The Dark Side of Lucid Dreams
October 8, 2008 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Lucid Dreaming
Welcome to part III of my series Lucid Nightmares.
Many of us were introduced to lucid dreaming spontaneously ” when we found ourselves in the middle of a disturbing dream. What a wake up call!
Surprisingly, even though lucid nightmares are quite natural, we still do not know much about them. That’s because we usually wield lucidity as a tool, not an exploratory attitude. So we change the nature of the dream through conscious choice, making after-the-fact analysis difficult. But this much is for sure: lucid dreaming can be an effective strategy for banishing repetitive nightmares.
The Sacred No
Banishing nightmares is an important skill because the practice develops our strength and courage in the dream. This is what Nietzsche called the “Sacred No.” The dream ego can stand up to a menacing force and refuse to go along with the narrative. We can choose to transform the monster into something less threatening. Or we can simply walk away, or wake up from the dream. This is how I first dealt with my lucid nightmares. I was emboldened, and those particular nightmares went away.
Clinical studies in the 1990s that explored lucidity as a nightmare treatment report positive results. According to psychiatrists Ernest Hartmann and Frank Galvin, the lucid dreamers “felt their encounters to be enriching and empowering experiences both during and after their dreams.” One of the assumptions that empowered the dreamers is the idea that “this is only a dream; I am safe here; nothing can hurt me.”
In my later development of lucid dreaming, I began to question this assumption, especially after a new round of lucid nightmares came back. And this time, they would not take “no” for an answer.
Taboos against the Dark Side
This is the dark side of lucidity, and it is not discussed much in public. Yet many dreamers I talk to in private admit that sometimes trying to “conquer” their dreams only leads to more trouble. They don’t share these experiences in lucid dreaming forums because of the fear of social ostracism, that they are not “good” lucid dreamers.
Take my word for it, these experiences are a normal part of the learning curve. This class of nightmares seems not to be merely reflections of fear, but to have an autonomous energy all its own. There is intelligence in the eyes of the dream figures, and they don’t like to be told that they are a symbol of some waking-life fear, or that they are not “real.” They have their own story to tell, but we often don’t know how to listen….yet.
Dark experiences in lucid dreams can be found in some of the classic literature. For instance, Frederick van Eeden, the 19th century philosopher who coined the term “lucid dream,” writes that his lucid-control dreams are often followed inexplicably by “demon dreams.” He does not elaborate anywhere in his writings, leaving us only with that haunting phrase.
More recently, psychologist Scott Sparrow writes that at the height of his experimentation with lucid dreams, “all kinds of angry people began showing up in my dreams, and turning rather demonic to boot.” So here we have two experts, separated by a century and a half, noticing a correlation between controlling their lucid dreams and the appearance of “demons” and angry dream figures. This may be why lucid dreams have been labeled as “Satanic” from various Christian sources, and why the label has stuck despite all the evidence that lucid dreams can delve into transpersonal “Godly” experiences too.
This taboo against frightening lucid dreams and the private initiations that follow is why these dreams are under-reported in the literature. In Western psycho-spirituality, having a negative experience is considered a moral failure. In other cultures, this is not the case. For instance, in Tibetan Buddhism, deities have both peaceful and wrathful natures. And in many shamanic cultures, facing painful and terrifying ordeals in dreams is part of the journey towards the other realm, where ancestors and knowledge await.
Christianity and the Dark Night of the Soul
Actually, some Christian mystics have some pretty terrifying visions that sound a lot like lucid nightmares too, especially Teresa of Avila and Hildegaard of Bingen. And of course Dark Night of the Soul is a classic 16th century work by St John of the Cross that illustrates how delving into the unknown is an important part of psychological development and spiritual growth. So the tradition can be found in Western culture, although it is not mainstream.
This is just to say that the usual Western way of dealing with frightening imagery is not to rever it, but to push it away, back into the shadows. However, the shadows thrive in the dreamworld, and beginner lucid dreamers often unwittingly enter this cognitive landscape ill-prepared because our culture has only laid down half of the rules.
Some of you may be turned off by my focus on the spiritual elements of lucid dreaming. I certainly don’t think you need to be religious to develop your lucid dreaming skills. I was raised as a humanist. However, part of the process of dealing with lucid nightmares involves taking a look at your belief system – whether you are a Christian, a Buddhist, a follower of Odin, or an existentialist. The more you understand what you truly believe about this world – and the dreamworld – the better you will be able to navigate these fascinating and disturbing opportunities.
My next post in this series compares lucid nightmares and frightening near death experiences. This comparison allows us to see how there may just be more to fear than fear itself. And finally, I will discuss how to deal with lucid nightmares including some tactics and resources for safely delving deeper into the dreamworld.
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drew (1 comments.) on Tue, 25th Nov 2008 7:53 am
i had a dream jus a few minutes ago, where i was back in my old town. and long story short, i was told [by something evil that took the form on my father, which i dont talk to much] to meet him at night or something, or to give him something. and i didnt. and creeped out of the darkness with a knife to my throat. alot of stuff happened, but i cant remember the details. anyhow, i had a gaurdian in the dream, yet it was up to me to make my decision—; “the darkside”, or “the light”..
lately i have been channeling alot of my dark energies, and i am quite fond of the darkness, even tho i am defined light. like this message i recieved through aim, from a friend who claims he didnt write it, it was writtin in some sort of ancient language that cant be typed on a keyboard. and it was deciphered into the sentence; “to darkness, yet light, good you are “smile”… kid”
anyways, i am pretty sure my darkside was trying to consume me, and i chose the light. and banished the nightmare. in the end, im looking at myself in the mirror. and the flow of the dream, enters darkness, and i begin to appear in black clothes with an evil look. but then i change the flow, and the darkness fades into light begind me from the clouds. and i appear to be wearing white clothes with the light behind my hair.. i think i have overcome my darkside. but its not the end. for i choose to keep this darkness somewhere inside me. for i must go dark flow in times where light flow cant surpass the sitchuation….
Dungan on Tue, 25th Nov 2008 1:00 pm
thanks for telling your story, Drew. sounds like a potent mix: a murderous father, dark alleys, and magic mirrors. All these experiences have the calling card of “initiation” to them. I wonder, what is the gift not given? In the Wiccan tradition (drawing from your myspace page here!), darkness and light need to be balanced (whereas in Christianity darkness is supposed to be banished outright), so this dream reflects not only that you’re on the path of balance, but it perhaps also indicates where the next need for balance waits.
krystle on Fri, 5th Dec 2008 5:14 pm
I was just woke up by a dream like i had never had before. I am a pegan and believe that at night your mind is open to attacks when you are asleep. In turn my dream was of me and some friends,including my ex/bestfriend/love of my life all hanging out at my house. Well everything was going fine and then it got dark and it was just me and my ex in the house alone. Me and him got into an argument cause i wanted him to stay but he wanted to go home with some girl he didnt even know and i was trying to stop him from making a mistake cause i knew he didnt really want to. Anyways i screwed up while i was yelling at him and called him my other ex,tyler, and then my sisters no good ex,jason. I felt really bad about it and i started crying. When we looked outside his dad was outside and so he started yelling at me more cause his dad heard everything. When i told him i was sorry again and that i loved him with all my heart and soul he grabbed a knife slit my wrist and throat. Right after that was when i woke up. when i looked at my wrists i had three cuts and one long one…and a red mark on my neck…the long cut looked like it had already healed as well as the one on my neck but the 3 seperate ones still looked new. I know no physical person did it cause i lock my door and like i said i am a pegan and no that no pegan would mess with my head like this. I dont know how to stop it…i have tried spells before to block them but not for ones this powerful
Dungan on Mon, 8th Dec 2008 3:34 pm
Krystle, this experience is out of area of expertise, but here’s some leads: first and foremost, this may be a neurological symptom of a sleep disorder in which self-harm is possible during REM sleep. see this article about a wide class of “parasomnias”: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/site/c.huIXKjM0IxF/b.3043249/k.21A0/Ask_the_Sleep_Expert_Sleep_and_Parasomnias.htm
and here’s another article about acting out in dreams including self-harm: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/rem-sleep-behavior-disorder
If you don’t usually have sleep problems, don’t worry, often they spring up suddenly from stress and can be managed by getting more sleep, and learning how to deal with life stress in general. (Cut back on caffeine, recreational drugs, alcohol before bed too). Also, parasomnias are rarely linked with a psychiatric condition aka you’re not crazy, this is normal, this happens sometimes….
That being said, the content of that nightmare may also reveal areas in waking life that need to be addressed, such as how can you feel safer around issues of intimacy? Working with these emotions and letting them see the light of day can reduce your stress levels too.
Also, addressing paganism: the belief that you may be harmed during sleep may be an invitation to be harmed (beliefs can become expectations so easily) so another thing to explore may be to focus on how to stay safe during sleep, and how to ask for help from the pagan community, allies and friends.
Feel free to PM me if you want to continue the conversation.
Natasha Haggard (1 comments.) on Wed, 4th Mar 2009 2:51 pm
How interesting.
Six or seven years ago I read Castaneda’s “The Art Of Dreaming”, and experimented with lucid dreaming. Very soon after, I started having dreams of myself in a strange city with broken buildings, surrounded by crazy, angry people.
One night I was dreaming that I was pregnant with a demon, that was made out of cracked clay with really big feet, and kept saying evil things. Another night it would be a large toad/dinosaur looking demon, with three feet and a rattlesnake tail, poisoning me. I’ve been having chronic nightmares like this for the past six/seven years. Last night I was chased by a witch/demon with hooves. I’m not really sure what to believe. Whether it’s something deep in my subconscious, or whether these really are actual spirit entities that are attacking me in my sleep.
Rebecca Turner (3 comments.) on Sun, 8th Mar 2009 7:53 pm
I run the website http://www.World-of-Lucid-Dreaming.com and sometimes people write to me with their lucid nightmares. I feel particularly bad for beginners who are put off the idea of lucidity together. It’s strange because I have been lucid dreaming for 11 years now and never experienced a true lucid nightmare myself. I have had normal nightmares in which I became lucid and changed the theme; and vivid or lucid dreams which showed me horrible images but which never produced any fear, only curiosity. Without sharing their experience there’s not much advice I can give. So this article is very helpful – thank you.
holly on Tue, 14th Apr 2009 9:24 am
Dugan I need some help to get rid of these dark dreams
Dungan on Thu, 16th Apr 2009 6:00 pm
Holly I just PMed you. for everyone else, I’m currently working on a report to help with reducing nightmares and more generally to help with getting started with dream work. coming soon..
Thomas Dickerson on Sat, 25th Apr 2009 3:28 am
Hi, I hope I dont bombard you with too many questions.
The first one: Is this a lucid dream. First off let me say I do no drugs, drink, or nothing. Let me say I’m an ecclectic Pagan for a year and 4 mos. I grew up Christian but denounced it in my 20s. (No offence.) I was supposed to my rituals daily, but skipped a day due to a severe toothache. I took a pill to ease the pain, went to sleep. Suddenly, I could tell I was sleeping, but at the same time, I was aware of my bedroom, the blankets I was under, everything in my room. I seen this bluish, whitish big light shining thru my window. It was like I automatically sat up my upper body. I was a little intimidated because even though I was aware of everything, I couldn’t control hardly my emotions or movements. Anyway, I was super calm. Like a peace I never felt before. So I acknowledged the light with praise and the voice, which was soft but clear, acknowledged me back. While I was in this state of mind,the tootheache was nonexistent. I laughed. The laughter was so genuine. Not the type you have when a joke is told, or when someone says something nice to you, it was just, I dunno, natural feeling. The stupid thing about it is I was still a little intimidated and had control of laying myself sideways. After I woke up. Note: I thought it was a hallucinagen I took. So I took the hallucinagen again to ease tooth pain about 7 months ago. Nothing happened. No dream. Nothing. Before you say I got issues, I wanted to share this with people because I’m tired of having it in my head. And perhaps, someone can give more light concerning this.
Thank you
kc on Tue, 28th Apr 2009 11:14 pm
hi, similar to you thomas ive had somehwhat that type of lucid dreaming that you have experienced but not in that good sense. ive had it for a couple years now and its always been the same but in a way worse everytime. i get it maybe once or twice a week and i have no idea why. what happens is i fall asleep and just like you im totally aware that iam asleep and of my sorroundings being in my bedroom lying down, on my couch, wherever iam sleeping at the moment. i also cant control my voice, emotions or movements unless i try really hard. they always persist in someone being next to me and me being able to sense them, a couple times the person would grab me and i know that their hand is on me and i somehow force myself to wake up by trying to move my body and whatnot.
the very last one i had i was sleeeping on my couch and just like all my other dreams i knew i was sleeping and could feel two hand coming around me from underneath the couch, while this was happening i could feel or sense my brother walking by me . in my dream as i could sense him walk by, with all my strength i somehow hit him with my arm and he told me to piss off and shook me awake. right when he woke me up i thanked him because of the lucid nightmare i was having.
im not sure why i get these dreams either and they’re very disturbing and i have no idea how to get rid of them.
Ryan Hurd (62 comments.) on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 3:32 pm
thanks for telling your story, kc. sounds like full-blown sleep paralysis complete with visitation. check out http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/ there’s some resources at the end of the article for dealing with these kinds of nightmares.
Ryan Hurd (62 comments.) on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 3:46 pm
Thomas, what a gift of a dream. thanks for sharing it. light in lucid dreams is one of the most holy things you can experience, no matter your belief system. Buddhists, Christians, pagans, Hindus, Sufis all have a long history of blessing dreams such as this. if you are interested in research concerning lucid dreams and the experience of light, and especially the “fullness of light” that comes with that “inner calm”, I recommend the work of George Gillespie. http://dreamtalk.hypermart.net/member/files/george_gillespie.html
in regards to the pill, it sounds like it allowed you to move straight from waking into lucid awareness. rather than interpreting the event as an out-of-body experience, or a false awakening, you seem to be quite comfortable with spontaneous visions. in my opinion, this is a fruit of your waking life ritual work.
anv on Sun, 31st May 2009 3:46 pm
Van Eeden: “Only I would maintain that it is not my mind that is responsible for all the horrors and errors of dream-life. To say that nobody is responsible for them will not do, for there is absolute evidence in them of some thought and intention, however depraved and low. A trick, a deceit, a symbol, cannot be without some sort of thought and intention. To put it all down to “unconsciousness” is very convenient; but then I say that it is just as scientific to use the names Beelzebub, or Belial. I, for one, do not believe in “unconsciousness” any more than in Santa Claus.”
Ryan Hurd (62 comments.) on Mon, 1st Jun 2009 10:33 pm
great quote from the vault! he’s got a point, and James Hillman makes a similar point in his classic “Dreams and the Underworld.” To say something is not conscious does not really tell us anything, only that we’ve thrown it into the heap of things we don’t have access to.
Chris on Sun, 26th Jul 2009 10:15 am
Hi recently I had a lucid dream about defeating something evil,in fact many of them. I was also in the presense of others who ended up dying to the spirits. It was pitch black darkness , we were holding weapons , and in a enclosed building of some sort . I felt sadness in those who died as if it was real . And only when I defeated them did I find the way out of the building. Please tell me what it all means , It was’nt terrifying but it is kind of weird.
Armando on Sat, 3rd Oct 2009 10:49 am
I woke up from a nightmare this morning. To be honest this is how it all went. before i went to sleep (and had the nightmare) i was partying (im in college) and, well, i got drunk. Anyway, however, i made it back home and felt more sober. I had a small snack to sober up more and went to bed. Once in bed i listened to some classic music (i love it) and eventually turned off my ipod and knocked out (around 3:20am). I don’t exactly rememeber the beginning of my dream but I do recall the last part of the dream (which turned into a nightmare). So I was somwhere like a parking lot and it was raining outside. It seemed to be some sort of tailgate party and people were bbq-ing and just drinking and whatnot. I even saw my favorite professor walking by. All the sudden i was informed by someone (in my dream) that my dad was here and he was looking for me to talk…it was a big deal since he lives 6 hrs away. Anyway, it starts raining more and then all the sudden i see my dad walking towards me and well we start talking and it all leads up to my dad talking about me focusing in school and how he didnt “recommend” drinking anymore…im not an alcoholic so idk what he meant, Anyway, when my dad was talking to me i felt this comfort and protection from him, after all he is my dad. ok. this is where the nightmare starts. All the sudden, idk how, my dad and I end up in this bathroom where a girl who seems hospitalized with some white sheets is looking through a cabinet for something, she takes out listerine bottle and then a flower pot with only stems of flowers. its really weird though since thousands of stems fall from that flower pot and all the sudden theres a pool of water below us. the girl was then yelling “it hurts, it hurts”. idk what she meant by that. the scary part comes next. all the sudden my dad and i appear in a random room and we see this person lying down in bed, the room is dark, but all the sudden theres these crickets that have a rather scary feel and they grow in size. then out of nowhere a boy is throwing basketballs in the room and he turns around and has like a hole through his back (as if shot with a shotgun) and its so weird because there seems to be some blue light following the boy. what is weird is that this part of the dream had a really creepy feel to it. if you were to hear the song Aquarius by the 5th Dimension, th efirst part of the song with the eerie feel is how i can describe the dream.. it felt scary. back to the dream…staring at the boy, the crickets, and the room, my dad tells me somethign like “see what i mean” and all the sudden i hear a loud hiss and it seems like a massive king snake bites me from behind. at that point i wake up yelling…. and that was the nightmare. it was really scary and thats because im a guy. idk what it meant but it is really bugging me now.
raymond (1 comments.) on Sun, 11th Oct 2009 9:15 am
I have been having awful dreams of demonic figures chasing me last night i dreams of being attacked and bitten by a dog and woke up scared with the hairs standing up on my body- i always sense someone is watchinh me in a bad way i feel someone touch me at night and i even had dreams of seeing semons and speaking i a weird language,,,, help!!!!
Ryan Hurd (169 comments.) on Mon, 12th Oct 2009 8:26 am
those are creepy dreams indeed, Raymond. Read through this post series and you’ll find tips and practices for combating nightmares in the last post of the series.
conner on Tue, 13th Oct 2009 8:50 am
has no1 ever had any good lucid dreams? i hav lucid dreams all the time, is tht normal? i can fly in them n walk about n talk2 people n all sorts. i was told2never talk2any1in a lucid dream coz aparntly if u do ur actualy talkin2demons is this true? wen my lucid dreams r bad i can instantly make them good or wake up. however wen i was between 5yearsold n 10 i had nightmares all the time n was unable 2control them. i am now21 n hav been able 2control ma dreams since i was 10ish. i only learnt bout lucid dreams early this year. can u give me more information aswell as answerin my questions please. demons hav appeared in alot of my dreams 2 n i always end up fighting them2try n to defeat them, or sometimes it goes wrong n i wake myself up. i hav never found them frightning tho, only exciting or extremely weird.
Ryan Hurd (169 comments.) on Wed, 14th Oct 2009 9:18 am
Conner,
great to hear you are a frequent lucid dreamer – lucky you! it’s actually very common for lucid dreams to be mostly pleasant and exciting – that is the norm. read my intro about lucid dreams here that talks about these possibilities: http://dreamstudies.org/2009/09/02/what-is-lucid-dreaming
fighting demons or wrestling with monsters or attackers is a common dream theme as well. if you find yourself getting ready for battle and realize you’re dreaming, I recommend asking the attacker what he or she wants. you may be surprised at what happens next….
Lisa on Sun, 13th Dec 2009 4:51 am
I just woke up from a dream that made me scream a bloodcurdling scream that shook the rafters(according to my boyfriend) This dream has a basic recurring theme. Something dark and sinister is all around me. Either chasing me or attacking me. It rarely manifests itself in the form of something or someone else, but this time, it pretended to be my grandmother on the telephone. It drew me out of my room and into my car and began whispering something as it wrapped its hands around my neck. I knew it was bad and I had to wake up..so I screamed. Any ideas what this is all about?
Ryan Hurd (169 comments.) on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 12:04 pm
Hi Lisa, that is a terrifying dream! I really can’t tell you anything about this dream in particular, but its classic theme seems to be around fears of interaction (being chased) and in particular fears of communication (the phone). A good follow up question would be about the nature of your relationship to your grandmother (ie did she have to “pursue” a relationship with you or vice versa) and also your boyfriend (how is communication with him right now – and are there feelings that resemble your feelings towards your grandmother?). As always, these thoughts are merely a projection of my life onto yours, and may say as much about my world as your own! Such is the nature of dreamwork….
Jake on Wed, 23rd Dec 2009 1:04 am
A few years ago, I was afraid of a video game character by the name of “tails doll”. I would have nightmares constantly about this, but one night I had a worse nightmare. During that nightmare, it would try to kill me and chase me. It had full control of the dream. At one point during the dream I found a black & white comic book that told a story of how the doll came to be and how it turned on its creator. After I saw that, the doll caught me and was about to devour my soul. When I was sure I was going to die, two imaginary characters I made up when I was a kid appeared. When they appeared, the doll started screaming in agony and I became much stronger. The dream ended after that. I haven’t had another nightmare like that again. The strangest part was that I didn’t wake up during the nightmare like I would normally do.
Derick Wade on Wed, 20th Jan 2010 11:01 pm
Thank you for this insightful website. I was troubled over a dream i had which initially began with me traveling very swiftly thru a series of tunnels until i became so frightened of the speed that I told myself to “wake up”. When I did I found myself hovering over my bed, looking down at my sleeping body and was aware that I was lucid. After that, I found myself going back through the tunnels and encountered in the shadows a dark figure. I remember attempting to “psychically” lure this figure toward me, with sexual intentions, only to find myself face to face with a frightening looking woman with wild black hair who stared at me menacingly. I got the feeling that I was not as in control of my dream, or the figures in it and I found myself fleeing and floating up horizontally. I wondered after waking if this was merely my own fear creating this or if if something else was occurring.
ashley on Thu, 8th Apr 2010 3:49 pm
i had a dream where demons didnt know what body they wanted to enter… they threw everyone i know even the animals but the one person they wanted was my four yr old i instinly woke up at 315 and couldnt go back to sleep till like 6 i have no idea what it ment but i know i didnt want anything like that to happen to my little girl… the next night i slept with the tv on to help me sleep it didnt help me sleep i had more then one nightmare…. i just didnt remember them fully… i know they were dark but that all what does this mean???
Colin Williams on Mon, 26th Apr 2010 1:25 pm
I had a lucid dream where I met a very handsome satan and his entourage of beautiful demons. I was told that it was a privilege for satan to contact me personally in this way. I was completely lucid, and upon our meeting, I consciously chose to change my lucid dream to show my power over satan. I thought to myself, “I believe his arm is pink.” Satan replied to me, “Pink huh?” as his entourage laughed. Satan then tried to “kill” my soul. Although I could not change the dream, and satan’s power seemed certain, he did not succeed because I showed no fear whatsoever. Basically, “do your worst.” For this, satan respected me, and I him. I awoke, and wanted so badly to go back and talk to satan that I immediately fell back into this lucid dream. And by “lucid” I mean completely, completely aware of my surroundings and the fact that I was talking to the spirit of satan himself. For the remainder of the dream, satan was much like a father figure to me. I looked up to him. Has anyone else had a similiar experience? I would love for someone to post their thoughts on this. Thank you.
Ryan Hurd (169 comments.) on Thu, 29th Apr 2010 7:11 pm
thanks everyone for telling these beautiful and haunting tales. I’m no longer offering dream interpretations in comments: it’s just not a safe container — and some commentors have been burned when their creepy dreams show up in google search under their name. If you are interested in working on your dreams with me and other professional dream workers, check out the Dream Tribe.
That said, Colin, I think your dream shows excellent poise the part of your lucid ego. Satan could be seen to represent your deepening understanding of authority figures. And mythologically speaking, the ole boy is a fallen angel. He’s prideful, not evil. Important characteristics to consider!
Teniece on Tue, 4th May 2010 6:31 pm
Lastnight i had this dream about this young boy at the end of this road, that kept on calling me to him. He was demonic although i felt innocence & peace as well, but when i would get closer the feeling would scare me & cause me to want to run. So i did, and the dream felt so real i would walk home and contemplate in my mind how i was going to be able to go to sleep. Sooner or later i fell asleep but i woke up from another nightmare of the child once again. So in my dream i decided to ask my father if he knew about the child. Right away he began to tell me not to go near him, he was sort of liek the guardian in my dream. He began to tell me stories about this child and he demonstrated this whistle that the little boy does to call me near him. That night[ in my dream ] i was walking down the street and once again this 7 year old brown haired caucasian boy began to whistle at me. It was a piercing whistle and he held his hand out.The whistle sounded just how it does when your ears ring, although it wouldnt stop, it would start out as a whistle then went to that sound.
Months before this dream i had another where i came out of this country house and a man sitting in a rocking chair, with a straw hat and overals. Repeadedly told me to run. He would say” you better ruun, she gon’ get you” and i quickly looked up and kept asking him what it was that i had to run from. When i looked up there were trees and a small forest surrounding a lake. My vision quickly zoomed into the lake and i was looking at the dock when a pale white/ red hand reached out and grabbed it. Soon after a foot came up and stomped onto the dock and then the rest of her came out. She was standing there at the age of about 7 or 8 once again.. with long black hair and wore a white wripped tshirt. Terrified i stood when she turned her head and her eyes met with mine. In the background i could hear the man on the porch cocking his gun and still [screaming] saying that i needed to run. Quickly i retreaded into this old ancient home and his in the nearest closet i could find. I could hear the shots being fired, although it sounded as if they hadent worked. So i waited, and one i heard the man stop talking i knew she had gotten in. Standing silently in the cloet[which was lieka food cabinet] i could hear her creeping through the house, gasping for air she ran to the door. I then backed up and she was standing right behind me, so i turned around and she just stood and stared at me. Screaming out”what do you want from me!?” the little girl went to speak but she just screamed at the top of her lungs, and turned into a black orb that spun up in the air and created an O and kept moving around constantly, when i moved forward it began to bark and dogs with red eyes would come out of it and bite at me but not harm me. I kept asking the same question although it wouldnt reply, and just kept barking and moving in that circle. After about 5 seconds it returned to the little girls shape and the piercing ringing began to play in my ears and the girl turned to ashes& i woke up…
Please tell me what this means..
jeremiah on Wed, 26th May 2010 2:20 pm
Thank you for acknowledging the shadow of lucid dreaming may be a control fantasy. I find the self-consciousness of lucid dreaming can often be enough to interfere with the natural self-balancing and reflective functions of the psyche. I believe this was Jung’s sensibility also.
Ryan Hurd (169 comments.) on Sat, 29th May 2010 2:03 pm
Teniece,
this is a haunting dream with some incredible potentila for self-knowledge, but as I’ve suggested above I am not offering dream interpretation through comments anymore. However, I can say you are on the right track of asking the little girl what she wants. keep asking.
Jeremiah, yeah, I have trouble with the mass perception of lucid dreaming as control – and while I’m not sure if it’s damaging, I do think it is wasting an excellent opportunity to listen. Here’s more about my thoughts of the popular culture of lucid dreaming and how it unconsciously mirrors the language of colonialism:
http://dreamstudies.org/2007/09/23/new-york-times-lucid-dreaming-article-misses-the-mark/
Sheneil on Fri, 25th Jun 2010 2:52 am
I had a dream about 10 minutes ago and I could see myself walking into a house when I got in there was 2 dead people in the bathroom of the house and there sat a very beutiful women and I loved her from the first sight. I asked her for her number and she said no but you can have this and kissed me then it went black then i was standing in the livingroom of the house and there were two people standing there then they turned into demons and the beutiful girl I fell In love with was sitting there as the demons were moving too me
brian on Fri, 13th Aug 2010 3:35 pm
I keep having something happen to me while sleeping. Im not the best at remembering my dreams unless its lucid. Any way last night was the sixth time this has happened. I fell asleep around midnight had a dream of old friends then all of a sudden im in my bed and feel something pulling on me. I try to look behind me and all I can see is like dark blue wavey almost like clothing over me shoulder. I hear this deep weird voice speak some other language and start pullin me harder. I grab an arm and started squeezing the hell out of it to the point I remember think I hope this isnt my girlfriends arm. I cant speak very easy when im dreaming but I was pissed enough to mutter back the f off me and woke up with actual forward momentum almost falling off the bed. This was the worst one yet. Luckily it wasnt my girl friends arm i was crushing. Any how any insight would be great.