Lucid Dreamings

Atlast some sucess

scifind — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 21:59:00 +0000

I had a lucid dream last night

I had problems sleeping and when I finally got to sleep ar 3am I had a partial lucid dream.

I couldn't controll everything - the location (a market place) was fixed but most of my actions were my own.

It was a very bizarre situation - like having to kill time in a strange town waiting for a bus/train out of there.

I am convinced that the very late dream has something to do with its 'lucidness' also the fact that I finally got sleep thanks to complete knackeredness

I will keep plugging away at this and I welcome your comments

No Lucid Luck last night!

scifind — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 14:55:00 +0000

No luck with the old lucid dreaming attempt last night. Might have something to do with finishing work at 1am and needing to be up at 7am. Had I been lucid dreaming I would have possibly not got any rest at all.

My First Attempt at Lucid Dreaming

scifind — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 09:46:00 +0000

So nearly there...

Yesterday evening I started trying some of the Lucid Dreaming Techniques.
The bizzare thing was that I think I almost got it to work. Mainly by using the 'clock' technique I did experience waking up in my dream. BUT here was the problem. I was woken by my daughter at just the wrong time, so other than the little experience I just spoke of, there is nothing else to say. Other than being grumpy for being woken at 4 o' clock in the morning!

But this little ray of hope shows that it shouldn't be long before I am master of my dreams.

Hopefully I will have more to say tomorrow morning.

Lucid Dreaming

scifind — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:41:00 +0000

Do you remember all the hype about Virtual Reality? If you believed what the pundits were saying over a decade ago, by now our leisure time would be spent exploring alternate worlds and having adventures as secret agents, powerful warriors or even real-life Casanovas ... all as if we were 'really there'.

Unfortunately, the technology never quite got there ... and maybe never will. But, did you know that there are a few men and women who enjoy adventures in 'virtual reality' one, two or even seven times every week?

These fortunate people have harnessed the power of what is known as 'Lucid Dreaming'. Unlike 'normal' dreams which are hazy, confused and often forgotten the second you wake up, lucid dreams are special. In a lucid dream you are 'awake within the dream'. You know you're dreaming, yet the world around you seems as 'real' as the one you're in now. So, whether you want to fly a fighter aircraft, sleep with Cameron Diaz or play guitar onstage with your favorite band, you can do it in a lucid dream. It will seem as real as anything you have ever done ... and you'll remember it in the morning too!

I have experienced this through accident - and a number of people I know have done this 'accidentally' also

There is a lucid dreaming technique. So you can experience these Lucid Dreams time and time again.

Fortunately, the simple techniques you need to master to have a lucid dream whenever you want one are no longer the secrets of a 'chosen few'. You can start your night-time adventures today by visiting: Here

About Lucid Dreaming

scifind — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 12:09:00 +0000

Lucid dreaming
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lucid dreams occur during REM sleep after the person becomes conscious and aware of dreaming within the dream.Wikibooks has more about this subject:
Lucid DreamingLucid dreaming is the conscious perception of one's state while dreaming, resulting in a much clearer ("lucid") experience and sometimes enabling direct control over the content of the dream. The complete experience from start to finish is called a lucid dream. Stephen LaBerge, a popular author and experimenter on the subject, has defined it as "dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming."

LaBerge and his associates have called people who purposely explore the possibilities of lucid dreaming oneironauts (literally from the Greek ονειροναύτες, meaning "dream sailors"). The topic attracts the attention of a diverse and eclectic group: psychologists, self-help authors, New Age groups, mystics, occultists, ufologists and artists. This list is by no means exhaustive nor does interest in lucid dreaming apply necessarily to each group.

Lucid dreamers regularly describe their dreams as exciting, colourful, and fantastic. Many compare it to a spiritual experience and say that it changed their lives or their perception of the world. Some have even reported lucid dreams that take on a hyperreality, seemingly "more real than real", where all the elements of reality are amplified. Lucid dreams are prodigiously more memorable than other kinds of dreaming, even nightmares, which may be why they are often prescribed as a means of ridding one's self of troubling dreams.

The validity of lucid dreaming as a scientifically verified phenomenon is well-established. It may be classified as a protoscience, pending an increase in scientific knowledge about the subject. Researchers such as Allan Hobson with his neurophysiological approach to dreaming have helped to push the understanding of lucid dreaming into a less speculative realm.

Powerful Tools For Lucid Dreaming

scifind — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 12:28:00 +0000

Dream Signs - What Are They?

“I awoke in the morning as usual. I lay in bed for a moment and reached over to pick up the phone, as I had an important call to make. I started to dial the numbers and glanced away briefly. Looking back at the phone, I noticed something odd had happened. The object in my hand had now changed into the remote control for the television! What was going on?”

As you may have guessed, I was in fact dreaming. The above extract is from my dream journal. That was my first hint of what was to prove to be one of the major dream signs to occur repeatedly throughout my dream journals. After spotting this, becoming lucid became a lot easier. Whenever I see a phone in my dreams I almost always know that I am dreaming, and therefore become lucid.

That is exactly what a dream sign is. It’s a common theme that occurs within your dreams that may give you some sort of hint that you are dreaming. Keeping a dream journal is the key to spotting these because you can read through old dreams and try to spot a common element. Some dream signs can be something as subtle as a flashing light or the appearance of an animal occurring repeatedly in your dreams. Noticing them and seeing them for what they are is the key to making a dream sign work for you.

Reality Checks

One of the most powerful tools for inducing lucid dreams, is the reality check. It is also the one method that requires the most commitment. This method often seems futile to those who have never experienced a lucid dream but a certain amount of faith has to be put in the advice offered by those who have more experience.

Where ever you are at this very moment as you are reading this book, just stop for a moment and ask yourself “Is this real or am I dreaming”. Now, this may seem silly to a lot of people but I can assure you that I have failed to achieve many a lucid dream because I was convinced that my dream was real life and I chose not to bother with a reality check.

Merely asking “is this real?” is not enough to test your reality. You need to perform a test. The following paragraphs describe some ways of testing our reality.

The Clock Test

It’s a little known fact that when we dream, our short term memory becomes very poor indeed. A good example is the clock test. If you look at a clock or wristwatch now, either an analogue or digital clock will do. Now, look at the time on the clock and remember it. Look away from the clock for a couple of seconds and then check the time again. You will notice that the time is exactly the same (except for a few seconds). In our dreams, when we check the clock for the second time, the time will be totally different! This then tells us that we are dreaming and hey presto we enter a lucid dream.

My own mother once asked me to have a look at her alarm clock for her because when she woke up during the night it would sometimes read a later time than when she woke in the morning. What in fact was happening was during the night she was having what is known as a “false awakening”.

A false awakening is when we wake up in during the night but we are in fact still asleep and just dreaming we are awake. This happens a lot more than people realize. I have several false awakenings per week. Usually I perform reality checks that can alert me to this false awakening and cause the onset of a lucid dream.

As it turns out, the alarm clock was perfectly o.k. but my mothers dream alarm clock was reading strange times. When I pointed this out to her (she didn’t believe me at first) the next time it happened she looked away from the clock and then re-checked the time. The second time she checked, the time had changed. This immediately told her that she was dreaming, and so began the first of my mother’s lucid dreams. That method has worked several times for her.

An extension of this check is reading text. In our dreams just as with the clock, if you read something it often changes when you read it again.

You’d better read that sentence again just in case. Who knows, you may be dreaming!

Light Switch Test

Another way to check your reality is to test the light switches. In our dreams, light switches do not seem to work properly. In fact most gadgets seem to do odd things. Phones don’t seem to work very well either. To test a light switch just go over and press the switch a few times. If the lights fail to operate properly, either your dreaming or somebody forgot to change the bulbs.

Pinch Nose Test

In my opinion this is by far the best reality check. If you consider that you will be checking you reality through the day it is the most convenient and the most reliable. Simply pinch your nose and then try and breathe in with your mouth closed. As you’d expect, you can’t. In our dreams we can! If you can breathe in easily through a pinched nose then you must be dreaming.

How To Use Reality Checks

The most effective way to use reality checks is to periodically throughout the day perform at least one reality check. Some people find it easier to set their watch to bleep on the hour and then perform the clock check for example.

Others find it easier to look for “weirdness” during the day like a flickering light, or a door jamming shut. As soon as you encounter one of these situations, ask yourself “Is this real ?” and do a reality check.

The commitment involved with this method is actually doing the reality checks and also not just saying the words “Am I dreaming” but actually meaning what you are asking yourself.

If you perform ten reality checks per day, eventually that habit will start to enter your dream world and this is when things really start happening. You will find yourself questioning your reality whilst you are dreaming and that is why reality checking is the single most powerful tool to assist you with lucid dreaming.

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Copyright © 2006 Andrew Strachan

Andrew Strachan has been lucid dreaming for over 20 years. Anybody can learn how to lucid dream. Let him teach you the techniques he uses so that you can learn to lucid dream yourself.
http://www.lucidfun.com

Lucid Dreaming - The Importance of Dream Recall

scifind — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 18:54:00 +0000

Copyright © 2006 Andrew Strachan

The degree to which people can recall their normal run of the mill dreams varies greatly amongst different people.

Some people will recall most of their dreams throughout the night whilst others will claim never to dream because they never recall any.

The problem here is that to successfully master the art of lucid dreaming, it is essential to have a good ability to recall what you dreamt about the night before.

The most obvious reason for this is that there is little point in lucid dreaming if the whole experience is forgotten when you awake!

How To Improve Your Dream Recall

Good dream recall is essential to success. Fact. There are several techniques available to improve dream recall. One of the simplest ways to recall your dreams is to start writing them down when you wake up.

As you wake, just lie still for a moment and then try and remember as much information about your dream as you can.

When you have it in your head, turn the light on and jot down your dream. Try and make notes of any significant features that may re-occur in your dreams.

These are known as 'dream signs' and become VERY important as you acquire more advanced skills. When you have noted down several dreams, try to look for something that is common amongst those dreams. These are your dream signs.

The advantage of spotting your dream signs is that you will be subconsciously keeping an eye out for them when you dream. This will greatly increase your chances of having a lucid dream.

This brings me onto my next point.

Keep A Dream Journal

When you start writing down dreams, it helps to keep a dream journal. Don't just jot dreams down on a scrap of paper. This won't help. Keep a structured journal that you can refer to.

When you have jotted down a few dreams, try reading through them just before you goto sleep the following night. This will keep you thinking about dreaming whilst you doze off. (important!)

I suggest you keep a folder in which you can collect all of your dreams. Either that or keep a special notepad that you can jot in specifically for your dreams. You will then have all of your previous dreams in one place. Reading through this before bedtime will really help you become lucid in the dreams that follow.

Remembering your dreams is a great way to understand your dreaming mind and improve your chances of lucid dreaming.

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Andrew Strachan has been lucid dreaming for over 20 years. Anybody can learn how to lucid dream. Learn the techniques he uses so that you can learn to lucid dream yourself.
http://www.lucidfun.com

Lucid Dreaming - What Are Reality Checks?

scifind — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 12:25:00 +0000

Copyright © 2006 Andrew Strachan

Reality Checks - What are they?

Let me start by saying that this subject often raises a few eyebrows because by it's very nature it can seem a futile exercise...... until you have your first lucid dream. Then it all becomes clear.

Reality checks are exactly what their title describes. They are a method by which you can check to see if what you perceive as being real IS real.

At this point, most people will say "I know my reality is real!" - but do you?

Sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste are the five main ways that we perceive our reality. Some would argue that there are six ways, but that is a whole other story.

Now, all of those senses go into the brain to be interpreted as 'Reality'. What happens when the brain starts to make its OWN reality? i.e. when you are dreaming. How as a lucid dreamer can you tell if things are real or not? You need some method that will differentiate the real world from the dreaming world.

The answer is the reality check

The reality check is THE most powerful method for having a lucid dream.

Very few people know this but you will often have what is know as a 'false awakening' during the night. Those are the times when you wake up and do something such as checking your clock or maybe listening to a noise that may have disturbed you.

Often, you haven’t woken up at all! What has happened is that you have become conscious IN your dream. Yes that's correct, you have been lucid dreaming and you never knew it.

If you had been used to reality checking, you would have been able to spot this and would have had a wonderful lucid dream.

As you can see, checking your reality can bring the awareness needed to trigger a lucid dream, whilst you are dreaming. This opens up opportunity's to lucid dream that you never knew were there.

There are several different methods which enable you to distinguish between this 'real' world and the (much more fun) lucid world.

A simple method that I prefer to use is the 'pinch nose' relaity check. This one can be done anywhere anytime without looking silly. Simply pinch your nose with your mouth closed and try to breath in through your nose.

If you cannot breath in, you are awake in this world. If you can breathe in then you are in a dream. For reasons unknown, you can breath through a closed nose or mouth in dream world. This will cause you to become lucid and hey presto, you are having a lucid dream!

It is possible to lucid dream without using reality checks but I would say that approximately eighty percent of my lucid dreams are triggered by reality checks.

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Andrew Strachan has been lucid dreaming for over 20 years. Anybody can learn how to lucid dream. Learn the techniques he uses so that you can learn to lucid dream yourself.
http://www.lucidfun.com