Can you clearly see the Strat with your eyes closed?

[LukeSid]

I can't visualise anything when I close my eyes and I wonder if that has any bearing on the ease of lucid-dreaming. Maybe some people can visualise easily or maybe nobody does. Look quickly at the picture of the Fender Strat guitar, then close your eyes and see if you can construct a reasonably good picture of itstrat.jpg

[OpheliaBlue]

You know, I've always had a rough time with this myself. As a result, my dream characters tend to morph a lot, including other objects and places etc. Something that I've noticed, but I'm not sure if related or not, is say if I tried to draw that guitar in waking life, I could do it reasonably well if I had it right there for reference. Without it, I kinda get lost in the geometry, if that makes sense. The solution? Not sure, maybe practice drawing freehand. I've kinda just learned to deal with it as a dream disability, but I would love to know how to improve upon it. Cool post.

[LukeSid]

Thanks OrpheliaBlue When I try WILDing I can get full SP and the rush but nothing else. Maybe I'm wrong on this but I'm expecting to see images, maybe flashing lights etc and I also try and imagine my own dream image...something easy like a beach scene, with sand and water and sky and I can visualise hardly anything. I know I have to be asleep but those little snores that precede another rush seem a pretty good sign that I'm on the threshold. I'm not really sure if I've always been unable to visualise or whether it's age-related ( I can appreciate that younger fresher minds are probably going to be better at this whole dream thing) I wondered if there were exercises to improve visualising...or whether people (maybe naturally good artists) are born with this ability, like naturally good musicians etc. If anyone's developed a method to improve visualisation it would probably be the Buddhists. I have dreams - even a very occasional vivid one (I wish I knew how) so I'm not completely barren. But most dreams are fairly drab as I recall I just copied this.... "Occipital lobe- located at the back of the head, this section occupies some 20% of the brain’s overall capacity and is responsible for vision and being able to visualize scenes never actually witnessed before. The occipital lobe, among others, is highly engaged when a child reads a story in which there are no pictures, only words to foster the imagination of the book’s events." Maybe that's where our problem occurs...perhaps if I bang the back of my head a bit it might wake it up! I've been visualising laying down (I lay down) having a dream (I tense my muscles to simulate SP) I tell myself that the dream finishes..I un-tense and just simulate that shakiness of muscles and eyes while telling myself I'll wake up, lay still and remember the dream...and it's working pretty well. I'm usually waking, when it's all fading off. But that's role-play...I can't picture anything I copy/paste pictures of possible dream scenarios...and then there's my cunning plan. I've created pics of my known dream signs (like offices, factories etc) with posters on the walls and on other areas, saying "dream sign" or "Reality check" It might percolate through but will I respond?...that's the interesting bit

[LukeSid]

There's another thing...64 people have looked at the poll and only 2 responded. Is that normal for these things? Are the majority on here youngsters, who are just not interested in old failures (if so, take it from me you wont BELIEVE how quickly you'll also get there dreams or no dreams)... or do I smell? Anyway, thanks OrpheliaBlue (and one other) for responding. I appreciate it

[Highlander]

Hi LukeSid, There are visualization/meditation exercises out there which would probably help you, but they would require a certain amount of dedication just like lucid dreaming does. I would like to put your mind at rest. I'm an artist and I voted no to your poll. Obviously subconsciously I have fully registered the image - we all do I guess! I don't think there are many people who could fully transcribe the image from their subconscious to their conscious and into the mind's eye. Perhaps Salvador Dalí could of, but he did use certain techniques to 'bypass' the conscious mind and accessing the subconscious like employing the technique known automatic writing/drawing. He also used the famous 'Paranoiac critical' technique. Paranoiac-critical method - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. See also Surrealist techniques - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealist_techniques Leonardo Da Vinci employed a 'dot' technique where he could look at various dots on a piece of paper and make 'faces' out of them. If you can make faces or shapes out of clouds, then you are visualizing!!! I mean when you read a book which has a good storyline then do you picture any of the characters mentally? I don't think you necessarily have to concentrate on SP or HI in order to WILD. What helps me to LD is usually a good sleep pattern, regular journalling and WBTB, etc. I leave the visualization for when I'm actually dreaming or doing a drawing. The more relaxed I am then the better I can visualize. I would have thought a general MILD technique (which relies on words) employed either before bed, or during WBTB should help?

[OpheliaBlue]

It's because you pronounced my name "Orphelia" (I'm just playing) It is normal for there to be way more views than replies/votes. I don't know the exact ratio but its probably 1:10 or worse. So no worries. Plus it's still a new poll

[LukeSid]

Thanks OrphellaBlue (I'll have to clean the pc screen) and Highlander, it's good to know that non-visualisation isn't a factor...so it just needs time (although it might be interesting to see how many CAN visualise.) I do all the things you mentioned and not just by rote. As I've said before, I'm in for the duration. Although my days are relatively numbered I'll always be tinkering with LD...just the surprising things that I discover is enough to spur me on. Every evening I get that rising expectation...tonight could be the one and I don't think I'll ever lose that...my wife thinks I'm quite mad. 2091.gif

[OpheliaBlue]

Thanks OrphellaBlue (I'll have to clean the pc screen) Rofl you just made it worse

[Highlander]

I was poor at visualizing the guitar (image) and yet I have no problem imagining a (multi-sensory) scenario about going to my GF's house which is a bit ironic. I usually visualize better by bringing any of the other senses into play which reinforces my visual thoughts. As Ophelia mentioned on an earlier post you could try your hand at drawing. She has even got a thread for your dreams here http://www.dreamviews.com/artists-co...dreams-21.html I suggest you try the simple act of 'daydreaming' which costs nothing!

[TiredPhil]

Yes, I see the guitar. Why is you asking through this thread.

[NyxCC]

No, I can't see a clear image of the guitar. I can visualize an apple, glass of water something that has less detail. Like Highlander, I'm not convinced good visualization is required for you to enter an ld via WILD. I think it's more about concentration than visualization. My visuals during dreams vary greatly, sometimes faces are crystal clear and detailed, at other times they morph a lot. I think this has to do with dream stability. Also, I happen to get more inaccurate faces during lds than non-lds. Something to think about.

[OpheliaBlue]

Also, I happen to get more inaccurate faces during lds than non-lds. Something to think about. This! Makes me wonder if it's more a stabilization thing like you said, or even a schema thing (since we're in an LD already, and already putting pressure on ourselves to control the environment). So if we're not 100% confident and believing, we set ourselves up for failure. I've had great nonlucids where some sexy actor was clear as crystal, but when trying to conjure one in an LD.. meeeh, not so much.

[NyxCC]

Yes! I think stabilization plays a role and also what you call schema, maybe we are just overloaded with consciously building and holding the whole dream scene together. And the example with actors is something I was thinking of too. (also politicians as we have seen in TOTM). Maybe the best bet to get a cute actor is to try incubating the dream and then using a mantra to become lucid. Then act quickly before he has a chance to shift!

[LukeSid]

OpheliaBlue ...There...I've done it! That was nearly as hard as trying to LD smiley-vault-signs-080.gif

[Raswalt]

OpheliaBlue ...There...I've done it! That was nearly as hard as trying to LD smiley-vault-signs-080.gif bawh ha ha ha now you have the wrong color, sooooo close! jokes. seriously though, i vote yes because i get [ well i think ] decent glimpses of the guitar, but most times of either the body or the neck not both because theres less information to take from the neck, so it can be forgotten. its not like a slide falls into view, more like your brain adjusts your eyes as it comes into focus from the black behind the eye lids.

[LukeSid]

OpheliaBlue OpheliaBlue OpheliaBlue OpheliaBlue OpheliaBlue smileyvault-cute-big-smiley-animated-061.gif

[OpheliaBlue]

Lol Luke. You're a cheeseball and I love you already <3

[101Volts]

Yes I visualized the guitar, Though I've not been attempting lucid dreams lately and perhaps won't. However, I have to say I do have an affinity for guitars.

[LukeSid]

So do I (I played in a couple of crap bands years ago and had, at various times, a strat, a flying V, a great Marshall amp (which I swapped for a Watkins amp) till I finally realised that it's the player much more than the equipment (wasted lots of money) But I still can't create a good visualisation of the Strat (or anything really) So I just show my brain pictures and speak in a stern voice.

[Ctharlhie]

I can imagine the strat and rotate it in my mind's eye, with my eyes open. As a guitarist I can imagine playing the strat. Does my visualisation ability have a direct impact on my LDing ability? I consider awareness and memory to be the crucial elements of LD induction. Obviously visualisation still helps with certain techniques, but I'm not so sure about actual LDing aptitude.

[LukeSid]

I can imagine the strat and rotate it in my mind's eye, with my eyes open. As a guitarist I can imagine playing the strat. Does my visualisation ability have a direct impact on my LDing ability? I consider awareness and memory to be the crucial elements of LD induction. Obviously visualisation still helps with certain techniques, but I'm not so sure about actual LDing aptitude. I'm not sure really I just know I don't see anything and I'm not lucid yet. I'm going to work at creating visualization and see what happens

[Subjects]

Yep, image is pretty clear