Does Lucid Dreaming make you a happier person?

[Rothgar]

When I mention Lucid Dreaming to people, I sense resistance and probably fears on their part about experimenting with the unknown. However, my experience thus far (4+ months) is that it makes me a happier person and has certainly expanded my horizons. So I am curious. Do you think having become involved with Lucid Dreaming, does this make you a happier, more fulfilled person overall, less happy and fulfilled, or no difference? This is a valid question I think since there is an element of escapism in LDs and a potential to withdraw from Real Life. But that's not been my experience. It has been a real positive for me.

[Matte87]

It helped me through a rough patch in life and probably saved me from depression. It's the most wicked form of entertainment out there that isn't bad for you, on the contrary.

[Mancon]

I think it does. The fact that you can vist a world where you can do anything every night just makes me happy XD. Also that feeling you get when you know you accomplished something by being lucid. If lucid dreaming didn't exist, I wouldn't have met all the awesome people at this forum. That would make be very sad.

[gab]

Definitelly happier! Not just because of the potential of playing out my wildest fantasies, but also for the feeling, that I'm privy to this mindblowing 'magical secret', that I'm sure will lead me to better understand myself and the universe. That this is a first step in learning more incredible stuff. Gave me hope (and some proof), that there is more to this life than what meets the eye. Changed my life forever.

[Spyguy]

Definitely. Changed my way of life and may even have saved it. I was seriously bored of life in general, didn't know what to do to make it more interesting. Everything that got my interest was 18+. So I was basically waiting. Not that I didn't do the work that had to be done, but it felt like I wasn't even alive. Then I found this website. Finally I found what I had been looking for for years. Not only was it the kind of 'drug that makes you feel good without negative side effects', but it went far beyond that. My own world in which anything can be done? I was hooked, and I still am. I'm not sure what I might have done by now if I hadn't found this. So I am really thankful to DV And when I wake up after a lucid dream, even if it ended after 2 seconds, I feel great. So yes, LD made me feel better and made my life better. No doubt about it.

[Abra]

Aside from the gratification upon waking that I've overcome the dreamer's paradox, I don't feel much happier. It's fun to experiment, sure, but the real world and my activities in it are still priority in value. /unpopular opinion

[Hukif]

Eh it makes me happier at times ofc, except with certain experiments. But yeah considering I can sleep and still study for tests, thats a great help. Or practice certain lab tasks and then do them properly the next day is also wonderful, so many good things that make LDing worthwile.

[Metallicuh]

I get happier after each lucid dream.

[Burke]

I'm definitely happier because of LDing. It has opened my mind more than it was and I view things differently now. This is also in part to the wonderful community on the forum but LDing is definitely a major role player.

[Dragonworkz]

Mostly, yeah. For some people it might not, but it all depends on the person. I haven't had many LDs, but all of them have made me feel great. The fact that you can do whatever you want while you sleep is enticing enough. The whole thing has gotten me more fascinated by dreams in general, and that in turn has given me some creative influence as well. I can imagine having a good lucid dream after going through something stressful in waking life would pick you right up.

[Linkzelda]

Lucid dreaming has made me a happier person. But it's not because of the common things to do like flying, breathing under water, etc. Finding other people to engage in shared dreaming attempts is a huge boost in satisfaction because when you practice it enough, you can have amazing experiences with the person or group of people. And it becomes even more motivating when you make a DJ entry and find that the person you attempted the shared dreaming with had major similarities. Being able express emotions to others you can trust, people that you can relate to and like, transitioning those feelings from waking life to dreaming life can really have a stronger and more enduring bonding with the person. I just believe that when I try to find others in my dreams when they're finding me as well, it just shifts my mind into a whole new positive demeanor because seeing each other, helping each other, having adventures with them that waking life cannot provide is truly a phenomenal experience. And if one has enough shared dreaming with the person, there's the chance that they could be twin souls, people who knew each other in past lives, or just really have an addicting attraction towards each other. The possibilities are endless.

[melanieb]

I must admit that I've been dreaming about a lot of people from DV lately. I think knowing there are people with a shared interest and common thoughts and feelings makes it all worth while, and a good LD only enhances my feelings of joy from finding a good group of people to share life experiences with. So, short answer = yes.

[Taffy]

I would say that it makes me happy. My life is so dull that sometimes it's unbearable, and lucid dreaming keeps me entertained in that regard. It gives me a chance to just relax and be myself, and do things I want to do in my own confined and exclusive yet limitless space.

[Dark_Merlin]

When I was first coming back to DV a year ago I was going through a lot of anxiety - but LDing was exactly what I was searching for to help. The routine and effort of dream journaling, reality checks and awareness helped me feel more like I was doing something with my time and gave me something to concentrate on and think about on a daily basis. When I started to learn about meditation and energy control that also really helped - it put me in an extremely clear state of mind and if anything disturbs me I know I can always meditate and feel a lot better And then there's the lucid dreaming itself! So much to experiment and play with! To me, I'd really be lost without it

[Evolventity]

I wake up on Cloud 9 every time I lucid dream.

[Barry]

Never had a lucid dream, but the first time I had a false awakening I was pretty happy Especially as I woke up the next morning, wondering if I was actually awakened or asleep.

[Desert Claw]

So I am curious. Apologies in advance for taking your words out of context (but not in a bad way) but in my opinion, I think these words cover a large part of the advantages of lucid dreaming. The ability to explore dreams without repercussions is amazing, it helped me to openly explore things, and helped me face the more uncertain things in dreams and life. So how do you approach the unknown? With curiousity, or fear?

[faceonmars]

Lucid dreaming has certainly made me less anxious about death. Having seen so many incredible things while in a LD I know there is a spiritual side to existence. No fear of death = happier person!

[Erii]

Most definitely!

[imfivebyfive]

Yes and no. As all the others have stated once you realize you can actually do it, lucid dreaming sort of opens the doors of perception and you see the world differently. This is generally a good thing and very energizing. However, I still have some dark days (like everyone) and at those times I find myself wanting to escape beyond the wall of sleep. And if I can't or I'm having trouble sleeping I get really frustrated, probably more so than if I didn't know lucid dreaming existed. If you become quiet proficient at it, it can become an obsession. And at times I've found myself giving the finger to waking life and sleeping 14+ hours a day. Although I'm very well rested when I am awake and we all need our sleep! It's also frustrating if you ever go through a dry spell of not having any LD's in a while. We all know the noobs on here get frustrated trying to have their first one, lol. But then they eventually do and they are ecstatic Waking up from an LD though is in my opinion one of the best ways you can start your day. I just feel somehow more connected to everything on those days.

[Blooper]

Whenever I wake up from a lucid dream, I wake up with a huge grin on my face and it's such a great start to my day.

[Brigid]

I haven't even achieved lucidity yet, but just trying has made me happier. I've learned to value sleep and meditation more; I feel like I have more control over myself and I feel more relaxed than I did a year ago. Last year, I felt really anxious and out of control a lot of the time, and attempting lucid dreaming helped me to become much more focused and relaxed. I also used to be rather afraid of my dreams and now I'm more at peace with them. Plus, dream journaling has helped me a lot to improve my dream memory. I have much more interesting and detailed dreams than I used to.

[samuraixkyle]

Almost every lucid dream has left me woken up happy, and ready for anything to come that day. It leaves me with the greatest mood possible that usually lasts about a week in my case.

[SpykeTheGamer]

Being able to do whatever I want with no consequences in the waking world sure has made me happy

[Ekyu]

Yes! The biggest element is probably that those ~8 hours are now productive, and can be one of your favorite things in your life. Just like some of you lovely people, lucid dreaming was also a medicine for my depression, so that was also quite a big thing! Also you do something that most people don't know about, or don't "beleve" in. Kind of feeds your ego, doesn't it? I just love the feeling when i walk in a lucid dream, makes you feel like your on another planet, or something like that. And you can do anything you want, that's also a pretty nice satisfaction!