# Sleep and Dreams > General Dream Discussion >  >  Need help with  ridding myself of intense vivid dreams

## HyperNovae

So I was on google searching around and found a thread on here created last year where the poster comes in and says I lucid dream can't decipher reality blah blah blah. That's not the problem the problem is certain weeks I will have extremely vivid dreams and almost always they have some type of suspenseful horror type situation. I just woke up from a nap after work, almost immediately after barely falling asleep I fall into this dream, I am at a house with my family then people start coming over I am in this back room with my friend down a long hall in the house, the rooms haunted in some odd way. at some point in the dream I realize that I have had this particular dream before WHILE IM DREAMING, but slight differences same locations and some situations. Regardless I am in such an odd state while dreaming like this. Like last night I go to fall asleep and almost immediately again fall into a dream, I am what feels like not really asleep and not really awake I wake up occasionally in real life but I would tell you I am George Washington if you asked me, I can barely move around I can still move but I am like I dunno "paralyzed" in a way. It's so odd and has happened for at least the last 4 years on and off. Some months or weeks I don't dream anything and then, like the past few days I have these intense vivid "almost lucid" in that I know I am dreaming but I can't make stuff appear or really even do anything unnatural, I can't fly or anything it's all reality based in semi realistic environments. But there is always a damn horror element and it scares the shit out of me. 


Just this dream I just had while napping I am in this parking lot next to my house and a car flys around the bend I start running with an intense feeling of fear. I go around the corner and run as fast as I can and he comes out the other side and I keep running I look back after traversing some hills and see a shadowy figure standing there with what looked like a gun, I think I slightly woke up after because the fear was overwhelming. I then fall back asleep quickly and find myself in the same parking lot in a car in the drivers seat but sitting upside down klidn of in the seat. I am parked to close to the car next to me to open the door and am intensively struggling to open it without hitting the car next to me come to find out it's a dodge viper in a pueter gray, and there is already a dent where my door would open into it. I then become overwhelmed with intense fear. I try to open it and then I hear somebody get out I am so fearful I wake up and that's when I just woke up. There is way more to the first parts of the dream. 

Anyways again in these dreams I can't just do whatever in any of them, but i know I am dreaming it's like there is a natural law of reality based physics where sometimes they are not 100% based in reality but not to wear you could do anything to crazy. I am always in intense emotional situations. Either with girls, or family, ghosts, scary people, scary situations. The dreams are extremely real as in vivid to me as well. All I want is to stop this stuff because it freaks me out at this point and harms my sleeping. I use to enjoy it but now I just want to sleep and not feel like this anymore. Any help would be greatly appreciated and no I won't be leaving after this first post. 

Thanks.

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## HyperNovae

Nobody huh?  :Sad:

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## JoannaB

First of all, if I were you I would try to figure out why you are having all those intense unpleasant dreams, what's on your mind, what's causing you stress, when you have such dreams what's different in your waking life? Do you have a lot of stress? Try to reduce your stress level and negative emotions in waking life. Learn to observe your own emotions and cause and effect, and learn to change your waking emotions to more positive and calmer ones.

Second, visualize the latest disturbing dream you had, and in a daydream imagine it playing out differently: remind yourself that in your dreams you are in control once you figure out you are dreaming, replay in your mind the dream but this time with you in control, consciously changing the dream for the better.

Mantra to yourself, stressing your intensions and expectations "I am in control of my dreams. Nothing can harm me in my dreams."

Once you become aware that you are dreaming, remind yourself that you have the power here, that there is nothing to fear. Calmly ask any shadowy figure why they are here, order them to leave now, and expect them to obey. 

Your expectations are key here. I suspect that this has happened to you a number of times already, and thus you do not expect to be in charge even though you know it is a dream. You have to change that expectation. You are the dreamer, not the dreamed.

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## HyperNovae

Thank you I appreciate the response. It's not like I am seeing this one figure in all of my dreams just happened to be in this one. I am not a stressed out person or anything so it's very weird to me. Is there any steps I can take to stop having such vivid dreams? I mean some time periods I go for a month or two without vividly dreaming at all and wake up just fine. But this happens every once in a while and it's just so startling to be in these places and worlds where it seems like somehting is always "chasing me". Now that I think about it that seems to be a reoccurring notion, that I am always eventually end up being chased by something. Whether it be human or something other worldly. Always being chased.. Hmmm. I just wish I could stop!! But again, I am very appreciative of your reply.

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## JoannaB

It doesnot matter whether you are having unpleasant dreams about different stuff or about the same, you can still practice using the latest disturbing dream, whatever it is, and imagine it being different.

Your question about having less vivid dreams it sounds to someone like me almost like asking the question of how can you be less aware. See the trouble is not that your dreams are too vivid or that you are too aware. Your dreams could be equally troubling even if they were more vague and blurry. The problem is not being too aware, it's being not aware enough. And vividness is just one aspect of your dreams, but it is not what makes them disturbing. Even if the dreams were less vivid, you would probably be disturbed until you learn that your dreams cannot harm you.

Edit: Thought about it some more. If what you want to do is reduce the intensity of emotions in dreams, look into meditation, mindfulness, and stuff like that to calm your emotions during waking life. And yes, I know you said that you are not particularly stressed during waking life, but if you learn to be even more quiet, calm, peaceful , and emotionally balanced in waking life, that will likely seep into your dreams.

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## HyperNovae

I see, I really just want to stop having these dreams, not certain ones in particular just all together if that's even possible. They are just interrupting my sleeping. I read that if you get on a daily schedule it should help out quite a bit. My sleep schedule is anything but regular and varies extremely from day to day. For the most part I wake up during the week at the same time but when I go to bed is anyones guess. On the weekends its a mess. I wake up late and go to bed whenever. Might even nap for 4 hours. 

I just hate having these intense dreams where I wake up and feel weird and feel wore out afterwards. It's just impacted my life and would like to see if I can make them stop. But thank you for the advice I will give it a try.

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## JoannaB

All people dream, every night. Several times a night actually. The only thing is that most people forget their dreams upon waking up. However, even then it is possible that disturbing dreams make them tired and in a bad mood, but they just do not know why they are tired and in a bad mood.

You could also try dream interpretation to see whether you can figure out what your dreams mean, in the hope of figuring out what your problems are that are most on your subconscious mind. This might cause your dreams to become less disturbing, though no guarantees.

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## charlila

hey
one thing you can always do, whatever the lows of physics - wake up.

another - a bit more tricky - is spread your energy to all directions.

without even reading your description properly (have no time) i have a better advise for you:

firstly train waking intentionally.

the sensation is like coming up from diving.
a danger makes it much easier - so relate to your dangers in dreams as to an opportunity to learn that.
next:
when you fall asleep_ intend_  to _see_ who/whatever _cause_ these nightmares.

it is some being...

but once you will see it clear, recognize who it is, understand  what it/he/she/they want -  i reckon you will know exactly what to do.

hint: it is more in real life - but also in dreaming.

repeat: first learn to wake when you want, as a security precaution.

it will take some time...  :smiley: 

good luck.
edited once by me

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## gerdi

I use to have very intense dreams that i did not want to have. Not nightmares , just ... this weird shit. I started smoking weed and they went away. I have never dreamt after smoking weed. I am not saying you should do anything illegal but just saying what worked for me. After a few years i stopped smoking and the dreams that i use to have never returned. 

From what i can tell you probably have the ability to induce lucidity though. Vivid dreams are normally a precursor to lucidity. What i have done when you get the paralysing sensation , if you can overcome the fear and just move outside of your body you will find that you become lucid. I think what happens is the point in your brain that suppresses movement is active but your concious mind is awake . So you are right in the middle of REM but awake . Again i think this fear sensation has to do with an automatic biological response firstly realizing you cant move your body and secondly that you should not be awake and there is a conflict of interest between certain areas of the brain. If you become lucid then you can completely control your dreamscape and you can just remove the "horror" type aspects.

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## BarefootDreamer

Smoking never stopped me from remembering my dreams, but as a child I used to have bad dreams, so I taught myself how to wake up. I can't always do it. I do notice  that when I think a lot about dreams in my waking life (lucidity, symbolism, forums etc) I have more vivid dreams.

I would suggest keeping a diary and noting in it what you eat (including what you drink, any drugs or medications etc), and any intense emotional experiences that you may be having in waking life, for example arguments with friends/girlfriend/boyfriend, new job/house/school, any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable or happy or excited, and then note down when you have these intense dreams, and when you have no dreams, and see if you can find a connection between your waking life and your dreaming life.

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## BarefootDreamer

Smoking never stopped me from remembering my dreams, but as a child I used to have bad dreams, so I taught myself how to wake up. I can't always do it. I do notice  that when I think a lot about dreams in my waking life (lucidity, symbolism, forums etc) I have more vivid dreams.

I would suggest keeping a diary and noting in it what you eat (including what you drink, any drugs or medications etc), and any intense emotional experiences that you may be having in waking life, for example arguments with friends/girlfriend/boyfriend, new job/house/school, any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable or happy or excited, and then note down when you have these intense dreams, and when you have no dreams, and see if you can find a connection between your waking life and your dreaming life.

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