I’m new here, so hi and stuff.
I’ve been trying to LD for a while now, using the MILD-method. But I just can’t relax when I’m supposed to, beacuse i start thinking about scary things, such as the old hag (but mostly non-LD-thingies). I’ve always been like this, but it’s always worse when I’m trying to LD. My imagination is to good, I guess. Anyone have a way to help me stop thinking about scary stuff?
Heh, I just saw that this post seems kinda childish, but I hope I’ll get some help.
Thanks.
Don’t worry about it, not childish, I do that sometimes to, like you just paly out bad things that could happen but probaly never will? Well, I just think about happy stuff, or bring a book to bed. the book helps a ton 
At least if you like reading.
Dont watch anything negative, on T.V. or movies. Try to think posotive,and laugh. Try not to think your goal to LD, as being important its just a hobby. Its all good.
First, get the old hag thing out of your mind. I have done WILD countless times and have never encountered such a thing. Even if you do just remember that it is just a hallucination and can’t harm you.
Now that is out of the way you have to learn to block out your thoughts and stay focused on one thing and one thing only. Best thing to start with would be your breathing. Slowly inhale through your nose. As you inhale make your stomach rise not your lungs. Then exhale out your mouth. Just keep repeating that exercise. When other thoughts enter your mind gently push them aside bring yourself back to your breathing. Now, you are not going to master this in one day. To start practice this until you can just focus on your breath for 5 minutes. Then 10min and on.
Welcome to the forum and I hope you van learn to conquer your fears so you can lucid dream. Lucid dreaming is an awesome experience. There is no experience that comes even close to thrill of the dream world. Everyone here is able and willing to help so, don’t be afraid to ask any questions.
Thanks for the answers, guys! This forum is sweet.
About the book-thingie. I always read books before i sleep, but the problem is that even if I’m very relaxed (I’ve tried the breathing-thing a few times) and sleepy, It still takes lots of time for me to fall asleep. And under that time, the imagination starts having fun. And there’s two things that keep coming back: Ol’ good haggie, and Sadako from The japanese version of the ring.
I don’t know why, but I’ve been f**cked up since I saw that movie, and that was like 2 or 3 years ago.
I guess that the hag-thing will be gone soon, since everyone here seems to have overcome it, but Sadako is just…owning me. And I’m pretty sure that if I had an old hag experience that “old hag” would be sadako. Damn.
I just want to LD…damn Japanese lowbudget horrormovies.
I’ll try to learn that “concentrate on one thing”-…thingie.
Thanks for the answers again!
Reading is good. A little known fact is that 30 minutes of reading before sleep will increase your REM sleep.
Learning to focus you attention on one thing is not an easy task at first but, stick with it. Like I suggested above start slow and build.
Have you practiced any kind of progressive relaxation techniques? They can help out as well.
“progressive relaxation techniques”? what are they?
The idea is that you relax individual muscle groups in your body. One example is the 61 point relaxation technique in EWLD. Here is a beginner technique that works very well:
Step 1: lay in bed and get comfortable. Close your eyes. Gently take a long slow deep breath through your nose (you should feel your stomach rise not your lungs.) Count silently to 4 then gently and slowly exhale through your mouth. Do that 2-3 times. Now turn your attention to your right arm. Tighten your right arm and again inhale as above count to 4 and as you exhale release the tension in your right feel it relaxing. Do the same thing with your left arm. Then do the same with both arms and finally do the same thing with your hole body. (Your body may feel heavy and relaxed at this point and may even feel a little tingly)
Step 2: at this point you should ignore your breathing. Let your breath find it’s own pace naturally. Turn your attention to your toes imagine that a wave of blue mental energy is forming at your toes feel the energy relaxing all the muscles in your toes. Then the energy moving up to your ankles and now imagine your feet are relaxing. Now move the energy up to your shins, then thighs, abdomen, and chest. Then imagine the energy moving down your arms all the way to the tips of your fingers. Now imagine the energy will move back up your arms to your shoulders, then to your neck, and the top of your head, finally imagine that the energy is leaving the top of your head taking with it all your tension, fears and anxiety with it. Take a moment and enjoy the relaxation.
From here you can use what ever LD induction technique you want MILD, WILD or just enjoy the relaxation.
If you want you can record the routine to a tape then you don’t have to think about anything. All you do is follow the tape. It might help to distract your thoughts away from the things that frighten you.
First off, i want to say your username is ace. I love the mars volta. To help you relax, just think about cedric and omar playing an acoustic setlist just for you!
Ok, thanks for the explanation, I will try that tonight.
Man, I love this forum. People are nice, and there are TMV-listeners among these people. yay!
Lately I was stressed by Half Life 2 so i had to stop playing it for a while…everything was normal after couple of days…
old hag,old hag… I feel lucky, because I’ve forgotten the meaning of hag in Polish 
I’m not going to look it up anyway
relax…relax…relax
greetings
I have a (luckily fading) fear of the girl from the american version of The Grduge. I just keep on imagining her either crawling up my ladder (my bed is raised) or doing the apear in sheets thingy like in the movie.
I’ve found that a number of things get help me to stop thinking about it:
)I have the same problem, because I once had an SP and it wasn’t pleasant, I didn’t see anyone like i imagined it would happen but there was a scary feel in the atmosphere.
what I do is start singing in my head, i start practicing any text i’ve written, if you don’t write lyrics then pick a song you like, i promise, all the scary thoughts just dissappear.
Happy LDing
SP can, and often is, a scary experience at first. Once you get used to it though it becomes really cool. Besides that, it is also so easy to slip into a lucid dream from there. The important thing is to let go of your fear of it. Many people who practice WILD( including myself ) have experienced SP and nothing bad has happened to any of us.
Your situation is kinda like mine…just a different moviemonster. Heh. I have a rasied bed to, btw.
Oh, and those progressive relaxation techniques milod 789 talked about seemed to work, at least a little, I fell to sleep faster than usual (but no LDs yet). Thanks!
Eriatarka
I am glad it is working for you. It takes some practice but the more you use the techniques the faster they will work.
When you feel ready for it you can try to create a falling sensation after you are deeply relaxed. You just go through the progressive relaxation technique like I outlined above. Then, imagine yourself floating on a cloud. Then imagine your self floating down in time with your breathing. This 1) helps keep your mind occupied so those scary thoughts don’t come back and disturb your relaxation. 2) The falling sensation will help you go even deeper into relaxation.
If you are lucky you might even find yourself falling right into a dream.
Cool. I’ll try that when I feel more confident with the other relaxation-thing. Thanks again.
milod789
yeah, i know i should let go of the fear and slip into a LD, but, you know, when you’re there you kinda forget everything and just want to get out of the SP 
This might seem a little of the point, but I think about all the scary thoughts that they mean nothing - if I happen to be sleeping with someone. No, I don’t mean sexual acts but just the fact that someone is sleeping/awaken in the same room.
Then, lucky me for moving on my own last August, when I’m alone, all of them jump to the surface and start harassing me. (yeah, I should really get a girlfriend…)
I understand that situation, since it’s kinda like mine. Girlfriend, eh?