Meditation and Its Relation to Lucid Dreaming

**RedNaxela** · 07-04-2012 02:52 PM

I started meditating last fall and have kept up with a very diligent daily practice ever since. When I started training myself to lucid dream about 2 months ago, I started keeping a diary of a number of daily variables (hours slept, level of stress before sleep, degree of lucidity reached, time spent meditating, etc.). To those others out there who have a daily meditation practice, here's my question:

Do you find increased meditation supresses lucid dreaming or causes a lucidity spike 24 hours later?

My graph work to date has shown that on days with over 45 minutes of meditation I virtually never have a very strong lucid experience the same night (few conscious intentions carry through to my dreams and I don't become lucid). But I have found that on the following night, if I meditate an average amount (~25 minutes) or less, I often have a lucid peak. Has anyone else had this experience?

**Intfere** · 07-04-2012 04:23 PM

In my experience meditation leads to lucid dreaming directly rather than later at night. But that may be so because my type of meditation is all about visualization. Another person I know who's excellent at lucid dreaming learnt to lucid dream via meditation. But his meditation includes visualization techniques, too, so that may be the reason.

However, we never noticed any impact on lucid dreaming at night.

What sort of meditation do you practice?

**RedNaxela** · 07-04-2012 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by Intfere

What sort of meditation do you practice?

Ānāpānasati breathing meditation is my mainstay - focussing on the physical sensation of the breath at one point in the body.

When I have more time (25+ minutes) I steer towards more formless meditation and try to be more aware of the gaps between thoughts.

**jamiealexander** · 07-04-2012 05:07 PM

I meditate before bed and I become aware I'm dreaming at some point in the dream, roughly every second night.

It's also very easy to WILD as soon as you wake up.

**Wolfwood** · 07-04-2012 05:10 PM

How about dreams irrespective of their lucid component -- Is there a difference in the degree of action and liveliness between days of 45mins and days of ~25 mins?

**RedNaxela** · 07-04-2012 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

How about dreams irrespective of their lucid component -- Is there a difference in the degree of action and liveliness between days of 45mins and days of ~25 mins?

Yes, it does appear that there is a strong correlation between increased time meditating and the total number of dreams I have (or can recall). Thanks for the suggestion - I hadn't done this comparison previously.

**Wolfwood** · 07-04-2012 06:46 PM

I was interested in whether longer meditation led to dreams with less form and action.... just beingness, serenity, and quiescence compared to days of less mediation. Anything there?

**RedNaxela** · 07-04-2012 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

I was interested in whether longer meditation led to dreams with less form and action.... just beingness, serenity, and quiescence compared to days of less mediation. Anything there?

A few nights of dreams from days with one hour or more meditation total:
1. Dodging a serial killer before being chased by crowd onto a hill; recruiting a crew of theives for a heist; some mundane work related dreams
2. Fighting underwater in the ocean with super powers; false awakening; work related dreams
3. Relatively mundane dreams about public transit; major grocery chain starts bombing a mall with planes; dream I am on vacation

I would say that it doesn't tone them down any. Almost every night I get one dream about public transit and another one or two about work. The rest seem to range from interesting to exciting, irrespective of time spent meditating.

**Intfere** · 07-06-2012 04:18 AM

Originally Posted by RedNaxela

Ānāpānasati breathing meditation is my mainstay - focussing on the physical sensation of the breath at one point in the body.

When I have more time (25+ minutes) I steer towards more formless meditation and try to be more aware of the gaps between thoughts.

Nice.

But may I suggest that you do not make any conclusions for now? Lucid dreaming works by suggestion and interest, and who knows what you've been suggesting to yourself lately. If you thought that meditating should help, it would help. Or vice versa. Two weeks is not enough time to make any conclusions, given the suggestion situation.

**LucidWalrus** · 07-08-2012 09:53 PM

I do two types of meditation. The first one is when I clear my mind of thoughts and observe what might pop up and observing my physical senses. During the second type i am going to bed at night and I focus on lucidity and the kind of dream i want to have. I also clear my mind and hear music while im chanting I am lucid in my head.

I think meditation can effect lucid dreams. I am learning how to LD another way. I am going from WBTB to DILD. After trying the meditation a couple times, I started getting lucid dreams.