Lucid Dreaming, is it possible?

[Nanosage]

To bring back this post, I finally did it. I conscientiously fell asleep.

Okay, so to start off, if you guys have ever pushed on your eye lids, just to see weird shapes, then you know. But if you do that for long enough, there is a wavy, gray, black, and white collage of waves that you see. If you haven't done this, try it and you will see what I mean. Just close your eyes, and push on your eyelids. Ignore the pain, and after awhile you will see what I am talking about.

Anyways, so I saw that. And then after I saw that, I saw my computer screen. Perfect. Clear as day. And then I looked at my hands and they were all starry and what not. And I thought, "Wow, I can't believe I actually did it!" Then I tried to make a pizza appear in my hands.. I always try that first for some reason. Mainly because pizza is just the shit.. Anyways, nothing happened.. I mean I kinda saw the pizza, but not really.. Kinda like how when you imagine something, you don't really 'see' it, but you kinda do. I saw it in that way. And then I was thinking, this is BULLSHIT.. I know that I am dreaming.. So I just sat there and went onto 'notepad' on my computer and typed in 'pizza' and sure enough.. One popped right onto my keyboard.. Then when I started eating it, I woke up because I accidentally bit my tongue. FML. In fact I told myself that if I did that I wouldn't excite myself out of it.. But I didn't do that.. So I must be doing something right eh? Lol I just gotta get passed the first stage I guess.. I don't really know.. But I can only find out myself, can't I?

 

[cloak]

For me its as easy as splitting my sleeping pattern into 4 hours at night and 4 hours in the afternoon.. interesting things begin to happen as I drift to sleep at these times ie. I know I am asleep yet I looking around the room still, waves of electricity rush up and down your spine, there are other strange figures present (scary at first), I can stand up and walk or drift around the room.

When I wake up only a few minutes have past from when I was trying to sleep.. sometimes I have to go to sleep with the TV on to actually stop them from happening in order to sleep..

 

[IJesusChrist]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-control-dreams&page=3
Very interesting article on dreems

 

[ophiuchus]

breaking your natural circadian rhythm is not good for your health (long term). cool article

 

[bruceschild]

I have been able to lucid dream easily for as long as I can remember, which is as far back as grade 3, and I didnt know that it was really anything interesting or special about it until I became aware of the amount of people TRYING to do it

 

[ophiuchus]

hehe. i learned to fly my first time when i was about 8. all i did was make the feeling in my gut, and then lift my feet off the ground. i floated in indian style indoors. then i went outside but it was too many variables to control getting myself outside lucidly and so i woke up. future attempts were already outdoors so i just took off. it took me a while to have another lucid dream though where i could fly again, after that first one. one can't get discouraged.

 

[Schwanke668]

Here is what you need to do:

Every 30 minutes. I mean EVERY 30 minutes, pinch yourself to make sure you are awake. Look at your hands whenever possible - this will make you realize if you are awake or dreaming. (sounds weird right now, I know).

Before you go to bed;
Meditate, eat fatty foods, especially turkey and things that contain tryptophan.
I, personally, have gotten very close to going into sleep consciously, my dreams 'start' yet I am still awake... but shortly they stop and I 'drop' back into my body, so to speak.
What helps is imagine a dream, go with the flow, start yourself off in a story, and let your mind wander... if you are consciously contructing the story, you're not close to dream world, but once things start to 'take over' much like psychodelics do, you will feel yourself becoming the dream. Personally I believe this is DMT and other tryptamines in the brain being released.

You can also listen to very soft electronica, psychodelic, or soothing music before bed, lowest volume to hear, and try to imagine yourself in the music. This will allow a greater chance to dream, however to become lucid, you need a mechanism to realize you are dreaming - which is the pinching yourself or the looking at your hands. If you program yourself to do this often enough, you will automatically do it in the dream, and it will become apparent that you are dreaming. Now... You are lucid.

The hands thing is how I first had my first lucid dream back in highschool I think it was, maybe early college. I was in this big open area and I thought to myself. Hey. I think I'm dreaming. And I looked down at my hands and I began to 'wakeup' (as in out of the dream) and so I focused very carefully on staying in the dream and staying conscios and I just barely pulled through.

As you get better at lucid dreaming you can also get into dream control. I noticed in my lucid dreaming days that to greater or lesser degrees I could control my environment from flying to creating things out of thin air.

At one point when I was doing this on a regular basis I created for myself a workshop. The workshop had shelving on one part and a work bench wrapped around me like a U and out one end went into 'the play area' and out the other end off a side hallway went to the 'club'.

The shelving was where I kept my 'parts' for whatever I was working on in that dream. Might be body parts, or gears, whatever.

The club was standard issue with a dias and a microphone and tables and salt and pepper shakers (lol).

The point to all of this is how vivid it was to me but also how whenever I realized that I was lucid dreaming I was able to return to this place consciosly and then create things, often out of thin air purely by will and travel to other dream areas through the doorway into 'the play area'.

Lucid dreaming when you get really good at it is a blast. Its kind of like having your own personal virtual reality. The only down side was for me I never got any restful sleep so I had to stop doing it because it got addictive and I was getting more and more tired every day.

 

[ophiuchus]

interesting, i've heard a couple people say now that, the more vivid and involving their dream was, the less REST they actually got... this is curious to me as i've had some pretty damn vivid dreams, but never noticed the waking energy associated with it like that...

 

[dirk.bruere]

Extract from my book:
http://www.neopax.com/technomage/

Induction techniques - These are:

• Dream Recall
The simplest way to increase the number of lucid dreams is to make a point
of remembering each dream on awakening. ...

• Reality Testing
In dreams all kind of bizarre things happen, and we accept them as
somehow being normal. As we have seen, the unconscious can quite easily
persuade even normal waking consciousness to ignore strange, unexpected
or inconsistent phenomena so it should not come as a surprise that this is
even more pronounced when the conscious mind is totally shut down.
However by deliberately testing for a particular inconsistency on a regular
basis during the waking state, say by testing every hour or so, this pattern
can quite often be carried over to the dream state where the anomalies will
hopefully be so unexpected that it triggers a lucid state. One of the
commonest techniques is to look at a section of text, look away, and see
whether the text has changed. If it has, you are dreaming.

• Mnemonic Induction
Mnemonic induction is a complex name for a fairly trivial procedure, which
is simply to state the intention to have a lucid dream before, or as, one goes
to sleep.

• Wake Initiated Lucid Dream
The Wake Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD) procedure starts by waking after
about 5 or 6 hours. Normally REM sleep occurs during the latter part of the
sleep cycle and it is this that is associated with lucid dreaming. After waking
the idea is to stay conscious until dream imagery starts to form during the
hypnogogic state. It is at this point that control over the state should be
attempted by guiding the content of the imagery as far as possible. It should
be noted that this is not a method for those people who cannot get back to
sleep easily once they have awoken. If the opposite is true and there is a
tendency to slip into unconsciousness a mild stimulant can be taken, usually
caffeine or Theobromine, found in chocolate. In this case one has to stay
awake long enough for the drugs to take effect, usually after about half an
hour.

• Cycle Adjustment
Cycle adjustment needs a bit more discipline. It requires that the person
wakes about 90 minutes earlier than normal until their sleep cycle starts to
adjust to the new time. They then alternate awaking earlier and at the
normal time. This results in the body being ready to wake while still in the
sleep state, and hence increasing the chance of lucidity.

• Nap Induced Lucid Dream
Nap induction is similar but no attempt is made to return to sleep until 1 or
2 hours have passed.

• Reward and Punishment
Reward and punishment are fairly crude reinforcement methods that are
simple to apply. If you have a successful lucid episode then explicitly reward
yourself, preferably with something that offers an immediate pleasure, such
as food. On the other hand, if the attempt at lucidity fails then create a
punishment that is just as basic, for example pain, or a cold shower.

• Machine Induction
Machine induction is the most technically complex of the techniques, but
also one of the most effective. Typically it relies on REM sleep being
detected, either by electrical or infra-red signals from a light emitting diode
being modulated by the eye movement, and a sensory input being created.
This is generally either a flashing light, a sound or a vibration that will
usually be incorporated into the dream to signal the dreamer that they are
dreaming. Such devices can be small enough to be attached to a headband,
although there is a risk of dislodging it as the sleep state progresses. Another
method is to use binaural tones to induce a deep theta brainwave state
which holds the user in a hypnogogic state partway between sleep and
consciousness. While not technically lucid dreaming this can be viewed as a
practice conducive to developing the mental focus required for it, and is a
valuable trance technology in its own right, as discussed elsewhere.

• Drugs and Supplements
The list of various drugs and supplements which are conducive to lucid
dreaming is so long as to be almost useless. Indeed, it may well be that
taking one of them triggers a placebo effect unrelated to the chemical itself.
However, at its crudest one can use stimulants and depressants, ...

 

[Nanosage]

Hehe, I have a pretty funny story about WILD lucid dreaming that happened this weekend. So I was at my dads house, and my room is in the storage room there, since I'm only there every other weekend. He's not a bad parent for putting my room in there or anything it was my choice I just didn't want to sleep upstairs with babies.. But anyways, the computer room is right next to that storage room and all the doors were opened. So its 3AM or something and my dad is still awake on the computer. I try to go wild because I woke up from already sleeping, and when I tried it got really intense when I was falling, I failed at going into it because I made this just LOUD orgasm noise.. I dont even know why.. It wasn't like it was pleasurable or anything, I just needed to let something out for some reason, and he walks in and asked if I was jacking off.. fml. What was I even supposed to say to him? lmao, I told him the situation and he just said 'yeaahhh sureeee you gross mother fucker' and then he laughed his way upstairs.. But god damnit.. Thats embarrassing..

Anyways, I haven't been able to do it in awhile.. I kinda did this morning, I tried and and saw like outlines of my room even though my eyes were closed and then there was a giant pair of boots next to my bed.. But thats about it since the last post I put on here.. I really need to work on this more

 

[Schwanke668]

As a random mention I always used flying as a trigger to go lucid from a normal dream. I knew that I couldnt fly in real life so when I caught myself flying I would think OH thats right. And then try and look at a part of my body (usually my hands) and go lucid. Took a lot of practice to look at my hands and not wake up. Still dont know why looking at your hands does the trigger but if you think about it 90% of the time in normal dreams its all kinda from a movie camera perspective. Snippits and tidbits of film changing speed and cutting in and out. Not really a 'flow' sometimes yet when I went lucid I would tend to stay in the same scene or there wouldnt be any 'cutting' it would just kind of morph or flow to the next place though sometimes in strange ways. (Like opening up my shop door and being on the moon kind of thing.)

 

[Rubicon]

Me and a couple of friends have been experimenting with Datura for the last coupla months... Is it still lucid dreaming if you sometimes forget that you are dreaming? Cause I have always heard that lucidity means you know that you are dreaming. :roll:

 

[Bastiaan]

Yeah lucidity does mean you know you are dreaming, but with datura i am no expert so I couldn't really comment on that.
Didn't read the whole topic but I used to experiment with dmt effects on lucid dreaming (varying ingestion types, dosage, time of ingestion etc. , with or without MAO inhibitor, dmt has no effect when taken orally without maoi but perhaps it does on lucid dreaming), as I know supposedly dreaming has a lot to do with pineal gland and dmt.
Sadly I had to interupt my research in it's total beginning stage for bs reasons but hope to continue some point.
There's research being done and research has been done on it in the past, undoubdetly links have been posted.
I have never had trouble accomplishing lucid dreams.
I've had some lucid dreams all my life and when getting into it very quickly managed to have 10+ a night.
The trouble with me isn't so much getting in there, it's directing them and not dropping out unwantedly.
Rubbing hands together has always worked best for me at moments where the threat of loss of lucidity and/or waking is present.
Anyways, with me it seems the quality of lucid dreams is very dependant upon the quality of waking life, sadly.
(Are they leaving you to live in peace and comfort, no they're not, nowhere near).
Best moments of lucid dreaming for me have been those where I become lucid when already engaged in an awesome activity of some kind.
It's potential would be very great, as time in dreams moves much slower (I think it's something like an hour in a dream is 5 minutes of sleep or sth).
Though when I was practicing I could remain in dreams more and more colourful for a longer and longer amount of time, to me it is something to research in a different kind of world if that ever comes, or perhaps if I ever decide to become a hermit or something.

 

[ophiuchus]

Anyways, with me it seems the quality of lucid dreams is very dependent upon the quality of waking life

this is an interesting correlation i've noticed as well. different factors affect this as well. depending on how active my life has been, my dreams will be more random, diverse, full, and vivid as well. needless to say, i like to keep moving. :wink:

 

[BrainEater]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: lucid dreaming is so fascinating really... lol i love dreams... how they can get so absurd but still funny and entertaining... often it's hard for me to remember the dreams though, because when you start to think about it it all just doesn't really seem to make any sense but sure it can be interesting how it doesn't make sense...
what i found an interesting thing to ponder about was the "possible" difference between the dreamer and the dream...
you can learn a lot about yourself, like that... like theories of relativity... LOL...
:lol: :lol: :lol:

to the guy with the datura question: i would say it's still a difference "when" you know or not that you are dreaming...
sometimes maybe you only realize it some while after the dream...
what you are saying (forgetting that you are dreaming), means to me that you got lost, lost touch with reality... something like that and yeah that's basically what datura is like, right??
well the only benefit i see in forgetting that you are dreaming is conditioning your mind with something being normal or
not , whatever that may be lol.... but maybe there could also be other benefits of which i haven't thought yet...
or maybe you could look at it in an even deeper way....
or see it like that: to forget to dream could mean that something takes your attention or energy so much
that you don't have time/energy/whatnot to dream or follow your dreams= finding your true self/being etc etc = you are possibly blinded/blind "symbollically", whatever that may mean lol = something is possibly holding you back etc etc etc... as i see it, if it's like that, then yourself is often the greatest opponent in the process of self-realization.. something like that...
or lol i just thought of another possibility... it could mean that you don't want the dream to stop = to wake up..
i hope any of that makes any sense lol... it's only my speculation ok?? :lol: 8) 8)


peace

 

[johnscarbrough]

Lucid dream is realistic and vivid.It is scientifically established.It is first introduced by Frederik (Willem) van Eeden a Dutch psychiatrist and writer.Basically lucid dream means a special kind of dream where one aware of another is dreaming.In this type pf dream the dreamer can exert some participation in the dreaming environment.Is not it interesting?

 

[Blacksnaik]

Yes it's possible.

These herbs can help

Sweet Gale (myrica Gale/Bog Myrtle) Take the tea before bed

Guayusa - The best! Take when you are very sleep depribed. Can cause you to astral project as well. Mix it In Ayahuasca to keep you more aware during your trip.

Calea zacatechichi . Takes a day or 2 to kick in

Silene capensis (African dream root) Very good. Takes a few days to work. Take first thing in the morning.

 

[BrainEater]

maybe the question is: what do you perceive yourself as and why?? and how you can see yourself or what/who you think are??
well it could be said other beings can act as mirrors, or you could see it like this and maybe for some obscure factors or reasons,
some would reflect more of yourself or who/what you think you are and some less.

maybe it's also interesting to note, that dreams are within, just like god is said to be within and god is also referred to
as the unmanifested, because the attempt to describe the undescribable "could" be a misguidance of some sorts?
but then again, in a certain way even misguidance could be seen as a form of guidance, but i guess it would imply that you
knew that you were misguided.

as far as i can see, dreams are very much a guiding element or even function or so...
it's like dreams are when we make something bigger out of ourselves... so we can use them to get to know ourselves/our true self better...

have you ever thought of the possibility that time could be basically like sleep? like a higher intelligence observing in some way or other what it could be or what's goin on (with itself?)... ... and maybe in some sense like that, we do create our own time, depending on the degree of mental imprisonment or not????
the question is would a higher intelligence always see everything as itself and/or just that what it's observing??




peace

 

[far-off]

http://www.facebook.com/thecuriousworld ... erefriends

 

[IamYou]

I didn't read through all the posts, but I wanted to throw my 2 cents in. Lucid dreaming is absolutely one of my favorite experiences on the planet. I guess I'm lucky because i do it quite often and treat it as a divine gift. I've read up on techniques to help induce the state, but it happens so frequently that I haven't pursued these. The best part about it is stopping mid dream and saying...I'm lucid dreaming RIGHT NOW. I can do whatever I want. Literally creating universes and flying through them. I won't get graphic here, but doing "things" with my imaginary dream women...and lots of them lol. Anything is possible. It is absolutely magic. Something I've noticed...if I happen to wake up during the dream I can enter directly back where I was if I fall back asleep within a few minutes.