Dream Traveling - I need help!

[Raven Knight]

This is my first post and I believe I will start out by making everyone here think I am completely insane . First, my name is Raven and I have been lucid dreaming for many years. I occasionally become fully lucid in a dream, and I frequently become semi-lucid in a dream. I describe semi-lucid as in I know I can do things that aren't possible in reality (like flying or using some strange dream powers I've developed over the years) but I still don't directly connect it with being a dream. My dreams usually entail me traveling to some exotic location and helping someone in need, usually it is by protecting someone being attacked by evil individuals, healing someone, etc. Here's where the insane part comes into play. These are more than just dreams. Or at least sometimes I think they are. My ex-boyfriend and I used to share dreams on a regular basis. Talking to him about the dreams made them seem very real. Like traveling to another place and time rather than just seeing images in my mind. By way of confirmation of that was the fact he would know things about my dreams I hadn't told him and vise-versa. Also I have a lot of dreams that continue from one night to the next as if I was returning to the same place to continue a task I had not yet finished. My boyfriend and I broke up about three years ago. I have no one I can confide in about these dreams and it is seeming less like they are real and more like I am just nuts . Now for my question: Has anyone else experienced what you believe to be true traveling in your dream state? Does anyone even believe it's possible? I want to believe it's true. Also, there's the fact that if I believe and it turns out I'm just crazy no one has been hurt. But if I don't believe and it turns out to be true then there are people I was supposed to help and I let them down . I would really like to hear anything you have to say whether you want to tell me I'm completely off my rocker or if you can tell me something to help me believe like I used to. This indecision is driving me mad! Thanks!

[Baron Samedi]

Firstly, I just want to say that using smilies instead of words is confusing, so I am not completely sure what you mean... What do you mean by "true traveling"? astral projection?

[Raven Knight]

Firstly, I just want to say that using smilies instead of words is confusing, so I am not completely sure what you mean... What do you mean by "true traveling"? astral projection? I guess that would be the closest thing I could call it. Astral projection of a sort. But I always thought when astral projecting there was no way to interact with other people... Maybe you aren't seeing the same symbols I am... A dancing banana would be "bananas"... But in case someone else is not seeing the same symbols as I am I will add the words.

[mentalenforcer]

I'm jealous of the shared dreaming experience. I haven't had a girlfriend to try dreaming with. I believe dreams all take place somewhere real. One time I was being pursued in a dream. I got agitated to the point that I went into a dream space I felt was entirely my creation. Then I intended that space to shut down. I awoke suddenly, feeling jarred. I have no idea what happened to my pursuer, but I know what effect I was after. I figure if the place isn't real, how can a dream take place there? Is that what you meant by "real", or was it something else?

[Raven Knight]

I have problems explaining what I mean by real. I guess I mean a real place as opposed to a place that exists only in my mind. A place such that if I do something there, such as help someone, it really matters. Your dream sounds interesting. Thanks for the response. I'm jealous of the shared dreaming experience. I haven't had a girlfriend to try dreaming with. I believe dreams all take place somewhere real. One time I was being pursued in a dream. I got agitated to the point that I went into a dream space I felt was entirely my creation. Then I intended that space to shut down. I awoke suddenly, feeling jarred. I have no idea what happened to my pursuer, but I know what effect I was after. I figure if the place isn't real, how can a dream take place there? Is that what you meant by "real", or was it something else?

[mentalenforcer]

I don't know how to tell if it matters. That's a good question. Can we know if what happens in this world matters? There's always the chance this world isn't "real" in that sense.

[Raven Knight]

I never thought about it that way... All the books on lucid dreaming say to question reality, and that would certainly fall under questioning the reality of this world. Thanks for a different view point. I'll just keep on dreaming. I don't know how to tell if it matters. That's a good question. Can we know if what happens in this world matters? There's always the chance this world isn't "real" in that sense.

[Baron Samedi]

So did you see your boyfriend in the dreams? Did he see you? I really interested to hear about these dreams. I don't think you're crazy, and I think so much more is possible than we realize. How do you feel you let people down? Did you write any of these dreams down?

[WakataDreamer]

ASTRAL PROJECTION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT DON'T CONFUSE YOURSELF What you have experienced is known under the general name of "shared dreaming." It's totally possible, and perfectly normal. You're not nuts.

[Raven Knight]

Yes, my boyfriend and I would see each other in the dream state and then we would often remember the same dream when we next talked. At first we did it all the time, but by the time we broke up I think he had either tired of it or decided he didn't believe any more. I recorded a lot of my dreams as I tried to increase my lucidity. We did a lot of things spanning from just spending time together to finding someone who needed help and helping them to... well you know, ... As for letting people down, I don't think I have been yet... But in my dreams I will regularly find someone who needs help of some kind and I can use some dream skills I have developed to help them. (This is usually healing of some kind.) If I stop dreaming and the dreams are affecting a real place, I think I might be letting someone down by not being there to help them... So did you see your boyfriend in the dreams? Did he see you? I really interested to hear about these dreams. I don't think you're crazy, and I think so much more is possible than we realize. How do you feel you let people down? Did you write any of these dreams down?

[Baron Samedi]

So, you and your boyfriend would have shared lucid dreams where you helped people get laid? Cool! Who wants help getting laid? Raise your hand! Me! So, you have done healing in lucid dreams? This fascinates me. I'd like to read one of these dreams. I think a lot of people would be interested in this. Maybe you can start a dream journal thread and post some of those old dreams. As far as feeling a responsiblity, I think it's best not to worry about it. Everyone is responsible for themselves. Feeling a responsibility towards strangers is exhausting. I felt the need to help and heal strangers constantly for years, and it left me feeling depleted and depressed. It's good that you have the heart of a healer. Healing should come out of an abundance of positive healing energy. If you don't feel that abundance, than you are depleting yourself, and you should just focus on yourself at that point in your life until you feel abundance pouring out of you again.

[Man of Shred]

It sounds like you are using your dream body to travel to other places.

[mentalenforcer]

I'm interested in how you initiated the shared dreams. Did you just stumble upon each other, or did one of you have to actively seek the other out? I haven't had a shared dream yet, and it's really high up on my list of things to do.

[Raven Knight]

Yes, that is exactly what I am trying to say. And BTW, Ranma 1/2 is one of the best anime shows ever IMO. It sounds like you are using your dream body to travel to other places.

[Raven Knight]

I am ROFLOL right now! I went back and looked at my previous post and realized how it sounded! We with each other! A perfectly safe way to live out all of our fantasies! As for starting a dream journal, I might consider it... I would have to think about it a bit since some of my dreams are quite personal... I agree with you that feeling responsible for others is draining. It's probably no coincidence that I suffer from depression. But it's not easy to turn that off... I don't have an abundance of positive energy. But positive energy multiplies when shared, so when I heal someone it helps me as well. Thanks for your responses. It is helping me work through this. So, you and your boyfriend would have shared lucid dreams where you helped people get laid? Cool! Who wants help getting laid? Raise your hand! Me! So, you have done healing in lucid dreams? This fascinates me. I'd like to read one of these dreams. I think a lot of people would be interested in this. Maybe you can start a dream journal thread and post some of those old dreams. As far as feeling a responsiblity, I think it's best not to worry about it. Everyone is responsible for themselves. Feeling a responsibility towards strangers is exhausting. I felt the need to help and heal strangers constantly for years, and it left me feeling depleted and depressed. It's good that you have the heart of a healer. Healing should come out of an abundance of positive healing energy. If you don't feel that abundance, than you are depleting yourself, and you should just focus on yourself at that point in your life until you feel abundance pouring out of you again.

[Raven Knight]

Often times we would make plans to meet each other in a dream. It didn't always work, but if we were focused enough it sometimes would. Other times it just seemed to happen. For example I would be in a dream and become lucid. I would remember I wanted to find and meet him, so I would focus on doing that. When I managed to find him I would tell him to do a reality check. If it was really him and not just an illusion of him, he would do that reality check and bingo. We were having a lucid dream together. Sometimes he would find me and tell me to do a reality check. Either way worked. The more we did it the easier it got. I miss that since we broke up. I hope that helped. Good luck with your shared dream! I'm interested in how you initiated the shared dreams. Did you just stumble upon each other, or did one of you have to actively seek the other out? I haven't had a shared dream yet, and it's really high up on my list of things to do.

[Baron Samedi]

I am ROFLOL right now! I went back and looked at my previous post and realized how it sounded! We with each other! A perfectly safe way to live out all of our fantasies! As for starting a dream journal, I might consider it... I would have to think about it a bit since some of my dreams are quite personal... I agree with you that feeling responsible for others is draining. It's probably no coincidence that I suffer from depression. But it's not easy to turn that off... I don't have an abundance of positive energy. But positive energy multiplies when shared, so when I heal someone it helps me as well. Thanks for your responses. It is helping me work through this. Yeah, I agree that helping and healing people multiplies when shared. I meant feeling a responsibility like that will wear you out. Lucid dreaming has helped me with depression, but that is another topic entirely! I am fascinated by your shared lucid dreams.

[mentalenforcer]

Thanks for the tips on shared dreaming. I'll have to see if I can initiate one sometime. I don't know anyone with good dream recall. I guess I can tell them to wake up and write down the dream. I'm not sure who to pick. Based on your shared dreams, I should probably pick a cute girl, huh?

[Baron Samedi]

wow... this seems like it was so long ago! And I have shared dreams with MoSh and Raven Knight.

[Hijo de la Luna]

This is my first post and I believe I will start out by making everyone here think I am completely insane . First, my name is Raven and I have been lucid dreaming for many years. I occasionally become fully lucid in a dream, and I frequently become semi-lucid in a dream. I describe semi-lucid as in I know I can do things that aren't possible in reality (like flying or using some strange dream powers I've developed over the years) but I still don't directly connect it with being a dream. My dreams usually entail me traveling to some exotic location and helping someone in need, usually it is by protecting someone being attacked by evil individuals, healing someone, etc. Here's where the insane part comes into play. These are more than just dreams. Or at least sometimes I think they are. My ex-boyfriend and I used to share dreams on a regular basis. Talking to him about the dreams made them seem very real. Like traveling to another place and time rather than just seeing images in my mind. By way of confirmation of that was the fact he would know things about my dreams I hadn't told him and vise-versa. Also I have a lot of dreams that continue from one night to the next as if I was returning to the same place to continue a task I had not yet finished. My boyfriend and I broke up about three years ago. I have no one I can confide in about these dreams and it is seeming less like they are real and more like I am just nuts . Now for my question: Has anyone else experienced what you believe to be true traveling in your dream state? Does anyone even believe it's possible? I want to believe it's true. Also, there's the fact that if I believe and it turns out I'm just crazy no one has been hurt. But if I don't believe and it turns out to be true then there are people I was supposed to help and I let them down . I would really like to hear anything you have to say whether you want to tell me I'm completely off my rocker or if you can tell me something to help me believe like I used to. This indecision is driving me mad! Thanks! I dream travel or as John Perkins coined the term psychonavigate. I went to Central America by myself once. When I was there while napping or sleeping I would leave my body & explore the day/s & places I was interested in going. While doing so I would discover unknowable perils. In doing so I safely navigated around riots in manuas Nicaragua, thieves all over & hooked up with a shaman in guatemala. As far as interacting with others. I have experienced that as well. I went to a friend of mine's dream, whose marriage was failing. IN the dream they agreed they wanted me to hypnotize the spouse to explore the origins of the dissention of the marriage on his side of the fence. After this dream thier marriage began to improve. FYI she didn't remember me in her dream but I also didn't know in real time that they had resovled a lot of their frustration & isolation. Only after I told her about my dream did she look at me with a confused look & shared with me her good news. Raven, as for your positive energy. Why is it that when you help other people do you feel good? Is it that you feel good because you are helping them or is it that you are really helping yourself. You see you can't get sick enough to make anyone well. Clearly you are not sick or you would only make the situation worse. So if you are not sick you could be in a state of well-being because it is only then that we are of value to anyone who is not feeling well. The last thing I will add is if you feel good in service could you not just find creative ways to dedicate your service? Remember, you said it yourself. You cannot help another w/o helping yourself. ...oh it works the otherway around. Try it! P.S. I like your happy faces f***ing in bed. Can I use profanity here?