Thread: Is calmness necessary to be lucid?

Not at all. I learned how to be lucid because of constant nightmares, so I became aware in my dreams an even learned to take control, shape shift, change the channel, etc. all from fear and exhaustion.

Being calm helps me in a great way to be lucid. My still mind seems to enter, for example, a WILD LD much more easily than when i have internal chatter or emotional. Passive vigilance is my friend.

Originally Posted by Dreamwalkwr

Not at all. I learned how to be lucid because of constant nightmares, so I became aware in my dreams an even learned to take control, shape shift, change the channel, etc. all from fear and exhaustion.

But, how did you become lucid? What was your state of mind when you become lucid?

A lot of people say that they became lucid because of nightmares. But, isn't it because when they get in nightmares and realize that they are ridiculously scared out of their minds, they calm themselves down and remind themselves that it's just a dream?

Can you be calm in a nightmare? I think it was more a state of desparation because I'd become so sleep deprived from trying not to sleep that I had to learn how to fight back or loose my mind. I had reoccurring nightmares so bad at the time I learned to be lucid that it was like a reflex. I had to fight back. I guess because of the reoccurring nature of the dreams I became aware that it was just another nightmare but I wasn't actually calm. I went from scared and desperate to angry I guess since I started fighting back.

Originally Posted by Ajanime22

But, how did you become lucid? What was your state of mind when you become lucid?

A lot of people say that they became lucid because of nightmares. But, isn't it because when they get in nightmares and realize that they are ridiculously scared out of their minds, they calm themselves down and remind themselves that it's just a dream?

Keep in mind that I'd never thought much about this, but I'll try to keep it as coherent and clear as possible. I'm in no way an expert, this is just how I've rationalized things.

You, of course, will need to be able to think critically (or at all), to think about whether or not you're dreaming, and I think it's no surprise that we tend to be worst at thinking under pressure, so being calm definitely helps.

I have a LOT of nightmares. Honestly, I can't tell you of one non-nightmare I had before I began lucid dreaming - what's more, I don't even know why lucid dreaming helped me have good, or at least, non awful dreams, since I can't remember turning bad dreams into good ones with lucidity, save for a few exceptions; must be something about recalling, perhaps I was merely forgetting the good ones before; but I digress - When I saw this thread, a particular nightmare that came to mind was one where I was basically in a city full of zombies, and I was trying to get out. This dream happened very early on, when I was just getting started practicing and reading about lucid dreaming, so it wasn't particularly mind blowing or anything, and I'm not sure if I was even conscious that I was actually dreaming, or if I just hopped I was. Anyway, things happen, and eventually I get stuck inside a house, with zombies coming for me (don't judge, I had to get inside to get to the other side, I'm not a dumbo). Throughout the dream, while I was running around, I didn't remember thinking much, but when I was cornered, I began really thinking about my situation and finally reached the conclusion I was dreaming (it didn't do much to calm me down though, and as soon as I realized that I began trying everything I heard about waking up from a dream, I won't go into detail about how I managed it, it was a bit embarrassing; that was not a fun dream.) Thinking about it now, I think it makes sense why this happens.

Lets say you are being chased or in danger; you start subconsciously thinking of ways to improve your current situation, and since you can't think much (or else you would be eaten by zombels), your mind settles on the first thing it can think of, which would generally be "run", and if you were lucky, your brain would even add a "that way", there, for extra survival points. When running isn't enough though, you have to think more. "Ok, the running option isn't on the list anymore, what's the next thing? 'kick'? Alright!" And then you kick the zombel. When you're cornered, and have two or ten zombels coming your way (my unfortunate case that night), "running", and "kicking", and "screaming", and "bargaining" stop being an option; more concretely, analyzing the situation won't give the thoughts "maybe I can outrun them," "maybe I can fight them," "maybe I can talk them out of it," many green lights, so eventually you start going into the more obscure things you'd never think about even thinking about, "maybe I'm dreaming" (this was only my case because I was not experienced with lucid dreams, or dreams in general, of course, someone more experienced, would maybe have recognized the zombels as being a dream sign before even thinking of running from them, because they trained to make that their number one thought).

So yeah, you can train your brain to think "maybe I'm dreaming," under stressful situations or specific signs. If every time you see a zombel on TV for instance, you really think about it, and that you might be dreaming, you eventually will be going to that thought every time you see one in a dream, and will quickly realize your situation. Of course, using specific signs might be a little hit and miss, because there are many things in dreams which aren't possible in awaking life, so I think the best thing is really to use prospective memory to make yourself ask these questions under stressful or scary situations, if you think that would benefit you, or any situations you might find yourself often in your own dreams.

Maybe this is a bit of a long story, but I think it makes sense, and I hope it gives you some insight into things, even if it was a very early experience. I wish you luck (and a low amount of zombies), in your dreams.

Calmness isn't necessary to become lucid or perform reality checks during a dream. Beginner lucid dreamers are often excited when they first do these things.

Whether or not you become lucid or perform a reality check during a dream depends on how important it is to you during the dream that you are or might be dreaming. Whatever is on your mind at any given time is whatever is most important to you at that time.

I had my first lucid dreams by catching a recurring nightmare. The fact it was recurring helped me learn to identify it as such and I was motivated to identify it because I wanted to wake up from it.