Anxiety and nightmares after meditating

Yesterday evening I wanted to meditate and relax myself. I did with the help of a guided meditation audio on YouTube. I felt so relaxed and calm like I have never felt before. It was such a deep state of relaxation that I felt as if I almost touched my soul. I got the urge to try this again and again.

At night I started getting doubts and a little worried about the small bumps on my skin and I realized my health anxiety is trying to creep in again. I had a nightmare and I screamed inside the dream and woke up in the middle of the night. (I have been watching video footages of ghost sightings and I know for sure that it was the reason.Nothing else.)

Today during afternoon, thoughts of fear about the body started to show up one by one. I meditated a little in the morning as well. Health anxiety was something that I have been suffering for years but was settled for sometime with great effort.Why would it come back when I am trying to relax myself? How can I avoid this?

[vgemini]

this happened to me too - i am as new to this as you are, i loved the state and couldn't believe the negative energies pouring out and calming me at the same time. then i would wake up in heat sweats and wake up like clock work at 6;41 scared.

i think its because i was doing it right before i went to bed. I've been researching none stop and it could be subconscious fears to be looked at and healed. or doing it around 8 pm if you do it later. obviously I'm a newbie so i will wait on your thread to hear others views too!

[SaturninePluto]

Hi Frankie and vgemini,

I too have negative repercussions at times when I meditate.

A lot of imagery that comes to me scares me, which I try and work past.
Negative thought patterns and emotions come to the fore.

They are things I tend to feel I should work on. I am giving myself time to do that.

Physical things also come up, sleeping issues mostly.

There are positive effects that come through meditating for me, they seem to outweigh the psychological issues that come to the foreground with me.

Every now and then my method for this is to give myself breaks often. I do not meditate every single day. Once or twice a week is enough for me.

Also Frankie if you enjoy the ghost videos that is fine, I also enjoy watching paranormal things. I find at times the paranormal stuff is capable of getting to me however, and gives me some fear. So with this too I pace myself. Do not watch it as much during some times. And, give myself a needed rest and break period from it.

I am not aware exactly of the health issues you are going through Frankie, I wish for you the strength to deal with it. And also I wish you well.

Do not be afraid to take a break when you feel you need it also.

We all need times of rest. Moderation in all things, and other like thoughts.

Wishing you the best and a quick recovery. :)

[Greg Walworth]

Don't be discouraged, this is totally normal. You are bleeding out negative energies from the physical body; the mind is experiencing this as well. These things have NO power over you; unless you believe they do; we are the ones who give them power. Try and calm yourself by focusing on just one thing. If your attention drifts, just calmly direct your attention back to that one single thing. Personally for me, usually I imagine myself lying in a boat on the ocean on a beautiful spring day... Or sometimes I just focus on the sound of the breeze blowing through the tall grass while imagining myself lying under a beautiful willow tree... Keep at it; stay calm and heart-centered and you will reach a point where you will notice that fear is no longer interrupting you daily thoughts.

[InfiniteFlight]

Hi :)

To me, this seems like divine intervention to show you something that you haven't quite dealt with/released yet. I know for years, I thought I had resolved some of my own past issues. But when I started meditating and seeking divine/spiritual guidance, these issues started coming back up with great force. Luckily, I knew enough to know that they were coming up in order for me to release them once and for all. I think sometimes, we learn to "cope" or "live with" an issue, and we somehow think we have let it go. But that's not necessarily true. Meditation means many things to many people, but a common thread I've noticed is that it tends to cause people to shift into a "higher state of being," so to speak. And as you do that, you have to let go of the baggage that you can't take with you. Fear is something we all deal with, no matter what it is we are afraid of. Your dreams could be bringing your attention to this issue. Try to face this fear. Really focus on what it is, why you feel it, what made you feel this way? I've found that once you really understand a fear, it actually becomes less scary. Kindof like how it's easier to beat a "boss" in a video game once you know it's weaknesses. Haha :)

Don't worry. This may feel like a negative side effect of meditation but it's actually good! It's affording you the opportunity to face something that seems to have plagued you for a long time - and to finally be free of it!

Peace&Light