Trauma can also lead to scary lucid dreams. If you've experienced something really bad in the past, it can resurface in your dreams. Let's say you were in a car accident. In a lucid dream, you might find yourself back in that situation, unable to get out of the car while it's on fire. Also, certain medications or substances can disrupt your sleep patterns and cause disturbing lucid dreams.
Darkness is also very common. It hides the source of fear and makes the whole atmosphere more menacing. For example, in dreams where there are things lurking in the shadows, the lack of light adds to the scariness.
There was a time I dreamt I was on a deserted island at night. Strange noises came from the jungle. As I walked towards the source of the noise, I saw a huge, monstrous creature with glowing eyes. It started to run towards me, and I woke up just as it was about to reach me.
I once had a dream where I was in an old, abandoned house. The walls were dripping with some sort of black goo. Every time I tried to find an exit, I would end up in the same room. There was a creepy doll sitting in the corner that seemed to be watching me. I could hear strange whispers all around me. It was really terrifying.
There are many. For example, in one bad dream story, someone dreamed that they were on a small boat in the middle of a vast ocean. The sky turned dark and stormy all of a sudden, and huge waves started crashing over the boat. They were alone and helpless. Another involves being in a large, empty building with strange noises coming from every corner. As you explore, you find a room filled with dolls that seem to be alive and staring at you. A third one could be where you wake up in your own bed but everything in the room is distorted and there are strange creatures lurking in the shadows.
One of the scariest dreams I had was that I was in a dark forest. The trees were all twisted and gnarled, like they were reaching out to grab me. There was a strange mist that made it hard to see. Suddenly, I heard a howl that seemed to come from all directions. I started running, but it felt like I was going in circles. Then I saw a pair of glowing eyes in the distance. I woke up sweating and my heart was pounding.
One common element is being chased. It could be by a monster, a shadowy figure, or some unknown entity. Another is being in a strange or unfamiliar place like an abandoned building or a dark forest. Also, the presence of things that are not quite normal, like distorted objects or people with abnormal features.
One of the scariest lucid dreams I had was when I realized I was in a dream but couldn't control it. I was in a dark, abandoned house. There were strange noises coming from every corner. I tried to run, but my legs felt like they were stuck in quicksand. The fear was overwhelming as I saw shadowy figures approaching me. I finally woke up sweating and shaking.
There was this dream where I was in a school, but it was completely empty except for a single classroom. I walked towards that classroom and when I opened the door, there was a teacher standing at the front. But the teacher's face was made of clocks, all ticking at different speeds. The hands of the clocks were like sharp needles. I was so scared that I couldn't move, and then I woke up with a start.