Lucid dream...without falling asleep?

[LiveInTheDream]

Ok, so I'm a big fan of Two Steps From Hell (if you don't know who they are, look them up). A few minutes ago, I was listening to one of their newest songs, and I just felt enraptured by the incredible music. The vocals towards the end seemed like a voice calling to me from a dream, it is just so good to my ears. Then I had this weird idea: why not see if it could push me into a lucid dream? Everything's against it, really. I haven't been in bed yet, I've been looking at a computer screen, and this hasn't been a very active day, so I'm not even super tired. But anyway, I started the song, turned off the PC monitor, and then listened and visualized myself flying over a bunch of dreamy islands in time to the music. When the main vocal came in, I started putting a ton of effort into it, so much that my eyes were moving super fast, almost like in REM, and I started to see a bunch of flashing lights. Then, in the darkness, there was a kind of depth that wasn't there at first. I didn't feel like I was seeing my eyelids, but a vast, open area. And suddenly, the blue woman from the picture in the video materialized in front of me, lips moving accordingly to the song. She reached a hand out towards me, and I tried to reach my 'dream hand' out, but unfortunately the moment we made contact, the unstable image of my hand disappeared, and in my distraction, I also lost all visuals of the woman aside from her hand, and before long that was gone, too, as the song ended. None of this was as clear as a dream...it was more like highly detailed HI (hence the dark red color, which I use to signify HI in my DJ). But the thing is, I was anything but relaxed, I hadn't given my mind a chance to even begin the sleep cycle...and yet I could get all this imagery! My question for discussion is, mainly: would it be possible to have lucid dream-ish experiences on the spot, doing things similar to this? I mean, your brain sees and feels and all that based on electrical signals...with the proper self-discipline, couldn't one force himself to perceive those things like a dream just by closing his eyes to shut himself off from the real world?

[Noogah]

...I think you were in a trance. Trances are brought about by extreme concentration, and they can be pretty real.

[username695]

You should try it again and post your results. It sounds interesting...

[zebrah]

This seems like a very advanced forum of visualization. I think I'll try this also.

[LiveInTheDream]

Well, I can't try again right now, but when I'm back from work tonight I'll give it another shot and see how it goes. I'd be interested to hear how it works out for you, too, Z

[LiveInTheDream]

Well, I just tried it again, and I had a bit less visual success this time, and a bit more physical success. As in, I started the song up, worked really hard to visualize something, got this shiver that ran all over my body, then saw a bunch of flashing lights. I didn't see a whole lot else, though. Just bits and pieces of random things. However, the crazy part was when the drums in the song start to beat really hard around 2:14. I started to physically feel those drum beats as if the floor were the thing being struck rather than the instrument. It surprised me so much that I kind of snapped myself out of it, though, and for the remainder of the song the sensations continually faded. But still, that's pretty big for just being at it around two minutes.

[zebrah]

Hrm last night I was to tired to try. Does this happen with any other song for you? i know when I listen to eulogy by tool I get a very viseral experience.

[LiveInTheDream]

The song isn't essential...I could probably do it without music if I really tried. It just helps if I have some dreamy-sounding music playing because it builds up determination and helps switch my state of mind over to a place where I can easily let go of my external senses for a while