I see on this forum many people have many lucid dreams in their dream journal and some even create their own frequent realms. Seeing how lifelike Lucid dreams are, I was wondering how has it affected your waking life? I read a post where someone said they got addicted to them and I was kind of worried that if I Lucid Dreaming, it might effect my life in a negative way.
It would only really be a problem if you started sleeping all the time to try to dream more, if you have an addictive personality. I'm not a lucid dreamer yet (on purpose anyway), but I'd think it's only really cause for concern if you find yourself already or previously addicted to other forms of escapism, to a point where it affects your health.
On the flipside, I know that for many, many people, dreams are a source of motivation and inspiration, so it's more than likely that dreams could help to improve your enjoyment of life in general.
In the end it's really up to you to decide your boundaries, but in my opinion the risks are fairly low. It's not exactly an instant-gratification thing either, so that lowers the risk of "abuse".
Don't worry. Lucid dreaming could be habit forming at best. You may become obsessed with the idea and day dream about it, but I imagine the same is true for any hobby. The discipline involved in this hobby will benefit your waking life.
Lucid dreaming requires discipline and intent. Most people are fortunate to have multiple LDs in a week. Most addictions are problematic because you want it, and do it, more and more until it consumes much of your time. You are much more limited with LDs. You usually cannot lucid dream as much as you would like to so that helps control the addiction. You can become OBSESSED for awhile, wanting to LD, but since you cant ramp up the LDs, that diminishes over time. Eventually you reach a balance and it is a positive hobby that enriches your life but doesnt control it.
I don't think this is the answer you want, but I use dreams to study and learn/practice new things in life, recently I am using them to get new ideas for the class I'm teaching in a highschool.
I've been doing this several times a week for over twenty years. It has only affected my waking life in positive ways. They became addictive during my first year, but I quickly learned that every night is another opportunity and the feeling subsided. I have used them to solve computer problems, to solve ethical problems, to learn about myself, and to explore.
Rothgar said it well. Lucid dreams are self-limiting. It is pretty much impossible to become addicted to them, unless you are literally sleeping all day and night to have them, and that is hard to do anyway.
If there were any negative affects, I would tell you.. Frankly, why would I try to sell the idea to you? Why would I care? Nothing bad has ever happened to me due to lucid dreaming, and there is no reason for me to lie to you about that.
I would say simply that lucid dreaming enriches my life overall. My fiance noticed the difference in me once I got back into it as well, and ecnourages me to continue. I spend additioanl time meditating every day which has HUGE benefits for me. When I have lucid dreams, I have a huge joy for life which lingers for a few days. All anxieties/stress at work seem to melt away for the day, and I'm far more open and social with everybody.
As for a personal practice, LDing has always been a very personal and spiritual pursuit. These are true for me, but I'm sure others have had similar experiences. Hope that helped!
For me, lucid dreaming is like a serious hobby - I would compare it to having a pet, going to the gym, taking care of the garden, learning a language for fun. All of these are time consuming, yes, but at the same time beneficial in one way or the other, and are pretty good hobbies as far hobbies go.
Everything in life can become an obsession for certain people. There are people with dozens of cats that waste all their money and free time on them (instead of having a family, a clean house, etc.). There are people that train 12 hours a day. Etc. etc. In any given subject there exist people that are too obsessed with it - that's just how it is when there are so many different people on earth. But for most of us, what we refer to as "normal people" (to make ourselves feel superior), I think it's a safe bet that it won't happen, probability-wise... Practicing LDing is as safe as any other "normal" free time activity.
If anything, then the general opinions and reports of frequent long-term lucid dreamers rightfully takes the 'mystery' out of lucid dreaming. I always disliked the tendency of categorising LDs with esoteric woo woo. While there are fantastic experiences to be had, it is best to keep it real and not expect to turn into a lofty precognitive well of wisdom. It won't do that. Naturally the topic appeals to personalities with a predisposition for such thinking - partially the reason why I usually won't attempt to introduce the uninitiated.
It is sad that one must usually add the "no really, it is scientifically proven to be real" disclaimer whenever discussing LDs with people that have not yet heard of it, or have heard of it and dismissed it as nonsense.
Years ago I thought that LDing in general would gain popularity and become more mainstream, but that has not happened.
To me, the joy in LDs lies in the experience itself, and the fascination of adding another layer of life to life itself, at a point in time when I thought I had it all figured out, and knew what was and what was not.