Can you wake up inside your dreams?
Lucid dreaming - the ability to become conscious and realise you are dreaming, in the middle of a dream - is an ability that has been known about for thousands of years. Its not an easy technique to learn, but it sure is amazing. I was wondering if any of the readers of this site have experienced it before? How did it feel? Can you do it regularly? If so, any tips for how to achieve it regularly?
Please let me know your thoughts by clicking on the comments section below:
posted by Darren @ 3:59 PM
69 comments
69 Comments:
I have had this happen a few times.. It feels more real then your Phyical life. I just willed up what ever I wanted the dream to be about. It was short lived. but I will never foget it. If I could do it anytime, I would.
hum......well I do have the ability to wake up and command myself to go back into the same dream I was having if it was a good one and I want to go back and "finish" it. haha. I have experienced lucid dreaming a few times......but doubt I really have much control over it as of yet so no real good advice I can offer. I have noticed when I focus my attention and desires to WHAT I want to achieve.....(like if I want to GET OUT of the dream) I go.
I originally studied "Lucid Dreaming" in the 1970s. There was research being done at Stanford U (California). I practised the techniques which WORKED wonderfully well. I have continued to use Lucid Dreaming ever since and taught my own son to do the same. It works. I am not familiar with the ancient forms-but it stands to reason simply because most of the things re-presented now are from the ancients. Unfortunately much has been lost from those times! Darren is on track!!!
I am able to accomplish Lucid dreaming by a gentle reminder when I prepare for sleep, that I will be dreaming and keep myself mindful of this situation...
ive done it about a thousand tomes and stil havne't learned how to control it by the way im 13 years old and im a very good phycic idid the test and apparently im a very talented phicic i just would like to here your comments on me being such a young age with what i can do
it as happned to me alot i havent figured it out it amazing because if you have full control over your mind you can be anything go any were and do the impossible
Hi, this is Ramanda from the US
I have lucid dreams a few times every month; they usually come after a pattern of daytime events, basic example: Mon. I come upon a minor crisis or epiphany, Tue. I start contacting the people involved to find out all the details or discuss what's going on, Wed. I make a few basic plans to fix it, Fri. and Sat. I work on fixing it, Sun. I have a dream either with something in my past that had the same emotions or one about what actually just happened - but both are usually covered in a lot of symbolism and metaphors. I can usually tell a few days ahead of time that I'm going to have a lucid dream, I just feel it - almost like I can tell you ahead of time it's going to storm because my knees are stiff. Most of them come in the early morning closer to the time I wake up.
Most people think that lucid dreaming is like the ability to sing - you're either born with it or not; but I don't agree. All the lucid dreamers I've met (there have been lots of discussions about dreams in general) are very aware of themselves emotionaly and mentally. Most of them look forward to, and have a strong decision to dream every night and remember their dreams when they wake up. In talking, our concensus is that on the least level our dreams give us better perspecitve into our lives/situation, and on a higher level helps us settle ourselves emotionally about them. Some of us have even noticed that we use things/people we've encountered in our dreams to solve problems in 'real life'. I remember once my best freind was sleeping over in junior high and we talked about her having stressful dreams about her boyfreind just before we turned in. When I told her that once the problem appears in the dream I can usually react and manipulate what's going on, she said she wanted to try and do that. The next morning she told me she'd had a very intense dream where she realized she was dreaming and reacted, fixing the situatoin just before she woke up. This makes me beleive even more that people who make a desicion to be aware of their dreams, or react in their dreams can become lucid dreamers.
Well...I'm not sure what it was...imaginary, or real...I remember dreaming and then suddenly becoming overwhlemed with a sense of fear, for no reason and I was aware that I was dreaming...I remember looking over to my right and seeing a fiery hand grab my shoulder...everything was so clear lucid. And I felt a pressure upon my chest, heavy and I couldn't move, I remember physically trying...but nothing...it felt as if there was a presence, I was scared at first, but then remembered about this very thing having happened to other people in books...so I calmed myself and dealt with this 'entity' of the mind? And banished it. The whole thing couldn't have lasted for more than 30 seconds...but it felt sooo much longer...
In college I lived next to a freeway and the sound of passing traffic was a constant. Waking or sleep I heard it so it was my anchor to the so called real world. Often I'd take naps mid day and find myself on an adventure, full aware that I was asleep. I recall distincly being aware of three selfs. The me in the dream, the me watching that me, and my physical self in bed aware of it all. I would think the constant sound of the freeway traffic was a link between here and there as I have not had them regularly since I've lived in that apartment. The most powerful experience of all, I dreamed I read a line from a book I had never heard of. I saw my finger running the page in the book. "I rise on wings of hope and optimision to new planes of consciousness where all my dreams come true" was the line I read. Six months after this dream a random series of events led me to a photo copy sheet of paper my brother brought home from a trip to chicago. I had tossed it to the trash cleaning up, the next morning my mom went to the trash to dig it out. I found it sitting on the table and it was the page I read in the dream. Truly a sinchronous moment and words to live by.
I have experienced this frequently, yet I've not discussed it much. For over 30 years (beginning with one particular dream of being sent here from another dimension) I have had dreams in which I've traveled to "other places"; in other dreams I've received "instructions" some specific about my life, and frequently in dreams I've met and talked with others. In all of these dreams my consious mind is aware that this is a dream, yet I'm unable (or unwilling) to stop it. I've also frequently experienced the sensation of movement during these dreams as well as being aware of leaving my body. I would welcome any chance to discuss my dreams (many of which I've written down). Once I experienced dreams within a dream, a very strange sensation. My e-mail is cburton1@uhcougars.com
Hey. Ive read about this in other books about self-hypnosis. I Haven't really tried to do it, but I believe I have experienced lucid dreaming twice in the past few months. Both times were taking a nap around 2pm. I actually "lost" both of them, I think in one I got surprised and awoke and in the other one someone woke me. The experience itself was feeling "Gosh, where am I, I never saw this place before" but I saw people I knew and consciously chose where I was walking around. I would definitely like a technique to be able to do this regularly.
I have never woke up inside a dream. However, I have "willed" myself to come out of a dream, wide awake, and continued to hear the character's voice who spoke to me in the dream. Also, when thinking about what was communicated to me in the dream, I could actually hear the voice confirm my thoughts as it traveled from my bedroom. This came as the result of prayer.
I have dreamed a few times to the advantage of my life. That is, I prepare very intensely a desire, and after centering on it for a very long time, a dream transpires. Then the situation I desired takes place, sometimes after a period of time. A very sharp friend of mine called this a "Real Dream." I am not sure if it is the same thing as you talk about. It might or might not be the same.
One, I am not aware of dreaming these dreams during the dreams. Two, the sensation is bigger than life, very romantic and passionate the way love is, or war is.
I lucid dream every night. I've been able to for more or less the last 10 years (on and off).
My method, the one I have always used and always get results with is to religiously believe you WILL have a dream when you go to sleep. You find you do. Then when you wake up, the most important thing to do is to write the dream down. Miss one, and you'll lose out on between 2 and 4 days of dreams.
When I lucid dream, I can see, touch, taste, smell and hear everything as if it was real.
My most incredible lucid dream was when I was asleep in a car, and I dreamt I was asleep in the car, woke up because my phone got a text. I read the text, then put the phone down. Then I woke up in the real world, picked up my phone and had one unread text. It was exactly the same text message (word for word) as in the dream. I've never been able to replicate that.
Oh, and if you lucid dream daily, you'll realise that it's not just a world more real than ours, it's a whole world of it's own.
I have control over most of my dreams, and if awoken during one can usually bring it back in some way shape or form. The house I would love to build has been built in some of those dreams, and problems solved with a few people in some. I Love being able to fly the way I do, and to breathe underwater when I swim. Only in dreams. Peace.
Thanks for the responses everyone. Truly fascinating. Our dreams are clearly a whole other word of consciousness for us to explore, and hold the possibility for experiencing levels of freedom that we can rarely experience in our waking life!
I've had a few Lucid dreams over the years. I can remember one very clearly. I was standing in the middle of a forest clearing, with the sunlight coming down through the trees, and suddenly I realised it was a dream, and that everything around me was being created by my own thoughts. At that moment everything became very sharp and vibrant to look at. Of course, we can have better vision in our dreams as we don't have to look at things through our imperfect eyes! Also, we tend to experience more intense emotions in our dreams. I think its got something to do with dreams being a way for us to deal with emotions that we never/couldn't deal t with in our waking state.
Of course, in our waking state we are constantly taking in more information than we are consciously aware of. The unconscious part of our mind can absorb many thousands of times more info than we consciously can. So one of the things that fascinates me is the possibility that we could tap into that power in a Lucid dream. For example, it might work something like this: In your lucid dream you imagine you are sitting in a room with all your heros, or people you would most love to meet. And you have a conversation with them, and ask them all sorts of questions. I wonder what your unconscious mind would think up!? I think it could be pretty amazing.
I've woken up several times in dreams and it's very cool. But, I've never planned to do it and wouldn't know how. Yes, I'd be interested in learning more about it.
I've been reading up a lot on this lately and I'm starting to try and teach myself how to do it. I achieved it the other night, but I was only sleeping very lightly and the dream wasn't very clear, then I woke up.
I definitely think that starting to pay more attention to your dreams, and writing them down as soon as you wake up (otherwise they are usually quickly forgotten) is an important start to it.
i always seem to have that happen to me. i'm only 13 so it kinda just gets in my way for school. it just leaves me tired and annoyed. the feeling seems very cool though. i just wish i could control it.
The other thing (as some people have mentioned) is that there is a third state, which is not quite being fully awake, but is not fully asleep either. In this state you tend to think that you are awake, but you are still experiencing dreamlike elements. And they seem totally real. For example, I think out of body experiences fall into this category. I had one about 5 or so years ago. I was laying in bed one morning, just before getting up, and suddenly I found myself looking down on my bare back. It wasn't like something you imagine, it was absolutely crystal clear real (in fact MORE than real vision - similar to what I was saying earlier about lucid dreams). I looked down upon myself for a while, then I felt myself move towards the window. Suddenly I was moving VERY fast out the window and fast-fast-fast, I could hear the air wooooshing past me. It seemed totally real. Then I was back in my bed again. I never quite had a full experience like that again, but I almost did once. I was laying in bed one night and I could feel myself moving sideways out of my body, but I never went fully out. The sensation was acompainied by a ringing sound in my ears. So perhaps due to some kind of weird electrical pattern going on in my temporal lobes? Who knows really!?
Another time I was laying in bed in a hotel one night, slowly drifting off to sleep, but still aware of myself in the bed. Gradually I became aware of the sound of a little dog in the room, and he started running around the bed, panting. I could hear him quite clearly.
I took a class on Lucid Dreaming in High school. There are quite a few books on the subject. The technique we used in class to begin was to actively write down your dreams each morning. This seemed to help open the door to realizing the difference between dreaming and waking states while in a dream. Granted it has been almost 2 decades since I've had a Lucid Dream, but as I remember, it worked.
I have had a number of lucid dreams. The trick seems to be in strongly intending to become lucid before you sleep. Stating your intention out aloud or repeating it over and over as you 'go under' helps. Another trick is to insist on staying aware as you fall asleep. This is not very easy to achieve but can be done. It requires great concentration but is worth the effort. You can stay conscious right through the process of falling asleep and entering dream. You may also, by this method, pick up a spontaneous out of body experience.
The thing most fascinating to me about the whole lucid dream-world is the super reality of the experience. How is it that one can achieve a full blown, highly satisfying orgasm without real physical contact? How is it that dream water is really wet and can be drunk, dream food can taste wonderful, infact the best jam tarts I have ever eaten were in a lucid dream! Actually that goes for the sex too. Since a complete sensory experience seems to be in the mind I have no problem at all with the idea of life of this sort after our physical death.
I would advise anyone awakening in a dream, to stop and hop out of the adventure for a moment to really examine their surroundings. Turn away from the action (unless it's really fun, of course) and you will find a perfect, and I mean PERFECT copy of the real world down to the most minute detail.
I have found that although I have a choice about what I am going to do in a dream I can't alter its theme. Other charachters appearing in it also seem to have their own agendas and cannot be made to conform to my wishes though some may be persuaded. I sometimes wonder whether our dreams are actually shared experiences and whether some of these charachters may actually be other dreamers.
i practice lucid dreaming regularly using a variety of techniques, many which i was recently delighted to find thouroughly documented by Dr Stephen LaBerge ph.d.
My prefered method involves falling asleep whilst remaining conscious, i find it by far the most reliable and engaging technique.i also find that i gain a great deal of benefit from remaining an observer to my dreams, both are abundant source of inspiration and understanding :)
yeah ! i have woke up inside my dreams couple of times. It usually happens to me when i study late night and go to sleep. I usually find myself infront of book or a newspaper. Although the pages look organized (with headings and paragraphs) when i try to read it "words" and "sentence" simply doesnot make any sense. Thats when i realise i am in a dream.
Thats interesting. So it seems we often can't read in dreams. Another thing I think is hard to do in a dream is walk into a dark room and turn the light on. I think the mind finds it too hard to suddenly create a whole room out of darkness in a split second. So often if you enter a dark house at night in a dream, you will find yourself unable to turn the lights on! And you may panic and it may turn into a nightmare! That has happened to me before!
I've also heard that if you look at your watch in a dream, look away, then look back at it, it will show a totally different time.
yeh, apparently electrical devices dont work too well in the dream state. i guess they are too ridigly regimented systems to be consistantly maintained?
although obviously, our world is an apparently infinite series of systems within systems, electrical devices, being automated and independant of many of the fundemental principle on which organic matter depend or rather they depend heavily on a uniform principle of operation and seem to refuse to persist in their regulated mechanical patterns when recreated by and organic imagination (or some junk)
(same with text, its inorganic) and also light levels in general not just those operated by switches. try it next time :)
Nothing conceited, but this is easy as pie for me. The key is staying aware into the transition into sleep. This may need interpretation to your specific life. I suppose you could mail me on questions and such, KarlKruger@Hotmail.com
I believe it's physically impossible to know that your in a dream!
what did that bloke just say ^^^^^?
dreaming doesn't involve a great deal of your physical self any way m8, thats kinda on stand-by when u sleep :P
Well, I think if you havent experienced it yet, its very hard to believe its possible!
You Know,
I have read things in my dreams and I've worked electrical appliances that I dreamed about and I have had moments were I knew I was dreaming, which gives a level of comfort that makes it more possible to control your dreams.
But I also think that some dreams are more than just playing in your head late at night.
I think some dreams are glimpses into alternate realities and other places that our Other Self visits for one reason or another.
I've had dreams where I had long thorough conversations with people, and then wake up with new information.
I've had several dreams where I had to help someone out of dangerous situations, and vice versa.
I have on several ocassions, done special experiments to see how long I could stay in these "other worlds" in an attempt to achieve what I can best call "transdimensional travel".
To be honest, my primary reason in joining this group is to find a way to achieve "transdimensional travel through the mind" and thus achieve true freedom.
True Freedom, meaning the freedom to go anywhere, and become anything I desire.
I believe the Universe, or some Higher Power, is guiding me to my goal, which is how I came here.
I also believe I amvery close to achieving my goal, because I have this group, other groups, access to information about my goal, and time to research and uderstand what I'm trying to achieve.
Thanks For Your Time.
eternity_infinity
This is a technique that I have been able to do since childhood, though I did not know what it was. I have even pulled people into my dreams so that they could wake me up, especially if it was of a dark nature and upon thier waking they shared the experience with me. There are times that my physical body will feel heavy, times where the dream will cross into reality where it is as though I am looking at my room while being active in the dream. I astral project as well which is quite the journey. I have helped others become conscious while dreaming by using breathing techniques, body focus, repetitive thoughts while falling asleep etc. Dreams have such symbology and deep meaning that I recommend everyone interested to attempt the experience, it is well worth the effort!!
I've had one really awesome lucid dream and a few kind of scary outer body experiences. I've been writing my dreams down for the past year hoping to wake up in them more often. I would love to learn some technique to continually have lucid dreams.
I have lately become alot more lucidly aware of my dream state and know it is a dream but have been unable to control the dream content. This has happend for me only after i experienced drug induced Psycosis. For the record i am now drug free. =)
I am a very vivid and active dreamer, I have had a few really amazing lucid dreams...
My first I came aware in a dream at first I felt a deja vu effect.\
Anyway I am in this 3rd floor apt. building I fall out the window and I realize the landing is going to really hurt so I float myself like a feather and land upon a mattress.
I was wowed by this dream.
The most significant dream I became aware I was dreaming yet knew I would not wake until 4pm when my bestfrind would ring my phone...In the dreaming I am WALKING WITH THIS CHINESE MAN IN AN AMAZING YELLOW ROBE...
I am feeling a devoutness about our walk the streets are empty the wind blows and he hands me peanuts says eat these they are good for you.I continue to follow him because I know he has a message for me. There are leaves blowing gently across the streets and walkway. Again I am so serene, The man walking just in front of me turns and hands me a hamburger. he says nothing just turns and leads me...I take a bite of the burger and I look down and see a mans severed hand between my burgers buns. I am appalled shocked I want to wake and can not...The man turns saying " Did I tell you to eat that?" I thinking whaa? Suddenly the scene changes and we see this amazing chinese castle, standing in a praire of green grass..
Finally we reach the castle and by the door beside a bush I see a man laying bleeding missing his hand. My phone rings it is 4pm and I am awake and It is my bestfrind Misty...I have not eaten meat since the dream,,,I don't expect I EVER WILL AGAIN.
I have awoke in the morning and been able to go right back to sleep and have limited control of my dream, limited yes, but unbelievably powerful! Recently, on vacation, I was in an unplesant dream, I consciously knew I was asleep so I forced myself to wake up...ONLY TO WAKE UP IN ANOTHER DREAM...outside the house I was staying in, but it was under construction, people were throwing chunks of lumber at me! I still knew I was in the dream(and it felt like the 3 selves K_M_F_J mentioned. And I knew I tried to wake myself up from the first dream, only to be put in this much more scary dream, and I had limited control, but very limited, and I could not wake myself up...then I woke up becuase my cell phone was on vibrate and I was sleeping on it...You better believe I thanked my friend on the other line...Peace
I have been able to lucid dream since I was a child. As an adult, I am always aware that I am dreaming. Over the last few years, I have been practicing meditating and have moved on to practicing hindu mantras as a means to strenghthen my vibrations. On more than one occassion, I have been studying and/or reading various articles/books to learn more about the chakras, and energy systems and if I still had questions when I went to bed, I was always met by David, who I have come to beleive is my guardian angel who explained everything in such detail. One dream in particular occurred last year. I work for a non-profit health organization as their HR Director. I have the uncanning ability to know when there are going to be massive changes. One particular night, I dreamed I was sitting on this cloud talking to David. I was told that I was going to lose 4 of my employees. I was going to lose one because she was unhappy with the organizational changes, one to health issues, one due to betrayal, and one would get offerd a job she/he wouldn't be able to turn down. Exactly one year later, I lost one employee due to cancer, another left because she didn't like the direction the company was going in, One I had to fire because of breech of confidentiality and the other got offered a job for a larger health system. Knowing this ahead of time helped me be proactive in my planning for my department.
Well, I've Lucid dreamed more often when I was younger than now (41) I just did not know what it was, but I have had a few recently. I'm not sure if I've leaned to stimulate it or not b4 I go to sleep but I have figured out that there are a couple of things that make me conscious of the dream. They all have to do with things that CAN'T happen in the "real" world and that is a trigger for me, during the dream, to "wake up".
When I get in that state within the dream I try something like walking thru a wall or floating and it does work but not like “Superman” or "Kitty Pride” of X-Men.
What I think happens is that when i become conscious of the dream then I unconsciously bring in the limitations of the "real world" and that short circuits the morphing of the dream world and ultimately wakes me up.
I usually have to go thru a set of affirmations b4 sleep and it takes a least a week b4 I have a LD.
--Mike
Just remembered...I don't know if this qualifies as Lucid but here goes.
One morning i woke up to find myself walking down the hallway of my house AND lying in bed AT THE SAME TIME.
This caused me to break into an almost insane laughter of the "me" walking down the hall and continued in the "real" me wakeing up.
Now that think about it that is probably Astral which in my opinion is a short step from LD.
--Mike
I can not do this at will. It may have happened a couple times. I have difficulty ascertaining this is that the times it might have, my dream recall was quite hazy.
As for learning it, it is of interest to me in the future. In my dreams I would not be limited by the laws of society, nor even my own morals, and can explore what humanity is in a better way.
It is not on my immediate list though, as it is time consuming, unreliable, I have bad sleep, and I can't see any use for it in real life.
I'd much rather learn something that can affect the physical world, like telekinesis or telepathy.
Of course, I think something like Lucid Dreaming far more likely to be real, but ah well.
I have a friend who was really into it for awhile and constantly talked about lucid dreaming but it never really held my attention until recently, and I actually did a bunch on reading online on the subject just before I got this e-mail. I went to the link from the last Mind Arts newsletter to Wikipedia on remote viewing and from there jumped straight into lucid dreaming and many other types of out of body experiences. This free internet source has a lot of great information including techniques and tips and so forth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dreaming
Happened to me a couple of times. But inevitably i get back to sleep & continue with the dream just to know how it would end.just let my mind wander. Sometimes, when am troubled & lucid dreaming happens...you know wake up in the middle of a dream & then get back to sleep...realisation hits me...i kind of find the answer or at least subconsciously i let my mind think through & reach a solution.
other times i think that after i wake up my conscious mind has the upper hand in the course of the particular dream...
i maybe a dreamer but i'm not the only one =)
I learned lucid dreaming back when I was a kid, it was a technique to use to control nightmares.
The best example I can give, is if you about to be eaten by a monster, materialize a hand held big destructo cannon and blast the monster into bits.
There is a lot more you can do, and there are a lot of options, limited only by your own imagination.
I could tell you lots more, like how I tought my own kids and even some of their friends how to "lucid" dream to help stop the bad ones and enhance the good ones, and even how to return to a dream that you woke up in the middle of.
This is just too short of a forum to go into such a lengthy discussion.
I have been practicing lucid dreaming since a teacher introduced me to the Sinoi Method of Dream Control when I was 17. I have since read much of the work of Stephen LaBerge, whose book accompanied by a practical CD is highly recommended. I have used the NoveDreamer lucid dreaming induction mask--you wear it to sleep and it flashes light on your closed eyelids, giving you a signal that hopefully you will recognize and become lucid.
The practice of lucid dreaming is a discipline and requires attention and intention. My best suggestions for the beginner are:
1) Record your dreams on paper or voice recorder as often as you possibly can, no matter how trivial they may seem. Dream recall is the foundation. If you already have good dream recall, you are a good candidate for lucid dreaming.
2) Set your intention as you are going to sleep (too many details to cover here).
3) If you become lucid and feel the dream slipping away, rub your hands together. This has worked for me. Others suggest looking at your hands or spinning around.
4) All throughout the day, ask yourself: "Am I dreaming?" Nine times out of ten, the answer will be "No." But one day, the answer will be "Yes" and you will have accessed your own subconscious in an awe-inspiring way.
What can I say? Now is the time to start. Tonight!
It's the most awesome and mind expanding experience I have had.
Good luck,
Michelle
I do not do this consciously, but once (in my teen years) I had a nightmare in which I was going to be attacked and eaten by a lion. In that dream, I realized that I was only dreaming and even "told" myself that in case I was NOT dreaming, at the first bite into me by the lion I would faint anyway and not feel the rest of the horror.
I have the ability to be concious within my dream for a short time, to then direct it or 'restart' it if need be.
This is usually when I am having a disturbing dream of facing my death or some other unknown threat. I can just about force myself to identify a face or an emotion personified. Then I may force a physical reaction like speaking out loud or kicking at the offender, I feel myself coming out of the layers of sleep and paralysis, usually to find myself flying out of bed and landing on the bedroom floor, sore from the fall.
I have often been able to move the progress of a recurring dream to the next step...especially if the same dream persists over a period of many years.
Or to go back to a past dream and identify the locations or persons
that I have visited physically years later. These usually very accurate dreams occur years before they manifest themselves in a physical time/space, and I am obliged to 'fill in' the blanks with the new knowledge I get to either stop the dream sequence or start another.
I don't know what you call it. I suppose it is lucid dreaming.
lucid dreaming is easily done - just sleep in an uncomfortable position with head elevated and on your left side is best. other items which can effect this are crystals(herkimer diamond and angelite) and herbs(grapefruit oil)
and some incenses the more of a certain type of stimulation the more chance of success and the mind is extremely suggestible :)
I have this happen every time I dream. I fly and have super human powers in most of the lucid dreams I have encountered. We have these dreams for a reason, if not, why would your body require sleep. Meaning, if this process wasnt so important we would be awake all hours of the day, every day. I think in some ways we are looking into ourselves in other dimensions. Scientist say that there are an infinite number of realities playing out along side ours, some in which Elvis lives, Germany won the war, and so on. Each decision you make in life, there is a reality playing out somewhere, completely the opposite of that decision you made. Meaning, say you bought a coffee one morning. Well, in an alternate reality you didnt buy any coffee, and maybe in another alternate reality you were never conceived. Get the point! There are things on this planet that are beyond most people, so study your dreams in detail and you will be amazed at what you learn.
When I was about 8 years old I went to bed one night determined to dream about a little girl who lived down the street.In the early morning hours I became aware that I was dreaming.I was on the far side of a small local lake & saw this girl with some friends on the other side, I quickly flew over & joined them.This girl,Diane was not thrilled to see me & turned away to leave.I stopped the dream, backed it up & determined that this time she would be thrilled to see me & she was.I continued this control of my dreams for about a year,during this time my parents whom I had confided in kept pestering me not to be living in a dream world etc.etc.finally I just gave it up.
It was wonderful being able to do anything & go anywhere.That winter I spent many nights shooting a hockey puck at a goalie, in my dreams.In real life I became a much better hockie player. Somehow it carried over.
At the time I didn't know that it was lucid dreaming & as I became more involved with school & friends I just gradually stopped doing it.
I haven't done it in many years but wish that I could.The only part that has continued over the years is if I start having a bad dream. I stop it & change the dream to something else.I often remember doing this. I usually remember between 8 to 12 dreams nightly, about once every three months I become aware that I am dreaming but only for a very short time(seconds)
I have no tips on how to start this except perhaps single minded determination. When I started dreaming about this little girl,I was madly in love with her & she had punched me in the face for trying to kiss her.In real life she didn't like me. The only other thing I have found is if I take 25mg.of vitamin B6 nightly, I remember my dreams. When I go off B6 I remember only 2 or 3 dreams. I don't know what the connection is, but if you cannot remember your dreams you won't know if you can control them or not.
I've been (sort of) studying this and many other subjects and I found some techniques that may or may not work.
1. Look at your hands frequently throughout the day. This will pass over into your dream (eventually) and when you look they wont be your hands, or they;ll be different in some way.
2. Do frequent reality checks. Someone else wrote something about this in another comment too, that if you ask yourself during the day if you are dreaming then when you are dreaming, you can answer, "Yes!"
3. This is not strongly recommended, but you can ask other people if you are dreaming. If you do it often enough (and manage to survive the stares and strange looks they give give you) then this will pass over into your dreams and bring you into a lucid state. There is always the chance that the person you ask will try to deny it though, so as I said before this method is not strongly recommended.
4. Try doing something you cant normally do in real life. You could try flying (somewhere no one can see you would be best), or try pushing a hand through a wall or something else that's solid. When you try this in a dream it will probably work!
Hope these techniques help! You can email me with questions, or other methods you've tried or heard about at pixie_pirate27@msn.com. Sweet dreams!
~Andrea, 15, US
I've had a couple. But my first one that I have ever recieved was amazing. I was in complete control of everything and it was just awoiefj;oweijf;oiwje. That was when I first started searching adn learning about LDing. The number of times AFTER I was trying to will it to happen, was only vague and partial lucid.
I wrote my thesis on using lucid dreaming as a therapeutic tool to deal with countertransference in the therapeutic relationship. I would practice lucid dreaming using MILD,(memonic induction of lucid dreams) a technique developed by Steven LeBerg PH.D of Stanford University.I would then dialogue in the lucid state with the client I was experiencing significant countertransference with to separate my issues from the clients, and access the unconscious souce of my countertransference. I would then draw or create images, while in a waking state to further understand and objectify the source of the countertranference.
I have experienced that after long hours of practising certain Buddhist sadhanas. I found that in my dream I was continuing the practice but was telling myself that I am doing this in my dream and that when I wake up I must not take into consideration the count of the mantras as in the dream state I was unable to do any counting. But added to the imagery were certain abilities that I did not experience in my wakeful hours of practice, such as being able to be airborne and circumambulate around the Meditational Deity in mid-air. Also, mentally there seemed to be a strong connection with the mindstream of the Deity. But I have all my life had dreams where I have known that I was dreaming and could make certain changes if I did not like what was manifesting. In the practice that I have mentioned before, I was able to even facilitate certain details of the practice which I did not in my wakeful hours.
Well my 1st time doing it was after hearing audio tape "SETH THE MAN AND THE MISSION" Please google it.When ever somebody talks about it,I then remember the SETH tape an can practice it a few times a week,.....when i am reminded it can be done. Its really fun kind of like a movie that you can watch while your in it.
i woke up 5 times in the same dream. each time i thought i had woken up, and the only way to tell i hadn't was the fact that there was a creative mp3 player next to my bed not my ipod. i felt pain more real than in this world i am in now
If everyone knew this then dreamin would be like a heaven. Its like a second life and unlike life, in a dream u can control what happends. Wouldnt it be kool if u could always wake up in a dream and turn it around.
I find myself conscious of being in a dream, rather than waking up in one, and oftentimes I'm able to manipulate the circumstances or massage the events towards a more preferable outcome; i.e., I am being pursued and I lie to someone to throw the pursuers off of my trail, or I am being put into a dangerous situation that I disarm the predators/aggressors with humor or I will pretend to be one of them-and if it is the actor's nightmare and I'm about to be thrust onto the stage without knowing my words, I will plant pages and lines from the text all over the space for me to cheat off of-I guess I'm a cheater at heart when it comes to dealing with the circumstances that I do not accept in my dreams.
Funny you should bring this up. I was just listening to a radio show that was talking about this, and I have spent the last couple of nights been doing what the guest suggested (telling yourself as you fall asleep that you will become aware of your dreams). So far I haven't had any real success, since I don't remember anything of my dreams (one would think if one became conscious one would remember). I am interested to hear more about others' experiences and perhaps gain a new skill of my own.
I've actually had that happen to me throughout my life, spontaneously though,but when it happens it's a blast. Although there is the negative side i.e. I would have extremely real nightmare's, that honestly felt like I would die, but I'd be in control mostly of my surroundings, but in the end the negative always prevailed a.k.a. bad guy or alien or whatever.
The only way to control your dreams, in my experience, is to simply "dream". Lemme explain: if you know that you've dreamt, then you have to have been conscious of the dream. The second you realize your in a dream, like when you've taken the third person view, you can control the dream. You just will it, it's easy. Example: when I was young I remember countless cops and robbers dreams with my friends, and I'd just imagine a huge 8 barrel watergun and I'd have it in my hand. So by "will" it, I just mean you think of what you want to happen, and when you are conscious of the dream (a.k.a. in your dream try and pinch yourself) you take control, though in good dreams you can control virtually everything, in nightmares' you don't have full control,that's what's scary about it.
I've unfortunately dreamt nothing (a.k.a. black) for the past 3 yrs of my life, (I'm a 21 yr old Canadian) just feels like 2mins from when I go to sleep to when I wake up. There's been the occasional dream here or there, but when they do happen, they're just awesome. Knock on wood I haven't had and/or remembered a nightmare in at least 5 yrs. Anyways, that's my thoughts on this issue, pls if you would send me some stuff on how to control it, it'd be much appreciated!
The Tibetan Buddhists have devoted a great deal of very detailed attention to developing this ability. There is quite a bit of literature on this... Check it out by Googling it. I myself have not had the experience but finding you blog has re-awakened an interest in it
Have not done it myself, but the Tibetans have a long and very perspicacious experience and development of this technique, which is one of a group of Six Yogas of Naropa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_yogas_of_Naropa
Have not done it myself, but the Tibetans have a long and very perspicacious experience and development of this technique, which is one of a group of the "Six Yogas of Naropa"... Se this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_yogas_of_Naropa
Also check this out:
http://www.thdl.org/texts/reprints/bot/bot_1982_01_06.pdf
and apologies for the clumsy reposting in the previous entries
I can wake up in dreams from time to time. It seems that their are many different levels of wake-dreaming;causing different levels of control. I have had dreams where I controled the clouds & make them move & pour rain. I had endless possibilities. I think the easiest way to gain consciousness in dreaming is, to be conscious of your dreams. Allow yourself to fall asleep slowly with control. It is something like hold on, let go. Also try to remember your dreams afterwards. I think it creates an easy pass way from wake walking to dream walking.
I have had some lucid dreams, and I am fascinated by them.
In my many flying dreams, I finally advanced to the point where I would tell the other people in the dream that if this is a dream I will be able to fly. They laugh because they think they are in reality and I won't be able to fly. So I say the word "fly" and concentrate and sure enough I fly, usually to the moon, and settle it once and for all that this is a dream.
In my swimming dreams, I am swimming well below the surface or having an underwater tea party at the bottom of the deep end of the pool (something my sister and I did a lot of as children). I realize too late that I need to go up for air. I swim as fast as I can but I know I cannot make it in time. At that point, facing death by drowning, I reason that if this is a dream I will be able to breathe under water and live. So I try it, and sure enough I can breathe. I know I am dreaming, and I continue swimming and breathing under water.
I often have waitressing or college student nightmares, in which I am overwhelmed and confused or unprepared for a test. The stress level gets to a point where I cannot stand it, and I reason within the dream that I am no longer a waitress or a college student and I don't need to suffer in this dream. So the dream fades away.
Likewise, I sometimes dream that I have lost control of the steering wheel of my car (something that did happen in real life once) and I am about to go off a cliff. When my heart is pounding and I feel I may die, I reason that something is not right and this is a dream (like I'm driving a car I no longer own in real life, etc.) The dream fades away.
I would love to control or plan more of these dreams. I feel dreams are a special part of the human existence. Thanks for the suggestions... I'll try the B6 and the Tibetan website.
I've had weird dreams as long as I can remember and I am 48 now.I didn't know there was a name for some of them until now as I browsing the web..On occasion I know I am asleep but I just ride the dream because most are pleasant and involve flying a lot of the time.I mean I know it's impossible for us to actually become weightless and project ourselves kinda like superman, but the sensation the mind creates is so real you can feel the air moving past you , even the whistling in your ears and the feeling of great heighth and distance.I have no idea of how long dreams like that last and cannot make them happen which is good as I would probably sleep more.In the dream I know I can fly, or run 200mph,or whatever the situation may be even though I am also aware I am dreaming, which is strange now, awake, I know I can't.Funny thing is when you know you are dreaming, you make decisions, reason, make conscience or sub-conscience thoughts instead of being a spectator. Where's Rod Serling when you need him.
Hi,
I am not sure it is a lucid dream. Anyway I just went to sleep normally without doing any techniques whatsoever.
In middle of the night (whilst dreaming) I became conscious and was reading jokes. I remember also laughing while reading ... being consious of what the jokes meant!
Forgot the next day what the jokes where about but still I was not just dreaming - but consious at the same time...
Karl
I dream in a lucid state quite frequently. The process that works best for me is waking up in the morning 7-8pm and going back to sleep, usually the weekends when I'm trying to catch up on rest.
It seems like I'm awake, but I know that I'm dreaming and I can control what happens and what I look at or see. Sometimes I hear voices talking to me. Sometimes I can get a little too far in like dreaming lucidly that I'm in a dream and it freaks me out, then I go through the awful process of forcing myself to wake up.
Post a Comment
<< Home