Thread: Massive Increase in Dream Recall/Vividness

Hi, most likely it is the 'being away from home' effect that causes the vivid dream recall. I am now currently experiencing the same thing as U are but no LDs yet. I was called back to be in the Army for 4 days straight and was not able to go home because it was a stay-in training, the dreams I had in the camp was slightly better than at home, I have dreamed about LDs for two nights there. But the real surprise is when I got home, most of the dreams have been more vivid and weirder than before ever since , don't know why exactly but it always happens when I get called back .

IMJ

Originally Posted by Siav

Hey all...so random thing. I've been having a really hard time with becoming lucid. I'm really into it, but so far I've only had one. Luckily this dream was incredible beyond belief...but I've never gotten close again. I've tried everything outside of drugs [I want to do it naturally]. So kinda out of dissapointment I've been lax, so I'm remembering sometimes one dream a night but not vividly and I haven't been good about writing them down. --So to the point...I'm on a trip in Australia for two weeks, and both of the hotels I've stayed in have had really nice pools. So I've made it a point to swim every night just for fun. I love the feeling of holding my breath and just staying underwater and feeling the water around me. After doing this, I've had the most MASSIVE increase in dream recall and vividness and I haven't even been trying. Last night I remembered 5 reallllly long dreams without a problem. And they were long....I felt like I'd been dreaming for almost a whole day. They just were there in the morning and I remembered them as well as what I'd eaten last night. I actually reached lucidity without even trying one night, because everything looked so real. I was excited and woke up, but the point is //I haven't even been doing anything and it just came.// My dry spell...(Even though I guess I never had a wet spell to begin with) just ended like that. So so...that's my thoughts, and I'm curious to see if it works for anyone else like it did for me. I'm defiently gonna try to keep doing this, cause it's woooorth it.
[/b]

Would you please report what happens when you don't go underwater swimming just before sleep? This could be really interesting.

I agree with imj, it's probably because you're away from home. A change of environment often stimulates mroe interesting dreams, or more memorable ones. I had my first LD on holiday.

The only problem with testing whether it's related to the swimming or not is that your expectations will influence it. If you think that the swimming has to do with the increased vividness and recall, then chances are that when you stop the swimming, they will go away, whether or not they were actually related.

Hmm...yeah I didn't even really think about that. That's another factor that could very well have to do with it. But truth be told, while I usually do have more vivid and memorable dreams away from home, this was..more than that. It was so vivid and realistic it was incredible. More than I've ever had before. But just to see, (Since I am home now as of yesterday) as soon as I get over my jet lag I'll expirement with it. I'll go 2 or three nights going to bed as normal, then for 2 or three days I'll swim right before I go to bed. Either the swimming really is working for me, or I was just so far away from home that it enhanced the homesickness factor even more. If it is just that...I'll be rather sad, because it means I'll have to pay alotta money to experience that again anytime soon.

//Oh oh, and IMJ, it would make a lot of sense about that factor being due to heightened emotions of happiness, sadness, or anxiety. Could very well be the reason you have a continuation of that away from home factor is because you felt relief and happiness to be home. I could be totally off here but that sounds pretty reasonable to me.//

I reckon there's a good chance the underwater swimming contributed to the increase in dream recall/vividness. By holding your breath underwater, you increase oxygen to the brain. If you trigger the mammalian diving reflex by swimming in cold water, you increase this effect. How long did you swim for each night?

How soon did you swim before you went to bed? I swam a few hours before bed a few days ago, but I honestly can't remember how increrased the vividness was. I swam today, if I can fall asleep well I'll see if it helps.

I think it might be more related to the change in scenery, and possibly even attitude as well. Australia sounds like it would be fun. Perhaps you could consider this too when

First off, I did definetly consider that Distant Clone. If you'll look at my last post, you'll see I mentioned emotions as coming into play. What I'm looking at right now, in order of importance in my mind is (As contributing factors to this increase)

1. Swimming
2. Scenery
3. Attitude

First off, I know 1 & 2 contributed. Didn't think about attitude though, so good observation Distant. But I'm really leaning toward the swimming as the main factor. It could just be wishful thinking, but that fact is the dreams weren't even close the nights I didn't swim. So I just don't know. But so you guys can expirement with it, this is what I did exactly on the nights with the most vivid dreams.

Around 8, I would go upstairs and go swimming in a pool they had (obviously.) Mainly I would do it to relax, but also to try and see if I could improve my lung capacity. I would sit in the pool, calming myself, and then slowly go underwater and hold my breath, feeling the water around me and trying to be as relaxed as possible so the oxygen would last longer. I would be in the pool for about 1 and a half to 2 hours. Sometimes longer, but it would be because *distractions* would come swimming and I wanted to stay a little longer to talk. Haha. I did the actual breathing and relaxation techniques for about a half an hour to an hour and spend the rest of the time in the hot tub. Then I would go back to our room, dry off, take a shower, and get ready for bed. All in all it would take around 20-25 minutes. Then I would get in bed and eat something while I watched a movie, and then when I got tired I would turn it off and go to sleep. That's what happened. Oh and Faat, that may very well be the case. I'll add just holding my breath for about 30 minutes (off and on of course) before bed to add to my expirement.

Hmmm, any movie related dreams by any chance? If you did have those, then I guess you flooded your brain with oxygen, then you flooded your oxygenated brain cells with a movie.

Here's how you can oxygenate your brain without going swimming. It's nowhere near as fun as swimming though. I wish I had a pool

Lie down on your back and put your feet up so the blood gets pushed to your middle and upper body.
Find something cold like a packet of frozen peas wrapped in a cloth, and place it on your face so that you cool the areas surrounding your eyes.
Relax and hold your breath. Release when you feel a little uncomfortable. You don't need to strain to get the effect.
Total time for holding your breath should be at least an hour, according to Win Wenger author of the Einstein Factor.

Originally Posted by FaatFaat

Hmmm, any movie related dreams by any chance? If you did have those, then I guess you flooded your brain with oxygen, then you flooded your oxygenated brain cells with a movie.

Here's how you can oxygenate your brain without going swimming. It's nowhere near as fun as swimming though. I wish I had a pool

Lie down on your back and put your feet up so the blood gets pushed to your middle and upper body.
Find something cold like a packet of frozen peas wrapped in a cloth, and place it on your face so that you cool the areas surrounding your eyes.
Relax and hold your breath. Release when you feel a little uncomfortable. You don't need to strain to get the effect.
Total time for holding your breath should be at least an hour, according to Win Wenger author of the Einstein Factor.
[/b]

I don't know about the movie thing. I thought about that, but none of my dreams had anything in the slightest to do with the movies. But I'll definetly try that technique after I do my 2 or 3 days of swimming. By the way, I also wanted to ad that a few nights for dinner I had a bowl of hot and spicy Nong Shim bowl of noodles. I read somewhere that spiciness can do something for your dreams too...I don't know how true that is though. Think that could have something to do with it? because then that's another part I'll have to add to my expirement...Haha.

Don't know about them noodles. Could have helped a bit

Last night I did 10-15 minutes of breath holding, no cold pack. I held my legs in the air with my arms .... I had more vivid dreams and greater recall!

I repeated it when I woke up during the night, and had more dreams. My dream recall is normally really bad. I'll try it aqain tonight, maybe with a cold pack.

Originally Posted by FaatFaat

Don't know about them noodles. Could have helped a bit

Last night I did 10-15 minutes of breath holding, no cold pack. I held my legs in the air with my arms .... I had more vivid dreams and greater recall!

I repeated it when I woke up during the night, and had more dreams. My dream recall is normally really bad. I'll try it aqain tonight, maybe with a cold pack.
[/b]

Alright!! So maybe that was it! Oh man...I'm pretty excited now. Haha. I think I'm gonna skip the control of doing it without any of the expirements and go ahead with the oxygenating my brain at night. Tongith why don't you try for 30 minutes before bed? I'll do it too and see how it works.

Originally Posted by Siav

Alright!! So maybe that was it! Oh man...I'm pretty excited now. Haha. I think I'm gonna skip the control of doing it without any of the expirements and go ahead with the oxygenating my brain at night. Tongith why don't you try for 30 minutes before bed? I'll do it too and see how it works.
[/b]

Yep, I'll do 30 minutes, get out my bag of peas and put it on my face

Well, I did probably more than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, it took me more than 2 hours to fall asleep. The frozen peas must have made me wide awake.

I didn't have greater vividness or recall than last night. It was about the same as the night before.

Tonight, I'll try 15 minutes and applying the peas only at the start of the session. Last night I applied the peas whenever I was holding my breath.

I see, I actually did 15-20 minutes. Without the ice pack so I could fall asleep easier. My dreams were much more vivid and I felt some really strong emotions, which isn't typical of my dreams unless it is fear or sadness. A lot of detail that I remembered straight out of my dream. Try not using the cold pack...I'm sure by the time you're done using it it takes some time to get your face warm enough again to be able to go to sleep quickly.

Originally Posted by Siav

I see, I actually did 15-20 minutes. Without the ice pack so I could fall asleep easier. My dreams were much more vivid and I felt some really strong emotions, which isn't typical of my dreams unless it is fear or sadness. A lot of detail that I remembered straight out of my dream. Try not using the cold pack...I'm sure by the time you're done using it it takes some time to get your face warm enough again to be able to go to sleep quickly.
[/b]

I didn't use the cold pack, I just did it for 15-20 minutes with my feet in the air

I think I've adapted a bit. I didn't remember much detail, although the vividness still seemed the same.

If only I had a nice pool

Hmm....I wonder what the difference is. Last night I didn't do anything, and everything was much lower quality and my recall was horrible. Yeah...a nice pool would be pretty, well, nice. Try again tonight without holding your legs up.

Originally Posted by Siav

Hmm....I wonder what the difference is. Last night I didn't do anything, and everything was much lower quality and my recall was horrible. Yeah...a nice pool would be pretty, well, nice. Try again tonight without holding your legs up.
[/b]

Last night I just held my breath without holding my legs up, and I hardly remembered any dreams at all. Pretty much a normal night's experience.

Okay. Holding one's breath underwater has been helpful for incubating very vivid dreams.

You know, many Yogic Breathing Exercises emphasize breath retention... holding one's breath. Deep breath and hold.

Now, although there are benefits to Breath Retention Exercises, often people have more Will Power then Common Sense and they hold their breath so long they incur brain damage -- seeing lights, experiencing light-headness, passing out.

So, some Breath Retention Exercises before one goes to sleep may be helpful. But do practice some moderation.

Originally Posted by Leo

Okay. Holding one's breath underwater has been helpful for incubating very vivid dreams.

You know, many Yogic Breathing Exercises emphasize breath retention... holding one's breath. Deep breath and hold.

Now, although there are benefits to Breath Retention Exercises, often people have more Will Power then Common Sense and they hold their breath so long they incur brain damage -- seeing lights, experiencing light-headness, passing out.

So, some Breath Retention Exercises before one goes to sleep may be helpful. But do practice some moderation.
[/b]

That's definetly good to hear, so we are on some kind of a right track. And I will definetly practice some moderation. But out of curiosity, is breath retention underwater more effective then just normal breath retention excercises?

Oh, by the way, there are two ways to practice breath retention: one can expand the lungs and hold IN the breath, or one can totally exhale and then hold OUT the breath. Both of these exercises can be done alternately. maybe it will help with Lucid Dreaming and increasing dream intensity.

Also, while we are on the subject, this reminds me of an absolutely sure cure for hiccups. One only has to hold one's breath IN until one is becoming uncomfortable, and then after a complete exhale, one should hold the breat OUT until one cannot do so a moment longer. One will feel a few convulsions in in one's torso -- that would be the airbubbles that cause the hiccups, it would be their being dissipated.

But back to Lucid Dreaming... when one is finally in a Lucid Dream, then it is good to do Rapid Breathing, to increase intensity and to prolong the dream. Hmmmmmm. Since rapid breathing is good for inside the dream, perhaps it is an exercise that would be worth repeating while awake.

Oh, and here is some Breathing Exercise Theory that does not sound like it makes sense, but proves out in practice. I learned it in both Kundalini Practice and Tai Chi. Yes, we know that the lungs and diaphram only go down to about mid-torso. But in Breathing one can actually focus the breath intake far down to the very bottom of the torso... those skilled in the Practice can even 'feel' themselves breathing up through the bottoms of the feet. yes, yes, yes...that is not REALLY happening, however, it SURE DOES FEEL LIKE IT IS.

In Tai Chi one breaths from that point that one guesses is one's center of gravity -- about an inch below the navel and a few inches back from there. No, don't breath into the stomach. Be certain that the air is coming into and through the lungs. My old Tai Chi Teacher used to say that breathing from that low point of focus would increase longevity and vitality. He said that Old Men get old and frail as their breath becomes shallower and when the focus of the breath rises higher and higher until one is barely hitting the top of one's lungs.

Or you could just drink Ozonated water, the quick and simple way to get more oxygen into your body, and your brain for that matter.

Originally Posted by invader_tech

Or you could just drink Ozonated water, the quick and simple way to get more oxygen into your body, and your brain for that matter.
[/b]

Wow Leo...that's incredibly interesting. I've done breathing before where I've really focused and I've felt lke the breath was reaching down much further then it was supposed to. I'll definetly be trying some breathing excercises, the rapid breathing also. And Invader Tech, that's also an alternative...But I think the breathing is more down my alley. I like being able to control my body and do things for myself rather then have to rely on outside sources. Plus the breathing may lend aid to relaxation, so might as well kill two birds with one stone. Oh and thanks for the hiccuping cure Leo, I'll test that out in the field sometime.

I don't know about the oxygenation of ones brain.

When I was on the swim team we had practice a 1.5 hour on M-T-T-F-S and on the days after practice I would fall into a deeper sleep than usual, I think from the exhaustion of swimming and tring to maintain body temp and possibly the breath holding. We never sat still or anything, and the pool was always very cold. At anyrate my dreams were far more vivid when I was swimming regularly than when not. I am planning on swimming competitivly again this winter, so I can be more scientific about this.