hey GrannyPigms! I really know the feeling of being powerless in your own nightmares! Thanks for the good advice. Like I said in my original post, I've tried asking why the monster would act like this, what it wants from me. I think the best cure for this nightmare is to hold it, accept it and recognize it's a part of my life now... Because I have a strong feeling that this nightmare has to do with the loss of my father. That's what chased it away last time. I was just convinced it would stay away forever - and appearantly, it won't. But you are right, I should keep fighting it. Thanks for your advice! Sweet dreams for you too

[splodeymissile]

My nightmares had this recurring theme of a family member or friend voicing their disappointment at my failures, before turning into some form of monster and chasing me. The last time this happened, it chose a giant as it's form and chased me down some stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, I became lucid, turned around and laughed at him, confident in my knowledge that this was my world and I could do whatever I want, Curiously, he laughed with me for a bit, before disappearing. So, all I needed was confidence and the knowledge that it was a dream.

[Nihal]

Hi Splodeymissile Ow, that certainly souns like a bad nightmare. Sounds to me like it has to do with low self-esteem? I'm happy you beat that dream, and I hope it never returns again! For me, knowing that it's only a nightmare isn't enough, appearantly, because since the very beginning I am lucid in that dream. I probably have to overcome my fear in my dream... I found out expectation has a lot to do with dreamcontrol, so I should overcome my fear, and expect to be the own master of my dream. Thanks for the good advice! (I'll try doing the same you did, should the nightmare reoccur again! )

[splodeymissile]

While I certainly have low self esteem, I think the nightmare is also indicative of how protective I am of my friends and family, with the transformations and all that. Either way, since our night of hilarity, I have yet to meet him again. Is it bad that I almost want to see him(it?) again?

[Nihal]

Haha, perfectly normal in my opinion, have the same feeling about my jolly old monster sometimes. :') Healthy curiousity as to what will happen in the next dream?