Mental Imagery and Dream Vividness

**dark56** · 07-08-2011 08:29 AM

Hey all, my first post on DV. I am deeply curious if there is any relation to conscious, mental imagery and the vividness of dreams.

I'll describe mental imagery as simply closing your eyes (when fully awake) and trying to form a tangible picture in your head. Not just thinking of the object in question, say a blue triangle, but actually seeing a blue triangle formed from the black background of your closed eyes.

Personally, I can't form any sort of images. It is pure blackness when I try to create a picture/scene. I can however slightly change the background color on demand.

In relation to dreams, mine severely lack vividness. It is hard for me to describe exactly what I see in my dreams, but it isn't much at all. This includes lucid dreams, as I am no stranger to them. I've had several, and they all seem to be severely lacking detail - nothing like real life at all.

My latest lucid dream (WILD after WBTB) proved pointless. I think I was in a room, but it was impossible to depict exactly what room I was in. I tried a couple of DC techniques (rubbing hands and spinning), but nothing seemed to help. I wanted to try and focus on specific textures or objects perhaps, but there was nothing there to begin with. I only remember looking at my alarm clock, seeing the time all distorted and blurry (not even the clock itself) for maybe a second, then it disappeared. Although, the dream did follow a logical order that I won't bore you with the details.

So my question is, can you produce images "in" your head by closing your eyes, and if so, how realistic are your dreams? If not, and you can't create pictures from the blackness like myself, how real are your dreams?

**Sugabombs** · 07-08-2011 04:39 PM

I can often remember such small details. Like how the water stained asphalt reflected the moon when I ran across the street last night in my dream. My dreams are very detailed and real.
Now, I'm not very good at producing images in my head when going to sleep. Not at all. I've only succeeded once. I saw a fork with spaghetti. But otherwise no, I am mostly like you, I can only change the background color.

**Binsk** · 07-08-2011 08:10 PM

Hm, well I know that I can't visualize things on the back of my eyelids at all (though I am QUITE good at picturing things in my head), however dream vividness as jumped around quite a lot for me. Sometimes it is all just a blur, or like when you are trying to stay awake after taking NyQuil (that foggy feeling). Other times, it has been as real as life and I could pick out every detail from the feel of grass under my feet, to the smells around me and the vivid colors and textures.

I know there are foods that can increase dream vividness, so perhaps what you are eating regularly isn't a very good diet in regards to dreaming. I never really worry about what I am eating in regard, but also it changes allot so perhaps that is partially the reason I have very big jumps and dips in my dream vividness.

Another thing that seems to effect allot of people is masturbation, as that supposedly releases certain chemicals that are part of dream vividness or something like that.

Anyway, I hope you figure out how to increase dream vividness. Good luck.

**dark56** · 07-08-2011 11:45 PM

Thanks for the responses. It could be my diet, but I have tried small doses of vitamin B6 with little success.

I am thinking it perhaps could be my dream recall. I could be fully experiencing every aspect of a dream at the time, but then forget the sensations when I awake. I haven't tried to keep a DJ, so I guess its time to start.

Also to add to my previous lucid dream in the OP, it seems like I have to try really hard to create the dream scene. As with the alarm clock, I mentally thought of the time (as a RC), and it appeared. Maybe I just need to focus greater attention in general, but I have a feeling like it shouldn't be this hard, especially with a successful WILD.