Why is realization that you are in a dream so scary?

[Dust]

Took nap on the couch and had super mundane dream that I was at my parent's house, just hanging around.Except I realized "hold on a second, I was at my place, the fuck is this" and everything went to shit, like a program failure.
There was absolute darkness outside the windows, everyone that was there disappeared in a second and there was this dread like something was inside the house with me.
I ran around a bit and forced myself to wake up, shouldn't lucid dreaming be fun?

 

[Cocolina]

Because that's when shit starts to get really weird

 

[Landy828]

Most of the times I realize I'm in a dream it hasn't been scary.

 

[RedVejigante]

I find it strangely difficult to control the aspects of my dream even once I realize I am in one. It's not necessarily scary, more frustrating, I guess.

 

[Dongs Macabre]

because if you can believe a dream is real life then how do you know if real life isn't a dream

 

[Mulciber]

It's awesome when I do it. But I spent a year practicing how to lucid dream, so I normally have control.

What was some scary shit was when I had a nightmare, woke up into another dream, went to tell my mom about the first dream, and my mom (second dream mom) started stabbing me with a knife.

I finally woke up for real and questioned reality for like an hour.

 

[DragonSJG]

Lucid Dreaming is awesome, not scary

 

[msdstc]

Because you realize that anything can happen.

 

[Geg]

Any time I realize I'm dreaming I always instantly wake up, like I can't help it. I've never really gotten to experience a dream after that point lol

 

[refusi0n1]

The times I've had lucid dreams have been a blast

 

[Volimar]

I hate the times when I realize I'm dreaming and immediately wake up. Like man, let me do my lucid dreaming.

 

[ReAxion]

it's usually a relief for me. answers why i was so pre-occupied with whatever insane problem the dream gave me to deal with.

 

[Acorn]

Any time I realize I'm dreaming I always instantly wake up, like I can't help it. I've never really gotten to experience a dream after that point lol

Click to shrink...

Same

 

[Deleted member 48897]

me, recognizing things in a dream don't make sense or are otherwise against my expectation: "wait, this shit isn't real...wait, maybe it's just that I'm misremembering because I'm tired. whatever, doesn't matter, let me rest"

me, encroaching on a dream you are likely to wake up from: "DID I HAVE 44 GIANT TEETH OR 42? DO YOU REMEMBER? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
--

 

[808s & Villainy]

Yall got some deep seeded issues you need to work out. Lucid dreaming has never been super weird or scary for me

 

[echoshifting]

OP are you sure you realized you were in a dream, or did you just realize something strange was going on? The latter can be very scary for me

 

[DeadmansTheory]

Who says you are awake now?

I always thought lucid dreaming can be good or bad but it's the state of the mind that person is in when dreaming.

 

[crimsonred]

That is when the "screamer" happens to me. So more startling than anything.

 

[M. Wallace]

Sleep paralysis with the demon creature is always amazing

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Lucid dreams don't scare me most of the time. I usually start laughing.

 

[Dust]

Most of the times I realize I'm in a dream it hasn't been scary.

Click to shrink...

I have dreams a lot, but almost every time i get to lucid state it turns into nightmare for whatever reason. I never get to fly or shoot cookies out of my hands, it's always a shitty slasher situation like something is about to kill me in my dream.

 

[Deleted member 8561]

Hey wait a minute pasta isn't supposed to be sliding into my ears

 

[Stowaway Silfer]

Any time I realize I'm dreaming I always instantly wake up, like I can't help it. I've never really gotten to experience a dream after that point lol

Click to shrink...

Something similar happens to me but it's not if I realize it but rather if I voice the fact that I just understood I'm in a dream then I'll wake up. One time, I don't remember what was happening but I basically said "oh it'll go fine cause we're in a dream" and felt some force sucking me out of the dream like it was a form of punishment lol.

 

[RPGam3r]

I've never been scared when I realize I'm in a dream. Its more a slight amount of fascination before I wake up.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

Whenever I realize I'm dreaming, I have about four minutes to try to do some DBZ shit like fly or shoot energy beams before I wake up.

It's the sleep paralysis after that fucks with me. Last time I saw this like white hovering alien face and it was screaming nonsense syllables at me. Guy was a right prick :\

 

[Mona]

because it means the hot chick i've been making out with isn't real and i'll 'wake up in my bed alone soon

 

[NuclearCake]

I always just wake up whenever i "realize" that i'm dreaming.

 

[Tanooki]

I always wake up stressed when I have lucid dreams. I can feel the panic build up in me as I realize it's all a dream, and I get worried about how to escape. Even if it's a good dream, it makes me uneasy being the subject of my own untamed thoughts.

 

[RROCKMAN]

Because some kid in a funny green hat is about to end your whole existence.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Can't say lucid dreams have been scary to me. They feel great. But it depends on your level of control, too.

 

[Oswen]

I only got to lucid dream three times.

The first time I realized I could just have fun with it, flying cars, moving stuff with my "mind", straight up going superhero etc, had a blast.

The second time I met my late grandma who was an extremely special person for me, she thanked me and told me to remember that watching me, my brother and my sister grow up was the best thing she had in life. It was extremely melancholic.

The third time I met many old friends and when I realized it was a dream I straight up told them after which they replied that yes, they were just a projection of how I remembered them but we could still have fun like the old times which we did, it was fun.

For me it was never scary, if anything it was quite interesting.

 

[DoubleTake]

Because theres a chance you might not wake up from it.

Sleep paralysis with the demon creature is always amazing

Click to shrink...

Amazing is....one way to put it.

I never lucid dream without the sleep paralysis portion of it. It sucks.

 

[Lord Error]

Lucid dreams for me have usually been either funny, or kind of sad. For example, I find some completely awesome pretty much magical device or something, and then realize - hold on - this can't actually exist... oh this is a dream... well that sucks :\
I haven't had one in many years though.

 

[LostSkullKid]

Half the time that I realize I'm dreaming I end up forgetting like a minute later. The other half the time I go "WOW THIS IS A DREAM SO I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT" and then shit doesn't end up working out the way I want it to. But it's never really been particularly scary.

 

[Deleted member 11985]

This is a weird coincidence. I just had my very first lucid dreaming experience last night that was almost like yours, OP. I walked in the front door of one of my previous apartments like I still lived there, and realized I must be dreaming. I took control of things and tried flying, but couldn't really control it. I mostly just hovered above the ground and clipped through walls.

But there was also an over-arching sense of dread the whole time. It felt like it was really late at night, and it felt like I had something I should be worried about, like somebody was chasing me or something.

I rate my first lucid dreaming experience a 2/10.

 

[Stryder]

Never had a real experience with lucid dreaming. :(

 

[KtotheRoc]

I love lucid dreaming. I break the rules of the dream world and just do whatever.

 

[Ripcord]

Holding on to too much fear old boy. Nobody can control everything all the time.

 

[Deleted member 14400]

I'm jealous of anyone who can remember dreams on a consistent basis. I'm lucky to remember a few A YEAR

 

[EnlightenedMint]

Lucid dreaming is fun, just don't go in with the preconception that it will be scary or it's always scary.

I never had a scary experience when lucid dreaming and I've had quite a few.

 

[Tzarscream]

OP I feel you, I've had similar dreams a number of times.

 

[PunchyMalone]

I fit in a weird balance where I somehow know it's a dream, but I might not be aware enough I'm in one to do anything about it.
I get anxiety dreams about my job all the time, and I've learned to just walk out when shit falls apart to end the nightmare. But I have to be aware it's a dream in some way because I'd never walk out of my job in real life, lol. I've had fully lucid dreams quite a few times, but even then I can't change the state of the dream, I can just do whatever I want while I'm in it.

I also get memories of things that never happened, while I'm dreaming. So I'll start to realize things aren't making sense, but then I'll have some made up memory to justify it. Dreams are fucking weird yo.

 

[Sacrilicious]

I think lucid dreams are fun. I've never had anything unpleasant but there is definitely an initial "rush" that might feel kind of freaky.

For a while I got pretty good at initiating them. For me it's more of an excitement that often pulls me out of the dream. I had to practice taking it casually to keep them going longer.

 

[Gilver]

When I realize im dreaming thats where the fun begins.

 

[shoyz]

I'd assume it's a negative loop of your mind associating lucid dreams with nightmares, and in turn, the first thing your mind goes to when you become lucid is expecting and in turn creating a nightmare!
None of my lucid dreams were ever scary. Maybe next time try closing your eyes and imagining you're somewhere nice and safe instead.

 

[Kard8p3]

Nah, my "this is a dream" shit kicks in when things start going bad. A few weeks ago I had a dream I was.. On a highway? Train tracks? I don't remember with other people when all of a sudden a fuck ton of tigers come out of no where and attack us all, and as I'm getting my neck snapped I'm just thinking "thank God this shits a dream"

Edit : I'm sure many know, but a lucid dream isn't just one where you're aware it's a dream and you're in control, it also means one's where you're aware but NOT in control. Those are extra fun.

 

[EdgeXL]

As a mostly lucid dreamer, I do not find it scary to know I am dreaming.

 

[grang]

That is when the "screamer" happens to me. So more startling than anything.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, 60-70% of the times I realize I'm dreaming, almost immediately something terrifying or disturbing happens, I jolt awake and all the hairs are standing up on my arms and legs.

The rest of the time I can usually hang for a bit, I've never been able to fly but I do bound and/or swing ridiculously high.

 

[Midramble]

Why would I be scared of flying and/or sex?

 

[Darksol]

It's not — I lucid dream. Realizing I'm dreaming is the first step to an awesome dream.