u/Emotional-Being-6825

I was born in the West and grew up surrounded by Western values, but my parents were very traditional Asian “tiger parents.” I quickly realized how different they were from the outside world.

Still, I was treated well at school and developed a Western personality. Even though my parents were strict and emotionally distant, it didn’t affect me too much because I received love and support from my teachers and classmates.

Until one day when I was 8, my parents decided to immigrate back to their hometown.

Suddenly, I was thrown into a local school in East Asia. All the teachers acted just like my parents. Even my classmates were mean to me whenever I showed my Western personality. Back then, being even slightly different was enough to get bullied.

It felt like the whole world was against me. Even my younger brother, who grew up entirely in Asia, thought I was weird.

To survive, I forced myself to act like the local people around me, and honestly, it worked. People started accepting me and getting closer to me.

But after living like that for almost 20 years, I grew up with severe mental health issues because I wasn’t allowed to be myself for such a long time.

The problem is that because of my health issues, I’m struggling financially and can’t easily leave Asia yet. So I still have to live in a country where I don’t feel like I belong.

I tried seeing a therapist here, but she didn’t understand my trauma at all. She’s local, has never lived abroad, and has never experienced what it feels like to be an immigrant or second-generation bicultural person. Because of that, I feel like I can’t find a therapist here who truly understands me.

I wonder, in Western countries, is it easier to find therapists who understand the trauma and identity struggles of second-generation immigrants? (Online therapist would be perfect for me since I can't leave Asia now)

I wish I could find one when I move to the West. or is there any online therapist that suits me? so I can start now in Asia. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I've been doing online teaching for a while. I found out that my voice cracked just after 2 hours of teaching. If I didn't stop, then my throat would start to feel hurt for the next few days, causing me to stop teaching for days.

I would like to work more per day. Is there any way to keep my voice as a teacher?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I’ve been trying manifestation for quite some time, and lately I’ve been wondering: is it possible to manifest an entire world that aligns with my values and preferences?

I want to live in a world where I am loved and respected. I know that sounds a little vague, but for example, I currently live in a country where women have fewer rights than men. I dream of a world without misogyny. Is something like that possible to manifest?

I feel like I’ve already manifested certain things in my own life through affirmations. For example, I would tell myself things like:

“I’m rich.” “I’m beautiful.”

Over time, I did become financially better off, and people started seeing me as more attractive.

But what if I want to manifest something much bigger. Not just changes in my own life, but changes in the world itself? What should I think, believe, or do?

For example, I would also love to see a world without war someday.

I've been lucid dreaming for about a decade, and I’m pretty good at it. I can create any scenery and control the details. I always thought it was 100% under my control.

But one day, things changed.

During a lucid dream, I had a thought: since I’m already dreaming, maybe it’s a good chance to explore my subconscious.

So I decided to let go of control and just see what would happen. I started flying straight forward and waited to see what would appear.

Within a few seconds, I saw a high-tech city in the distance on my left. It's futuristic and far more advanced, not like any known city on earth.

It reminded me a bit of Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz, but it wasn’t green, it was silver. The entrance was open, and I could see that it was deep and dark inside.

I felt like, “This is it.” I wanted to see what was inside.

But as I flew closer to the entrance, a Grim Reaper suddenly appeared and blocked my way. It looked exactly like how it’s usually described. He is wearing a hooded cloak, its face hidden in darkness, but I could still make out a skull inside. He felt angry.

He stopped me and spoke in a terrifying voice ,very deep and strange:

“You are not supposed to be here!”

Then he pushed toward me without touching me, and I instantly woke up.

I was sweating and terrified.

Normally, no matter what happens in a lucid dream, I can control it. But this was the first time I encountered something that felt completely outside of my control.

It didn’t feel like something I created it felt like another consciousness. And somehow, it forced me out of my own dream.

Since then, I’ve been too scared to lucid dream again. Before, I always believed everything in my dreams was just part of my own mind, so I felt safe. But this was the first time it felt like something else entered my dream.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

I don’t think this is just “you dream about what you think about,” because I’m Asian and live in Asia. The Western image of the Grim Reaper isn’t really a common symbol in my daily life.