Thread: Spinning - eyes open or closed?

Congrats on the LD's. Well i havent yet tried the dream spin technique but I've heard that closing your eyes is best. Yet every time i close my eyes in a dream either in goes into another dream or I wake up. But maybe it'll work for you. Goodluck

Both times that I have tried spinning were on the verge of dreaming and being awake, both of these times I saw nothing/had my eyes closed, and both times were really effective. So I'd go for eyes closed, though I haven't tried it with open yet.

Originally posted by Jalexxi
Both times that I have tried spinning were on the verge of dreaming and being awake

So you were acutally lucid at this point? Or were you experiencing some HI or what? I've never even considered trying to spin at that point. Please clarify exactly what state you are talking about. Thanks for the input.

While you are actually in a lucid dream it is often used to create a new dream scene. I don't suggest it for prolonging lucidity.
To prolong lucidity try and stay calm, stare at something solid. Hands or the ground for example.
To "spin a new dream scene", close your eyes, in the dream, and have a predetermined destination in your mind before you begin to spin. Often you will find that ----there you are. Just as you had imagined it.

I'd say eyes open.

LaBerge presents spinning as a means of sharpening focus and maintaining conscious activity in the dream state. He suggested several potential reasons, ranging from potential neurophysiological effects, such as activity in the portion of your brain that controls your vestibular center, guesses about proximity and a spreading of activity in that regard, or the idea that your brain is too busy focusing on a more detailed inpout request, the sensory load you are inducing in your spinning, the feel and sound of the air, the rapidly moving sights, to be able to interpret or even clearly recieve external sensory stimulation. He also said that others suggested it as a means of setting transition, but that he was unable to successfully use it in that regard himself.

So there you have it, I suppose.

Well, I'm seeing two contradicting views. Howetzer says eyes closed. H Savvy says that LaBerge says eyes open. Maybe each could have its own uses? Maybe eyes closed for transitioning and eyes open for focusing? Even though when I spun with eyes open I lost control of the whole dream and woke up. But that was the first time i've ever tried it. Any opinions?

Originally posted by Hobus
Well, I'm seeing two contradicting views. Howetzer says eyes open. H Savvy says that LaBerge says eyes open. Maybe each could have its own uses? Maybe eyes closed for transitioning and eyes open for focusing? Even though when I spun with eyes open I lost control of the whole dream and woke up. But that was the first time i've ever tried it. Any opinions?

I think the dream scene is unstable enough as it is. If you keep your eyes open it will, in most cases, lead to a loss of lucidity. Like what happened to you.
When you shut your eyes, though you also run the risk of falling back to sleep or waking up.
If you feel you have a good hold & clarity of your lucidity at the time give it a try to spin a new dream.
To hold on to clarity it is suggested to stare at your hands or the ground. Something stable.
I don't think the spinning idea is relevant at all in this scenario.

What H savvy says points (to me) in all directions that you would keep them shut!

Originally posted by Hobus
So you were acutally lucid at this point? Or were you experiencing some HI or what? I've never even considered trying to spin at that point. Please clarify exactly what state you are talking about.

The first time I tried dream spinning was when a dream was ending. The scenery had all disappeared, everything was black, and I remember starting to feel my bed. Then suddenly, I realized that what I was looking at moments ago, had been a dream! To make it continue, I tried to create the sensation of spinning. Took about ten seconds for dream scenery to reappear, I was pretty stunned at how effective it really was.
The second time, I was experiencing HI. I tried to spin for reasons I can't remember, and as soon as I started I heard this siren-like sound and all it all felt much more like a dream. This much response was unexpected by me, and the sensation unfortunately woke me up.

Quote Howetzer: "To prolong lucidity try and stay calm, stare at something solid. Hands or the ground for example."

I think that "stare" is the wrong verb here. If you stare at something in LD, it'll morph/dissolve. Much better to take short sharp glances at as many things as you can, back-and-forth between the chosen objects.

Originally posted by Oneiro
Quote Howetzer: \"To prolong lucidity try and stay calm, stare at something solid. Hands or the ground for example.\"

I think that \"stare\" is the wrong verb here. If you stare at something in LD, it'll morph/dissolve. Much better to take short sharp glances at as many things as you can, back-and-forth between the chosen objects.

You may have a point Oneiro.
However that is why I would choose something solid in the scene. But as you say, sometimes nothing is solid.

Originally posted by Jalexxi


The second time, I was experiencing HI. I tried to spin for reasons I can't remember, and as soon as I started I heard this siren-like sound and all it all felt much more like a dream. This much response was unexpected by me, and the sensation unfortunately woke me up.

This is the part I was curious about in my previous post. Thanks for clarifying that for me. Thats a use of spinning that I haven't heard about. But to stay on topic; did you have your dream eyes open or closed?

I'm not a fan of dream spinning. I either end up spinning myself awake, or spinning myself into another dream scenario when I really just wanted to clarify the one I was in. I will only use dream spinning as a last resort if I am stuck in some sort of weird dream scene or blackness.

If I find my LD starting to fade or become blurry I simple...stop. Stare at the palms of my hands. Stare at all the little creases and wrinkles...every little detail. I say outloud "stabilize lucidity now". Then I look up and everything is clear again and it's like brand new. I continue on. Depending on the length of the LD I may find myself using this technique every few minutes and may do it several times before an LD is over. Works everytime. Give it a shot.

Originally posted by Hobus
So what would you recomend?

I would recomend to first make sure you are dreaming before spinning near a staircase . I haven't tryed that way to clarify my state, what I would often do is try to focus on something near and try to override the thought of waking up, it always works on me

Originally posted by Jalexxi

The first time I tried dream spinning was when a dream was ending. The scenery had all disappeared, everything was black, and I remember starting to feel my bed. Then suddenly, I realized that what I was looking at moments ago, had been a dream! To make it continue, I tried to create the sensation of spinning. Took about ten seconds for dream scenery to reappear, I was pretty stunned at how effective it really was.

It looks a bit like what has happened to me yesterday. I started to feel awakening, after my first spinning, but I've focused to stay in my dream. The re-opening scenery of my dream appeared to be the openeing scenery of my dream (I had moved farther previously).

I moved farther again, and when I had spin again, I came back again at my initial point. So I think it has prolonged my dream a lot (I did a lot of things while moving farther), compare to usual, but I've came back two times at my initial point.

I guess it is because I just wanted to try the spinning and I didn't really thought of another dream scenery. But it is weird that both time, I came back at my initial point, instead of continuing where I was when I spinned.

As for to look at your palms, the effect is amazing ! All the colors became very intense, and it increased my lucidity a all lot.

Well all, last night I had my first successful WILD after months of trying! I found myself somewhere that I dind't want to be anymore and wanted to really test the spinning again. This time with my eyes CLOSED! I thought of the place I wanted to be and then started spinning. I was probably spinning for 3-5 seconds. When I opened my eyes I was where I had intended on going.

However, when I did close my eyes I felt the dream slipping and had to focus really hard on the place I wanted to be. When I got there the dream wasn't as sharp as before the spin so I rubbed my hands together then looked at them untill they were really sharp. Seemed to do the trick nicely!

Thank you all very much for your input and opinions on this issue!

Alright </span>
<span style="color:green">I am glad it worked for you!

[quote]Alright </span>
<span style="color:green">I am glad it worked for you!

Seconded Keep it up guys...good job. I'm jealous I've been lucid free ever since...*tear drop* rtex left.

*runs off crying*

No, not really.

And here I thought it was a prolonged term of lucidity that was sought. Silly me, taking what someone said seriously.

For me, closing your eyes is an invitation to lose lucidity. It requires intense concentration on remaining lucid, instead of slipping into normal dreaming, and this sort of focus can lead to awakening. This is why I maintain (and it works for me) spinning with open eyes. Simply spinning, as I know I did when I was a kid. It's not enough to imagine the sensation of spinning. It is that vital stimulation of your senses to pull you into the dream that spinning is all about. The same principle is that which guides some to look at their hands, or other things that are intensely detailed. This is why I say eyes open. With closed eyes, that stimulation is rather a tricky subject. Still, for those that can see with their eyes closed...

I'm not keen on dream spinning, but the only success I did get out of it was with my eyes closed.
I'm glad you got some joy out of it

I know two tried-and-trusted methods for extending lucidity:

1) Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth;

..and/or:

2) In the dream, lie down in the same position as your sleeping body, close your eyes, and fall asleep again; the result of this will be that you rewake in the same dream but with much stronger lucidity. You can do it over-and-over again.


Both of these techniques have been in the public domain for at least 10 years.

Originally posted by Oneiro
I know two tried-and-trusted methods for extending lucidity:

1) Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth;

..and/or:

2) In the dream, lie down in the same position as your sleeping body, close your eyes, and fall asleep again; the result of this will be that you rewake in the same dream but with much stronger lucidity. You can do it over-and-over again.


Both of these techniques have been in the public domain for at least 10 years.

Well thats great! But I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with the original topic. The topic is soley about dream spinning with your eyes open or closed, not about extending lucidity. Thanks for the advice though, even if it is off topic.

eyes closed seems best to me. while spinning with ur open eyes ur trying to make out wat ur seeing while if u close ur eyes u wont see anything and then try to think of a place or scenario in which u want to appear. its really easy with closed eyes cuzz then u can imagine something visual without being distracted by wat ur mind is trying to make out with open eyes, then when u open ur eyes ull apear in wherever u thought of.
works for me.

Originally posted by Hobus


Well thats great! *But I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with the original topic. *The topic is soley about dream spinning with your eyes open or closed, not about extending lucidity. *Thanks for the advice though, even if it is off topic.

Hmmm but isn't the whole point of "dream spinning" to extend lucidity? Most people use dream spinning for that purpose...or to change a dreamscape. You stated in your original post that things became blurry and you wanted to try to make them clear. Others have simply offered up better ways of inducing clarity in your LD than just dream spinning. Also, when an LD becomes blurry that's when it usually starts to fade and ends...which is where the idea of extending an LD came from. So no, it's not really off topic at all.

Originally posted by Aquanina


Others have simply offered up better ways of inducing clarity in your LD than just dream spinning.

My original question is do people prefer spinning with their eyes open or closed? The post you are refering to didn't say anything whatsoever about dream spinning. Sure they are valid things to try when in a dream to extend and or clarify your dreamscape, but I want to know peoples opinions on dream spinning.

Ivanushka thanks for the input. Looks like a lot of people like eyes closed while spinning, but then some others like eyes open. Seems to me like the two methods will work depending on your conentration in the dream? Or maybe one way just works better for a particular individual. Hopefully I'll get the chance to find out when I go back to bed here in a few.