First (proper) Lucid Dream!

[Vampireboy]

Howdy guys/girls, it's been along time since I've really been on here for a full session, a passing glance at some articles being the most I can manage with the pressure of exams and such bearing down. As a result I've also had little time to fully practice lucid dreaming (that's somewhat of a theme with me it seems). What brings me back is what I think was my first, full length, properly in control Lucid dream. For the past few days I've been off in Wales with a few friends on a trip, as such it's not my normal sleeping environment and the bed is much smaller than I'm used to back at home. I didn't struggle getting to sleep, actually going to bed much earlier than I normally do. I also kept most of my clothes on and my watch due to the cold weather and the snow that followed us for the trip. I remember waking up several times during the night. These awakenings were normally due to the covers having slipped off the small bed or a noisy dorm-mate, however they were very brief, normally giving me enough time to readjust my position or pull the covers back onto the bed. I remember waking up at around 3am on the second night and swiftly falling back asleep. What followed was an extremely surreal experience for me. I had fully expected Lucid dreaming to feel in a way much like normal dreaming, not really knowing what it felt like myself. I remember a large dark emptiness, as if staring out into a great void. I could feel myself in terms of my spirit or being occupying the space, but could feel no physical body. A thought crossed my mind that I should attempt to fill the void with some reality, some sense of feeling. I began to imagine the painted metal girders that they have at my school, the bumpy surface of the metal covered by smooth white paint, a glossy finish. As I thought about the metal, how it felt to rub my hand along it, it began to materialise within the void. At first there was just a small segment of the girder floating in the nothingness with a faint outline of my hand against it. I could feel every bump of the surface and the gloss finish of the paint. I began to focus on this feeling and the image and sensations of the girder began to grow stronger. This miracle of bringing matter into existence was not strange or alien, it seemed completely natural and fluid to me. All of the sudden my sensations were overwhelmed. From the girder the dream world seemed to burst out from a central point and form around me, big bang style. I found myself standing in the School Library, my hand stretched out touching the girder which now formed part of the structure. This was a new feeling for my subconscious or spiritual self, a feeling of being completely solid and physical. Within normal dreams I have no real feeling of being, more a feeling of observing as if I were in a film or Video Game. It was actually as if I were standing in the library, I could feel my feet on the floor, my hand against the structure, gravity acting on me with it's familiar pull. I also experienced another feeling, one I rarely feel within even semi-lucid dreams, one of being completely aware I was dreaming. Being the good Oneironaut that I am I remembered the basic principles of dream stabilisation, mainly not to panic or become overly excited. I took my time to observe the environment I had been placed in, a perfect recreation of the library. I ran my fingers along the shelves and book covers, observed how the sunlight shone through the vast length of windows and how the library seemed to be occupied by students in the correct uniform. I had no feeling of dread or panic that the dream may collapse, I felt perfectly confident and in control of the dreamscape, but as not to impose myself upon it. Seeing these other students fired off another realisation in my mind, that they were infact dream characters and not actual students from school. I began to walk around the library and out of the doors into the main lobby outside the library. This was even busier, being full of people rushing to and from various places, standing around chatting to one another. I turned now to walk out of the lobby and down a vast flight of stairs, intent on walking to the main lower corridor of the school. In the waking world the stairs are at least several meters tall at a time, but being in a dream I decided to launch myself down them knowing that no harm would come my way. I was correct in my assumption and landed on my feet perfectly with no harm done whatsoever. Upon reaching the bottom main corridor I came across several people I knew from school. some friends and others people that I saw around often and exchanged friendly words with occasionally. As this was a Lucid dream I was keen to interact with dream characters to see how they react. I began to walk with one of my "friends" paying close attention to what they were saying and listening intently before randomly smacking them on the cheek, hard enough to give them a shock. Some were confused by this gesture but continued with their conversation whilst others were genuinely horrified or laughed out loud at the randomness of the moment. After repeating this process with several people I jolted up awake, excited and keen to write this story down and to broadcast it to the receptive audience at DV. Thank you if you got this far through my wall of text and I would appreciate any comments or thoughts, or any feedback on why you thought I was successful at getting Lucid and how you think I could improve.

[Scionox]

Congrats! Were you aware that you are in dream from the very beginning? If so, it sounds like you have accidentally done successful WILD! Those offer great awareness and vividness from the very start when done properly. Also sleeping in an unusual environment and conditions as well as awakenings probably kept your awareness higher than usual during the sleep, increasing chance of lucidity.

[Saizaphod]

Great job man, I think what Checker said is true that you accidentally did manage WILD. Even if you're completely lucid remember to do reality check at some points so that you won't drift back to Non lucid dream. Btw really impressive job writing with your dream, you make the reader feel like the dreamer himself with all those details OH yeah and when you're trying to lucid dream NEVER think of the next day like if you're going to have an exam, it may cause you stress which is REALLY bad for lucid dreaming. Either you won't get one at all or you may get nightmare/Lucid nightmare. This has happened to me countless times. So keep cool and try to keep your mind on the experience you want to have, works for me.

[Vampireboy]

I felt as if I were aware right throughout the dream. Most first-timers descriptions of their lucid dreams make it out to be some blurry mess, and to admit I have had several of these myself. However this was completely clear and I had no doubt myself that I was dreaming. I think once you've seen the dream literally form around you thanks to your visualising it's hard to doubt or forget I think it helped at that point to be off on a trip, as opposed to be sitting at home worried about school and exams. The whole attitude of the trip was more a casual chill out, do what you like and don't do what you don't want to do. Very chilled. I think the people on the trip helped too, the person leading it was 20-something at the time of the Summer of Love and the hippie movement so played us real psychedelic records during the car trips. That combined with my recent listening and re-listening to of the albums Dark Side of the Moon and Wish you were Here might have also contributed. They really are an experience and help me to create a sound or dream scape in my head, especially "Time" from Dark Side. As for my writing style Mikasan, I wouldn't call myself a good writer or storyteller at all. I think it has more to do with the sheer excitement of finally getting Lucid and wanting to describe the event in all it's detail, no degree in English here

[pog]

Congrats! Was this an LD you had recently, or was it one from a while ago ( I ask 'cause I notice you've been on this forum a while!). If this is your first, may I suggest that you add your LD count in your profile - I find it a great encouragement when I can bump the count up by 1

[Vampireboy]

Hey Pog No this is fairly recent, about 3 or 4 days ago. I'll go do that now, I guess everyone has to start somewhere.