Advice needed

[Vilkate]

I need somebody to help me in a matter concerning fear.

Consciously I know there is nothing to be feared about and that I cannot be hurt in any way during OBEs. However, as soon as the darkness comes, I feel I fear it. And the worst is, I almost cannot help it! It is as if my mind had merged these two ideas, creating a message that "darkness=fear".
Thus, I cannot practice OBE's during night, because even falling asleep can cause difficulties..
In fact, I had the same fears in childhood, but then they were gone for a long time. However, as soon as I started to practice for OBE's, they returned. And none of my knowledge helps me, because in silence imagination runs wild and I start "seeing shadows & hearing sounds". The only thing that calms me down is to hear some normal household noises, at least my dog snoring, but, if it happens that I go to sleep later than others (and this is often now, as I am having examinations at the university and stay up late to learn), I may as well lay awake until the dawn comes...
I don't know, maybe this problem sounds silly and childish, but I still hope somebody has something to tell that would help my fears disappear.

[kiwibonga]

I used to have that problem... I don't really remember how I 'cured' it... I think I was embarrassed and succumbed to self-imposed peer pressure... I kept trying to fall asleep with the lights off until I realized that... Well... There's really nothing to be afraid of!

For OBE practice, it's true that it's a good idea to turn off the lights -- it makes seeing and focusing on hypnogogics much easier.

I recommend that you start sleeping with less light than usual... For instance, instead of having a desk lamp turned on, turn on the lights outside your room and have the door half open, then, as you slowly lose the fear, close the door a little more each night.

If you really can't do without the light, just use a blindfold or these things they give you on airplanes that look like glasses (I forgot what they're called)...

It's all about putting yourself in the dark and showing yourself that there is no danger, nothing to be afraid of...

[Vilkate]

The thing is I sleep in darkness. I almost never leave any lights on, and never in my room, because I don't want to be a slave of my fears. I feel, if I leave the lights on, I will approve that I am afraid, thus, it will be no closer to a solution of the problem.
I realize that the fears are irrational, yet, hard to fight with. I assume that the reason of them is the fact that I spent my entire childhood in a haunted house - however, the ghostly happenings never scared me, it were the nightmares I experienced almost every night. They ended as soon as we moved, but, apparently, they have left an effect on my mind.. Am I mad, or what?..

[AndrewTheSinger]

Well, so I guess you all can laugh, because I sleep with a small orange light on, and with my head covered, and I'm 24.

Not that I'm afraid anymore, but I used to do this as a child because of the visions that I had, and just never broken the habit. I can sleep in the dark, but feel a little less comfortable.

The light is less than a 10 watt, you can use one just for reference when you wake up.

[blade5x]

Wow I'm going through the same phase right now. It wasn't until I began practicing OBEs that I became uncomfortable with the dark. I don't know why either.

My nights recently have gone like this:

-Fall asleep at around 11PM-12AM
-Wake up anywhere between 2-4AM
-Not be able to fall asleep until around 4:30AM when the sun starts to come up
-Wake up at around 9AM

One night I woke up at 3:01AM and it scared the living *bleep* out of me because I watched the Exorcism of Emily Rose like a week before... (whoever saw this will know what I'm talking about) I don't know why I watched that movie, I'm never watching movies like that again, ever.

By the way... I'm 18

[Vilkate]

Well, and I am 19. A bunch of grown up people scared of the dark... Luet us fight together!
Btw, last night was different for some reason, I had no problems with falling asleep, though it was pitch black all around me.

[blade5x]

Same, except I had my LCD screen on (screensaver - the flying stars one)  

I found out my problem is, I cannot go to sleep when it is dead quiet, so I put a small table fan next to the window, and turn it on, that thing puts me to sleep. When it's dead quiet, for some reason, sometimes I get this noise inside of my head. It's similar to a noise in sleep-paralysis that gets louder and softer randomly, and that tends to keep me to aware in my falling asleep state, where all the random images get thrown around, and then that's when any fear happens. I'm not afraid when going to sleep normally.

[Vilkate]

I make my dog sleep by my room - he snoars really loud. But I never leave the computer on - something in it sems to be broken, so it starts making sounds in really high frequencies, and they drive me crazy...

[blade5x]

My computer almost never turns off. I just don't feel like having to wait the extra minute to turn it on and shut it off. Been like that for the past year with it. Less life span? I'm building my own this summer when then new Intel Conroe processor comes out. (These processors hit 5Ghz)

[CFTraveler]

Set up your alarm for about 1 hour before dawn and try then.  That way if you find yourself in a scary situation, you know the sun will come up about the time you're finally out.  And when you're out, seeing the dawn is a spectacular sight- the colors are so much more exhilarating.

[Vilkate]

Traveler, thanks for the great idea! I've actually never tried it at the dawn...