I've always had problems w nightmares and vivid dreams, but I'm finding on days that I'm meditating/tapping into energy they are more vivid and a lot worse. Also, more often than not I'm at least somewhat lucid (I pretty much always realize I'm dreaming even if I can't control what is going on), but these are particularly vivid and I can't seem to realize it's not real. I'm also getting more of those annoying "dream hangover" feelings, where you've been dreaming about something particularly scary, depressing or disturbing, you feel off/wrong for the rest of the day.
I feel like part of this is because I need to work more on shielding, which is fine, but I was wondering if anyone had any specific things they use to ward off these types of dreams or at least tone them down. I'm going to try grounding more thoroughly also, maybe an excess of energy?
I have a ton of nightmares, so I'll just list some things that have helped me with them. :) I'll start with magickal/spiritual remedies and move to mundane ones.
I think more grounding could definitely help. Also, writing down experiences you have during meditation can help you process it, which can prevent them from becoming something frightening while asleep.
If you're into herbalism, you can make some tea to help calm you. I particularly like chamomile and lavender for this sort of thing, but it's up to you. This could both help bring you out of the emotions lingering behind from the nightmare in the morning, and help ease your mind before bed (though if you drink tea before bed make sure it's not caffeinated).
I cleanse and protect my bedroom regularly, which doesn't get rid of the nightmares completely but does prevent anything nasty that's hanging around from contributing to them.
If you're worried that there's some sort of thoughtform or other spirit lingering around and making some of these nightmares happen, you could make some sort of trap. Like a jar that it will be redirected to if if tries to enter your mind, with seals that will trap it in the jar.
I've also found shadow work to be immensely helpful with nightmares. Acknowledging what's going on with your shadow self when awake makes it easier and less scary to process white asleep.
As far as mundane remedies:
Exercise helps to prevent and to relax afterwards. Even taking a twenty minute walk once a day can really help bring you down from them.
Write down your nightmares. It can help you process it and make them less scary when awake, and can also help you figure out what might be happening in your life that the dream is representing.
Make sure the room isn't hot. If you're too warm, remove blankets, put on short sleeves, turn down the heat, open a window. Being too hot is terrible when it comes to nightmares.
Be tired when you go to bed. Do whatever you can to relax and get sleepy in the hour or so preceding bedtime. This can help prevent you from waking up in the middle of a nightmare, which is generally more frightening.
Finally, therapy and counseling. I know sometimes that seems scary to people, but I truly believe everyone in the world could benefit from therapy at some point in their lives. There's something called dream rehearsal therapy, which is particularly helpful if you have recurring dreams. This can also help you pinpoint what might be causing distress in your life and help you deal with it while awake, give some insight into what the dreams might mean, and give you someone to talk to about the dreams, which can help with the nightmare hangover feeling.
I hope that helps! I know how distressing and sometimes debilitating frequent nightmares are, so I hope you find a solution that eases them for you.
