Lucid Dreaming

[Azure Flames 302]

idk if this is wat a lucid dream is but when i was little i would daydream before i go to bed when i fell asleep it would continue and when i woke i would remember it and i would continue it when i went to bed again it was having a 2nd life. but when i turn 12-13 till now (im 20)i cant do that anymore i really want to be able to do it again 

[Sanic Screwdriver 345]

idk if this is wat a lucid dream is but when i was little i would daydream before i go to bed when i fell asleep it would continue and when i woke i would remember it and i would continue it when i went to bed again it was having a 2nd life. but when i turn 12-13 till now (im 20)i cant do that anymore i really want to be able to do it again 

A lucid dream is a dream that you are aware you are dreaming while having it. You can learn to control your dreams and maybe how to continue them. Try googling stuff about these two topics

[Ashley 2,427]

A while back, I was rather intrested in having lucid dreams. I studied about dreams and such, but I never got one until now...

Last night, I remembered two dreams. The first one is very vague to me right now. I can also only remember the first part of the second one. Here's how it went:

I was in my bed. It was kinda weird, because I could see, but my eyes were closed. Not only that, but it was bright... like roughly on par with the sunlight around noon hour. (Which is very odd, because I usually wake up around 6 and it's not very bright.) I think that I saw my iPod, and I was browsing MLP forums. The thought that this was a lucid dream came to me, and I was so excited! But my brain quickly fought back, and I lost control within the next minute or so.

So, that's my story. Anything I should try in hopes of getting another lucid dream?

[Creamy Arty 6,251]

 

I merged your thread on lucid dreaming into this one. Please use the search feature to ensure that a similar or identical topic doesn't already exist before making a new one.

 

Thanks.

[Dashicorn 74]

I have never had a lucid dream.  Well there was this one time where I though i was but it was actually me dreaming about dreaming a lucid dream. Weird right?   I have always wanted to know how to completely control my dreams.

[ActFast231 432]

I have never lucid dreamed before...And I have had dreams that were so scarring that they have a psychological effect on me to this day. I have had sleep paralysis when I was really young. It was quiet scary. I kind of want to try lucid dreaming, although I imagine there being...risks. For one, I am really afraid of losing my sense on reality. Not being to tell dream from reality is a daunting thought for me. And what if I just lose interest in real life? I already have the vague mindset, being a gamer with limited social success (but that's another story) I don't want to lose what little motivation I have left.

I could just be overthinking this. It does sound incredible. And flying in a dream sounds amazing. But I just don't know what the consequences could be. I may just be afraid of the unknown. 

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

I had a lucid dream a couple days ago. I was on my way home from a ski trip, listening to a version of "This Day Aria", arranged by myself. I was thinking about what it would be like to have a pet changeling. As I thought, I felt a warm feeling on my lap, as if something was laying on it. It was a changeling sleeping on my lap. I then began to stroke it gently. I then put my thumb on it wing and it twitched. I then woke up. 

[shy0wl 484]

(Sorry if I messed up the poll, not too sure how to make one/if I did it right/if it is even there)

 

Lucid dreaming is something that I just recently discovered and it immediately sparked my interest.   As far as I know, I guess lucid dreaming is where you are actually aware that you are dreaming and you can tell yourself to do whatever you want in your dream.

 

As fun as it sounds, I also heard that you enter a sleep paralysis during a lucid dream, and you are not able to move.  Also, your spirit actually comes out of your body and demons are able to do whatever they want to you (I don't mean to go against anyone's religious beliefs if I am, this is just what I read)  Many people relate lucid dreams with having demonic encounters and other ghostly things.

 

I don't know that much about it, so basically that's why I am asking this question.  Have you ever had a lucid dream?  If you did, what happened?  What is it like?  Are there really demons that come out or is that just a myth?

[abcdefggggg 34]

I've had a few lucid dreams before. It's really interesting, but I find it's hard to maintain for me once I get everything started up. Mainly just because I'm an anxious person and light-sleeper, so I always tend to wake up and check around...

 

I've had a few experiences with lucid dreaming before (*cough* one may have been clop *cough*), but not more than a few times really. It's really just like having control of everything, and of course it's fun, but it generally doesn't last long for me.

 

And I've never had any experiences with getting sleep paralysis.

I'm also atheist, so I personally don't believe in demons to start with, but I can attest that there are no demons or anything close to it involved with lucid dreaming.

[Quilava 1,290]

I've had two that I can remember, and as far as I know, that thing about demons? complete hoax. I'm not entirely on the contents of the dream, but I do remember the point at which it became lucid.

 

I was in my house and the sky went all grey, I looked outside to see a tornado in the mountains, Since I was still in dream state, of course I felt fear. I left my house and when I got outside, there were tornados everywhere in town. *For some reason ._.* I was being chased by one and something just clicked inside my head...I suddenly remembered falling asleep and didn't bother running. The worst part of this dream...IS THAT I DONT REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE! waste of a lucid...as for the other one, I was barely lucid for a few moments before going back into normal dream state.

 

And I've never had any experiences with getting sleep paralysis.

 

There are two forms (sort of) of sleep paralysis.One is the brains way of protecting the body from any sudden spasms or muscle movements that occur randomly or due to dreams, while sleeping. And another is when you unforturnately wake up from a dream without your brain actually waking up your whole body. It can be scary to some, but sometimes it may just feel like another dream for you.

Edited April 13, 2013 by Lugia

[Tex 88]

Lucid dreams. Well, those sure are a thing.

 

I've had two lucid dreams, one of which ended immediately after I became lucid (no sleep paralysis) and the other ending without me ever harnessing my lucidity to do anything neat. There's a fine line between having a lucid dream and 'harnessing' said dreams with enough prowess to actually take advantage of your awareness. That being said, it's definitely not easy to have a productive lucid dream, at least that's what I've heard and experienced.

 

A proper lucid dream is however, said to be one of the most amazing experiences you can have, but it comes at a high risk. Lucid dreaming can put strain on your mind if abused (and people who are literally addicted to lucid dreaming can develop health issues because of this) and tend to offer very short lived experiences, much like a power star (I hate you, Mario). Of course if you have the patience to train you mind, and the temperance not to become engulfed in the ecstasy of lucid dreaming, it can be fun to take advantage of.

 

On the subject of demons, that's subjective. Demons are evil creatures that prey on your suffering, so technically any horrific visions in a dream could be classified as demons. But there's nothing mythical about it. Any demons you see are completely based on your fears, and by extension are not actually literal demons that are trying to take over your soul (that just sounds idiotic to me). Of course, if you actually believe in the idea of literal demons, then literal demons will haunt your nightmares and possibly your lucid dreams (if you can't control them to the utmost perfection). In the end it's temperance of the conscious mind versus how stubborn your subconscious really is.

 

If you're willing to face your fears and have the restraint to keep yourself from becoming obsessed, it's certainly something to behold.

Edited April 13, 2013 by Tex

[An Old Head 4,815]

I've had many lucid dreams; people say I'm lucky because they come to me naturally without having to prepare anything. The first time I had a lucid dream, I used it to wake myself up because I didn't fancy the setting. As time went on I learnt how to grasp my dreams better; there'd be dreams where I'd realise I was dreaming, but didn't take full advantage of it.

 

The first time I made effective use of lucid dreaming, I was in my classroom at school. I thought "Hey, if this is a dream, I can trash the place and won't get in trouble." Which is exactly what I did; super fun. (It did take a while to pinch myself awake afterwards, though, that was kinda scary! I was thinking "Oh crap, this might not actually be a dream!")
 

My most recent lucid dream was quite a while ago. I used it to be able to fly around. The setting was a waterfall, so I dove up and down it. It was awesome.

 

I'd recommend to anyone interested to get into lucid dreaming. It gets you into your own Wonderland.

[Nature's Spell 526]

I had sleep paralysis once and it was very scary. Yes I did feel a presence and I couldn't move or make a sound-a very odd feeling. I can't remember having lucid dream, which (very simplistic answer) is when you know you are dreaming.

[TheTEChguy27 273]

I've never had a full-on lucid dream, but I get sleep paralysis all the time. It's actually pretty annoying. I get this sudden feeling of pressure on my abdomen, and I can't move a muscle. If I strain hard enough, I can break out of it, but if I stay in paralysis long enough, I start to see and hear things. Gets pretty creepy. Also, when I finally do break out of sleep paralysis, I see a whole bunch of blackish spots on my vision and I have a weird taste in my mouth. Not sure if that's just me.

[Creamy Arty 6,251]

@shy0wl

 

I merged your thread on lucid dreaming with this one. When you have an idea for a thread, try using the search feature beforehand to see if one has already been made.

[Tex 88]

I've never had a full-on lucid dream, but I get sleep paralysis all the time. It's actually pretty annoying. I get this sudden feeling of pressure on my abdomen, and I can't move a muscle. If I strain hard enough, I can break out of it, but if I stay in paralysis long enough, I start to see and hear things. Gets pretty creepy. Also, when I finally do break out of sleep paralysis, I see a whole bunch of blackish spots on my vision and I have a weird taste in my mouth. Not sure if that's just me.

 

Sleep paralysis sounds like a terrifying experience, far more terrifying than any nightmare. A living nightmare, if you will.

 

The fact that you get it all the time seems strange, but a friend of mine has a similar issue which he has yet to solve. I would suggest consulting somebody if you're getting it consistently, I can't imagine the horror that tags along with the disorder.

[Thrashy 2,798]

I've had a few. Getting one to occur was always a major chore for me as I was never one of those "naturals" who just seem to have them every night; I actually had to train myself to have them using reality checks, remembering dream signs, pre-bedtime "sleep programming," and techniques where you set your alarm to wake you up at a certain point into the sleep cycle to help slip into one easier. And even then, I rarely had them.

 

Anyway, to the best of my recollection, the very first LD I ever had was also the most vivid. I had woken up in the morning and decided to try the Wake Induced Lucid Dream (WILD) technique, which is basically just meditation. I controlled my breathing and counted each breath for a good time, until eventually hypnogogic state where my body fell asleep whilst my mind was still focused. I'll copypasta the entry I made in my dream journal for this:

 

The experience of sleep paralysis itself was amazing. As soon as I saw the hypnagogic imagery (just a bunch of random, colored shapes), I continued to focus on it, careful not to attempt to move prematurely. My body started to tingle all over, starting at the toes and working its way up to my head. Then, my whole body started to vibrate, softly at first before intensifying greatly. Strangely, I wasn't afraid or discomforted at all - it was quite a comfortable experience, kinda like sitting in one of those vibrating massage chairs. Before I knew it, I was floating above my bed, spinning around as if I were the bottle in Spin the Bottle, watching my ceiling whirl around and around. I supposed I was in the dream now, so I willed myself to slow down, and it worked; I spun much less slowly. I came to a stop and was able to get down. It appeared to be about 9:00 AM, the same timeframe as I had entered the dream. I went out of my room and into the living room. The light was on, pretty much the same way I had left it when I had gone back to bed (though I didn't see my sister anywhere).

 

I figured I'd test my ability to control stuff. I noticed there was a little doll of some sort hanging from the hallway ceiling, so I willed it to fall down, closing my eyes. I didn't hear a thud, but when I opened my eyes, the doll was on the hall floor. I walked over toward the front door area and glanced over at the cable box to read its digital clock. I can't remember exactly what it read, but I recalled that clocks tend to change in dreams when you look away and look back at them, and so I did just that; sure enough, all the clock had was a 7 in its last digit. I walked back toward the dining room area, looking at the corner by the front door. I willed my best friend Slip to be there, for I felt I had to have him there to "share the experience" so to speak, as asinine as the idea was. It took a couple of tries, but once when I opened my eyes, there he was, standing in that corner. I told him excitedly that I was having my first LD, although he didn't seem too thrilled. He was sort of like "...So what do you want me to do here?" At that point I was considering summoning some more friends so that we could try playing on the Wii, but the dream faded rather abruptly and I woke up.
 

So there you have it, my first ever lucid dream. Clearly, they have nothing to do with demonic powers or anything else claimed by naysayers. It's a great thing to experience if you have the time and patience to try inducing them, but honestly, it's one of those cases of "it's not the destination, but rather the journey" since on your quest to induce LDs, you will inevitably start to remember your ordinary dreams with much better clarity than normal, assuming you even remember your dreams at all. And even ordinary dreams have a tendency to be quite extraordinary, giving rise to great ideas if you're a creative person like myself.

[TheTEChguy27 273]

Sleep paralysis sounds like a terrifying experience, far more terrifying than any nightmare. A living nightmare, if you will.

 

The fact that you get it all the time seems strange, but a friend of mine has a similar issue which he has yet to solve. I would suggest consulting somebody if you're getting it consistently, I can't imagine the horror that tags along with the disorder.

 

Well, the only reason I think I get it is because I never get enough sleep every night. 

And I can normally break out of the paralysis before things start getting really weird. Apparently if you stay in sleep paralysis long enough, and get through all the hallucinations, you'll eventually enter a WILD (Wake Initiated Lucid Dream).

 

I'm too afraid that I'll start thinking of Jeff the Killer or Nicki Minaj while I'm in sleep paralysis to try that. It wouldn't end too well for my eyes or my ears, even if it's not real.

[lobsterbob 22]

I want to be lucid in my dreams pretty badly since I'm a huge escapist and I spend most of my time day dreaming and such. However, apparently one's fears and emotions can get the best of them in a lucid dream and create terrible nightmares. Considering the fact that I'm very depressed, decently morbid and otherwise disturbed, it may not be the best idea.
Not like I'm scared of trying it.

[SCS 7,443]

Lucid dreaming is a fascinating topic, and one that I have been doing a good deal of reading on lately. So far I've been browsing around various internet sources, but I plan to start reading full books on the subject soon. I particularly want to read Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge.

 

The implications - those discovered and those yet to be discovered - are fascinating, and its applications are infinite. Not only is lucid dreaming an excellent source of entertainment, or to take it a step further, a way to live out your unfulfilled wishes, desires, and fantasies, it has many other applications as well. 

 

One application of lucid dreaming is the ability to overcome fears we have in the waking physical reality. This is due to the fact that, from what we understand so far, the brain cannot tell the difference between what you do in a lucid dream, and what you do in the waking physical reality. 

 

One way I plan to apply this idea is by practicing asking out a woman I know in waking life in lucid dreams. From what I have read, dream character versions of real people we know are often surprisingly accurate. So, I could live out various possible outcomes of such a situation in my dreams, over and over again, until I had literally programmed my brain not to be afraid anymore. Then, at some point that would be appropriate, I could try asking her out, and I would have far less fear than I would have without preparing beforehand in a lucid dream. 

 

Another application of lucid dreaming is bettering a skill in the waking world by practicing it in a lucid dream. I am a martial artist, having been in ATA taekwondo for about ten years or so. While I could not build muscle mass by practicing taekwondo in lucid dreams, I could build the mental aspect, which would subsequently improve my taekwondo skills in waking life. 

 

A third example application of lucid dreaming that I find to be especially fascinating is healing of the physical body. One example of this occurring would be a scientist almost entirely healing his infected tonsils in a lucid dream. His thesis for his PhD was on lucid dreaming, so he had taught himself how to do it. At some point in time he got an infection in his tonsils. In his lucid dream, he did something that was indicative of healing. I don't remember what it was. When he woke up, he checked, and the infection in his tonsils was 95% gone.

 

What is even more fascinating to me than that is the ability to heal others in the waking world while you are in a lucid dream. From what I have read, the results are inconsistent, but this has at least partially worked in the past. This, combined with other testimonies involving phenomena such as shared dreaming and subconscious communication form pieces of evidence that truly make one reconsider the nature of reality. If we are able to influence others in the waking world while we are in a dream, regardless of the degree to which we are able to do so, what does that say about the fabric of a dream? What is a dream? What is reality? These are among the questions that I intend to explore.

 

A fourth example application of lucid dreaming is overcoming fear. Remarkably, people have found that becoming lucid in a nightmare presents you with a great opportunity to not only overcome the nightmare, but to learn deep insights about yourself in the process. When you become consciously aware in a nightmare, you should neither run from the frightening aspect, nor should you attempt to fight it. Instead, you should talk to it. More often than not whatever it is that was frightening would turn into something benign, and most likely reveal to you its underlying meaning. One example would be a woman who was having a nightmare in which a pointy monster had grabbed her by her ankles, and was bashing her repeatedly into a wall. At some point during this she became lucid, and asked it why it was doing this to her. Immediately, it stopped, and became childlike in nature. It wrote something down on a piece of paper, and showed it to her. I don't remember exactly what it said, but it was something along the lines of "to love yourself, or to love others." That had been a philosophical problem she had been contemplating earlier that day: whether it was more important to love others, or to love yourself. Apparently some part of her mind was not pleased with whatever conclusion she had reached, or was beginning to reach, so it literally threw a tantrum in her dream in the form of a pointy monster. She reassured it and told it that she still loved it, and it went away.

 

There are many other applications of lucid dreaming as well, such as learning more about yourself and the world. One way of doing so is through communication with dream characters. While sometimes what they say may seem random and nonsensical, what they say can also end up being staggeringly accurate in the waking world once you begin to understand the true meaning behind their words. My guess is that what information you would receive would largely depend upon the nature of the dream characters you encountered. From what I have read so far, there seem to be several different types of dream characters. Some people even think that some of the "characters" they encountered were not at all generated by their own mind, and existed independently of it. This is a complex subject to tackle due to the complex and nuanced nature of the human mind, so I will have to do many thorough and comprehensive explorations in lucid dreams myself so that I can discover what the truth is.

 

For the past week and a half or so, I have begun learning how to lucid dream. First and foremost, one must learn how to remember their dreams - for, if one cannot remember their dreams, what is the point of learning how to become lucid, or consciously aware, in them? One effective way of accomplishing this is keeping a dream journal. Whenever you remember anything from your dream, no matter how small or minor it may seem, write it down. This will help you to remember more of your dreams, and more often. 

 

Secondly, it is important to get into the habit of performing reality checks multiple times every day. A reality check is a moment in which you pause to question the reality of your environment. For some reason there are certain things that the human mind seems to have trouble recreating in the lucid dream environment. One of the most prominent examples would be time: whenever you look at a clock in a lucid dream, it will most likely read in a nonsensical manner, or at least change if you look away from it and look back a few times. So, one example of a reality check you can get into the habit of performing is asking yourself whether or not you are dreaming every time that you look at a clock. Look at the time, look away, and then look back. Repeat that a few times. If there are any nonsensical characters or symbols instead of an actual time, or if the time changes by more than a minute, then you are most likely dreaming. 

 

There are several other reality checks you could also perform. A second example would be stopping periodically throughout the day to ask yourself if you are dreaming. Then, look down at your hands, and count your fingers. Repeat once or twice if necessary. If you have more or less fingers than you should have, and/or if it proves difficult to focus on your hands, then you are most likely dreaming. 

 

In addition to doing these things, there are many other important things to get in the habit of doing in order to learn how to lucid dream. This post is not intended to be a guide explaining everything you need to know to have a lucid dream - I'm new to it myself. If you want to learn how to lucid dream, I recommend looking up guides on the internet. There are many helpful ones out there - just watch out for possible misinformation.

[Winona the Dog 1,981]

Hey guys I'm slowly starting to remember the majority of my dreams and not only that but I can tell when I'm dreaming.

 

Usually when you dream (or at least in my dreams) something usual happens and there's usually a small hint that you can use when you think your dreaming. Simply imagine about something and whatever your thinking about will happen. For an example in my dream (or rather it was a nightmare) Something felt odd about my room so I just imagined the door slamming shut and it did happen(then commence the nightmare with monsters getting me) Another example is when I imagined shape shifting and surprisingly it worked!

 

Anyway I've become a much better lucid dreamer and I've even managed to take control of it every once in a while. The only problem is remaining asleep when you realize your in a dream. 

[Quilava 1,290]

Still trying to lucid dream. I usually have at least one or two dreams every time I lay down for a nap or just sleep in general (fully remembering at least one of them), and yet it has been a while since I've had a lucid dream.

 

The sad part is that my dreams tend to have extremely obvious parts that would make it easy to tell that I am dreaming. I mainly want to be able to lucid dream at will as it can help me with my tulpa.

 

Hopefully something will strike with me soon.

[BlueVeil 40]

I've been thinking for a while now..since I've been dealing with my parent's bullshit..there's really only one place I can have fun in..my dreams. Only one problem, I don't know how to have lucid dreams, I've done many of the things needed but never seem to get the dreams I want, it always ends up on something random or just a nightmare. Can anyone help me achieve my lucid dream?

[SoundRaptured 139]

Lucid dreams are practically impossible to create on purpose. I've read articles saying playing video games a lot helps you recognize alternate realities (yay :3) 

on a side note, not sure if it's helpful, but I've also read that what you're supposed to do when you go to bed is lie still. don't itch yourself or cough or anything, because it's your mind testing to see if your awake. once it realizes that you must not be, you begin to dream. I don't know if that has much credibility but it seems to make sense to me. I tried it once but I couldn't last that long

[H.P. Lance 138]

There are a ton of online resources out there. http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/ Just one of them right there.

 

It's impossible to lucid dream totally at will; you can only maximise your chances of realising you're dreaming through practicing some different techniques religiously. It's not easy and takes commitment, but good luck!

Edited September 15, 2013 by Crystalline HP
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