I have read many threads looking for advice about what to do about being scared during LD and SP but the answers don’t make me feel better. If I ever have those I’m scared that I will be like “oh no I hope THIS doesn’t happen”. I think I was able to get a LD accidentally once and luckily I didn’t remember to be scared, but if I purposely try to get a LD I am SURE it will cross my mind. How do I stop this?
A lot of the answers consist of stuff like “There is nothing to be afraid of” and “Its just your mind!” and I know that, and I WILL know that, but images in my mind can be scary too! And whenever I have a nightmare it just keeps getting worse and worse as I imagine scarier and scarier things.
Also several people said to close your eyes, and I honestly can’t think of anything worse to do. If I close my eyes I would have no idea (or… the feeling that I would have no idea) what would happen next and I will still feel horrible things or hear them
When i hear some of the answers people say… it sounds like they are answering it in the position of a professional who overcame it a long time ago and its no longer a big deal. I’m looking for more answers from the position of someone like me.
Also, if possible, don’t use examples I have enough scary images flashing around my head from reading examples in the threads I read for help.
Thank you so much
I think tonight is ruined pretty much for me and I think I will just have to stay up late enough that I am too tired to care.
If you have SP a lot, maybe you can sleep in a room where there’s someone else in there with you. It might give you a feeling that they’ll protect you so you won’t be scared.
For LD, have you tried convincing yourself that what you’re afraid of can’t hurt you? Or maybe if you can, you can make it go away.
Actually I have never had SP, but I have been able to get close (not sure if its WILD or not, but I can get there by thinking the same words over and over), but I’m probably not going to get farther than just feeling a little tingly and harder to breathe if I’m scared.
I won’t ever be able to sleep with someone in the same room, but your second suggestion sounds helpful. I guess I could just keep reminding myself it can’t hurt me…
Unless you are trying WILD, then you’re chances of encountering sleep paralysis are low anyway, unless you have had it already, which you haven’t. I think that as you described, your mind is building on things and making them seem worse. It’s a bit like when you are afraid of doing something. You think about how bad it will be, but once you do it, you laugh and think that was no where near as bad as I thought. I expect, if you ever do get SP, that is what will happen. I just hope that the fear doesn’t spoil things for you.
I guess that, as the WILD authority Dragon73 said, if you haven’t had it, you are very unlikely to have it unless you are doing WILD, and even so WILD doesn’t nesesairly mean Sleep Paralisys, wich I anyway see as intersting and fun. I don’t think I can explain it any better than Dragon73.
I feel almost the same way!!! However, I’m sleeping on my stomach so I don’t get the old hag… but, just think of them going away and (apparently) they will go away… I read it on a lucid dreaming website.
Remember guys, if you ever get the old hag YOU hold the power in YOUR mind to turn her into Pam Anderson… Just beware - she has about a million different dream STDs.
haha. Thanks. I actually didn’t know about the old hag and I am sure it never would have bothered me until I went here and read some of the threads
But, I thought of a great time I could try to get a lucid dream. I am very good at sleeping in, and I never thought of trying to get a lucid dream after I wake up in the morning. Going back to sleep is always easy for me then, and I always dream when I do that, so its even better.
PLUS, I actually have my bedroom in my bonusroom where my dad works on his computer in the morning, so I won’t be alone when I try sleep paralysis. (I have room dividers, so I still have some privacy)
The only downside is that I would only be able to do this on weekends once school starts, unless I set my alarm an hour early.
ON the lucid crossroads website, it says that if you run into the old hag, try changing it into “crossroad guides” which help you go back into lucidity.
hm, i think i feel opposite, ever since my first LD i just want to keep having more, i actually feel more safe in a LD as far as i feel now.
what’s this “old hag?” everyone’s talking about??? o_0
The Old Hag would essentially be an illusion you perceive when in SP, but aware, and it often takes the form of an old witch. Big SP and Old Hag topic.
What’s that “The old hag” ? I never heard of that before…
When I began (A year ago) with lucid dreaming I also was afraid. The same as you, I read thousands of scary things and was actually afraid to go to sleep I know it sounds like a baby but that’s the truth. The I ahd my first LD. It was interesting so I thaught “Hey, I want that again !”. And I tried and tried and my wish to have another LD covered the fear. Now I can’t wait for night come perhaps I’ll have an LD.
I’m giving you a personal advice, and for all of you who are afraid, just think: “It’s somthing temorary and with the time it will fade away !” Time resolves everything (allmost everything), including fear. Now I’d give allmost everything to have what you have. You saied you can sleep very well. Well I can’t ! I’m sometimes so excited that I can’t sleep.
Now, when you lie in bed, try the following: First of all say a small pray in your mind. Ask God to help you get rid of those fears and to protect you during the night. Then find a comfortable position and concetrate on your breathing. Nothing to be afraid. Just concentrate on how you breath. Then, if you do it right and think just about the breathing you’ll forget about the fear. Just don’t remind yourself about it.
I know it’s difficult at first. The LD is something wonderfull: You can get rid of nightmares or so. Or, you could just, in an LD, imagine a button which disables and enables the fears. Disable it and live your life.
TIP: It’s not healthy for the eye, but leave lights on if you are afraid of the dark. I personally love the dark . If it’s light I can’t go to sleep, so I want it to be dark so I can sleep and perhaps have an LD.
It’s a longer story. I’ve been through every step you do, I think. I could tell ya how I got rid of the fears… in fact a allready told you. But it would be much longer, and people won’t read it all. Personally I don’t quite like the biig posts, but I still read them - those are the most meaningfull posts
Funny, I had the exact same problem just last night. I’m going to try listening to music and/or watching TV before I go to bed. Or what will always work is playing “the happy song” by Liam Lynch through your head. I can’t help you much since I’ve never experienced it myself.
Umm… I’m one of many lucid dreamers out there who’s never experienced this “old hag”. It’s something that Could happen, but definitely nothing you should go around being afraid of.
I’m totally agree with you… even if I would like to experience one of this old hag so I can meet someone I allways wanted to meet… or at least see face to face. I’m trying to have an LD, and my very first goal will be to meet this person face to face. I dunno, I am really curious of how my mind makes it up .
I have enough scary images flashing around my head from reading examples in the threads I read for help. 
I know it sounds like a baby but that’s the truth. The I ahd my first LD. It was interesting so I thaught “Hey, I want that again !”. And I tried and tried and my wish to have another LD covered the fear. Now I can’t wait for night come 
I’m sometimes so excited that I can’t sleep.
.
. If you want to see those things, check out the last few posts on this tread: 
about some things of how to get rid of this SP and “old hag”, even I dunno what it is…