Thread: Lucid dreams

  1. #1
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    Lucid dreams

    I believe I may have had a lucid dream, that is, a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming.

    In the dream, I was in a grocery store that was in a town that I used to live in. At one point, I saw a train
    travelling along the street in front of the store. Since there was only a road out there and not RR tracks,
    I thought, "I must be dreaming!".

    The dream was different from that point on. I had a more definite sense of "will", an ability to move around
    deliberately, in a way that I never have in normal dreams. The scenery in the dream was also more "solid",
    it did not change as it does in normal dreams; I could look around and continously see the same scenery.

    I walked out to the front of the store and looked at the train running off into the distance, and a also saw a strange,
    but possible landscape. I was able to look around at everything, much as I can in waking consciousness. Then the
    whole thing began to fade, I was aware of this too, and tried to resist it, but I then woke up.

    I have had dreams like this before, but without the revelation that "I must be dreaming". Typically, I just find myself
    with an amazing ability to fly, or just run really fast. But the "free will" and vivid scenery is there. And it always ends
    with a fading out of the experience and waking up.

    Now, did I actually have a lucid dream? Or did I just dream that I was having a lucid dream?

    -

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    Quote Originally Posted by megafiddle View Post
    Now, did I actually have a lucid dream? Or did I just dream that I was having a lucid dream?
    I would suggest that dreaming you had a lucid dream and having a lucid dream are the same thing.

    I remember once dreaming that I was awake, then realised I was dreaming, and dreamt I fell asleep. I don't know if that was a lucid dream, but my alarm clock later caused confusion, when I dreamed I woke up and then woke up
    Right 98% of the time, and don't care about the other 3%.

    If I seem grumpy or unhelpful in reply to you, or tell you you need to demonstrate more effort before you can expect help, it is likely you deserve it. Suck it up, Buttercup, and read this, this, and this before posting again.

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    Definitely sounds like a lucid dream.

    It's actually kind of funny to see this, since last night I had a brief "lucid moment" within a dream. During the action, I realized I might be dreaming, so to test the theory, I asked a friend "what is today's date?" The dream sort of "glitched" for a moment, as if I caught my brain off guard, and the attempted response did not answer the question ("It's Monday.").

    To keep things interesting, perhaps we can share lucid dreaming experiences we've had.

    I can only recall two I've had, the second one quite profound. It was completely lucid, to the point where I mentioned it was clearly a dream, and I was hanging out with a close friend of mine who had died a few months earlier. We had a long conversation about past times, and I even questioned him about his death. A more spiritual person might have thought I was actually communicating with his spirit or something, but I recognized that I was merely interacting with my mental model of him - which is why the questions I did not have an answer to already were answered cryptically (i.e. not at all).

    Despite knowing it wasn't "real", it felt real enough to move me, as if I had actually been able to hang out with him one last time. It was a powerful experience.

    Anyone else?

  4. #4
    Master Apprentice phantomotap's Avatar
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    I don't know if that was a lucid dream, but my alarm clock later caused confusion, when I dreamed I woke up and then woke up
    O_o

    I had that dream a bunch when I was a kid. I now perform a "Power On Self Test" to try and be sure.

    You never want that "underwear at work" dream to be real just because you thought you were still dreaming.

    I can only recall two I've had, the second one quite profound.
    I'm one of those nutbars who work at "lucid dreaming".

    Soma
    “Salem Was Wrong!” -- Pedant Necromancer
    “Four isn't random!” -- Gibbering Mouther

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    You never want that "underwear at work" dream to be real just because you thought you were still dreaming.
    You don't wear underwear at work?

    I'm one of those nutbars who work at "lucid dreaming".
    I've considered doing so in the past, I just usually forget. The OP resparked my interest, though.

  6. #6
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    Do not look into mirrors in lucid dreams. You'll wake up, to say the least.

  7. #7
    Unregistered User Yarin's Avatar
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    I have had a lucid dream twice, maybe thrice, before, it is indeed quite the experience.
    Sadly though, I only ever get a few seconds, not enough time to do anything, really. I do so wish I could have a lucid dream for like an hour or so, that would be awesome

    Quote Originally Posted by grumpy View Post
    I would suggest that dreaming you had a lucid dream and having a lucid dream are the same thing.
    No! A "lucid dream" is a dream wherein you are lucid (conscious). A "dream of a lucid dream" is a dream within a dream, wherein you are not actually lucid, but your dream thinks you are in it's dream (the 2nd level).

  8. #8
    Master Apprentice phantomotap's Avatar
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    A "dream of a lucid dream" is a dream within a dream, wherein you are not actually lucid, but your dream thinks you are in it's dream (the 2nd level).
    O_o

    *dddrrwaarrmmm*

    Soma
    “Salem Was Wrong!” -- Pedant Necromancer
    “Four isn't random!” -- Gibbering Mouther

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    I used to lucid dream all the time when I was younger (I am 24 now... I guess that's the new old?). Nowadays I almost never remember my dreams after waking up for some reason, even though I still use alarm clocks.

    I hated dreams though, and I found that jumping out of buildings would always end them. I really hope I don't accidentally do it in real life some time...

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    Quote Originally Posted by cyberfish View Post
    I hated dreams though, and I found that jumping out of buildings would always end them. I really hope I don't accidentally do it in real life some time...
    sounds like a scene off inception .

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    Quote Originally Posted by africanwizz View Post
    sounds like a scene off inception .
    HUH really? I have never watched Inception, and this was way before (more than 10 years ago).

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    Registered User Alpo's Avatar
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    I used to have a really bad problem with sleep paralysis. Basically what would happen is you get stuck in a semi-lucid state between waking and sleeping, where you can't move, and it is terrifying. This would happen in cycles, but the chances of it happening seem to go up with previous occurrences (more likely when it happened the night before).

    I devised a few ways to deal with this, including the common ones like forcing myself into a calm state, all with limited success. Then I heard about another person who had the problem and said what cured them was training themselves to enter a lucid dream state.

    I was really skeptical of this at first, I don't usually go in for hocus pocus voodoo things. I gave it a shot anyway. The main method of doing this is to train your visual memory. For instance, whenever you are about to go around a corner (or enter a room), you picture in your mind what it should look like when you do so. Once you get into the habit of doing this often, it becomes unconscious (which is the point).

    After about 2 weeks of doing this, I began having lucid dreams. Mostly just short snippets of control in between actual dreaming. What happens is, with your visual memory trained, when you notice an odd thing in a dream (in my case there is often a tree at a place where there isn't one in the real world), it causes a small jot of your conscious self to recombobulate and give you control of the dream for a short time.

    I stopped doing the training about 3 months after I began, but have not had an attack of sleep paralysis for 3-4 years now. I really enjoyed lucid dreaming, but the amount of work to get really good at it is prohibitive (IMO), but you should try it if you enjoyed your experience.
    Last edited by Alpo; 06-10-2014 at 11:24 PM. Reason: I wrote "really" to many times :P

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alpo View Post
    I used to have a really bad problem with sleep paralysis. Basically what would happen is you get stuck in a semi-lucid state between waking and sleeping, where you can't move, and it is terrifying. This would happen in cycles, but the chances of it happening seem to go up with previous occurrences (more likely when it happened the night before).
    I devised a few ways to deal with this, including the common ones like forcing myself into a calm state, all with limited success. Then I heard about another person who had the problem and said what cured them was training themselves to enter a lucid dream state.
    I was really skeptical of this at first, I don't usually go in for hocus pocus voodoo things. I gave it a shot anyway. The main method of doing this is to train your visual memory. For instance, whenever you are about to go around a corner (or enter a room), you picture in your mind what it should look like when you do so. Once you get into the habit of doing this often, it becomes unconscious (which is the point).
    After about 2 weeks of doing this, I began having lucid dreams. Mostly just short snippets of control in between actual dreaming. What happens is, with your visual memory trained, when you notice an odd thing in a dream (in my case there is often a tree at a place where there isn't one in the real world), it causes a small jot of your conscious self to recombobulate and give you control of the dream for a short time.
    I stopped doing the training about 3 months after I began, but have not had an attack of sleep paralysis for 3-4 years now. I really enjoyed lucid dreaming, but the amount of work to get really good at it is prohibitive (IMO), but you should try it if you enjoyed your experience.
    I have also experienced sleep paralysis, but in my case it manifested itself as "witch on the back" or some sensation of a "being" in the room.
    Terrifying, to say the least.

    There is also the strange phenomenon of hypnogogic hallucinations. These can occur right before you fall asleep. Typically, I hear cartoon-like
    sound effects, or knocking sounds. At first, I used to get up and see who was at the door; now I can recognize the state pretty well.

    -

  14. #14
    Unregistered User Yarin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by megafiddle View Post
    There is also the strange phenomenon of hypnogogic hallucinations. These can occur right before you fall asleep. Typically, I hear cartoon-like
    sound effects, or knocking sounds. At first, I used to get up and see who was at the door; now I can recognize the state pretty well.
    Wow. The only thing I get right before falling asleep is a falling sensation that makes me jerk and hurt myself on the bed frame.

  15. #15
    Registered User Alpo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by megafiddle View Post
    I have also experienced sleep paralysis, but in my case it manifested itself as "witch on the back" or some sensation of a "being" in the room.
    Terrifying, to say the least.
    -
    Yes, that is the same way it was with me. What is odd is that half the time I would be convinced there was a supernatural force (like a ghost) in the room. Once I even had the impression that "the pure essence of evil" was trying to smother me. What's weird is I don't actually believe any of those things exist. Guess it just goes to show how sophisticated the more basic sections of the brain really are lol.

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