Lucid Dreams

[Sloppy Zhang]

So I've been reading up on lucid dreams, and aside from just having fun and messing around in the realm of dreams where you can do anything, there are people who use those spirit dreams as a platform for meeting some kind of spirit guide, higher self, maybe they just meditate, whatever.

 

I was wondering if anyone here has had any experiences with lucid dreaming that they'd like to share, if you used them to boost your own practice, views on doing that, etc.

[padge]

I imagine you would have to have a fairly calm mind to be able to lucid dream effectively. I sometimes wonder if I would freak out or not if I ever became lucid in a dream. I'm interested in the responses... it's a very fascinating topic!

[Sloppy Zhang]

Well there are different levels to lucidity. In the basic levels you mostly go, "huh, this is a dream, let's walk over here...." and that's as much as you do.

 

In others you can fly, move about, and manifest different things in front of you.

 

Sufficed to say, the level in which you are totally aware and can manifest anything takes quite a bit of awareness and practice, and that's also the level in which (I would suppose) you are most successful in spiritual practice.

 

Like some websites are just like, "once you go lucid, ask to meet your guide" or something like that, claiming that you should start to come in contact with various things almost immediately. Same with meeting aspects of your personality, like maybe you have a phobia, you can confront and overcome that in a dream. The three times I've tried, I didn't get anything (at least nowhere near advertised results). Doing some more digging and talking to some people on other specialized forums, the general consensus is that even if you can GET lucid, that doesn't mean you are totally aware, there are still large parts of your unconscious that is still in control, and a lot of things that prevent you from reaching any sort of higher level accomplishment, so it takes practice to get to a higher degree of lucidity before you start anything.

 

So some places suggest that you meditate once you become lucid, so you train to increase your awareness in the "dream world", so you can gain more control, so your subconscious still doesn't have that hold over you, and you can work through mental blocks and stuff like that.

 

Sufficed to say, one of the next things on my to do list is basically, before jumping into anything "too advanced", to just try and keep more awareness and control in general. But I was wondering if anyone else had any experience/tips they'd like to share.

Edited January 28, 2009 by Sloppy Zhang

[bukejian]

Well, I practice Taoist Dream Yoga, which is similar to, but different from Lucid Dreaming. Unfortunely< I have never had a great deal of sucess with it. I can never seem to make the transition from being in a dream state to being aware, I'm actually in a dream state. I think I always get too excited, at the point where, I become aware I'm in a dream state and then wake up. So I would say calmness plays a big part. The few times I have made it work, I have found it to be very productive. I would love to be able to do it consistently, and be able to work on things during the hours which, I am sleeping.

 

Bu

[Guest sykkelpump]

So I've been reading up on lucid dreams, and aside from just having fun and messing around in the realm of dreams where you can do anything, there are people who use those spirit dreams as a platform for meeting some kind of spirit guide, higher self, maybe they just meditate, whatever.

 

I was wondering if anyone here has had any experiences with lucid dreaming that they'd like to share, if you used them to boost your own practice, views on doing that, etc.

 

 

Yes I have had it once.I falled asleep after a deep mantra meditation.It was unfortunatly very short.So much I would like to do,haha.It was like a dream but I was "awake " and could control the dream.Felt Like real time.I started doing anapanasati meditation right after and havent had it since

[baloneyx]

Lucid dreams are awesome! Though I still fight with the OBE or Lucid dream question, or maybe even a mixture of both?

 

Set up a sign for yourself to kinda give you that "'ahh I m dreaming" message. What works for me is that as I go to "sleep" I'm aware that I am in bed, so if I find myself somewhere other than in bed it clicks " I m in bed, this isnt my bed so I must be dreaming"

 

As for OBEs ( I think,but not 100% sure) what I do is lay down, relax and just quiet the mind, not forcefully though, if thoughts come let them just pass by at their own time, but dont focus on them. Don't fall asleep, just try to keep aware.

After a while you'll feel vibes through your body, shortly after that moment what I do is roll to the side, and I m out ( I think ).

 

Not matter what it is it's AWESOME! I just love t fly around, I feel like so happy the next morning

[Sloppy Zhang]

Lucid dreams are awesome! Though I still fight with the OBE or Lucid dream question, or maybe even a mixture of both?

 

Well in some places I've read, they said that one ways to have an OBE is to start flying in a lucid dream, then fly up and up and up as high as you can go. So that to me sounds like lucid dreams are mostly you in your mind, but you can leave if you want.

 

Set up a sign for yourself to kinda give you that "'ahh I m dreaming" message. What works for me is that as I go to "sleep" I'm aware that I am in bed, so if I find myself somewhere other than in bed it clicks " I m in bed, this isnt my bed so I must be dreaming"

 

Another thing is to keep a journal of your dreams (or if you have good dream recall, you might not need this) and to familiarize yourself with common elements in your dreams. Like maybe buildings take on a physically impossible shape, you are unable to move when you want (or need) to, etc. As you notice these, the next time it happens you can use that as a hint, thinking, "oh yeah, I always have trouble walking in my dreams.... hey!"

[Mal]

[baloneyx]

Well in some places I've read, they said that one ways to have an OBE is to start flying in a lucid dream, then fly up and up and up as high as you can go. So that to me sounds like lucid dreams are mostly you in your mind, but you can leave if you want.

 

Another thing is to keep a journal of your dreams (or if you have good dream recall, you might not need this) and to familiarize yourself with common elements in your dreams. Like maybe buildings take on a physically impossible shape, you are unable to move when you want (or need) to, etc. As you notice these, the next time it happens you can use that as a hint, thinking, "oh yeah, I always have trouble walking in my dreams.... hey!"

I'll try flying up and up next time, how it shifts for me is usually that I kinda wake up, lay there fore a bit and if I'm lucky I get the vibes and do the roll

 

I could keep a journal, but I'm lazy to do that But it could help, though for OBEs I start in my room, all seems in order.

 

And Mal I use to have a hard time flying, but after some practice I can fly anytime I'm lucid , my flight instructions are just do it, dont think how and whatnot just go go go! and try not to wake up

[Spectrum]

Use

reality

checks to

induce lucidity

 

backsnaps

 

Use still

meditation

to check mind

at the station b4

falling behind your

sleeping self less you

 

snapbacks

 

This is a

portal to many

realms mental spiritual

dream land vibratory states

peircing the veils movement as

thought as movement 360 degrees

up is up down is down side ways play

[WestwardMonkey]

1) I have had dreams that are just plain thought residue from the day.

2) I have had dreams that tell of event ahead of time pretty good and they are not the self forfilled type.

3) I knew a wiccan that pulled me into her dream once. She called it dreamscaping and what was even more cool we I woke up I told her nothing and asked her what happened and she verified it but I still don't know how she did it.

4) I have astral projected once durning sleep but I got alittle scared which to my surpise turned me the opposite direction and I woke up. My first and only time concously attempting it every time I thought I want to go here or there I was instantly there which was really frustating. When I returned to my body I went to go verify that it indead happened with a family member I was observing and she verified it. From both these experiences I concluded the calmer the mind is the easier it will be to move in an astral state. The only problem its hard to get any practice if you only did it twice and you can not reproduce the event effectively.

5) I have had very spiritual dreams that have helped to understand the Tao better. There very vived dreams and what is said is usually very brief but very powerful and life changing.