Thread: Dream Recall - Could it stand on it's own?

Yea I think for the most part it does. Maybe people that think they've never had a lucid dream before actually had one they just couldn't remember it? Having good dream recall is like the most important thing ever for becoming lucid.

If you pay attention, write down, review your dreams for an extended period of time you become consciously and subconsciously aware of the elements of your dreams. You might start having dream thoughts like this looks like it's a dream because I've seen it happen before, and then the next moment you start asking yourself, maybe it is a dream?
So yes, it's possible. But for best results, I would combine it with other techs.

Originally Posted by EmptyBucket

Could dream recall by itself get you lucid dreams?

No, it couldn't.

Dream recall is a very good thing in its own right, can help you with gathering dreamsigns, and, as NyxCC already said, might even help get your mind in the right place. But it is by no means enough. If it were, then LD'ing would be very common event rather than the rarity it is among the general population.

In order to successfully lucid dream, you need some combination of the fundamentals: self-awareness, memory (not recall, but actually tapping your memory during the dream), and expectations/intentions. In my opinion and experience, though it can help recall isn't even necessary for successful LD'ing.

So, unless your recall is building expectations powerful enough to get your unconscious mind to metaphorically shout "Hey, Dummy! This is a dream!" dream recall will do little more than give you a chance to better enjoy or learn from your non-lucids upon waking -- a very good thing, yes, but not a doorway to LD'ing.

I suggest you stick to the fundamentals, perhaps using your recall skills as an extra tool to help you along -- but not the only tool.
non-lucids

Ah, but I think practicing recall improvement because one wants to have lucid dreams is drifferent from dream recall of general population because there already is at least some intension/expectation for lucid dreaming embedded in dream recall improvement efforts by want-to-be lucid dreamers. We know why we are going through the dream recall effort. Therefore, this is not like dream recall in general population, and looking at statistic of lucid dreams among people who remember dreams but do not want to lucid dream, I bet the number of lucid dreams among them would be significantly smaller than among those who practice dream recall techniques because they wish to lucid dream. Even when dream recall is seemingly the only tool, there is some expectation/intension there.

As to whether that is enough? I bet it varies from person to person: lucid dreaming comes easier for some people than for others, and some techniques work for some people but are not sufficient for others.

^^ All true, and your points about the general population make sense (even though I would argue that there would be a whole lot more "accidental" LDer's in the world if good dream recall was all that is needed to succeed). And of course, if you're intent on LD'ing, developing recall will help you build expectations (didn't I already say that?); but wouldn't that be the expectations that are ultimately prompting the LD, and not recall?

Don't get me wrong; JoannaB, dream recall is a powerful tool for engaging your dream life in general, and should be nurtured and practiced by all. But because its function rests literally outside the "here & now" waking-life self-awareness environment that must exist to initiate a LD, it cannot be the only tool for achieving lucidity.

I bet it varies from person to person: lucid dreaming comes easier for some people than for others, and some techniques work for some people but are not sufficient for others.

Sure. But again, we're speaking on a general basis here, based on what we know can potentially work for anyone and not what might accidentally work for a lucky few, or one. That said, even those lucky few are probably assuming that their LD's were the result of dream recall only, but may simply be overlooking their existent self-awareness and expectations.

Bottom line: Dream recall simply operates on a different neural circuit board than LD'ing. It is a good thing that can and does help with lucidity, but it is not sensible, in my opinion, to use it as the only tool for lucidity.

Thanks for all the response!

It was really something I was wondering because these days my dream recall seems so easily influenced by my expectation and how well i'm journaling and whatnot.

I currently do mental reality checks, and some physical reality checks. I guess I was just wondering, but good to know

Thanks