I have journaled my dreams since high school, and as of the past few years I have been having recurring stress dreams that revolve around trauma because of my family. I’d define a stress dream as a dream that has my day to day stress manifest in my sleep and dreams a s well. There are times where I can become lucid and take care of these situations, but it’s not guaranteed I’ll be lucid. I do currently see a therapist and psychiatrist for PTSD and depression.
My question is, does anyone have insight or experience with using lucid dreaming to control nightmares, night terrors, or stress dreams in general? Do you find it effective? I see my therapy as being a “bottom-up” solution while working on these dreams as being a “top down” solution.
This is an interesting angle. I have an example of this! It hasn’t worked for all stress dreams, I still dream a lot about being stressed at work, but it has worked for a major, recurring stress dream that pops up when I worry about family.
The dream starts in my parents’ house. I look at the sea through the windows. The waves grow bigger and bigger, until a massive tsunami crashes over the rocks and hits the house, crushing it.
I have taught myself to RC every time I see the sea through a window now. I get lucid from this dream as good as every time.
That’s a good pointer, I appreciate it, but it gives me an idea I didn’t consider. A recurring stress dream I have is me going back to college or high school and I’m one class or credit away from graduating and I might not make it. With my stress dreams also involving family members I’m no longer in touch with, I wonder how I could give myself a reality check queue in waking life today?
One thing I’ve been thinking about doing for the school / college dreams: it has happened before where I’m able to be lucid enough in the dream to know I have my college degrees, those dreams are a lot of fun because it means I have complete control in an environment and situation where I was initially feeling stressed and those dreams end up being a lot of fun. I was wondering if getting my college degrees framed and maybe hung in my bedroom might help with those dreams.
