Be careful with how much information you give. When they get to a certain age they start getting nightmares that are horrendous. If you tell them that these things are really happening, this will make them afraid of sleeping, and that is going to cause all kinds of problems.
The way I handled this conundrum with my son, was to approach the OBE phenomenon as a type of RV, to explain that their imagination gives things shape that is not dangerous but may be scary, and to give them tools (such as lucidity, light weapons (as in 'made of light') and tricks like the Boggart effect in Harry Potter) in order to empower them without insulting their intelligence- and it worked well. Now as an older child he is afraid of nothing, and is getting quite good at his own dream interpretation.
That's a tight balance we parents have to straddle- never denying the reality of their experiences but making sure they are secure and feel supported always.
just like in waking life, I suppose.
Bookmarks