The Big Official Lucid Dreaming Topic!

[center]Lucid Dreaming[/center]

[b]Contents:
1. What is it exactly?
2. How do I do it?
3. Inside the Lucid Dream
4. Personal Dream Example[/b]

1. What is it exactly?
What it actually means is "Waking up inside a dream" or "Knowing that you're dreaming". Once this happens, you can do anything you want. You can go fly an airplane. Fly without an airplane and discover planets. You can step inside your computer screen and play your favorite game in true 3D, and much more.

2. How do I do it?
There are many ways to teach yourself to Lucid Dream. But the first step is to keep a Dream Journal. Why? This is to teach your mind to remember the dreams you've having. Already remember all of your dreams? Good! But I'd still recommend having a Dream Journal because it also tells your mind that you are really going for it. (It really works!)

When you're beginning to write down dreams you'll notice that you'll remember each dream better and better. Of course remembering your dreams is very important because it would be very frustrating if you finally had a Lucid Dream and you can't remember the dream!

The next important step would be to do Reality Checks throughout the day. Like the name says, you're going to check if you're dreaming or not. Ofcourse you know that you are not when you are awake. But in a dream, everything that's odd is normal.
So just do them even though you know you're awake. Because before you know it, you'll be doing it in a dream and you'll be in a Lucid Dream instantly! Now let me explain some example Reality Checks for you:

Breathing through nose while having it closed: When you close your nose with your hand and try to breath through it, obviously nothing happens. But if you do it in a dream, you'll breath through a closed nose! This one is my favorite and it's the easiest one to do throughout the day. It feels really funny too. Do it about 10 times a day and you're on the right track.

The Time: Look at the time, look away from it, and look back again. Probably nothing has happened, but in a dream, the time will most likely have changed into something not logical at all!

Finger Through Hand: Try to poke your finger through your hand. Can you do it? You know what that means!

PS: Almost forgot. If you're having trouble writing down the dream due to not remembering it, try to concentrate on thinking about the dream immediately after waking up. And keep lying the way you were lying when you woke up! Just don't force yourself to remember, it won't work. Also keep a Dream Journal and Pen next to your bed, so you can write it down quickly.

3. Inside the Lucid Dream
When you finally get lucid, the trick is to stay lucid and not to wake up. Quick hint: DON'T get too over-excited. As it would wake you up instantly. Try to remain calm. If you notice the dream begins to fade away, try spinning. Yes, really, it works, your dream will become vivid again.

Talking about vividness, if you find yourself in a dream not so vivid, just shout out loud "Lucidity increase!"

4. Personal Dream Example
In this example I did not use a reality check. Sometimes you just become lucid all of a sudden.

It was in the middle of the day when there was an old woman staring at me and she was walking closer and closer to me but I didn't really trust it, so I went flying. I went flying a bit over the streets and trees etc and pretty high too. The dream became more vivid and a moment later I saw a grass field where I wanted to land. Oh, and I am flying as if I am a bird btw! But anyways, I sped myself up on to the ground and at the last moment I used my wings to lower the speed a lot. That was cool.

But yeah, I was at the ground now but that of course is not so special... so guess what... I went flying again!! I remember the night's in my dream always were beautiful. So... what I did, is click with my fingers and boom, everything was suddenly night. Sadly the streets looked boring and extremely lonely. There were only a few lights and 0 vehicles.

The rest of the dream was not so interesting, and shorty afterwards I woke up.
Well, if anyone has gotten any questions or dream stories or whatever, don't hesitate to write it here! I'll be happy to reply.

I read a topic on a site saying that the number one way to train your mind into lucid dreaming is to remember all your dreams, and try to write them down as much as possible.

omegaslayer said:
I read a topic on a site saying that the number one way to train your mind into lucid dreaming is to remember all your dreams, and try to write them down as much as possible.

Yeah that would be the most important thing indeed. It's fun to re-read a year later too!

Too bad I don't remember any of my dreams at all.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

This happened to me twice in my life (realizing I was dreaming during a dream), but neither time could I actually use this knowledge to control the dream.

---

http://maze5.net

Crono said:
Too bad I don't remember any of my dreams at all.

Hmm.. Before going to sleep you could try saying to yourself "Tonight I'll have a dream" at least 20 times and see if it'll have any effect.

I know I dream (If you're in R.E.M. you're dreaming). I just don't remember them. I remember them sometimes, like if it's closer to when I wake up, or if it's messed up or something.

But on a night to night basis, I don't remember anything.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

My brother hasn't remembered any dream for like 6 years.

But, at those few days when you remember them a bit, try to write down as much details as you can remember. The next time you just might have a dream again.

I've never had a lucid dream but I've been in a wake lucid dream state which is when your brain thinks you're asleep but you're conscious is still active and it results in body paralysis (because your body is paralyzed when you sleep) and vivid/illogical logic you have when you're half alseep/dreaming.

Basically what happened was I woke up during the night briefly as you do and began to drift off back to sleep but kept a thread of consciousness active by thinking about stuff while not letting that interfere with the overall relaxation you experience when you drift off to sleep. I then tried to move and realized I couldn't and panicked and felt a surge of adrenaline. But then I realized I was in some sort of lucid dream state and should make the most of it so I relaxed and tried to dream of something and that's as far as my memory goes so I must have fallen totally asleep shortly after that.

---

Aaron's Stuff

Le Chief said:
I've never had a lucid dream but I've been in a wake lucid dream state which is when your brain thinks you're asleep but you're conscious is still active and it results in body paralysis (because your body is paralyzed when you sleep) and vivid/illogical logic you have when you're half alseep/dreaming.

Basically what happened was I woke up during the night briefly as you do and began to drift off back to sleep but kept a thread of consciousness active by thinking about stuff while not letting that interfere with the overall relaxation you experience when you drift off to sleep. I then tried to move and realized I couldn't and panicked and felt a surge of adrenaline. But then I realized I was in some sort of lucid dream state and should make the most of it so I relaxed and tried to dream of something and that's as far as my memory goes so I must have fallen totally asleep shortly after that.

Yup that is Sleep Paralysis. It can result into hallucinations and panic attacks etc. But for anyone who ever gets in a Sleep Paralysis state, try to move your toes or fingers. It might bring you out of the paralysis.

Relaxing like you did is very good too, not everyone can do that. Some people have it every night but are so experienced with it that they make it a fun experience.

That's kinda neat. I remember my dreams once about every other week or so, or I'll have two or three nights in a row where I'll remember each night's dreams.

Lucid dreaming would be pretty awesome for anyone who works in a creative field. I look at it with some sort of utilitarian functional purpose. If say in a dream, to be able to expect an awesome piece of art behind a closed door and when you open it it's there and completely of your own imagining. That could be pretty profitable.

I know there's some mask you could buy that's supposed to help put you into a lucid dream.

here's a post with some comments about that: http://www.lucidology.com/blog/203/lucid-dream-mask/

I don't think I've ever had a lucid dream, Or I've just never been in control of one.

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon

If say in a dream, to be able to expect an awesome piece of art behind a closed door and when you open it it's there and completely of your own imagining. That could be pretty profitable.

Yeah that is possible actually! Some people got inspiration by dreams. Just like I had inspiration for a map for a certain game once due to a dream I had.

I know there's some mask you could buy that's supposed to help put you into a lucid dream.
here's a post with some comments about that: lucidology.com

Hmm a mask? Never heard about it, I don't think it is effective for everyone. It might wake some people up. (Not sure how it works, haven't really read the article yet)

You said you didn't really have Lucid Dreams yet, do you think you're going to give it a try? The sweetest thing is that you can really do anything. Some people even live a separate live in their Lucid Dreams.

--

Also, hint to everyone: If you're having trouble remembering to do Reality Check's, just try to do them each time you sit down, open a door etc.

I am a total sucker for dream conversations. I am convinced vivid dreams helped me survive a lot of things. I don't want to come off boastful but there was a period in my 20's where i experimented with controlling dreamstates and actually had some sort of success. Having vivd dreams is already energizing and empowering, and exploring lucidity multiplies that considerably. I recommend it if you are a vivid dreamer to start with!

I can't recall exactly and CBA to look it up but the techinque I was practising involved using archetypes as triggers to "awaken" yourself. For example you would look at a common item such as a clock or a set of keys or whatever during waking hours, and when you saw this same image in your dream, it would trigger awareness. That's a very diluted version of it though.

One day the whole thing just left me, though. I can't explain why. These days dreams seem few and far between although I understand that they occur, just not retained.

And Aaron your comment about 'sleep paralysis'was enlightening to me, as I have repeatedly experienced this unnerving situation throughout my life, probably as far back as I can remember, and not infrequently. I had no idea that it was a documented thing...and yeah it is very unpleasant, more than a few times I've been yelling in my dreamstate to wake up and just going "uuuuh uuuuh" in reality, but my wife knows that sound now and doesn't hesitate to wake me up.

Oh and if anybody is good at retaining dreams, do yourself a favour and try to write them down, you will be glad you did later in life

haymaker said:
I am a total sucker for dream conversations. I am convinced vivid dreams helped me survive a lot of things. I don't want to come off boastful but there was a period in my 20's where i experimented with controlling dreamstates and actually had some sort of success. Having vivd dreams is already energizing and empowering, and exploring lucidity multiplies that considerably. I recommend it if you are a vivid dreamer to start with!

I can't recall exactly and CBA to look it up but the techinque I was practising involved using archetypes as triggers to "awaken" yourself. For example you would look at a common item such as a clock or a set of keys or whatever during waking hours, and when you saw this same image in your dream, it would trigger awareness. That's a very diluted version of it though.

One day the whole thing just left me, though. I can't explain why. These days dreams seem few and far between although I understand that they occur, just not retained.

And Aaron your comment about 'sleep paralysis'was enlightening to me, as I have repeatedly experienced this unnerving situation throughout my life, probably as far back as I can remember, and not infrequently. I had no idea that it was a documented thing...and yeah it is very unpleasant, more than a few times I've been yelling in my dreamstate to wake up and just going "uuuuh uuuuh" in reality, but my wife knows that sound now and doesn't hesitate to wake me up.

Oh and if anybody is good at retaining dreams, do yourself a favour and try to write them down, you will be glad you did later in life

Just this once I wish there was a 'thumbs up' option available on the pit.

Niborius said:
Just this once I wish there was a 'thumbs up' option available on the pit.

That's an interesting idea.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Crono said:

Niborius said:
Just this once I wish there was a 'thumbs up' option available on the pit.

That's an interesting idea.

Noted

Also, I started my dream journal today. I woke up and wrote it down in notepad and will be sure to date them I guess. It was a kind of boring dream to be honest though.

I was siting in some 50's Oldsmobile car on the edge of a large canal crossing with a bridge and it was very windy and dusty. I was reading Richard Dawkin's The Greatest Show on Earth (b/c I actually am IRL; almost finished). Anyhow, I remember two groups of people driving up to the canal and loitering on the edge. Just hanging out, not doing anything important.

But apparently it was my job to keep people from stopping there without intent to cross over. So I walked up to the first group of kids my age. Punks I remember thinking... And told them to get moving, and that I would have to 'ticket' them if they didn't. They gave me some sneered look on their face, flicked their cigarettes into the river and then reluctantly hopped back into their van and drove off. Then I got back into my car and read a bit longer. I remember reading the words with mentions to Francis Collins and the Human Genome Project. And then not much longer after the first group, a second group arrived and as I was walking over to them to inform them about not parking there, I woke up to the sound of Skrillex on my phone as an alarm.

Pretty un-eventful, and probably wasting a good two minutes of your time, but that will be the first entry in my dream journal

I think all this journal is going to do is reinforce how boring of a person I am.

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon

Good job on your first dream journal entry

I'm sure they get more exciting later. I have like 15 dreams written down somewhere else, but am I allowed to link to other forums?

Also, remember to write down as much details as possible, as some elements may come back and make you think "Hey, that looks familiar, I've seen that in a dream" and you may become lucid.

Of course you're allowed to link other forums. -why not?

Well, I've had exciting dreams, but they're the ones I remember. I usually forget the boring or uneventful ones. Now I'll get to see how many of dreams are actually boring.

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon

Riven said:
Pretty un-eventful, and probably wasting a good two minutes of your time, but that will be the first entry in my dream journal

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and analyze your dream for you XD

Your position on the bridge equates to your administerial duties on Snarkpit, and the crowd of idlers is the rest of the active members :P

That doesn't explain the reading material or weather conditions though...and a lot of theories attach certain significance to water. I myself have noticed correlation between images of buildings and vehicles, and the state of my own physical health, ie lots of bugs in a room usually means Im fighting off a cold or something.

Riven said:
Of course you're allowed to link other forums. -why not?

Well, I've had exciting dreams, but they're the ones I remember. I usually forget the boring or uneventful ones. Now I'll get to see how many of dreams are actually boring.

Yeah I was actually confused with signatures I think. But I mean it's like advertising for another forum. Oh well, here's Niborius' Dream Journal

Recommended dreams:
[color=#80FF40]

• The Ultimate Adventure Game[/color]

- The "Flying!" Dreams (had another one 30 minutes ago)
- The Real and the Fake
- The Not-So-Friendly Duck (that was 2 days ago)

Edit: Did I yet mention I had 2 lucid dreams last night? I have had about 6 now.

hey Riven, why don't you use the journal in your Snarkpit profile as your dream journal?

I used to have lucid dreams on a regular basis when i was a kid, though I was never really able to fully control their outcome like some lucid dreamers can. I loved being able to wake up whenever i wanted to though, it was as simple as opening your eyes.

I remember something really interesting happened one time - i was having this very interesting lucid dream when for some reason i woke up. I was so depressed that I had woken up, as i really wanted to see how the dream would've unfolded, that i went back to sleep thinking about what i had been dreaming. Sure enough, the dream picked up where it had left off.

Yeah that is possible indeed, it's called DEILD (Dream Exit Induced Lucid Dream)

It used to happen to me with nightmares. That was horrible, I was finally woken up from a nightmare, and then I started sleeping again (by accident). I was in the same nightmare again. When I woke up again, I again, slowly fell asleep and I could see the same dream appearing again. I was trying so hard to get out but my body was already halfway paralyzed. It's such an annoying feeling to be that powerless. Luckily I came out after all by keeping on trying.

Why did Orpheus appear in my dream last week, discussing my map in real life, while actually walking in my map... in real life... in a dream.

Should I be scared?