I have been experiencing very long chains of nested nightmares pretty much every time I try to fall asleep, and I just want them to stop. I’m not interested in lucidity, especially if it means that I have to have 10 more nightmares in a row where I try desperately and unsuccessfully to wake up. Can someone tell me what I should do to make them stop?
Then you have no chance, because it’s the only known method to overcome nightmares. Here is an article at the Lucidity Institute: Overcoming nightmares
Yes, lucidity works perfectly to overcome nightmares. It can offer you the insight that running away won’t solve anything… furthermore, if you’re brave enough, you might understand that there’s nothing to run away from because it’s all in your mind. This allows you to do something extraordinary: to turn around, face your dream enemy, approach it, talk to it (ask for his motives, his feeling about you, etc…), love it (because they’re usually seen as fragments of your own psyche) and ultimately embrace it. For me, this is one of the most powerful, the most healing experiences one can get from LDing. If you genuinely love your dream enemies, there’s a very big chance that they’ll never bother you anymore… no matter how long you’ve been suffering from these nightmares. Furthermore, you might learn something about their motives if you talk to them. Also, if you approach them, they’ll almost always change into more benign creatures, often just humans. They remain monsters as long as you fear them, because that’s the only reason why they exist. They exist because of your fear to face their reality (as fragmented parts of your psyche).
Yes, lucidity is definitely the best method to overcome nightmares. By far.
Lucid Dreams (LD) are the only, and only one of this type of therapy, to relieve you of your nightmares.
Examples: If I had a re-current nightmare of running from a ghost, monster, assasin, anything, I can become lucid to conquer my terror, either through “justice” or friendliness and hospitality. Expectations and willpower affects your dream course, thus allowing you to shape your dream as your mind streams your thoughts.
Expect your body to morph, and with strong willpower, you can achieve it.
So LD-s are the only way whatsoever, to conquer your fears and terrors. In any style you want, naturally. I’d prefer an all-out battle, or a shoot-out, etc.
Become lucid, and learn, that things aren’t as it seems right away, you being interested in it at all or not. LD-s really helps out. Try it and see.