Thread: Q&A with Daniel Love - Author of 'Are You Dreaming?'

Hello Daniel,
What a pleasant surprize to find you here. I read "Are You Dreaming" and found it quite helpful. I particularly liked your examples of the different levels of lucidity, and how fully appreciating the nature of the dream world leads to more freedom and control. Since writing "Are You Dreaming" have you discovered any new grounding techniques or in-dream exercises that help the dreamer reach higher levels of lucidity? Thanks!
Niall

Hey Daniel, I used your suggestions on how to improve clarity in my lucid dream, you said "My first suggestion would be to revamp your reality test practices. Whenever you reality test in waking life, build the habit to stop and engage your mind. Really allow yourself some time to consider your surroundings and circumstances. Also take some time to process how you would behave if you had discovered you were dreaming." You also said "Let me know how you get on"

So I applied this; 2-3 times a day when reality checking I would look around and think what I would do in a dream, check my pockets, drawers, jump up and down, eat random things, mirror, water bending and some standard reality tests. A few days ago I had a minor success (I didn't go for sex immedietely but instead I looked around for things to eat and I chewed on a newspaper ) but tonight was totally awesome! The lucid dream was 20-30 minutes and I was doing what I had planned, engage my senses. (no details) In addition to this, the dream faded away 5-8 times, sometimes I'd be back in bed and I re-entered it every time and touched the bushes to weakly re-anchor myself and some other cool things happened.

Great things are starting to happen

@Ginsan
How good can one really get at lucid dreaming? Can you do whatever you want in any given lucid dream? Let's say you suddenly get the idea to ride a skateboard through a musical piece with the road representing the movement of the music, going faster, slower, up, down, the road splitting and recombining, getting launched in the cliax, the environment changing in harmony with what the music is doing. Or when you want to dilate time so that your 40 minute dream seems to last twice as long, or create fake memories so that you start the dream with a backstory of a few years and the memory of it, can you reliably do things like this?

In my experience there are very few limitations to the skills one can acquire with lucid dreaming, there are all sorts of obscure and abstract concepts one can explore. That said, even as an experienced lucid dreamer the level of control can fluctuate greatly with each individual dream. I still have the occasional dream where some ingrained assumption or expectation will create a stubborn dream which is very hard to control. There are limits to control however, time dilation and false memories, I believe are pipe-dreams, and essentially outside the sphere of the possible. I've explored time extensively in my dreams and have yet to see any evidence that time in the dreamworld can be compressed in relation to waking reality. I think it's one of those enduring myths, partly because it's so very appealing, but when you get down to real lucid exploration it soon become apparent that you're dealing with real physical limits, namely the processing speed of the brain. The illusion of distorted time can easily be induced, but I've yet to come across anything that would indicate otherwise. Personally these days I prefer time-travel dreams, rather than attempts to alter my subjective experience of time, mostly due to many disappointing experiments in the latter.

@mismagius
As a non-fiction author have you ever thought about writing fiction?
Absolutely, I'm very fond of fiction and have written all manner of (unpublished) short stories, many with dream themes. This is something I'd really like to explore in the future, it'll be some way off, mainly because I have so much else on my plate that there simply isn't the time in the foreseeable future. One particular story idea is already very fleshed out, and it'll be high on my priority list once The Lucid Dreamer's Guide to the Cosmos series settles into a manageable schedule and I've time to work on other ideas as well.

@Nebula8
One question I have is that you mention you set aside a few days a week to lucid dream - why not lucid dream every night?
It's a good question, the answer is unfortunately a little dull. The truth is I have such a busy life and so much to think about, that I like to set aside certain amount of "downtime" in my sleep each week - just a chance to switch off and let my consciousness have a break. When life is simpler I spend far more time lucid than when it is busy - it's normally just a trade off. On a more practical level, I find if I put real effort into preparing for lucidity on certain nights, those dreams can be far more lengthy and rewarding. For example I try to develop a level of REM rebound for my lucid nights. Also any night when I do choose lucidity - I'll also be waking several times throughout the night to record the results of experiments, this isn't a habit that can be sustained for any length of time when waking life is busy, so it's best to keep a healthy balance.

@Niall101
Since writing "Are You Dreaming" have you discovered any new grounding techniques or in-dream exercises that help the dreamer reach higher levels of lucidity?
Yes quite a few actually, I'll definitely be including the more interesting of these in the new books. I'd be happy to share them in more depth right now, but I've such a busy schedule over the coming months, that I don't have the luxury to spend too much time on the forums.

@Everyone - I'll be a little less available to answer questions quickly in the near future, as the project has to take priority. Still, please feel free to ask anything you like, I'll make sure I eventually get around to answering - it just won't be quite as quickly as I'd like.

Originally Posted by Mismagius

Question: As a non-fiction author have you ever thought about writing fiction? Dreams and lucid dreams certainly provide plenty of material and possibilities!

I would love to read a book based around the idea of lucid dreaming, I've searched around but it's pretty hard to find anything like that.

I can tell you one author who's written LD-based fiction: Me.

I'm not sure this is the place to say so (certainly not on topic -- sorry Daniel!), but it came up, so, at the risk of shameless self-promotion (and the understood risk of you deleting my post): I wrote a novel called Oneironauticus, which is effectively an adventure story centered around lucidity its potentials. I also wrote a novel called Party Line, whose narrative is a series of shared dreams, though lucidity takes a bit of a back seat. I of course think they're pretty good, but I think you might as well.

I hope it was okay to share this, but I figured I had an answer to your question about LD'ing novels (good ones are indeed next to impossible to find) and figured it would be alright. If you're curious, just follow the links or type in my name -- Peter A. Luber -- on Amazon.

so shameless

@Sageous - Thanks for sharing these, I'll make sure I check them out in the near future - it's always good to have something new to read!

^^ Thanks, Daniel; I think you'll enjoy them!

Hi Daniel,I have a couple of questions regarding my first and only lucid dream which happened a few weeks back.I have been practising the Gravity RC for more than 3 months so far.This RC is in case you dont know an awareness technique.You basically focus on the gravity and how it affects your body all day long and you wait for it to incorporate in your dreams making you to notice differnce in gravity and get lucid.Upon hitting my 3 month mark I had my first lucid dream and i have no more lucids since then.I went to bed at 02:00 and woke up from the lucid at 3:58.First question is, is it possible to get lucid so early on your sleep?The lucid was not a result of Gravity RC i got lucid just by realising i was in a place that i could not possibly be.Around three to four days prior to this dream though i gave the Gravity RC all i had during the day.Second question,Do you think that going all in on the Gravity RC helped me get this lucid thus in a different way than the one it should?Last question, I have been practising this technique for 3 months and 7 days so far and all i had was this lucid.Do you think i should give up on it and try something else?.

Thanks Daniel, another question for you...

In my dreams I can often fly or push through walls or other slightly super-human feats but I'm not lucid, it's still my 'dream brain' involved. You would think this would be an easy reality check to know you're dreaming, but my conscious mind is still asleep... Any tips on how to cue my dream brain that this is a dream to help become lucid?

Thanks!

@Daniel What are your favorite topics in science and philosphy?

At the moment I am mostly interested in psychology, artificial intelligence, and sometimes physics things, philosophical thought experiments and biology things make me happy.

A cool thought experiment/puzzle: Suppose you are lost in the middle of nowhere, about to die, where there are almost never any other people. But you are lucky and someone drives by and offers you a ride. This person happens to be a psychologist and a 100% succes-rate lie detector. He wants 1000 dollars but you don't have your wallet. So if you can convince him that you will give him the money once you get home, he will save your life by driving you home. The problem, however, is that you're a rational person and you know that once you get home, the rational thing to do is to not give him the money (simply because it is cheaper). And because you know that in advance, you won't be able to say truthfully that you will give him the money, so he will leave you to die.

Daniel, I know you are interested in virtual reality. Have you tried any of the current systems, and what did you think of them? Have you tried any games/experiences that seemed particularly dreamlike to you, or potentially helpful in aspects of lucid dream training? (e.g. Omega Agent seems like it might be helpful to train for flying in dreams).

Do you intend to acquire a VR system in the future, and if so what one(s)?

And, finally, how can I convince you to make the second book in the Lucid Dreamer's Guide to the Cosmos about VR?

virtual-reality-movies-way-to-go-2-1423486326-5Kzq-column-width-inline.jpg

Hello Daniel. I'm quite new to Lucid Dreaming and have been trying it for some time and I would like to ask you a few questions:

1. How realistic are Lucid Dreams?
2. How has it effected your waking life?
3. What are your thoughts on the FILD technique? Do you have any recommendations.
4. For WBTB, how long do you think one should stay up?

These are just for starters if you don't mind. Looking forward to your response!

@Tasinios

First question is, is it possible to get lucid so early on your sleep?
Yes absolutely. The majority of techniques focus on the later REM period for lucid dreaming purely because it's the easiest and biggest target to hit. Early night lucid dreams, in my experience, are often of a much deeper and stable nature. Personally and unusually, a large portion of my lucid dreams happen in the earlier stages, about the same timescale as yours. I love these, as they are so much deeper and the chance of being woken by outside distractions are so much slimmer. It's also a likely period to have a DILD, if like you have been, you're giving a large amount of energy and discipline in your daytime awareness practices.

Second question,Do you think that going all in on the Gravity RC helped me get this lucid thus in a different way than the one it should?
It seems likely. I'm not convinced the Gravity RC is a particularly reliable technique. It seems to me that your continued focus and determination is what gave you the lucid dream.

Last question, I have been practising this technique for 3 months and 7 days so far and all i had was this lucid.Do you think i should give up on it and try something else?
Honestly, yes. You're clearly determined and focused, so it seems a shame to me that you're struggling with a potentially ineffective technique when you could be using something much better and hugely increasing the rewards for your efforts. The mental focus of the technique is a good place to start - as it's essentially just a variation on looking out for dreamsigns, only with a very limited criteria. I'd widen the dreamsigns that you are searching for, and when spotted perform a quality proven reality test such as the Nose-Pinch or Digital Watch test. If you combine this with detailed journaling, so you become familiar with your own personal dream signs, and throw some WBTB attempts into your weekly routine - you'll start to have far better results. I hope that helps.

@Nebula8
In my dreams I can often fly or push through walls or other slightly super-human feats but I'm not lucid, it's still my 'dream brain' involved. You would think this would be an easy reality check to know you're dreaming, but my conscious mind is still asleep... Any tips on how to cue my dream brain that this is a dream to help become lucid?
Would I be right in guessing that you're an avid video gamer or sci-fi/fantasy fan? If so, the problem may be associated with your mind taking such unusual behaviour in it's stride. A good thing to try would be to reality test whenever you're playing a video game or watching a film in which a dream like event occurs. Additionally, if I'm off the mark with this assumption, you could spend time working through your dream journal and reliving these dreams in your imagination - only with the addition of reality tests and the realisation you are dreaming. Essentially you just need to find a way to condition yourself to snap into awareness during these dreamsign events.

@Ginsan - I'm not sure if my personal morality is making me struggle with your thought experiment. Personally, I think that even if I would rather keep the money on returning home, if the alternative is certain death, I'd imagine that anyone would see $1000 as a very small price to pay for a continued life. Alternatively, you could make a better deal with the psychologist - tell him you're not wealthy enough to afford so much cash, but you'd pay him $100 dollars if he'll send a taxi to pick you up once he returns to civilisation. You could ask him to use his lie detector to prove that he'll keep to his word.

@Thinkintuit
Have you tried any of the current systems, and what did you think of them?
I've sadly had very limited experiences with them so far, I've used an Oculus and a Gear VR. I'd love to be in a financial position to invest in the hardware, but that will have to be something I consider further down the line when writing the book on that topic. Unless you know any generous hardware donors? - As to what I think of them, well I've been waiting for consumer VR my entire life, so even with their flaws, I absolutely love what I've experienced so far - I want more, much more!

Have you tried any games/experiences that seemed particularly dreamlike to you, or potentially helpful in aspects of lucid dream training?
As you can gather from my previous answer, I've not had enough experience yet, but I'm hoping for that to change in the very near future. So, expect to be asked a lot of questions in these regards when the time for research comes about! I'll be considering you as one of the VR experts on the team!

how can I convince you to make the second book in the Lucid Dreamer's Guide to the Cosmos about VR?
Ha, well it really wouldn't take much convincing at all - it's one of the topics I want to cover the most. The real limitation is the lack of easy access to hardware. If you can think of any inventive ways to change that, it would make the whole thing far more likely. Of course, it will also come down to the public vote - so it's not completely in my hands. I'll be banging the drum for that topic to be next myself, as I think the second book will be coming out just as it is needed. I believe VR will really begin to filter down to the public level more by the point that the second book is in production. By then Playstation VR will be established and think that will cause the first big shift from it being a minority/enthusiast subject to something that is more affordable and accessible (even if it won't be quite as good as Vive or Oculus).

@Kamenriderbaron
1. How realistic are Lucid Dreams?
On a perceptual level, for me they are indistinguishable from waking reality - perfectly realistic. It's the nature of the dreamworld that is only clue that what you are experiencing isn't waking life.
2. How has it effected your waking life?
That's hard to answer, as I've been a lucid dreamer my entire life. However, I've dedicated my life to the subject - so I'm going to say it's effected it in a very profound and positive way!
3. What are your thoughts on the FILD technique? Do you have any recommendations.
I think it's an okay technique and can be effective. I'm generally inclined to suggest that people avoid obsessions with any particular technique. It's best to combine different methods and practices and find or create your own technique. The absolute keys to lucid dreaming are motivation, dedication, persistence, detailed record keeping and an experimental and creative approach to your practices.
4. For WBTB, how long do you think one should stay up?
The Jury is still out on that particular question. For me I find anywhere between 15 minutes to half an hour is the most effective. It really depends on so many factors that, again, you need to keep detailed records and experiment to find what works best for you personally. It's also not just a question of staying awake but how you invest that time - you need to spend the time preparing for returning to the dreamworld - not browsing the web on your phone. The goal is to wake up your critical faculties without becoming so wired that you'll not be able to return to sleep. You'll find your best practice if you experiment and record your results. Good luck!

@Everyone - Sorry for the slow replies, I really do have to put work on the project as priority, so I can only afford a few stolen moments here and there for answering questions. I do love hearing your thoughts and questions, do please do feel free to keep asking - just be prepared that it could take some time for me to find the time to answer.

Hi Daniel!

I'm really new to lucid dreaming, I started working on my recall a week ago or so. I know this question is probably hard to answer -- how does your book and Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming compare? Dr. LaBerge's book is older than me so my main worry is that the things i'm learning are out-of-date; but it's comforting to know what he's saying is backed by research, as so much advice in lucid dreaming communities (see Reddit) seems to be based on anecdotes rather than fact. Would your book be a better jumping in point for a new learner like myself?

@KatBobo - Oh that's a difficult question, as I can't really be very impartial. What I will say is this LaBerge's book is great and a classic, I wouldn't say that it really shows its age all that much - it's absolutely worth reading. One word of warning though, make sure you get the original and not the re-released version - as the second version has a lot of material cut out. As for my book, I wrote it with the intention to create something that was impartial, rational and human, and to put all the most important information to become a well-rounded lucid dreamer in one place. Personally, I'd suggest you read both as it will give you a broader understanding. However, maybe others can answer your question with more impartiality than I can! Generally, my advice is always to read and learn as much as you possibly can!

LaBerges book is great....that's how I learned to lucid dream. You need that book as a solid background upon which other books build. His is the "fundamentals" in my view. But dont stop there....read Daniel's book too as it goes beyond with newer advanced material....but dont worry about ewold being outdated...it all applies.

Daniel: I've sadly had very limited experiences with them so far, I've used an Oculus and a Gear VR. I'd love to be in a financial position to invest in the hardware, but that will have to be something I consider further down the line when writing the book on that topic.

I hear you! I too am not in a good financial position to invest in the hardware, except for the Gear VR--which I was able to justify since I needed to get a new phone anyway.

As you can gather from my previous answer, I've not had enough experience yet, but I'm hoping for that to change in the very near future. So, expect to be asked a lot of questions in these regards when the time for research comes about! I'll be considering you as one of the VR experts on the team!

It will be my pleasure to help out however I can.

The real limitation is the lack of easy access to hardware. If you can think of any inventive ways to change that, it would make the whole thing far more likely.

One idea: there are VR meetup groups in large population centers, and other types of promotional VR events (e.g. the Kaleidoscope VR festival, which I believe tours in England as well as the US). That's how I've managed to experience a number of demos, etc. in addition to my use of the Gear VR. Via such means (and/or online) you might start to network with people and I would not be surprised if you could eventually find someone local-ish to you who would be interested in helping you out with your project. As well, the hardware requirements are going to start getting cheaper, and as 2nd generation headsets become available, I think people will start selling their first-gen gear when they upgrade. It's not inconceivable that as the project proceeds someone might be willing to donate older hardware to you. Hmm...since by this point in the project the first book will already be out, plus you're an established author on the subject, who knows--you might even be able to get a company to donate or lend you some equipment. Or, another Kickstarter or Indigogo etc. might be in order. Let's figure it out when the time comes! (In terms of networking, I suspect Sara Lisa Vogl might be a good person for you to get to know, being as she's already very into the intersection between VR and lucid dreaming: https://twitter.com/SaraLisaVogl). A helpful thing to keep in mind is that early adopters of the technology tend to be rather evangelical (in a good way) about it, and might be interested in helping out someone who aims to help further the movement in a novel and fascinating direction.

Ha, well it really wouldn't take much convincing at all - [VR is] one of the topics I want to cover the most...Of course, it will also come down to the public vote - so it's not completely in my hands. I'll be banging the drum for that topic to be next myself, as I think the second book will be coming out just as it is needed.

I totally agree that the timing will be perfect for the second book to be about VR. I'm pleased that you are already strongly in favor of that. Well, let's see how it works out. Exciting times we are living in.

Thanks! I ended up picking up your book and it's incredibly helpful and enjoyable to read so far.

I plan on trying FATE but i'm running into an issue with the random alarm aspect of it. I found the "Sleep Check Reminder" app you mention in the book but I can't find out how to make it give me a random amount of alarms. The only two options are that I set the amount of alarms and it randomizes the interval (while still fitting in the time I specify), or I set the interval between the alarms and it squeezes in as many as it can in that time. I assume both would be bad since my mind could then keep track of how many alarms remain in the first case, and in the second case my mind could anticipate when the next alarm is. I've not been able to find any apps which can be a random amount of alerts. They all seem to randomize the frequency but not the amount. Any suggestions?

Mr.Love, I was wondering. How do you deal with attempting to lucid dream while undergoing a lot of stress? I really want to but stress is really effecting my motivation.

Hi all,

I've created a new thread for Q&A here: http://www.dreamviews.com/participat...ml#post2203267

Please drop any questions you have in that thread, as I'd like to experiment with a new approach to answering your questions (more details in the new thread).

Previous questions in this thread will be answered in time, but if a moderator could close or merge this thread with the new one, that would be very helpful.

Just a little follow-up - in a dream last night in which I was flying, I realized it was a dream sign and became lucid. I was jumping from a cliff because I was "quite" sure I could fly (and did) and thought at that point, "I wouldn't have thought this way if I was awake" and became lucid.

Just thought I'd share as it was an interesting version of a dream sign, imo.

I have a question to ask. Whenever I usually attempt the nap chaining technique or something akin to WILD, I always end up all anxious and I can never ever go back to sleep. Was this a problem you had when you started out and how can I stop it from happening?

I am in a strange position, I have extensive lucid experience but have never really researched the subject.
I am only here now because I heard a lecture by a guy named Robert Waggoner in which he stated that having intense control over lucid dreams was something he considered fanciful.

When I dream, and am most often as awake as a I am when not sleeping.
I am able to put a dream into a holding pattern, as it were, to go to the bathroom or other minor actions in the night and return to them as I lay down. Sort like I am sleep walking, but not sleepwalking at the same time, if that make any sense.

I can rewind, fast forward, change dreams entirely, alter players in the dreams, change the things said and 'replay' parts of a dream differently. I can alter locations or even not be part of a dream but rather watch a dream filled with other people, like a movie I am watching but can change it as I see fit. (Thus my name on this site).

Is what I do rare in the lucid community, and if it is. Could you direct me to any place where I can get more information about what I am doing from people that study this type of lucid dreaming.

If what I do is common that would be nice to know as well.
If I have been unclear or you want clarification on what I do please ask, or anyone else reading this.
I want to know more about what I am doing and maybe learn somethings about myself and how to use this seemingly amazing gift.

Thank you for your time, if you have time to reply at all.

-James

In my experience there are very few limitations to the skills one can acquire with lucid dreaming, there are all sorts of obscure and abstract concepts one can explore. That said, even as an experienced lucid dreamer the level of control can fluctuate greatly with each individual dream. I still have the occasional dream where some ingrained assumption or expectation will create a stubborn dream which is very hard to control. There are limits to control however, time dilation and false memories, I believe are pipe-dreams, and essentially outside the sphere of the possible. I've explored time extensively in my dreams and have yet to see any evidence that time in the dreamworld can be compressed in relation to waking reality. I think it's one of those enduring myths, partly because it's so very appealing, but when you get down to real lucid exploration it soon become apparent that you're dealing with real physical limits, namely the processing speed of the brain. The illusion of distorted time can easily be induced, but I've yet to come across anything that would indicate otherwise. Personally these days I prefer time-travel dreams, rather than attempts to alter my subjective experience of time, mostly due to many disappointing experiments in the latter.

I wanted to speak to what you replied above, I may be misunderstanding you when you are talking about time dilation and false memories.

Are you saying that for instance living a life in a dream that encompasses years and years is a pipe dream or are you trying to use a the dream state to alter waking time perceptions?

I once had a dream I was a sailor in the 1700's in the West Indies. I had this dream continue for weeks, where I would wake up and the go to sleep the next night and pick up where I left off, or sometimes come back months or years (in the dream) later. Now, in the dream as I recall it, I would pass time normally, or so it seemed. Now that I press myself to recall, I do recall there being skips in the dream, but I could sort of remember those skips as a memory in the dream but I don't remember dreaming them.
Does that even make sense, it is so hard trying to describe a dream state sometimes.
By skips I mean something like this. I would arrive in a port city, I would not remember dreaming about the trip TO the city, but in the dream I could if I wanted, remember sailing to the city. Though from the perspective in the dream I 'feel' like I just arrived in the city as I went into the dream state.
This particular sailor dream is to this day one of the oddedst dreams I have ever had, and I only had a sequential experience like this once.

Anyway, is that what you mean by time dilation in a dream?
Compressed time in a dream that seems out of the normal flow of time?
I regularly have dreams that will span days (in the dream state) though often there will be squashed time in bits that are something I can choose to remember and experience. This always makes the dream I am in disjointed though, and can cause me to shift from the chosen dream path I am on and then move into the ‘remembered’ parts of the dream and continue from that time point.

I have never tried to type any of this out before, it really makes me sound like a raving lunatic.
I would like to promise that I am not, but then after reading up on the posts I am starting to worry a little bit about my dreaming states.

I am hoping you can reassure me a little by gifting some of your experience and wisdom.