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Lucid Dreaming Guide - Introduction

Goodshape

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October 10th 2006 :: this thread stickified and link added to 'Improving Dream Memory' thread (effectively the first step towards achieving lucidity in dreams)
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The subject of Lucid Dreaming has come up again and again on this forum, with various people having various degrees of success.

Personally I believe that everyone is capable of having a lucid dream and there are numerous methods and techniques that can be used to help. One of the most important methods, I think, is to keep the idea fresh in your mind – by thinking, reading, and talking about it during the day.. like, say, on an Internet forum or something.

So, for that reason, I'm going to start (and try to maintain) a weekly 'Lucid Dreaming Guide'.

We'll see how it goes, but I think there's about three entry's worth of 'Guide' material for lucid dreaming, so it'll be ::

1 - Improving Dream Memory
2 - Achieving Lucidity
3 – Being Lucid

(although 'Achieving Lucidity' might be split into two weeks/entries)

Obviously I want to take advantage of the inclusive nature of Boards and get everyone chatting about this each week – discussing the methods, whether they've worked, making suggestions, dream reports, etc. The best way, in my mind, of keeping it on your mind.

So anyone up for taking the challenge? Any suggestions, questions, comments?

The discussion starts now

(I guess this introduction should actually count as the first week, so we can gauge interest, answer any general questions, etc. I'll post about 'Improving Dream Memory' next weekend.)

Wikipedia's entry on Lucid Dreaming :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dreaming

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Asiaprod

Goodshape wrote:

So anyone up for taking the challenge? Any suggestions, questions, comments?

I do not know much about this subject, but will enjoy learning. I noticed the Wikipedia reference to the Tibetan Buddhists practising a form of yoga supposed to maintain full waking consciousness while in the dream state. That interests me greatly. Could one also describe meditation as a form of Lucid dreaming. Any info on it?

Goodshape

Asiaprod wrote:

Could one also describe meditation as a form of Lucid dreaming.

Or lucid dreaming as a form of meditation.

Slight disclaimer before I go on : I'm planning this as much as a learning exercise for myself as anyone else, so I'm no expert on the subject. I've managed to have some lucid dreams by using the techniques that I plan to write about and I'm fairly convinced that it shouldn't be too difficult for most people. As for going into the meanings and spiritual, psychological or paranormal aspects of lucid dreaming - it's perfectly open to discussion, but keep in mind that there are no experts here, and you don't have to subscribe to any of it.

Now that that's out of the way.. I've read that the imagery and situations we dream about at night are the result of the sub-conscious being unrestrained by the (now sleeping) waking mind. We no longer have the reality of the 'mundane' day to concentrate on and so we are often confronted with our deepest desires and fears.

What lucidity brings to the table is the ability to look at these desires - and possibly face those fears - with a rational, lucid, point of view. You can conquer your demons in your sleep.

Or, most importantly I think, you could just go flying

.

I think lucid dreaming does indeed have something to bring to the 'meditation table'.

kshiel

Has anyone achieved this yet? I know I have had dreams where I know I was dreaming but had no control over any part of the dream.

Would be interesting to here how other people have tried and succeded or failed?

Goodshape

Almost forgot about this post actually (wasn't exactly much of a show of interest). I'll try and get the next part of the 'guide' up after the weekend.

And yea, I've had a few lucid (and in control) dreams. It's definitely worth the small amount of effort necessary.

kshiel

I would love to know how to do it properly. Haven't read completly the links posted up, must do that first before asking silly questions.

What kinda dreams did you have and did you have complete control over what happened next or did you have control over the dream from start to finish?

Goodshape

The dreams started out as normal, albeit very vivid, until some event or something I saw made me realise I was dreaming. This has happened more times than I've had lucid dreams but usually I get too excited and wake myself up as a result.

A few times I've managed to make the realisation without waking up. The first time this happened it was like what you described, I knew it was a dream but couldn't take control. As if I was a passive observer behind my own eyes. Quite interesting actually.

A few times since then I've been able to take control of myself and go somewhere or do something interesting. Flying always seems to be the first thing I do

I've never been able to manipulate the world around me, or even have full and total control over myself, but I've read that it is possible.

I did manage to fly away from an unpleasant dream in Dublin to a more interesting one in Donegal, but didn't make the connection at the time that I could have just as easily magiced myself away to anywhere or any scenario imaginable.

kshiel

Must start looking into this more, its got my interest thats for sure. Keep us posted on any good tips you've discovered or technique that seem to work best.

Zillah

I tried this a while ago, worked in the end, then I got distracted and stopped at it.

The way to lucid dream is to convince your subconcious to do it. Its that simple. So, first of all, you must teach your subconcious that dreams are important. I did this by keeping a regular journal. Thats it. Some people manage to lucid dream from doing just that for a month or so.

The most interesting part for me was what is called the "reality test". Essentially it works on the principle that things such as physics don't work consistently in dreams.

The way it works is as follows. First of all choose your test. What worked well for me was to read something, then turn it around, and then read it again. If you do this in a dream the text will be different, it will say something else. When that happens, bam! You know you're in a dream and lucidity kicks in. I know it sounds crazy but it works.

But, I hear you say, "But how can I remember to do the test if I'm not already lucid?" Good question. You must get into the habit of doing them during your day. So, lets say you're in work. Take ten seconds to read the text on a postit or something. Once you've been doing that for a few days/weeks you'll be in the habit of it, and you'll automatically do it in a dream.

As I'm writing this I feel like some charlatan teaching people nonesense, but I promise this worked for me. I originally read about it online somewhere.

So, uh, enjoy!

EDIT:

As for my personal experiences, I have three. The first was completely spontaneous. I was dreaming about running down a road and suddenly it went lucid, I knew I was asleep and dreaming. So I started leaping really far and went into some trees. I had a vague image of falling slowing through dark branches and then I woke up.

The second time was by far the weirdest. I did the reality test on a key ring and *pop*, lucid. But then the dream faded away. My brain stopped generating dream sensations and I was just awake inside my sleeping brain...very odd experience.

I actually can't remember the 3rd, I think it had something to do with a sword fight...

abetarrush

Durin my last sleep paralysis I had abt 12 secs of lucid dreaming

I needed to hide, so chose to hide at a bin, and did

but this was because I was awake and asleep at the same time

kshiel

Here's an interesting artical on lucid dreaming, quite long though sorry.

http://lucidity.com/NL52.LightandMirror.html

Feral Mutant

Zillah wrote:

The most interesting part for me was what is called the "reality test". Essentially it works on the principle that things such as physics don't work consistently in dreams.

A while ago I tried to get into the habit of looking at my nose by closing an eye whenever I enter a room. Apparently (by apparently I mean from what I've heard, I haven't done this in a dream), if you do this in a dream you can't see your nose. But then I forgot and stopped doing it. I picked that cos it seemed like the easiest and most practical (not likely to attract attention in public).

kshiel

The remembering the dreams during the night is going well at the moment and I have been mentally saying to myself before going to sleep what type of dream i want to have, works sometimes, sometimes not. I have started to do more of the reality test but this seems to be bit more tricky and I think I need a little more work on that area. How is everyone else getting on, or has anyone else been trying this?

riddik

wow this is ridiculously interesting. i just found about all this lucid dream induction stuff now by accidentally clicking on this forum. i just downloaded some strange mp3 that ur supposed to loop for a few hours at night, gonna try it tonight

Goodshape

kshiel - yea, I've been getting back into this, making a point of remembering dreams for the past week or so and I've been having some really vivid and strange ones too. I really must start writing them down when I wake up though.

Think I'm going to try the 'message on a piece of paper' reality test (reading something back at regular intervals during the day.. turning it around and reading it again). Although last time I managed to work up to a lucid dream I didn't require any reality test, simply improving my recall (by writing down my dreams) made it possible for me to pick out common dream occurrences while they were going on, which allowed my brain to say "ah! this must be a dream".

btw -- unfortunately, I think this is one of those things that isn't helped by really really wanting it. It's your subconscious that controls your dreams, so you could go around all day hoping and praying and wanting for it, but unless you train your subconscious then it's all for nothing.

The reality tests, for example, have to become routine before they will work. You have to be reading that piece of paper or trying to change the light levels almost without thinking. And don't "want" it too much, just sort of accept that it's possible and going to happen because, obviously, you can do anything in a dream. Obviously.

Good luck

, and report back with any success.

littlebug

A few weeks ago, I awoke to what I presumed was sleep paralysis. I couldn't move a muscle . Suddenly the air around the room started swirling in vortices that I could see and there was a whooshing air sound. I'd experienced sleep paralysis before but not dreamlike ehallucinations so it was quite scary but I was strangely calm and kept saying to myself... "this is just sleep paraylsis it will be over in a minute... now if I could only move my arm enough to tuen on the lamp it would be ok". I kept trying to move though my limbs felt like lead but I eventually managed to drag one arm vey slowly out of the bed.. all the while the swirly air thing was still going on. I managed to get to the lamp switch but it wouldn't work so my next plan was to get out of bed and get to the door because once I got to some light it would all be ok and the hallucinations would go. Still leadlike I managed to drag my body and slowly trudge towards the door. This took ages and there was still scary air which now had faces in it. When I reached the door I raised my leaden arm to move the curtain away from the door....

??? curtain... why was there a curtain covering the door? Then I realised it was all a dream. Then I woke up.

What do you think? Sort of lucid?
I do find this fascinating I have to say. I must make a point of practising the reality checks.

P

Feral Mutant

Satrday mornings I have literally nothing I have to do, so I sleep in as long as possible. This morning I vaguely remember looking at the clock then I falling asleep. I can't really remember details but somehow I got to the point of thinking "This is a dream". After that I tried the nose reality check I mentioned in a previous post and it worked. Instead of seeing my nose, I saw a blurry line at the very corner of my eye. I started thinking "this is a dream" and I heard some weird rumbling, head kinda spinning. I was worried I "broke the dream". Didn't get to do anything before I woke up though. I also remember reading something on my computer, scrolling down then scrolling back up. It was still about the same stuff (can't remember what that stuff was) but the sentence was completely different. My dream recall has been pretty crap. I've been trying to write them down but since I've had to start getting up early for classes I haven't had time, the last one I wrote down was on the first of october. So, I haven't remembered my dreams too well. Not sure really when the computer reading bit happened in relation to the nose seeing.
It's also possible that after reading this thread yesterday (then going onto ld4all for the first time in a while) I just had a dream about reality checks.
Still, progress.

kshiel

Had a dream last night, loads of things going on in it, and as usual this one person was in it, because of this person in it I realised I was dreaming. I didn't do the reality test but I remember seeing this figure (as can never see his face) and deciding that I have to find out who this person is, so I wiped out everything else in my dream and stood face to hood to this guy, it was really quite weird but very cool, something like the matrix style when I approched him, sliding not walking if you get what I mean, it felt quite powerful. Everything else was gone in the dream except me and this guy but when I told him to pull down the hood I woke up, I am guessing I got too excited about the prospect of taking control, but I am hoping this is a start to a real lucid dream.

[Deleted User]

I've been a lucid dreamer for about 9 or 10 years now. I can make anything else happen in a dream but give myself the ability to fly. In fairness, I've only tried flying a few times. It never works, though. Is it in response to a fear or something? I love flying in airplanes and I find the sky intriguing so it's not an aversion to be in the sky... Anyone know anything about how to get yourself flying in dreams?

Zillah

Cabria wrote:

Anyone know anything about how to get yourself flying in dreams?

In my experience its the first thing I do if I get control. I just start jumping and I can jump really high and far. Other times I've just started flying. One time I took as bow (as in bow and arrow) and put it across my back and it turned into a pair of angel style wings and I flew around my neighbourhood. That one was especially cool.

Goodshape

Welcome to the forum Cabria

I'd be the same as Zillah, it's usually the first thing I do and usually without much thought or attention.

Similar to the bow: in my first lucid dream (which was only about a year ago) after I started to fly I reached into my pocket, took out a piece of cloth which became a cape and fastened it around my neck like superman

Good fun.

browler

kshiel wrote:

Has anyone achieved this yet? I know I have had dreams where I know I was dreaming but had no control over any part of the dream.

Would be interesting to here how other people have tried and succeded or failed?

Had a small bit of success lucid dreams of late after trying for ages.During the first one I had I realised I was dreaming I woke myself up !. The next one I had I've realised I was was dreaming but was unable to do anything.The very last one I've had I became aware but was only able to go places within the context of my dream at will i.e I was at home but only able to go different rooms in the house. The only bit of dream recall I have been doing was replaying my dreams in my head the next day I havent been bothered to write down the details but might start now.(tomorrow morning even

)

Chavster

I used to be really good at controlling my dreams when i was younger. I still can do it sometimes but not so often. It always begins with an awareness of whats going on as a dream and then basic statement 'This is my dream and i can do what i want'. Then i can, which is always a laugh..

DeVore

I find this happens (involuntaraily) to me just before going into a deep sleep or when I'm waking up from one and snoozing. I like to snooze, a lot.

I havent *tried* to control them much but I do amuse myself regularly by pushing them in one direction or other. I cant recall every flying in one though. They seem like very intense daydreams (which I do a lot too!). Quite Walter Mitty-esque.

DeV.

Goodshape

I find snoozing (rather than full-on sleeping) is great for dreams alright.. whether it's just before sleep or just after you wake up and decide to give yourself an extra hour.

Must see about writing a bit more of this 'guide' anyway.. sort of let that slip to say the least. Though I've been having some interesting dreams lately, so I'll have a think about it.

bluto63

Hey can you tell me if this is in the right direction of Lucid dreaming?

I was dreaming the other night about my CAO form and looking through it there seemed to be about 10 times as much to fill out as I thought. Then I thought to myself "oh God, this better be a f**king dream" and then I woke up.

Anything on the way to Lucid dreaming?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

i've had a few lucid dreams in the past couple of months.. I never bring myself out of the normal dream though, and there's nothing I can remember that jumps out at me and reminds me I'm dreaming. The first time this happened to me, I was dreaming I was walking home from dublin to carlow.. suddenly the world felt very very strange so I pointed at a car and thought *flip over* and the car flipped over very very slowly, and everything else just continued as normal. so I had a fair idea then that I was dreaming, either that or I was God.

So now whenever I'm dreaming and I get the idea that things aren't quite right, I point at something and think *levitate* or somesuch, and if it does I'm pretty confident I'm lucid dreaming. Problem is I can never get it to last.. only a few minutes each time so far and then I wake up. But it's a good start I hope, gona start the dream journal one of these days.

does anyone else notice that lucid dreaming feels kind of.. sluggish? touch, sounds and sights are all kind of muted for me.. more so than regular dreams. And I have to keep control of my thoughts so I don't think "this is a dream" too often as I'll just wake up then. Just require a bit more mental discipline? or will thise resolve itself with time and a few more lucid dreams.

Goodshape

Mordeth wrote:

if it does I'm pretty confident I'm lucid dreaming. Problem is I can never get it to last.. only a few minutes each time so far and then I wake up. But it's a good start I hope

Sounds like it. Haven't had a lucid dream (that I've remembered) in ages but often the realisation causes me to wake up alright.. almost as if it's the final check -- like I'm waking up just to see if I really was dreaming. Bit of a catch 22. I think as you become more used to it you'll have more confidence to say to yourself "yes, I am dreaming - and no, I don't need to wake up to prove it".

does anyone else notice that lucid dreaming feels kind of.. sluggish? touch, sounds and sights are all kind of muted for me.. more so than regular dreams.

I've noticed the sluggishness, maybe now that you've mentioned it, but the sights and sounds are usually very heightened for me in lucid dreams compared to normal ones.

And I have to keep control of my thoughts so I don't think "this is a dream" too often as I'll just wake up then. Just require a bit more mental discipline? or will thise resolve itself with time and a few more lucid dreams.

I'm not sure it's a 'discipline', but more time and experience, sure.

cinnamon

please tell me if this is a lucid dream...

I have had several very realistic dreams of sex, where i feel someone behind me holding me, etc etc.... and i wake up and go back to sleep and the sex is still happening. Obviously it's quite a nice 'dream' but sometimes it freaks me out, because I think it could be a 'spirit' or something. so I make myself wake up and it it keeps happening i will try and keep awake until it stops.

I really dont mind having these dreams but if there is anything paranormal happening i would be a bit concerned

[Deleted User]

I just bought the book by Stephen leBerge today so Ill try and keep u guys posted as to how I get on with it. Im your new guinea pig!!! Hope this works!!

TheMilkyPirate

Can you like.. Have sex in lucid dreams with anybody you wish? ha i sound like a perv..!