this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2023
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[โ€“] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I used to do it all the time as a kid accidentally to stop nightmares, but never knew I could do it on purpose, or really control things beyond "make the scary stop."

Then when I learned about lucid dreaming, I started practicing and managed it several times, but stopped when a dream character noticed what I was doing, and tried to murder me for it in one of the most terrifying moments of my life. I'm aware there's nothing supernatural or anything about it, and I understand the science behind it... But I ain't gonna lie, that woman in the bog flying towards me with her feet off the ground, screeching "you don't belong here!" And slamming into my chest, waking me up with phantom sensations of her touch? It scared me straight, and I haven't had the balls to try again. Lol.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Yeah, you never can guarantee initiating a lucid moment, it happens to you. You can cultivate the tendency, but that's it.

But once you start remembering it and consciously thinking about it, it starts to become a little more accessible to your sleeping mind. I think this is what makes dream journals so effective for developing the skill in the first place.

But yeah, that happening and simply not remembering in the split second you have to do so would kinda suck. Though I would be slightly tempted, personally, to process the experience a little bit now that I'm awake, and then go like "fine. let's dance bitch." and go back to sleep. Because all I need is to become lucid at any point, and I can summon her to be dealt with.

I had a lot of practice focusing on and thinking about dreams in general though.

edit: Considering this a little further, when I said "dealt with" that struck an unfortunate tone that I didn't fully intend. It's useful imo to remember that she is a figment of your imagination, and she wouldn't be there if there wasn't a reason for it. So, my "dealt with" isn't like levitating her into the sky to slowly disintegrate her from the toes up or something. I would probably get started by simply asking that slice of my own mind, what does she want? Why is she here?

Likely sentence would be banishment on pain of destruction, but it would depend on what she said.