Thread: Almost an LD

First off, get the cake and banners out!!! The defining factor in an LD is that you realize it is a dream! Done. You just had your first LD!!!! It was like most peoples first few LDs. They get better with practice, but you are what a week or two into thinking about it, and have already scored.

Do not worry about anything. You are not going to be unable to wake, in fact trained LDers can wake at will some times. Your alarm going off will wake you normally. Sleep paralysis is a rare medical condition like sleep walking and has nothing to do with lucid dreaming. Some of us are using a special advanced trick called WILD and it is a self induced dream trance. In invoking the trance state we are aware when the body enters sleep paralysis. To explain more, SP happens to every one in order to prevent you acting out your dreams. Only two types experience while aware, so no one else notices it. The first is people with sleep disorders, and those who practice WILD or other advanced meditations. In a healthy person, who stays aware while the body falls asleep (WILD/ Dream Trance) SP can be broken by exerting will. It is so easy to break that many students stall for weeks because they keep trying to test SP. It is so easy tto break, that the student tries moving to varify they are in SP and it breaks. It is only intended to keep you from acting out dreams, not prevent normal willful actions.

As far as the dream turning into a nightmare. It is noot likely unless you normally have nightmares. Then the only down side is you are aware of the dream. However, by definition, you know it is only a dream. You will eventually learn to control dreams and cause dreams to end. I would not be worried about nightmares, you will know it is like a movie, and may be able to change it into a nice dream.

Plan on waking within seconds of realizing you are dreaming a few times. It is no big deal, it happened to all of us. If it is a problem after you have 12 or more LDs then post again and every one will help you move on, for now you are golden!

I have noticed lately that a lot of people on the web have been spreading rumors about lucid dreaming, in particular that scary things can happen.

This isn't true.

Lucid dreaming only means you are aware of the dream while you are dreaming it. Nothing more.

Sleep paralysis happens when you sleep. It is a normal function of sleeping to prevent you from acting out your dreams. Some people (not everyone) can wake up and still feel themselves in sleep paralysis. It can feel scary because you can not move but it wears off and is normal. This same feeling can happen without having lucid dreams. Sleep paralysis has nothing to do with the act of achieving a lucid dream.

I might suggest you try this tutorial from our WIKI: Dream Induction Techniques - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

You might also want to read this other thread. I recommend it to beginners: http://www.dreamviews.com/f20/beginn...eaming-124786/

Forget the scary stuff. No harm can come to you. The more you understand that the easier it will be to sleep and even lucid dream.

If you have questions or want to talk directly you can send me a private message by clicking on my profile name.

When you do lucid dream it will be peaceful and transformative. You are thinking too much. You cannot be lucid in a dream and be in a nightmare. These are mutually exclusive. If you are lucid and in control then there cannot be a nightmare. You are superman (or superwoman) and can simply think it away. Do not pay too much attention to sleep paralysis on this or other forums. It is over-rated. Your brain goes through SP every single night and will continue to until the day you die. It is the mechanics of sleep. Learn the stages of sleep. The stages of brainwaves as they pertain to sleep. Learn.