Able to feel pain in nightmares?

[anguisette]

I've had really bad nightmares for a long time, and the most distressing thing about them is that I'm able to feel intense pain during them.  I also frequently die in my nightmares, dreaming that I enter the afterlife only to have it turn into something horrible.

These dreams usually involve being operated on while I'm awake but unable to move, being burnt alive, falling, being in an explosion or being murdered.  I have PTSD and I know that nightmares are a symptom of this disorder, but the things that happen in my dreams hardly ever resemble the actual traumatic events in my past.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions of ways I can protect myself from these dreams, either spiritually (I'm an eclectic Pagan) or psychologically.  I'm interested in energy work, so advice about techniques in that field that I could use would also be great.

[Xanth]

The mind is a very powerful thing... able to reproduce just about any range of feelings.
If you're so into the dream, then yes, you'll feel whatever it is you expect to feel.

The only way to really stop them is to realize (partially or fully) that you're dreaming.

Personally, I haven't had a "nightmare" in many, MANY years... mostly because of my ability to recognize (in even a small way) that when I get into a "scary" situation and I'm able to change it.

[anguisette]

Hi Xanth, thanks for your reponse.  It's great to hear that you're able to be lucid in dreams and change them.  I've tried some techniques for lucid dreaming (such as asking myself throughout the day whether I'm in a dream, and then having this automatically occur while I'm asleep) and I've had some success, however I find I lose lucidity very quickly.  I'll definitely keep working on it, and it's very encouraging to know that it's possible to avoid nightmares entirely. 

[Xanth]

Hi Xanth, thanks for your reponse.  It's great to hear that you're able to be lucid in dreams and change them.  I've tried some techniques for lucid dreaming (such as asking myself throughout the day whether I'm in a dream, and then having this automatically occur while I'm asleep) and I've had some success, however I find I lose lucidity very quickly.  I'll definitely keep working on it, and it's very encouraging to know that it's possible to avoid nightmares entirely. 

As I've suggested to people before who seem to lose lucidity during their dream... when you find yourself losing the grip on that dream, just spin like a top.
For some reason it grounds you in the dream and strengthens the lucidity.  I've used that particular technique to extend my Lucid Dreams for a bit longer than usual.

[astralization]

Hi Xanth, thanks for your reponse.  It's great to hear that you're able to be lucid in dreams and change them.  I've tried some techniques for lucid dreaming (such as asking myself throughout the day whether I'm in a dream, and then having this automatically occur while I'm asleep) and I've had some success, however I find I lose lucidity very quickly.  I'll definitely keep working on it, and it's very encouraging to know that it's possible to avoid nightmares entirely. 

I recommend that you keep a dream journal and record your dreams as it helps you see frequent patterns that occur in your dreams so then next time it happens, you can hopefully become lucid. It's helpful if you occasionally check yourself during the day to see if your dreaming as eventually it will be a subconscious command and hopefully you will be able to notice something odd in a dream and question it, and once you question it you will realize that there is something weird going on in the dream and then it's when you believe your dreaming that you've become lucid. Keep trying! I'm still working on having an OBE.

[anguisette]

As I've suggested to people before who seem to lose lucidity during their dream... when you find yourself losing the grip on that dream, just spin like a top.
For some reason it grounds you in the dream and strengthens the lucidity.  I've used that particular technique to extend my Lucid Dreams for a bit longer than usual.

That's a really interesting idea, I'll be sure to try it next time I have a lucid dream.

I recommend that you keep a dream journal and record your dreams as it helps you see frequent patterns that occur in your dreams so then next time it happens, you can hopefully become lucid. It's helpful if you occasionally check yourself during the day to see if your dreaming as eventually it will be a subconscious command and hopefully you will be able to notice something odd in a dream and question it, and once you question it you will realize that there is something weird going on in the dream and then it's when you believe your dreaming that you've become lucid. Keep trying! I'm still working on having an OBE.

I agree about the importance of a journal, I've kept one in the past and it helped a lot (I was a bit lazy about continuing it ) so I'll give that a try again.  Good luck with having an OBE, they're really worth the effort they take.

[Athymari]

I used to to pain to though know I have in firmly in my mind that as I am asleep, I cant feel physical apain as i am not physcial. The only place I still feel it is if something happens to my solar plexis That really does hurt

My dreams quite be like an action movie and its nice to be able to shrug of bullets :0

In an absolute emergancy where I am aware but unable to alter anything I have learnt to simple open my physical eyes and wake myself up.

[anguisette]

I used to to pain to though know I have in firmly in my mind that as I am asleep, I cant feel physical apain as i am not physcial. The only place I still feel it is if something happens to my solar plexis That really does hurt

It's interesting that you mentioned that (feeling pain in your solar plexus) because most of the painful stuff that happens to me in nightmares seems to be centred there (usually it's to do with stomach surgery).  I try to cleanse and energize my chakras before I go to sleep in case it's something to do with my solar plexus chakra being underactive or blocked.