Panic attacks during lucid dreaming

[Michael Clyde]

About 12 years ago, I practiced inducing a lucid dream. My 1st lucid experience occured in less than 1 week after initiating. While lucid, I felt totally conscious and realized that my body was catetonic. This feeling FREAKED me out!!

I found myself in a lucid dream about 1 or 2 times per month over the next several years. Panic attack intensity lessened over time, and I basically go through a routine to wake myself up as calmly as possible.

Over the past 8 months or so, I finally gained enough courage to face this fear. Throughout my waking moments, I've programmed myself to do things like deep breathing, counting and being calm for when the next lucid dream occurs. This programming works. Sometimes I continue to have less intense panic attacks while lucid, and other times the lucid dream fades out and I drift right back to sleep.

I feel that is an improvement, however, I would still like to have positive experiences. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[skydust]

i would say dont focus on your body and instead focus on the lucid dream and create what you want. when you focus on the body you get drawn back into it and experience sleep paralysis, which can be frightening, although it is not dangerous. if you find yourself back in your body you have the opportunity to have an OBE, so you could try grabbing onto something with your astral arms and pulling yourself out. i know this may sound freaky but its not at all while its happening. it should be fairly easy to get your astral arms out, and if you cant have an OBE at least you can have some fun with your new plasmic looking arms

[Blueskied]

The question is: Do you have panic attacks during waking life?
In this case it's your mental state that is problematic not the lucid dreaming.
If you only have them during dreaming then know that nothing can happen to you in this state.

[Erin Pavlina]

Like Skydust said... plan what you will do next time you're lucid. As soon as I find out I'm lucid I change into my superhero clothes, take off into the sky, and go kick some Sentinel butt.

[Blueskied]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

Like Skydust said... plan what you will do next time you're lucid. As soon as I find out I'm lucid I change into my superhero clothes, take off into the sky, and go kick some Sentinel butt.

Not as easy as it sounds. Last time i tried to "enforce" my planned activity on a lucid dream i was thrown into a swirl of colors and woke up.

[Michael Clyde]

No panic attacks in waking life. As a teenager, I experienced frequent anxiety. Nothing like the intensity of panic though. I also endured night terrors throughout my teens and early twenties. Maybe a relation with my lucid dreaming problems...I don't know.

I find myself "in my body," as skydust put, almost 100% of the time. Without feeling comfortable with lucid dreaming, I don't even want to contemplate OBE yet.

[DrFredbert]

In your lucid dreams are you unable to see? Are you still able to feel your body?
Is this happening immediately after falling asleep.

If you answered yes to any of these questions you probably aren't going under far enough. You are lingering in a state that is on the threshold of being asleep. This is usually where people have feelings of dread and experience the night hag phenomenon. Otherwise, you are probably having a form of reoccurring nightmare if this is happening during REM sleep.

I've experienced the night hag and it is absolutely terrifying. I knew I was going to die and it was going to be painful. You can learn to relax out of it, but it is very difficult.

Good luck, and try to remember it's all in your head.