Dream Control.

[Chairman Yang]

Ive sometimes realized Im dreaming, but never been able to control whats happening, although I have been able to terminate a dream and wake up by wishing it.
What I find interesting is that you can wake up and remember having a fantastic marvelous dream and even remembering parts of it, then completely forgetting about it in minutes, to later in the day remember that you had a great dream, but cant remember anything that happened in it.
I notice I most often remember a dream if simply taking a short nap, or if Im "semi-sleeping" before getting up when sleeping late in weekends and such.
Nightmares has a tendency to stick more often and longer, as I can remember many nightmares I had as a kid.

 

[Dralix]

I suggest that anyone interested in learning more about the subject (Nixon, animepornstar, NetGear) look for book by a Dr. Stephen LaBerge. I have one of his books, bought it several years ago. He may or may not have a newer one.

Anyway, animepornstar, there are studies that show that not only is lucid dreaming not harmful, but it can actual be very beneficial. For instance, recurring dreams (which are usually disturbing) are said to be caused by conflict in waking life. By taking control of your dream and confronting and resolving the conflict through lucid dreaming, you can stop the dream from recurring. There are also studies that suggest other mental and perhaps even physical healing benefits of lucid dreaming.

NetGear, if you become lucid and feel yourself starting to wake up (which is very common, especially when you are new to lucid dreaming) try spinning in the dream. For whatever reason, this will help prevent you from awakening. If you have trouble with false awakenings, try writing "AWAKE?" on a piece of paper, and taping it to the wall by your bed. When you awake from a dream, you can look at this sign, try to make the words change, or look away and then look back. If the sign is always there and constant, you probably are not dreaming. This assumes sufficient light to read the sign of course, maybe from an alarm clock or something.

Nixon, think of it this way ... we all sleep, and we all dream. While you're doing it, you might as well enjoy yourself. I can think of no better way to enjoy sleep (I'm talking about actual sleep, so don't say anything about sex ) than lucid dreaming.

To any and all, as has been said here, it is mental conditioning. But I disagree somewhat with CrackedCrystal's comment that it isn't anything that conscious that you do. I will explain later.

First, before you even begin to think about lucid dreaming, you have to recall your dreams. If you already do, great. If not, keep a dream journal as has already been suggested. Write down your dreams as soon as you wake up from them, or use a mini tape recorder under your pillow. This may be difficult if you have a sleeping partner, especially if he or she is a light sleeper The practice of writing and reading your dreams will help you to recall them, and also help you to recognize dreams vs waking life.

Next, now that you regularly recall dreams, you need to learn how to recognize them. This starts in the waking state, which is why I think it is something conscious that you do. While you are awake, get in to the habit of performing "state tests." Ask yourself if you are dreaming, and look for dream signs. Practicing this during the day is what will help you while dreaming.

Then, when you go to sleep tell yourself "I will wake up after every dream and I will remember my dreams" as you fall asleep. As you go back to sleep (after writing in your dream journal) imagine yourself in the dream again, but this time imagine seeing a dreamsign and recognizing that you are dreaming.

Finally, I once again recommend reading Dr. Stephen LaBerge.

Happy Dreaming!

 

[ferenginar]

After having seen the film Dreamscape where psychics enter other peoples dreams to take control I was keen to try and take control of my own dreams. It is quite simple, but may take a few trys before you are succesful. First you have to be aware that you are dreaming then you try to change something, but it will only work if you believe that it will, any self doubt and you will fail.

Aspects of control that I have demonstrated are flying, shooting lightning bolts from my hands, direction of the storyboard to take the dream down a desired path, and rewind facility, to go back a few scenes and put right something that didn't go the weay I wanted.

Eating blue cheese before you go to bed significantly increases dream activity thus facilitating lucidity, but should be avoided as it leaves you unrested in the morning.

I have not found any correlation between time and lucid dreams, though I do have an irregular sleep pattern that might confuee the situation. I cannot offer an opinion either way as to whether or not lucidity interupts the brains 'defragging' process, and crerates conscious fallout as there really isn't any data to support it either way without a control group, which cannot exist within an individual.

The brain is a highly complex organ, that is capable of operating without consciuos direction. There are many process going on in the background of which you are unaware. I remember being asked what Dr McCoy's name was, (Character not actor) and although I knew the answer, I just couldn't think of it. Three days later sitting on a train reading a book a thought pops into my head, "McCoy, Leonard H, son of David", a line from Search for Spock, it took me a while to realise why, as conciously I had given it no thought.

IMHO dreams are these unconscious processes being given a semi-conscious graphical interpretation, though controlling that interpretation need not affect that base process.

sweet dreams

ferenginar

 

[Dralix]

Originally posted by NetGear
Another issue: how do i control gravity? that thing is SOOOO annoying.

You just have to tell your dream self that you are dreaming, therefore the rules of physics do not apply.

 

[jpowers]

I think there is a biological reason we dream, and a reason that in its natural state, a dream is uncontrolled by conscious thought. When you 'take control' of your dream state, the necessary functions of the dream are put off in favor of your superego's idea of fun. This to me sounds very dangerous. Whatever purpose dreaming has (I've heard it cast as a sort of 'simulator' device that helps the brain deal with the inputs it's received during waking hours), I'm pretty sure unnatural interruption over a long period of time would have unintended side effects.

 

[Zcylen]

sometimes, before I go to sleep Im thinking how Im going to start a dream, then everything flows easy...
of course, it isnt very often.

 

[Ohwell]

I don't remember my dreams. Last time I had one, it was something more like a daydream than a regular dream.

 

[DancesWithGoats]

Dreams control you!

 

[Dralix]

Originally posted by jpowers
I think there is a biological reason we dream, and a reason that in its natural state, a dream is uncontrolled by conscious thought. When you 'take control' of your dream state, the necessary functions of the dream are put off in favor of your superego's idea of fun. This to me sounds very dangerous. Whatever purpose dreaming has (I've heard it cast as a sort of 'simulator' device that helps the brain deal with the inputs it's received during waking hours), I'm pretty sure unnatural interruption over a long period of time would have unintended side effects.

I would love to see some evidence to support such a notion. I suspect that the Sleep Laboratory at Stanford would too.

 

[jpowers]

Originally posted by Dralix


I would love to see some evidence to support such a notion. I suspect that the Sleep Laboratory at Stanford would too.

Funny you should mention it. I took a course at the Sleep Laboratory when I did my undergraduate work at Stanford, and they're not all crazy about LaBerge's New Age-ish approach to the phenomenon. It seems he's taken his previously rigorous research and stretched it, not unlike John Lilly and his isolation tank work. These things start out with the best intentions, but soon get mutated into get-rich-quick seminars and pseudo-scientific mysticism.

 

[Dralix]

Well then, maybe it's time I looked for something he's written more recently than the book I bought in the early 90s. That book was fascinating If the research has since been mutated, I would be interested in reading it.

 

[Becka]

I've had about four or five lucid dreams, but I've never been able to have as much control as I wanted. It was hard for me to do things and when I did do things, I made them difficult.

Like in one dream, I wanted to call somebody. So instead of magically finding my cell phone or something, I had to zap in a telephone booth. Then, instead of just pressing some random numbers and imagining it was their number, I had to look in a phone book. Then I woke up. Of course, it all would've been easier if I had just imagined the person there in the first place....

 

[Tassadar5000]

Hey, whats everyones opinion about DREAM INCUBATION? Telling yourself your going to dream something and then when you get to sleep you dream it?

I've had a few lucid dreams, but they were all very odd. I've heard incredibly bad things about lucid dreaming from family, so I've given it up, Plus, regular treams are funner anyway

 

[gael]

Makes sense. If you keep a recuring thought in your mind before you sleep, the chances are that you mind will take it on as a theme for dreaming.

It's a bit like whaching a movie before you go to bed, then dreaming that you are in the movie.

 

[Pongui]

Originally posted by Dralix


You just have to tell your dream self that you are dreaming, therefore the rules of physics do not apply.

The coyote tries that approach on the roadrunner, too, but somehow his efforts always turn back on him. Maybe it's best to simply be your dream self, than stand back and control "it".

 

[Chairman Yang]

Originally posted by Tassadar5000
Hey, whats everyones opinion about DREAM INCUBATION? Telling yourself your going to dream something and then when you get to sleep you dream it?

I tried that several times, thinking about the same thing for hours hoping I will dream about it, but I always end up dreaming about some small insignificant detail that occured during the day or the day before, of course twisted and bizarre but still related to something that has happened, and often about many different things in the same dream, for instance when you dream your being hunted by wolfs in a forest or something, and the next second youre in a supermarket...or something.

 

[The Troquelet]

I've only had three lucid dreams in my life that I can remember

 

[FredLC]

Hmmm... I've had some very little dream interaction in my life.

I had a very strong nightmare that repeated itself several times during a certain period, and I ended them with a conscient action taken inside of a dream.

There were also some few that I recall flying, but I had no control whatsoever. It was just a feeling of flying, like there is people that dream they are falling.

Finally, I recall some dreams I had a long time ago that I was in control (just about ten of them). I realized I was dreaming, and in them, all I did was what people in the movies do... I pinched myself to wake up.

And I did, I remember very well waking up instantly... but perhaps I should have taken the oportunity to enjoy the God-like powers I probably have when inside my own head .

 

[Rheinmetall]

When I first heard abou lucid dreaming I had had some lucid dreams but I did not know you could "make" them to happen. After that I succeeded the first time I tried. I managed to remember things in the dream that I had read from other peoples dreams. I tried some of them. I could fly, create items from thin air, and teleport. Later on I heard that the latter two things were among the hardest to do without forcefully waking up.

 

[Cobi1]

Originally posted by NetGear


Instead of simply ignoring your dream, try to write them down as soon as you woke up from a dream. Adn try reading them from time to time. It doesnt have to be really detailed, even outline of what happened is better than nothing, if your too tired and want to go back to sleep. More detail is better though. Also, try to write down something unusual and mentally tell yourself "i wont be tricked by this one again". Thats how I got to where I am, and that how my friend told me to do it. If there is a better way anyone else knows, please do tell!

Also keeping a regulard sleep cycle helps. I notice if I have a consitent sleep hours, then I consistently have lucid dream at 6 in the morning.

I was told about an experiment realted to this in a psyc. class. As soon as you wake up, you immediatly write down everything you can remember about the dream you were having, as it turns out you do infact dream every sleep, most people just remember the vivid ones.... The more you practice writing them down, the more detail you can gather. The twist is you will start dreaming and remembering things that have NOT happened yet! They will be small minor things at first, but you know them before the event occurs.

I tried this and had a hard time making myself get up immediatly and write the dream down. But the psych teacher claimed it works... He said it was rather scarey.