UnixBer

So I decided to start a topic on this subject. If people have no clue what lucid dreaming is, here is a link: http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/index.html .
And here description taken from the site:
"Lucid Dreaming is the scientifically proven ability to become consciously aware while you're dreaming - to "wake up" and take active control of your dreams.

Many people can remember their dreams every night. This provides memories of rich inner worlds that tell us much about the unconscious mind.

But lucid dreams take one giant leap further - to a fantasy realm where everything you see, feel, taste, hear and smell can be as authentic as reality."

It appears to me that lucid dreaming is very much like a high you get (and you can also drink or drug in a lucid dream safely) without any negative side effects such as addiction. In my opinion it makes life a lot more rich and interesting, and lucid dreaming has been studied to be beneficial for creativity, problem solving... you name it.

An example: you're in a lucid dream and you've had a creative project going, but feel quite stuck and don't know what it is missing. In a dream you could easily ask a dream person to show you what it is that would kickstart your project into new levels. Anyone here interested in lucid dreaming?

It might take time to have your first lucid dream, but it happens with time. Just thinking about the possibilities in replacing alcohol and drugs altogether. What's best is that it is 100% free to do. And anyone can do it.

Tang

I read a book on lucid dreaming about 15 years ago. I tried and tried and tried, but no luck. Maybe now that I'm not drinking it will be easier

UnixBer

Oh. I also first started out with lucid dreaming as a youngster, and had a hard time with it for long but eventually it worked out. Drinking definately would disturb lucid dreaming since it disturbs normal sleep.

I started lucid dreaming in the beginning of recovery and it took a little over 30 days to finally have a lucid dream (it was DILD = Dream induced lucid dream). That is a spontaneous lucid dream, where in the dream I somehow realized not everything is right.

Take a look at the website, especially look in the "techniques"-section. All it takes is incorporating some 'reality checks' in your daily routine (so they also move into your dreams) and 'dream recall' where you should write down any dream or dreams you remember when you wake up. It can be just keywords or full sentences. It is wise to write your dream journal as if in the present tense like 'I'm standing on a grassy plain and I think about lettuce' <- like that.
Also, if you don't seem to remember anything from your dreams (and everyone seems dreams everynight like they or not) just write how you feel or some thoughts. That way the habit of dream journaling becomes more ingrained.

After a while, your dream memory becomes stronger and you start to remember your dreams more in detail and fully. And when you have your first lucid dream, and if you keep up with it, the lucid dreams become more common and frequent, not to mention better and longer.

It really is a life-enriching thing that, in my opinion. Good luck!

Carlotta

NLP is a good method to induce lucid dreams. It takes a little bit of practice but it works real well.

DisplacedGRITS

I have lucid dreams from time to time. I. Enjoy them a lot but there have been a few times that i resisted actually waking up to continue the enjoyable dream. I don't know if it's okay for me to spend 12 hours (rarely longer) sleeping and dreaming though. I have a job now so i have to be wary of oversleeping. Still, it's a lot of fun though i can sometimes be a little depressed upon waking since i'm leaving the dream. Quite th alcoholic reaction, no?

UnixBer

DisplacedGRITS: Quite the alcoholic reaction indeed. PAWS+procrastination in the morning is a nice combo. Lol.

Carlotta: I've heard the term NLP, if it stands for neuro-linguistic programming? Do you know any technique from NLP that could help with lucid dreams? What I've used a cue that may be NLP, it's repeating a phrase before sleep that I will remember my dream and in the dream I will notice I'm dreaming.

There's a lot of resources online so maybe I'll look into NLP, thanks for the pointer.

stephaniesc1

After getting off alcohol, I looked into other substitutes. One of the big ways that I did this was through lucid dreaming.

When I intially heard of lucid dreaming I used tons of free Internet "guidebooks" I found while skimming Wikipedia. However, after trying these methods for around four months I continued to have no restraint over my dreams.

I conclude that the component that they were missing was the direct science backing that I got when I bought a professional lucid dreaming product with pretty satisfactory feedback called Lucid Dreaming Fast Track on ReviewsPanel (you can google that, no spaces).

When lucid dreaming now I can simply do anything I'd like (but mostly I like sailing all across the oceans).

UnixBer

Hey Stephaniesc1. I don't think lucid dreaming should be too difficult in the end.
I could think of a few reasons why you didn't have a lucid dream during those 4 months.

1. You're not involved in enough. How: to have lucid dreams, lucid dreaming should be a part of your daily life. This means reality checks and dream recall (writing down dreams or browsing them upon awakening).
2. You want it too much. How: You cannot force lucid dreams. It is not about trying to control your dreams by force in any way... it is about teaching your mind to notice it is dreaming in a dream, where from the dream then is under your control. You can't force it, you can let it come by itself but of course a desire for a lucid dream is required to keep a motivation for it.
3. Not enough reality checks. How: same as involvement. Do more reality checks every day.
4. Stressed/confused about life or dreaming. How: Leading a stressful life is not optimal for lucid dreaming, neither is having read thousands of books about the subject and trying to make it all work out at once. It doesn't have to be complicated... check this site for instance: LD4all - the lucid dreamers community. Guide on lucid dreams, dream control, conscious dreaming.
5. You haven't maximized propabilities by trying some methods. How: For instance, google WBTB (Wake back to bed - method) and try that for some days, maybe once or twice a week. (this way I've had many lucid dreams heh).
6. You gave up? How: Continue keeping it in your daily life and you will succeed at it.

I know the frustration when you'd like to have something but then it doesn't show up... Everyone is also different, so maybe it just takes a little time for your first lucid dream, but come it will, if you keep at it.

Hope this helps at least a little bit.

edit. Great that you've found success with it. It's nice to meet other lucid dreamers as well.

UnixBer

Sailing sounds really interesting, have to keep that in mind.
Right now I'm exploring and trying to generate a game world that I'll make into a real game in real life.

FreedomSought

Wow, that's intense.

OP I've lucid dreamed a few times in the last 4 years. There were times when I'd dream-journal more actively than I do now. I had to start dream journaling because once I quit smoking weed and on day 33 got REAL SLEEP PARALYSIS, it was freakish and I began preparing that if that night terror came back to "get me" I would be in control enough during the dream to face it.

Lately my philosophy on dreams is it's important to just let them be. But I'm unemployed so I've been sleeping 9-10 hours every night. Thanks to recovery, my head's in a good place, so my dreams aren't too bad, on the flip side, double edged sword, I can actually DREAM now when I was smoking weed the dreams didn't really happen too often... So...

Exploration of other states of consciousness is possible without drinking or drugs and always has been. Your state of consciousness while exercising, or during Meditation/prayer, or dreaming, is all different. You could even learn to go Out-of-body while sober if you want. Getting out of addiction is just the beginning, going from a "-10" to "0", true human potential lies way beyond anything you could ever conceive of in a drug-induced state or experience while on drugs.

I'm in no hurry though for now grateful to be sober day 8.

stephaniesc1

Thank you so much for the advice. I was able to quickly get on track with lucid dreaming using the product suite I bought (which I mentioned above), but it did cost around $30. I'd say it was worth it.

Again, thanks for the recommendations.