Lucid Dreaming: Technique and Difficulty

[cytokinesis]

What is the technique behind lucid dreaming, and how difficult is it to accomplish?

 

[Gale]

i didn't even know what it was until recently, but i accidently do it all the time. therefore, it's pretty easy to do i guess. it's mostly just realizing that your dreaming when you dream. it helps when you can remember dreams easily and also if you have an active imagination. i usually end up having lucid dreams so often cause i create such unrealistic senarios in my mind that i know they're not real, so i know I'm dreaming. you can search online for like real techniques if you want, or get a book or something. but i really don't think it's too hard unless you're trying to experience something real particular.

hmm

 

[cytokinesis]

I've always wanted to fly in my dreams. My friend said he did it one time, but he couldn't hold the image long enough so he always fell.

Apparently it's hard to fly.

 

[Gale]

it's hard if you can't believe that you can sure. i have a tenedency to believe anything's possible so i guess that's why it;s easy enough for me. you just really really have to believe you can do it.

 

[Meninger]

Lucid dreams is definitely one of the weidest phenomenas out there.

Basically...in one's dream one is fully conscious that one is dreaming but dreams anyways.

So basically it is like you are in this state where you are "awake" but "dreaming" in a sense.

I had a lucid dream once. Here is the scenario. I dreamt that I while I was talking to my friend casually in my dorm. He started walking up to me until he was right in front of me, turned his head around, and when he turned it back around his eyes had turned "devilish." He came face to face with me with those eyes and just stared at me for a while. Of course, deep inside I was absolutely terrified. It is one of those feelings where you feel so frightened that chills run up your spine, you kind of get this feeling like you are about to float, and depersonalized in a sense. And yet, I knew it was a dream and even said this to myself as he was approaching me.

It is almost like you are placed in a movie.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Been there done that. This is really cool!

All that I did was to concentrate on "becoming aware" of dreaming while dreaming. I just kept thinking to myself that I would become conscious of any dream. I did this each night until I fell asleep. It only took about a week I think; then one night during a dream, I realized that it WAS a dream. I chose to fly out the window. I then flew all over the city. It was a very cool experience. It is also one of those dreams that cannot be forgotten.


I was just thinking of this recently. I need to do this again.

 

[cytokinesis]

Wicked! thanks!

I'm going to try this tonight.

 

[Joy Division]

Originally posted by cytokinesis
I've always wanted to fly in my dreams. My friend said he did it one time, but he couldn't hold the image long enough so he always fell.

Apparently it's hard to fly.

Are you kidding? I always just flap my arms ... it always seems to work. I'm not even kidding, I've been having dreams like that as longs as I can remember.

 

[Lonewolf]

There's a special name for this? I've been doing for as long as I can remember having dreams. It uusally happens after something I don't want to happen occurs, so I 'wake up' in the dream and do something to change it. Then you're pretty much free to do what you like in the dream world.

I've never tried really concentrating to do it. Maybe I ought to sometime. I can't do the flying thing like Ivan. For me it's just wandering around as in ordinary life. I need more imagination. Anybody got a deep psychological explanation about lucid dreams? lol.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

From what I understand, most people are not usually aware that they are dreaming. I have never heard of this being a natural ability. Very interesting...are you saying [lonewolf and Joy] that you are often aware that you are dreaming; and that you can control your dreams?

 

[Lonewolf]

Yeah, I do it quite a lot. It depends on my state of mind. I do it most when I'm stressed about something. I've never intentionally done it, however. I can't do anything too unusual in them.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by Lonewolf
Yeah, I do it quite a lot. It depends on my state of mind. I do it most when I'm stressed about something. I've never intentionally done it, however. I can't do anything too unusual in them.

In a true lucid dream, you should be fully aware that your are dreaming; and you should have total control over your dream. In my experience this was the case. The funny thing was that in the dream, I didn't think to do the same things that I might think of while awake. For example, why I chose to fly out the window [of the monorail] and then around the city, instead of choosing to be attacked by ten naked women, is to this day a mystery to me. It was like I had control of the dream but not my own thoughts. Very strange...

 

[Lonewolf]

Yeah, I'm completely aware that it's a dream. Weird stuff happens, but I just deal with it without super-powers or anything like that.

The most recent one was when I got bit by a snake, then I 'woke up' in the dream, and killed off the snake. I went to see my Grandad after that, and asked him if he had any treatment for the snakebite. He gave me this weird ointment, but it worked anyway. I then left his house and went walking around the streets outside his house, which weren't as they really are. I woke up not long after that.

I usually only remember the dreams where I've had some conscious effect on them. I have the same as you, I think. It's like you can do whatever you like, but you can't alter your surroundings.

 

[Joy Division]

I'm not always aware of the fact that I'm dreaming. I think most of the time a lot of my dreams are similar enough or recurring so I can tell that I'm dreaming. There's always tell-tale signs for me like when I try to move my limbs don't respond or are very weak.

Of course this doesn't always mean I can act on it. Sometimes even when I can tell I'm dreaming I usually just go with the flow, unless I really want something out of my dream. However even when I'm not aware that I'm dreaming I can make decisions that interact with and decide events in my dream.

In my experience it takes two things to really take control of your dreams, you need to be able to recognise the signs and become aware of your dream. Then you need to want something bad enough to change your dream. So at first if you realize you are dreaming, try to interact with your dream in ways that you want to. Then when you have a little more practise I'm sure you could control just about every aspect of your dream.

I know when I was a child I had certain recurring nightmares which stopped when I became aware* of the situation and confronted my fears in my dream.
*(Not really aware that I was dreaming but aware that I could affect what was going on in my head.)

 

[megga124]

I've also had lucid dreams...at least once a night for as long as I can remember. Having the control to "press pause" in a dream and change it or rewind a bit and then continue at will is something that I've always done if I start to have a nightmare or if the dreams is really really good. It's sooo great to be able to do. However, if you manipulate your dreams too often it can be damaging since your dreams are the main outlet for the human subconscious.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

At some point in our advancement of technology might it be possible to put someone directly in a lucid dream state? Could this then open boundless opportunties to experience things. For example, in the movie "strange days"?

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by Lonewolf
I can't do the flying thing like Ivan.

Yes, but you're not a permanent resident of the ozone layer like Ivan is.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by Tsunami
Yes, but you're not a permanent resident of the ozone layer like Ivan is.

Hey am I going to have to whoop you again Tsunami?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
At some point in our advancement of technology might it be possible to put someone directly in a lucid dream state? Could this then open boundless opportunties to experience things. For example, in the movie "strange days"?

The ultimate in Virtual Reality!

 

[zoobyshoe]

Lucid dreaming? I'd be happy if
someone could explain how to be
lucid when awake.

 

[Tsu]

YES. Could someone PLEASE explain that to Zooby!

 

[hypnagogue]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
At some point in our advancement of technology might it be possible to put someone directly in a lucid dream state? Could this then open boundless opportunties to experience things. For example, in the movie "strange days"?

I don't see why not. In fact there are already primitive technologies designed to achieve such an end. For instance, they have these goggles that flash lights on your eyes during REM sleep (or something analogous-- don't remember the exact details). The idea is that you will subconsciously pick up on the flashing lights, which act as a cue to tell you 'hey buddy, you're dreaming right now!'

I'm surprised no one has mentioned The Lucidity Institute yet in this thread. There's a lot of information on the nature of lucid dreams and methods you can practice to eventually achieve lucid dreams regularly.

http://www.lucidity.com/

 

[phoenixthoth]

i have lucid, vivid dreams almost indistinguishable from reality when on the following two substances: mugwhort and the nicotine patch.

cheers,
phoenix

 

[hypnagogue]

What's mugwhort?

 

[phoenixthoth]

an herb. it's legal. you can use it to make tea before you go to bed. tastes bad.

 

[merak]

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
In a true lucid dream, you should be fully aware that your are dreaming; and you should have total control over your dream. In my experience this was the case. The funny thing was that in the dream, I didn't think to do the same things that I might think of while awake. For example, why I chose to fly out the window [of the monorail] and then around the city, instead of choosing to be attacked by ten naked women, is to this day a mystery to me. It was like I had control of the dream but not my own thoughts. Very strange...

one can be attacked by ten naked women at any time you know..
but how often do you get the chance to fly around the city...

 

[sage]

i have never had a dream in my whole life(ie. i never remember them when i wake up). any suggestions on how to have a dream?

 

[phoenixthoth]

a 21mg nicotine patch induces dreams as well as the herb mugwort.

 

[Myriad209]

Hmm, when I have a lucid dream, I am usually horribly terrified yet, I can't even see what's going on in my dream, and I WANT to wake up and get out, but yet I am drawn toward this terror... very strange... When I finally do wake up, I feel as if I have been transferred to another reality, like I've been in this dream for eternity. It's an eerie and incredible feeling.

 

[Myriad209]

I did more research on this topic, and I found out there are very many techniques and some science behind lucid dreaming. A 100% legit site is here www.dreamviews.com The forums there are extremely active and there's a bunch of tutorials on lucid dreaming and what-not, check it out. What I was explaining earlier was actually when I had a WILD (wake-initiated lucid dream), you can see what that is if you go to the site
:zzz:

 

[bomba923]

Hmm--what makes you guys think that just b/c a person "knows" he/she is dreaming...

...that they therefore have total control over it?

 

[Telos]

Hmm--what makes you guys think that just b/c a person "knows" he/she is dreaming...

...that they therefore have total control over it?

There seem to be so many people asking this question on the net these days... I don't know what's so difficult to understand.

Dreams are created by us. If you know that you're dreaming, you know that you are creating the scene.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I experience the following variation on the lucid dream on a regular basis:

In my dream I find some coins on the ground. The coins are bizarre in one way or another. For instance, Roosevelt's bust on a penny or a nickel with Jefferson on one side and a buffalo on the other. I know that I only see such coins in my dreams, so I perform the following test. I squeeze one of the coins in my hand to see if I can feel it. I feel it. I rejoice that finally I have really found these crazy coins and that this time I am not dreaming.

This dream occurs roughly two or three times a year. Someday perhaps, I will devise a more accurate test. If I do, then I expect it will either wake me up, or I will experience a true lucid dream.

 

[The_Bled]

I've been playing around with lucid dreaming for several months now, and it's the most amazing thing I've found the mind could do. If you don't know what it is, it's dreaming while being aware that you are dreaming. In a normal dream, you're convinced it's reality.

At first, it doesn't seem like a big deal, and most people I explain to about it don't jump up and get excited... in fact I'm usually brushed off. It seems "too good to be true" or just some more astrology crap. No superstitious stuff... only science.

There are so many different ways to achieve a lucid dream, and the most popular one is WILD (wake-induced lucid dream), where you pass directly from the waking into the dream world. The "journey" there can be frightening for people who don't know what's going on (hypnogogic imagery/sounds, intense vibrations, rapid spinning or flying feeling, sleep paralysis). In fact, that's how I discovered lucid dreaming, I accidentally had one of these WILDs when I lay down to take a nap did some research and poof, lucid dreaming.

The Tibetan Monks performed what are called "reality checks" 21 times a day to become lucid. It's very simple and you can come up with your own. For me, I simply say "Am I dreaming?" and the key is to say it with sincerity, then I try to poke through my palm with my finger. If I'm dreaming, it goes through, if not, it doesn't of course (unless your finger quantum tunnelled through your hand!).

If you think dreams aren't vivid enough to bother with... wrong. They can be extremely vivid to the point where there isn't much difference between the dream and reality. The common dream drug used is vitamin B6. I actually haven't used it that but it's worth a look into.

When you become lucid, you can control your dreams and make them be anything you want. You can fly into space and explore the universe, have sex with the girl of your dreams... whatever.

The site that educated me about everything is www.dreamviews.com . Simply an amazing site, with an extremely active, helpful, friendly forums. They are legit, trust me, there's nothing new-age on there except for "dream meaning or dream sharing" which I don't believe in. If you're starting out, read the homepage first then go to the forums > tutorials and just choose a topic (look into WILD).

It takes a lot of dedication and a stress-free mind... if you have neither, then you might not be very successful. If you don't get it the first night, or second night, or the first two weeks, keep trying. It took me 2 weeks before I had a lucid dream on purpose. It's worth the effort, believe me.

**There are some products out that are supposed to make you lucid dream, I have no idea if they work but you could try them out.:zzz:

 

[-Job-]

I wouldn't try this for the world. I think i would act out the lucid dreams. I've been very lucid in some of my sleepwalks and, though i do what i choose to do, since the reason for my walks is something that is bothering me or i feel like i should do, i only end up doing things that are either dangerous or ridiculous, not to mention the very unstable state a sleepwalker is on, with any little stimulus behavior may change drmatically. One of my biggest fears is of doing something to myself or others during sleep that i'll regret when i wake up. The most ridiculous of my sleepwalks involves walking outside at night to do a chore that i was supposed to have done during the day but that i artfully managed to skip (my guilt was very big for very little reason, it wasn't an important chore or anything) I remember everything very clearly. I remember opening the door, i remember my father (he was awake) asking me what i was doing and i remember how i replied "nothing". I remember walking out into the garden, my vision wasn't focused, kind of blurry, so i remember feeling my way around (my father later told me i was just going around in circles), then my father came outside and told me to go inside, an instruction i instinctively obeyed (he was a rough guy), and i went directly to bed. In the next morning i woke up without remembering much, but, like a dream, it started to come back to me. I remember checking my feet and seeing they were dusty and dirty and then feeling very bad, guilty and stupid, and i had to hear it from my father and 5 brothers for a long time after. One of my twin brothers may be worse than me, not in the magnitude of things he does but in how often.
If that was some sort of lucid dreaming, then i don't want it.