Killing yourself

[mu]

I can't remember if I ever chose to kill myself.  There were a number of times where I found myself inexplicably dying, however, and did nothing to affect the situation.  Surrendering to it has lead to some of most beautiful experiences I've ever had in dreams.

These weren't situations where some physical event would cause your death, but does not it the dream.  Most times I dreamt I was lying in bed, and just sincerely thought it was the end..  Complete slipping away of any sense of identity, that's the scary and powerful part.

[johnb]

Can't recall ever having tried to kill myself in an LD, or in a non-LD for that matter. I have done things in LDs that would have likely killed me IWL: jumping off buildings or smashing into walls at high speed, for example. But my intention was always something other than killing myself, such as flying or phasing through a wall. Since nothing you do in an LD is at all likely to actually kill you, I don't think there's any significant danger in trying to kill yourself during one. It seems like just another way of experimenting with the dream environment to see what happens. Trying to kill yourself in a non-lucid dream, OTOH, is probably something to worry about. Not to mention doing so IWL.

[BigFan]

Can't recall ever having tried to kill myself in an LD, or in a non-LD for that matter. I have done things in LDs that would have likely killed me IWL: jumping off buildings or smashing into walls at high speed, for example. But my intention was always something other than killing myself, such as flying or phasing through a wall. Since nothing you do in an LD is at all likely to actually kill you, I don't think there's any significant danger in trying to kill yourself during one. It seems like just another way of experimenting with the dream environment to see what happens. Trying to kill yourself in a non-lucid dream, OTOH, is probably something to worry about. Not to mention doing so IWL.

I dunno, I think killing yourself in a LD can be somewhat harmful. LDs don't affect you physically for obvious reasons but you can be affected mentally. You can remember your death IRL and it can take a toll. Depending on the method of death, you might even become fearful of said objects, so, a plane crash death might make you hate planes incase they crash, etc....

[johnb]

I dunno, I think killing yourself in a LD can be somewhat harmful. LDs don't affect you physically for obvious reasons but you can be affected mentally. You can remember your death IRL and it can take a toll. Depending on the method of death, you might even become fearful of said objects, so, a plane crash death might make you hate planes incase they crash, etc....

You may be right. I'm not an authority on psychology. I tend to think anything people do in LDs is relatively safe, but it seems plausible that some types of actions could cause psychological harm. Killing other people in an LD--except in self-defense--seems worse to me than killing oneself. But even killing others may not be psychologically harmful for most people, since the dreamer is aware that no one is actually getting killed.

I think killing oneself in an LD might actually have psychological benefits in some cases. It might help one explore one's attitudes toward death and become more comfortable with the fact that no one lives forever. Being excessively fearful of death interferes with enjoyment of life.

[Burned up]

Never killed myself, knowingly, as far as I can recall.  But like others, I've died a few times.  Usually I just wake when that happens.  But one dream, when I was "killed" by a nuclear explosion in rather pleasant circumstances I "woke" into an unpleasant afterlife like a Mad Max movie.

I suspect a lucid death will either be a failed death - carrying on as if you're immortal - or like a FA.  Can't much think of any other outcome other than waking (or sleeping, which you won't be aware of anyway).

I think killing oneself in an LD might actually have psychological benefits in some cases. It might help one explore one's attitudes toward death and become more comfortable with the fact that no one lives forever. Being excessively fearful of death interferes with enjoyment of life.

My guess is that you're right.  And not just lucid dreams.  "Taking the bullet" in any kind of dream will help us overcome whatever fear is represented by that bullet.  Having said that, death is usually delivered by a DC rather than one's own doing.  A different context, but I doubt it's harmful.  Just like other things we're told might be harmful (like going blind) but aren't.

PS @DC 

[Caradon]

I can't be killed in a Lucid at all.  I've enjoyed proving that to myself, and  to other DCs, over and over again.

However, I've also had my share of non Lucid death dreams that are generally fun in themselves.   Actually, before training myself to do standard RC's to check. I had a couple where I just didn't know if I was having a dream, or if I  had really died and was in some after death realm. This situation may have been scary for some, but for me, I really didn't care. I was having fun either way.   

[johnb]

I had a couple where I just didn't know if I was having a dream, or if I had really died and was in some after death realm. This situation may have been scary for some, but for me, I really didn't care. I was having fun either way.   

You might have been relieved to find that your consciousness had survived death, assuming the after-death realm wasn't too unpleasant.

[BigFan]

I can't be killed in a Lucid at all.  I've enjoyed proving that to myself, and  to other DCs, over and over again.

However, I've also had my share of non Lucid death dreams that are generally fun in themselves.   Actually, before training myself to do standard RC's to check. I had a couple where I just didn't know if I was having a dream, or if I  had really died and was in some after death realm. This situation may have been scary for some, but for me, I really didn't care. I was having fun either way.   

Interesting, I've never actually killed myself in a lucid before but its interesting that you can't be killed in yours. Maybe it's your mindset as in you know you can't die because its a dream so even if you try, it doesn't work? I don't know if I would actually want to try killing myself in a LD even if I knew it isn't real

[johnb]

Interesting, I've never actually killed myself in a lucid before but its interesting that you can't be killed in yours. Maybe it's your mindset as in you know you can't die because its a dream so even if you try, it doesn't work? I don't know if I would actually want to try killing myself in a LD even if I knew it isn't real

I don't think there's anything to fear in doing so. Death in dreams usually symbolizes something else. It's often just a transition of some kind. In LDs, "killing" yourself would normally just be a way of transitioning the dream to something else. It shouldn't involve anything like the same mindset that people have when committing suicide IWL. Except maybe in the case of someone IWL who's so convinced there's a wonderful afterlife that they think of suicide as a convenient way to transition into a better life. But that's pretty rare. At least I hope it is.

[BigFan]

Interesting, I've never actually killed myself in a lucid before but its interesting that you can't be killed in yours. Maybe it's your mindset as in you know you can't die because its a dream so even if you try, it doesn't work? I don't know if I would actually want to try killing myself in a LD even if I knew it isn't real

I don't think there's anything to fear in doing so. Death in dreams usually symbolizes something else. It's often just a transition of some kind. In LDs, "killing" yourself would normally just be a way of transitioning the dream to something else. It shouldn't involve anything like the same mindset that people have when committing suicide IWL. Except maybe in the case of someone IWL who's so convinced there's a wonderful afterlife that they think of suicide as a convenient way to transition into a better life. But that's pretty rare. At least I hope it is.

Of course, I'm not disagreeing with you, but, I would just have a hard time doing it either way

[Caradon]

You might have been relieved to find that your consciousness had survived death, assuming the after-death realm wasn't too unpleasant.

That's not something that's an issue for me so that never came into play.



[/quote]

Interesting, I've never actually killed myself in a lucid before but its interesting that you can't be killed in yours. Maybe it's your mindset as in you know you can't die because its a dream so even if you try, it doesn't work? I don't know if I would actually want to try killing myself in a LD even if I knew it isn't real

Yes, it's the confidence. Can't say that I've ever done something destructive to myself in a Lucid with the intention of trying to make my dream body die though. Only with the intention of showing that it can't die. Or just for the powerful feeling of knowing I'm completely indestructible.  For example,  Just for fun I may lay across the train tracks as a train is coming and let it run me over. Or just walk straight into it as it comes at me.

[johnb]

Of course, I'm not disagreeing with you, but, I would just have a hard time doing it either way

I never have actually tried it. Maybe I'd chicken out at the last minute.

[BigFan]

Of course, I'm not disagreeing with you, but, I would just have a hard time doing it either way

I never have actually tried it. Maybe I'd chicken out at the last minute.

You should try it and tell us what happens

[johnb]

Of course, I'm not disagreeing with you, but, I would just have a hard time doing it either way

I never have actually tried it. Maybe I'd chicken out at the last minute.

You should try it and tell us what happens

OK, I will! But it may take awhile. I'm not very good at remembering my LD goals while lucid. I'll change my MM signature to add that goal.

[mieksta]

ive died before in my dreams but it only hurts if i know where ive been hit