Lucid Dreams

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

I was reading about this last night and I think it's really interesting. If you don't know, a lucid dream is when you are aware that you are dreaming while you are dreaming, as opposed to a 'regular dream' which for me is like watching a movie in first person, except I don't know that it's just my imagination and I'm just an actor, I think it's real, until I wake up. Some places said that people have more them when they are young kids and I think that might be true because when I was 4, 5, 6 I had really realistic dreams where I could like fly around my house and it actually felt real and sometimes for a while I would think that it really was real. Have any of you ever had lucid dreams?

[guerillablack]

Yessir. I had alot this summer but they seemed to slow down because i can't tell they are dreams anymore. Usually an event happens in my dreams that triggers me to know they are dreams. So i pause and cocentrate on an object like the floor or my hands, to stay calm, focused and in dream world. Because usually you get excited when realizing its a dream and wake up. Good way to have lucid dreams is after your dreams write down what happens.

[Xvall]

I tend to do it unintentionally, when I take naps in the afternoon. Fun as all hell though.

[ComradeChris]

I've only had a few I recall. I talk in my sleep a lot however. Is that evidence of lucid dreaming?

[Xvall]

Probably not. When you lucid dream, you are aware of what you are doing. So if you are lucid dreaming, you would know it.

[choekiewoekie]

Yes sometimes i know that i am dreaming when i am dreaming.

Normally i can recall about two dreams a night, i have a good memory for dreams. Most of my dreams are bad though :(
But it happens that i am aware of the fact that it is only a dream, and that is possible for me to wake up. I must say, when it happens, and it always comes as a shock, and i mostly choose to wake up.
When i am aware of the fact that i am dreaming, it is always a nightmare. It never comes up when i am having a nice dream.

[Palmares]

Lucid dreams are quite the interest phenomena.

Does anyone know how psycho-analysis explains this?

I would imagine it would have to have some sort of link with the leaving of REM sleep and the approaching of less such deep sleep. I think it could then be quite logic to assume that any dream that you remember during sleep (as in, when it is happening, not neccessarily be able to recognise it's dream qualities) has a great possibility of becoming a lucid dream.

I am interest though, it what exactly constitutes a lucid dream? Is being aware of it being a "dream" enough? Is it very controlling of the dream(s) itself? Infact, what type of control have people experienced what lucid dreams?

[ComradeChris]

Originally posted by Drake [email protected] 17 2005, 01:02 AM
Probably not. When you lucid dream, you are aware of what you are doing. So if you are lucid dreaming, you would know it.
I recall one lucid dream. And it felt like a video game or something. I just remember running after this guy, while carrying a gun and yelling and swearing at him. THen, in my dream and probably consciously, thought what am I doing. And just stopped running. And just wandered around in this "make-believe" city until I woke up briefly afterwards.

What is talking in your sleep mean? Anything?

[Dyst]

I remember I had it at least once. I was young, and I just walked around in the city or something. But I knew that I was asleep while doing so, it was pretty strange. Afterwards I've thought about it and regret I didn't do anything funny or obscene, as it would be funny as hell knowing it wasn't real... ;)

[robb226]

There have been studies on lucid dreaming. Some experts say that there are recurring dream signs that appear in every dream that you have. If you are aware of what your dream signs are and are able to pick them out in your dreams, your brain will realize that you are dreaming and allow you to do what you want in your dream. The experts say that this could be useful in your day to day life because you can test out solutions to your real life problems to see how they play out in your dream life.

[choekiewoekie]

Well my dream life looks no way like my real life!

[che's long lost daughter]

Hasn't there been a thread about Lucid Dreaming here already? If you want to know more about that, maybe then you can look for that thread in the archives. Well, I often have lucid dreams and I can say that it's really an amazing experience especially sometimes when you can actually control your dreams and take charge of what's happening.

[Des]

I constantly have lucid dreams.. and like ches long lost daughter stated above... its great when you can control your dreams... I do it all the time ^_^ ;)

I also suffer from sleep paralysis - and i say suffer because it happens 5+times each week... im used to it now.. so having something standing over ur bed with a axe dripping in blood isnt all that scary anymore.. lol

[fallen camarade]

A lot of people claim they have a ton of lucid dreams unintentionally. Just to run it by everyone, you don't have unintentional lucid dreams. You may have had them once or twice, as it does happen. However, constant lucid dreams on accident don't happen. It required much thought and practice.

I think the big problem with talking about lucid dreams is that everyone thinks they've had them, while I'd be likely to claim that most of the people that have commented so far have never been fully lucid.

A common question here seems to be based on wondering if there is any proof. The answer is yes. Dr. Steven Laberge from Stanford University did a study a few decades back on lucid dreaming, and his research has taken lucidity from being a pseudo-science to a basic reality. You CAN lucid dream, if you practice.

LaBerge has two major books out on the topic which you should be able to find at any book store. The first one is called "Lucid Dreaming", which is easy enough. The other one...can't remember. It's something something something lucid dreaming. They are both supposed to be chockfull of info on it. I have one, but I haven't read it yet. However, I've read a lot of LaBerge's thoughts on it.

There are some basic ways to train. To be quick, keeping a dream journal is the first and most important step. You have to be able to recall dreams frequently and with as much detail as possible. Much effort is necessary. You then look in your journal after many recordings, and try and find dream signs, or common occurences in your dreams. Then, LaBerge lists a billion and one exercises, especially in the second book, on how to become lucid whenever you please.

There is a distinct difference between lucidity and having some sort of thought in your dreams, and that's where people mess up about lucidity. When lucid, one is 100% aware that not only are they dreaming, but that they are sleeping in bed, in their rooms. They know exactly what is going on in reality, but are capable of knowing that without waking up. This allows you to form a world of your own. You can do whatever you please. That's why it's so great.

I've been trying to train for a while now, but I continue to slack off, or I'll forget to record a dream, or I won't remember the dream at all. It takes a lot of devotion to become a true oneironaut.

[Des]

When lucid, one is 100% aware that not only are they dreaming, but that they are sleeping in bed, in their rooms. They know exactly what is going on in reality, but are capable of knowing that without waking up. This allows you to form a world of your own. You can do whatever you please.

yup.. happens constantly

[ComradeChris]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 08:52 PM

When lucid, one is 100% aware that not only are they dreaming, but that they are sleeping in bed, in their rooms. They know exactly what is going on in reality, but are capable of knowing that without waking up. This allows you to form a world of your own. You can do whatever you please.

yup.. happens constantly
THe time I shared in the forum I was aware I was asleep. It only occured to me that I was asleep after a brief period of time elapsed. When I woke up I was panicked or anything, it was like turning of a video game.

[Theodore Bone]

It's odd all my lucid dreams, were nightmares and I actually told myself to wake up because I couldn't take it.

[guerillablack]

and to the the brainiac who just doubted us who have had lucid dreams. i've repeated, i've had alot in the summer and winter break.

One thing that triggers my to realize it's a dream is elavtors. I once had a dream where i was in a elavtor that crashed all the way down to hell. Once there i peeped under the a crack on the bottom of the elevator wall and seen satan sitting in a floor tub(like scarface) saying bring them to me, my ass woke up! A week or so later i had a dream i was in elavtor again and same thign happened where the elevator had problems(i have fear of elevators) and i said to myself in the dream, damn i had a dream about this before. Now previously i read about lucid dreams and one thing to do is concentrate on the floor or an object because yuou usually wake up when you are untrained. So i concentrated and couple of seconds i was still in elevator. I ripped off the bars off the elevator(for some odd reason unknown), then i flew out the top of the elevator and somehow flew and landed in the lobby. Now this is where it gets crazy, me and my cousin always talked about if we had control of our dreams that we would be monsters. And well this is why we need police! Man, i looked for the first hottie to take advantage of! LMAO. I was walking but somehow i got distracted by someone from my school talking to me and forgetting i was in a dream and went on with the dream.

Last week i had a dream again i was in elevator, and i was like yes this is a dream! But for some reason even though i concentrated i woke up in my bedroom at home. Normal?No, i dorm at school, the hell i am doing waking up at home. I think i somehow knew this and screamed out this is a dream too and wakled and punched a whole through my door and woke up at school. LMAO. One day imma be like this is a dream and try to break or rape something and its gonna be reality lmao!

[HousesOfApollo]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2005, 08:34 PM
and to the the brainiac who just doubted us who have had lucid dreams. i've repeated, i've had alot in the summer and winter break.
That's one of the weird and mystical things about Lucid dreams. It's almost religious in that the people who have them SWEAR that they they're real, while you can't really prove that it happened to other people. It's a %100 introverted experience, difficult to prove yet profound. I believe that I've had a few lucid moments within dreams, but never the full blown full lucidity.

It's pretty cool though, it's like exploiting a very entertaining mind gliche :D.

[Commie Rat]

i had one of when i woke up and went throught what i wouldnormally do in the day all in this dreamthen i woke up tinking it had been a day when i had just woken up from that night :blink:

[deathordeath]

I had many "nightmares" when I was younger and eventually figured out ways to wake myself up. This was only after realizing that they were simply dreams. It's all mental, but some people's minds differ from others so there is no defined thing that will work for everyone.

[guerillablack]

But this is more of, realizing they were simply dreams and realizing you are not in any real harm and being able to manipulate things so you are no longer in danger.