I think I just had a LD

[mdspencer68]

First let me start off with saying that I posted a couple days ago, questioning if I came close to a LD. Most of the responses said that I had a LD. One felt I had a semi-LD. I'm not sure which it is, but I can tell you I'm pretty sure the one I had this morning was. I actually had two. The first one I'm not sure about, but it is the second one that really caught my attention. Last night I went to bed around 11:30, waking up twice before finally waking up around 4:30. I had no recollection of any dreams, so after writing my affirmation in my DJ, I went back to bed. Usually around this time I MILD, however, I felt I needed to do a dream recall affirmation while going back to sleep. In the first dream I was in the basement of my house. It was around dusk, and I could see the lights of the alley street light illuminating the back window. I then saw the shadow of someone in the yard. Then there were a number of them. Suddenly I hear some people in my kitchen upstairs. I go upstairs and when I arrive in the kitchen no one is there. I start to feel as though I am dreaming. After I said, "I'm dreaming, the scene switches to me having a FA. I am laying in my bed and I see what looks like a phantom shadow of someone standing next to my bed. I do a reality check by looking at my hands. My hands look almost completely transparent, but nothing happened. I woke up and noted this in my DJ, then went back to bed again. I did a MILD this time and here is where I really believe I may have had a LD. I dreamed I was in my basement, again. For some reason I have a computer in the front and one in the back. Both are on and I seem to be going back and forth between them, doing what I can't recall. At some point I turn the one off in the front. Next the computer, on my credenza, is a small t.v. that is also on. The screen is blue and has text on it which I cannot make out, and a light blue rectangle in the upper left hand corner. After I turn the t.v. off I turn to go to the back, but something struck me at this point. I turn back to the t.v. and it is still on. But it wasn't this that caught my attention. What caught my attention was the fact that it was on at all. I say to myself, "Wait a minute. I don't remember turning the t.v. on. How the hell is it even on? I'm the only person who could have done it." During this period I could feel something wasn't right. As I turn away again I feel as though someone just flipped a switch in my mind. I suddenly turn back and I had a REALLY sudden, REALLY strong realization that I was dreaming. I said, "Wait a minute... I"M DREAMING!" Unlike the dream I had the other day, I could actually feel a sense of excitement, though not as much as I thought it would be like. I quickly looked at my hands, but before I could get a good look at them the scene switched to a FA, again. This part is hard to put in words, but I felt as though my perception was alternating between vague and vivid. I also got an feeling as though something was about to happen, but before anything could happen I woke up. I feel that HAD to be a LD. Unlike the one two days ago, I felt a 100% pure sense of awareness. And unlike the one I had prior to this one, this had a sudden, HOLY SHIT, I'M DREAMING feel to it. However, I'm left with a question. And that is, why in three straight dreams in which I had a sense of awareness, did I keep going into a FA. I know lucid dreamers often have FAs, but the first three in a row? Could there be something significant about this, or should I just chalk this up to something that just happens and I shouldn't obsess over it.

[faceonmars]

I know the "holy S$%! , I'm dreaming!' part well and you were lucid dreaming the second time. The false awakenings have never happened to me but I can see why they would happen to someone just starting out as your mind will try to rationalize the lucid state. Keep going! You are doing well.

[mdspencer68]

I know the "holy S$%! , I'm dreaming!' part well and you were lucid dreaming the second time. Awesome! The false awakenings have never happened to me but I can see why they would happen to someone just starting out as your mind will try to rationalize the lucid state. That could be what it is. Keep going! You are doing well. Thanks, I appreciate it.

[Oneironaut Zero]

Congratulations, mdspencer! And that 'Holy Shit, I'm dreaming!' feeling is still one of the greatest feelings I know. In my opinion, lucid dreamers tend to have a lot of false awakenings because we are always consciously aware that we will, eventually, wake up. That concept is immediately thrown into our minds and, mixed with the anxiety we feel when we become lucid, increases our chances of waking up. Secondly, we become aware of the fact that we are actually lying in our beds, which often makes us become aware of our physical, waking world senses, also causing us to wake up. But congrats, once again. And here's to many more lucids!

[melanieb]

In addition to what Oneironaut Zero said above a lot of our most vivid dreams occur right before waking up or close to the end of a REM cycle. Waking up, especially after something profound, seems like a normal experience. Congratulations on the LDs!

[mdspencer68]

Congratulations, mdspencer! And that 'Holy Shit, I'm dreaming!' feeling is still one of the greatest feelings I know. It totally blew my mind, the way it just came so suddenly. It was awesome! Secondly, we become aware of the fact that we are actually lying in our beds, which often makes us become aware of our physical, waking world senses, also causing us to wake up. I believe that's what happened to me before I woke up. But congrats, once again. And here's to many more lucids! Thanks, man. In addition to what Oneironaut Zero said above a lot of our most vivid dreams occur right before waking up or close to the end of a REM cycle. Waking up, especially after something profound, seems like a normal experience. Congratulations on the LDs! Thanks Mel.