The Art Of Lucidity - Topic

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Jul 22 2011 03:21am

Welcome to the World of Lucidity!

Wikipedia:

A lucid dream is a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming. The term was coined by the Dutch psychiatrist and writer Frederik (Willem) van Eeden (1860–1932). In a lucid dream, the dreamer can actively participate in and manipulate imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can seem real and vivid.

Welcome to my Lucid Dreaming Guide and thread. Here i will discuss Lucid Dreaming Techniques, Methods, The beauty of the brain, and of course your experiences!

I first learned about lucid dreaming back when i was 15 during my freshman year of highshool, after i awoke from a dream in which i "questioned" my self which led to the waking of me from the dream.

"What, no?" Was the first thing i said when i experienced lucidity. What was i saying "what" to? Myself. I had reached a point of lucidity in my dream when realized i could breathe underwater when i was swimming at a community pool with some of my friends in my dream. In dreams one can do things that cannot occur in the real world.

How to Lucid Dream!?!?

At first your thinking "Wow teach me now! I wanna learn to control my dreams and do anything i want!" But its not that easy my friend. You must first learn the Techniques used to realize that you are dreaming!

Techniques

Five Finger discount! -

This technique involves looking at your hands everyone hour or so and asking your self "Am i dreaming?"

By doing this you are questioning your reality of life and bringing your mind into the realization that everything your are experiencing is either fake or real.
Well i bet your wondering how does your mind distinguish this? Simple! You in your brain does what you do in real life. You think about work alot you will dream about your occupation. You think about sex alot you will dream about women. You think about problems alot you will dream with fear. Although your mind is the most powerful super computer in the universe like all computers, it does have its glitches! What are they you say? The brain has difficulty rendering how many fingers you have on your hand therfore when you look at your hands in a dream you might see less or more fingers. By seeing this you will ask yourself "Am i dreaming! Well i have to be dreaming i have 7 fingers!" The more you do it in IRL the more you "wanna do it in dreams.

-Summary for the "Five Finger discount"...... Look at your hands every hour and ask yourself am i dreaming? If your not then your not. If so then you will have realized it!

Mirror Mirage! -

This technique involves looking at your face in a mirror. Like above in the five finger discount your brain has problems rendering your face in reflection. Therefore what you see in a mirror may be shocking BE ADVISED YOU WILL SEE DISTURBING IMAGES!. Do the same as you would with the "Five finger discount" but with a mirror and soon you will hit Lucidity!

Portal Door! -

In dreams have your ever just walked through a door? Without even turning the knob? Just walk straight through? Yep it works. Every so often in real life try push up against a door with your hands and see if you phase through! If you dont, you dont. If you do then you know whats going on! Remember the more you do it in real life the more you "wanna" do it in a dream.

Im a fish! -

Dreams defy the laws of physics, the universe and nature. Every now and then attempt to hold your breath. If your still breathing then..... uh oh! Lucidity! If not then dont forget to breathe!

The Matrix -

In dreams our minds have trouble perceiving time. When you look at a clock Analog or digital you most likely see it spin fast, change numbers rapidly or have strange Arabic like symbols. Try glancing at a clock in real life, for you never know when you come across one in a dream! Remember the more you do it in real life the more you "wanna" do it in a dream.

Why wont it work! -

In dreams switches, buttons, and controls dont always work the way you plan (one of those things your brain just cant get right!)
Try flickering the light on and off and see if it works, change the channel on tv, or turn the knob on your speakers. If it wont work then.. Bingo! If not, then sorry D: your not dreaming. Remember the more you do it in real life the more you "wanna" do it in a dream.

Everything is portal -

Like the "Portal door" Technique but with normal everyday objects. Remember the more you do it in real life the more you "wanna" do it in a dream.

Everything i explained above are know as "Reality Checks" Because your checking your reality!

There are so many more techniques to explain that i could go on for pages and pages but unfortunately i have to make this readable before boring your ass off (That is if i already haven't!)
Remember the more you do it in real life the more you "wanna" do it in a dream.
I cannot stress this enough. Repletion is key

Methods

WBTB (Wake Back to Bed!)

WBTB stands for “Wake-Back-To-Bed”.
Wake yourself up after 4 to 6 hours of sleep, get out of bed and stay up for anywhere between a few minutes to an hour before going back to bed. It's preferable that you do something related to lucid dreaming during this time (such as reading about lucid dreaming), but it is not required. This is best combined with other techniques; many people have amazing results with a MILD/WBTB combination. The WBTB technique significantly increases your chances of a lucid dream, and using MILD (see below) in conjunction increases your success rate if you're planning to sleep an hour or more after your WBTB session. However, you might need plenty of sleep time and therefore you may only be able to use it on weekends. - http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Lucid_Dreaming/Induction_Techniques#WBTB

Every get like 5 hour of sleep, wake up and your sleepy as hell so you go back to sleep 30mins later and you have fantastic dreams?! Thats because you inturrpted yours minds Rem Cycle which produce dreams. With REM sleep you cant dream!! (Well not really but it is much harder and you have more trouble remembering your dreams).

My WBTB method?

Set my alarm for 3-5 Hours after i fall asleep.

Wake up to the alarm, (try to not use the BEEP BEEP URN URN URN alarms). Use your computer for natural sounding alarms, nature, ocean, talking, radio, Etc....

Go use the bathroom dont wanna go back to bed with a full bladder!

Surf the web for lucid dreaming topics/info/forums/techs/or see if im online! Remember keep your mind focused on lucid dreaming.

As you become sleepy go to back to bed with the intention to lucid dream. YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE. Your mind thinks what YOU want it to think. How do you think compulsive liars become the way they are? They do it so much and make themselves believe it to the point in which they think its true!

Bingo your lucid dreaming!

WILD

Wake-initiated lucid dreams occur when "the sleeper enters REM sleep with unbroken self-awareness directly from the waking state".[34][35] There are many techniques aimed at entering a WILD. The key to these techniques is recognizing the hypnagogic stage, which is in between being awake and being asleep. If a person is successful in staying aware during this stage, that person will eventually enter a dream while lucid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream#Wake-initiated_lucid_dreams_.28WILD.29

WILD stands for Wake induced lucid dreaming. Which means slipping right through reality to the dream world.
You ever just start to fall asleep, but just barely? You being to faintly see dark objects and figures but you cant make out what they are? And the more you focus on them the more they become obvious or faster they go away?
This is your brain conjuring items, scenes, events, people, etc.... to start the dream.

My Wild Method

Make sure your room is comfortable, turn off all the lights and get comfty in bed.

Close your eyes and approach your objective. Lucid dreaming. Think about it. Fantasize about it. Live it. Breathe it. You are it.

Become Aware of being unaware. The method of wild is often only used among the more experienced users because it requires you to be "Aware that you are falling asleep"

Set a Dream portal this is what your mind will enter the dream in. I like to use this - I picture myself walking up a rainbow spiral staircase ,whistle saying "I will lucid dream. I will lucid dream.", and at the end there is a white shining door. But no matter how much i was up the stairs it seems i can never reach the door. - What this does it it makes my mind see a "objective" and makes it want to reach it. Everyone has there own objective. Another method you could use is to being to notice at the faint object your mind beings to render. I said NOTICE not stare! Dont over think it and gaze at those objects..... just acknowledge that there, there. If you focus to much you could lose you subconsciousness focus and you'll have to start over.

Prepare to end the world of Lucidity. As you do the above you might begin to have anxiety, trouble breathing, cold sweats, chills, etc. Dont worry its not as bad as it sounds. This occurs because your brain attempting to prepare you for sleep mode. And since you are "aware" as you fall into sleep you being to experince the things that occur while falling to sleep. - Lower breathe rate, increased heart rate, eye flickering, twitching, and the more notorious which most users experience..... Full body paralyzation. Your body will "turn off" all the neurons that move you when your falling to asleep to prevent you from kicking and moving around alot in bed. (sleep walkers are those whose minds cannot fully paralyze them and are experiencing a dream while there body is active!) When all these happen remember... Your safe. Nothing will happen. Your body does this every night. And dont worry go with it.

As you being to realize and notice the faint images your mind renders you being to slowly slip into the dream. This is the most difficult part. This is where people panic, get to anxious/excited and drop the lucidity. Remember... your in control. Believe and go with it.

As your being to focus on the images/scenes/sounds/etc.. you will slip in to the dream and in a moments notice. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER. You've entered your dream while still conscious.

Dream Journal!

Its been scientifically proven that recording your dreams improves dream recall (ability to remember dreams) and lucid dreaming.

As soon as you wake up keep a notepad and pencil nearby and record EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING that you remember from your dream from smells to sights to feelings.
You can use your Phone, ipod, computer, notebook, and even a voice recorder just make sure you do it AFTER EVERY DREAM.
As many dreams can be extremely personal try to keep the Journal private and safe!

Also when waking up try not to move so much. Why? As your were just dreaming your mind was focused on rendering the dream world, wiggling and scream about cause your brain to lose focus and memory on its current task and dedicate its self to your body and functions. Think about it this way ---
Version 1--
Your on the computer playing -Blank- when suddenly your dog runs in and yanks the power cord out. Oh no! You forgot to save!. You lost all those rare items and etc.
Version 2--
Your on the computer playing -Blank- when you notice your friend calls you on the phone and says "hey lets go to the movies!" You pause the game, your current progress and turn off your computer. Now you can go back and keep playing where you left off at!

Relap -

1. Dedicate your self to this id you plan on doing it!

2. Practice your reality checks!

3. Make your room, your bed, yourself and anything else as comfortable as possible to achieve maximum sleep potential. (invest in soothing incense to sleep, candles, glade stuff you know?)

4. Patience. Again i cant stress this enough. You MUST have patience. You wont get it the first time. You may not get it tommorrow, or the day after or the week after. And my methods and techniques might not work for you. You have to try everything out. Experiment your own styles and methods!

5. Relax. Dont panic! Everything is gonna be alright. Remember

6. Dont be lazy and skip your dream journal. Its Essential to Lucid dreaming.

Now you've done everything. You practiced. Wrote down your dreams. Looked up info on it. Practiced some more and finally YOU DID IT!!!!.............

Well what do we do when we reach lucidity!!!

That my friends i leave up to you.

“The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.”

Its all up to you..... Spawn your favorite bmx bike and go jump that insane stairs youve always wanted.
Go tell the girl of your dream that you love her.
Fly
Jump to the moon.
Swim with the whales.
Beat up your old middle school bully.....

The possibilities are endless.......

Thanks for reading i hope! you enjoyed

Please give me feedback and spell checks! I know many grammar errors tangled in there!