Can You Lucid Dream?

[glueball8]

I heard its possible to control your own dreams. Can you do it? Any tips on how to do it?

 

[lisab]

I heard its possible to control your own dreams. Can you do it? Any tips on how to do it?

I first heard of this in Richard Feynman's autobiography, "Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman." I believe it's called 'lucid dreaming.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dreams

I've never been able to do it, but then I've never really been determined to try. I think you have to be able to focus and really relax at the same time.

 

[DaveC426913]

Yes, it can be done. I have been able to divert my dreams on occasion.

There's lots of literature about practicing techniques.
And I've heard vitamin E helps.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I've never had much success at it but I understand that it is possible.
For an interesting book on lucid dreaming check out The Art of Dreaming by Carlos Casteneda. I'm fairly certain that it is entirely fiction though he may have gotten some of the techniques he describes from real sources.

Warning: Carlos Castenda is a known crank. He writes books about a shamanistic sort fo sorcery that he claims are true accounts but have never been found to have any validity in reality.

 

[OAQfirst]

I did that for a while and eventually lost interest. I guess I could say I reached the height of the ability. While it seems like a neat experience now, when you're sleeping you're still not fully aware enough to create your own sense of reality, as many expect to do. People go into it thinking that they can do whatever they want in a dream, and for the most part that's true. But you're still asleep. You're not going to create a world or experience that seems real in any way enough to satisfy some expectations.

That aside, it's still worth the experience. Just don't get your hopes up for anything spectacular. Conscious daydreaming can be more satisfying to some people.

 

[DaveC426913]

People go into it thinking that they can do whatever they want in a dream, and for the most part that's true.

Yeah, I've been able to divert the path of an event (such as "I don't want to fall off this ladder, I will fly away instead") but it's not like I'm writing my own script

Conscious daydreaming can be more satisfying to some people.

Yep. I am very creatively productive when I'm in bed, about to fall asleep. The ideas come fast and furious and much more fruitful than when applying my awake mind. My right brain takes over during this time and is unhindered by my left brain's analytical pedantism.

 

[Lisa!]

I think controling the life of ourselves is a lot easier!

 

[Math Jeans]

I've noticed that I tend to have lucid dreams when I drink caffeine, and go to sleep before it kicks in.

Never failed for me.

 

[tim_lou]

Imagine if you can do homework while sleeping!

those one loop QED calculations...

 

[Mk]

Pretty much all my dreams are lucid dreams.

I believe Evo said before that she takes a movie director's take on dreams.

 

[TeTeC]

Yep. I am very creatively productive when I'm in bed, about to fall asleep. The ideas come fast and furious and much more fruitful than when applying my awake mind. My right brain takes over during this time and is unhindered by my left brain's analytical pedantism.

This is interesting. I experience the same thing.

 

[Riemannliness]

Used to do it as a kid all the time... I actually developed a method for ending nightmares: I'd concentrate on breathing really hard and my hyperventillation would wake me up.
I've since lost the ability/affinity for it, the last one I had was a few years ago and I only had a slight awareness of myself in the dream.

I've read all kinds of crap on it... it's pretty interesting stuff. I just wish I had the maturity back then to do more than wake myself up in order to escape giant wasps...

 

[Riemannliness]

I've noticed that I tend to have lucid dreams when I drink caffeine, and go to sleep before it kicks in.

Never failed for me.

Actually there's a whole proper technique that involves caffeine. I've never really invested enough effort into trying it though.

 

[ExactlySolved]

I'm always aware that I'm dreaming, but if I do too much to effect the direction of the dream then I'll wake up.

 

[skeptic2]

I used to have dreams about being chased. Finally in one of them I stopped, turned around and confronted whatever was chasing me. I promptly woke up. After doing that a few times, I stopped having those dreams.

 

[Flat]

I've noticed that I tend to have lucid dreams when I drink caffeine, and go to sleep before it kicks in.

Never failed for me.

Actually, I read a study that was somewhat similar to this.

 

[Flat]

Here it is.

 

[DaveC426913]

Do you want know whose name I call and am calling ?

No!
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