Thread: All Day Awareness Questions

So I'm pretty confused about ada. When I'm practicing it, do I focus on one sense at a time? If so for how long do I focus on that sense before moving onto the next one? When focusing on sight for instance, do I just look at things around me in more detail? For example I usually look at the walls in my house for a bit and notice marks and scratches. Or I just look around the room and see what's laying around. Is this right? Same deal with the other senses. Am I just supposed to pay MORE attention to my senses than normal during ada or is there more to it? Also, when playing video games would it be the same deal? Do I pay more attention to the scenery and sound of the game or would it not work when playing video games?

I don't think you practice ADA by focusing on the senses at all. Opinions might differ..

You have to pay attention to something that captivates you. Say you meet a hot girl/guy and lets say it grabs your attention completely. That's where your awareness is at. Chances are that this is going to become a dream later on. Right?
This is why I think these are linked.. You pay attention to the stuff that happens, things that stand out to you. But you consciously start catching your awareness being captivated by things.
In this way. Say your in a dream. You are captivated by scenes and all sort of stuff happening. My theory is that once you practice let's call it meta-awareness during the day, catch yourself. You will start to catch yourself and begin to center in the dream also.

Video games eh. My theory works in video games but it's limited. Again, what captivates you in the video game. What kind of stuff reoccurs in dream scenes. The biggest downside of video games is that it's like limited. The hours in video games are a limited reality. There are a 1000s of things that can stimulate ur awareness outside. Honestly. When there's only a set things of programmed experience for you in the game. It's controls are programmed to limit your ability to navigate the digital landscape. This is why I think people get frustrated in someway if the controls of the game and the mind aren't synched up. And they can't be. It's like a fuse that is ready to ignite the soul.

Now, I think there is hope. As long as you are 'meta-aware again' about the lack of control that you are putting yourself into when playing video games. You are doing good in terms of ADA. But as a warning. I play video games more than 5 hours a day. And coincendence? I don't dream or lucid dream. I think there's a connection there..
I advise you to focus on the very enjoyable and satisfiable parts of GOOD video games. I think those are good for average quality of experience. Those captivating parts and enjoy them thoroughly.

I think I said what I want to be said. I hope this clarifies for you a path

^^ Unfortunately, Dthoughts, though I think your take on ADA is vastly better than King Yoshi's original tutorial, ADA does indeed demand that you pay attention to everything, period, using all your senses, all the time. Here is the definition of ADA from DV's Wiki:

ADA All-Day-Awareness

ADA stands for All-Day-Awareness, a technique to aid in inducing lucid dreams. ADA is all about developing a habit of paying attention to details of your surroundings and yourself (awareness) while awake, with the intention of being more aware in your dreams. You can focus on things like the objects in the room around you, your muscles as you walk down the street, people's faces, your own breathing, the sound of the wind, or the pressure you use to hit a key in your keyboard. Everything in your surroundings, including any sensation, can be used to practice ADA.

And here is a link to the original ADA tutorial.

Your version, Dthoughts, seems to represent a much better path to follow than ADA, since it seems like it will both nurture self-awareness and provide a potential for creating prospective memory. All in all, your version might substantially contribute to the development of the all-important lucid mindset, which is something ADA does not do at all.

So, DGHall, I highly recommend that, if you must do ADA, that you follow Dthoughts' plan and step away from the original ADA guidelines.

Finally, in full disclosure: If you are interested, a long time ago I started/got tricked into starting a thread, ADA: Right or Wrong for Lucidity, that you might want to check out before you fill your days with exhausting exercises that might do little more than give you a placebo-effect LD or two... just ignore the parts where I battled childishly with King Yoshi!

So for practicing self-awareness... Basically keeping my mind off of autopilot? Assessing where I am, what I am doing, and the reason I am doing it?

Originally Posted by DGHall

So for practicing self-awareness... Basically keeping my mind off of autopilot? Assessing where I am, what I am doing, and the reason I am doing it?

Yes. THAT. And i'd suggest in short paying attention how you feel in the moments and what events occur to make you feel that. And it's applicable on inner thought-life. You can also apply this to inner life. Namaste

Originally Posted by Dthoughts

Got tricked into ?

Yeah. I was posting on another thread when ADA came up. I mentioned my concerns about it, and one of the guys on the thread suggested I start a new thread that questioned ADA... I have a feeling that he knew full well how King Yoshi would react to my blasphemy, and he knew that I was unaware of King Yoshi at all, but he "forgot" to warn me; I felt a bit punked after a time. But at least the meat of the thread survived the practical joke.

Also:

Originally Posted by Dthoughts

Which brings me to my point of Buddhism. I never heared of any practice in Buddhism suggesting ADA as is practiced on this site. Which is not meant as an insult or an attack.
I just want to iterate here that I think there are plenty of practices suggested in Buddhism such as Yoga as in mind-body-soul yoga that I heared of having more similarities with what I'm saying. And suggests there is a merit to the practice to me. I don't think it's original intent was to practice ADA as in Kingyoshi's theory.

I think I was referring to mindfulness practice in general, and not any specific discipline. From what I've gleaned from Buddhism (and Hindu, and shamanism, and any other system with a mystical bent), awareness of one's surroundings, and one's presence in those surroundings, is fairly important. In retrospect, I guess ADA is the same as mindfulness, except that it leaves all the important bits out (like being aware of one's presence in reality, and the moment). I can't remember if I mentioned this on that thread at this point.

I Like this

Originally Posted by Sageous

I think I was referring to mindfulness practice in general, and not any specific discipline. From what I've gleaned from Buddhism (and Hindu, and shamanism, and any other system with a mystical bent), awareness of one's surroundings, and one's presence in those surroundings, is fairly important. In retrospect, I guess ADA is the same as mindfulness, except that it leaves all the important bits out (like being aware of one's presence in reality, and the moment). I can't remember if I mentioned this on that thread at this point.

No, I can't see it there either. But you said what I was thinking. I've done a mindfulness and it's exactly like ADA except the focus is put in the body and not in surroundings AFAIK.

I think it's a very useful place to start. I really think ADA has the reputation that it does as does mindfulness because it starts with having you focus on things that you normally don't focus on. And that makes one a little more conscious and automatically the self adjusts itself to the new awareness right? But this is not mentioned as the goal. It only starts with the premise of focusing and mindfulness purposefully advises against doing anything to 'adjust' the body. For some reason

Originally Posted by Sageous

^^ Unfortunately, Dthoughts,

^^ First thing I read. U purposefully tried messing with me. I bet. lol


Also
Legendary thread really. I think it's only natural to run into a argument when two ideas clash
But upon skimming through, forgive me for bringing old stuff back up. In no way trying to start shit, but; Kingyoshi's initial assertion in that post as to why his theory works, struck me as flawed

Originally Posted by Kingyoshi

you are in a dream and you are aware of your surroundings in the dream, that IS self-awareness. Everything in your dream is yourSELF.

His premise that everything in the dream is self excludes the possibility that there even could be an "other" in dreams. And that's a game changer IMO. You are spot on I think with your counterarguments to that. I am learning.

Which brings me to my point of Buddhism. I never heared of any practice in Buddhism suggesting ADA as is practiced on this site. Which is not meant as an insult or an attack.
I just want to iterate here that I think there are plenty of practices suggested in Buddhism such as Yoga as in mind-body-soul yoga that I heared of having more similarities with what I'm saying. And suggests there is a merit to the practice to me. I don't think it's original intent was to practice ADA as in Kingyoshi's theory. Sorry to use ur name.

There needs to be another name to what I'm describing really. But I'm not vain enough right now to try and name the beast.

All in all. I am aware of Sageous' threads on the matter. Quite likely he is the main influence for even suggesting the differing to traditional ADA on DV. But ultimately I find his line of thinking is correct. And there's more to it than just ADA. The theory needs evolving.. lol

Originally Posted by Sageous

started/got tricked

Got tricked into ?

All right. I'm getting tired. Sorry for dissonant writing again my mind is getting so groggy

There's more to say but I don't have much time sorry. i might come back for a little addition

And i'm honored that you give me credit Sageous. Happy dreaming.

Originally Posted by Dthoughts

Got tricked into ?

Yeah. I was posting on another thread when ADA came up. I mentioned my concerns about it, and one of the guys on the thread suggested I start a new thread that questioned ADA... I have a feeling that he knew full well how King Yoshi would react to my blasphemy, and he knew that I was unaware of King Yoshi at all, but he "forgot" to warn me; I felt a bit punked after a time. But at least the meat of the thread survived the practical joke.

What I wanted to say is that scientists measured Gamma-brains in a few occasions that I know of,

1. Lucid dreamers.
2. Buddhist meditation masters.
3. Ayahuasca users.

Just saying

It's the very same part of the brain that is rumored to be the source of Self-awareness. I'll try to look up the science of this.

Lucid dream researchers at the Neurological Laboratory in Frankfurt, Germany, have discovered brainwave frequencies as high as 40 Hz occuring in lucid volunteers while they sleep.

Normal brain is 10-30hz.

Originally Posted by https://phys.org/news/2009-09-evidence-conscious-metacognition-nonhuman-animals.html

(PhysOrg.com) -- J. David Smith, Ph.D., a comparative psychologist at the University at Buffalo who has conducted extensive studies in animal cognition, says there is growing evidence that animals share functional parallels with human conscious metacognition -- that is, they may share humans' ability to reflect upon, monitor or regulate their states of mind.

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2009-09-eviden...imals.html#jCp

This animal research lead to

Studies of lucid dreamers show which centers of the brain become active when we become aware of ourselves in dreams.

Which areas of the brain help us to perceive our world in a self-reflective manner is difficult to measure. During wakefulness, we are always conscious of ourselves. In sleep, however, we are not. But there are people, known as lucid dreamers, who can become aware of dreaming during sleep. Studies employing magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) have now been able to demonstrate that a specific cortical network consisting of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the frontopolar regions and the precuneus is activated when this lucid consciousness is attained. All of these regions are associated with self-reflective functions.

All of these regions are associated with self-reflective functions.

.. I think this is very useful information to take in when you want to Ld


Rare animals such as dolphins and humans have the ability to be self-aware and lucid dream. Not all animals have this kind of structure in the brain I think. But using this ability of self-awareness in the brain and practicing it. Will eventually lead to LDs

That's rough

This place is a desert. If you know of more dream forums let me know? I'm so bored here. Let me know ur avatar name as well.

You certainly made a impact and I love you for it.

^^ I really don't want to get into another discussion about ADA, but my core issue with it, I think, is that it completely ignores actual mindfulness/self-awareness and tells people that all they have to do is be constantly aware of all their surroundings, and that will somehow make them aware that they are dreaming.

I also think I used a mouse as my example in my argument: a common field mouse is incredibly aware of its surroundings, every second of the day, with far more attention than any human could manage, but nobody every accused a mouse of achieving a moment of self-awareness, ever.

So no, the Self will not necessarily adjust itself to the new awareness; instead, all you get with ADA is an extremely heavy information flow that clouds their mind with unnecessary details and succeeds only in tiring a person out without ever touching the parts that matter, like a sense of Self... the premise of ADA, I believe, is indeed flawed -- especially because mindfulness is never considered within it.

Ye, I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with this.

I wasn't aware this is how you see mindfulness. Indeed ADA has a lot of similarities with people suffering from PTSS. In warfare it's wise to be very aware of everything around you. Like the mouse. It's not lucid dreaming. The activity stay with them after warfare and it's total load. And is very unhealthy.

I think a human always has some sense of self. it's only logical that a little bit is automatically used whenever you start becoming aware of new things. As long as it's not overload (?) It's just not near as strong as when you mindfully apply self-awareness. But for me it's noticing how things affect me. What is interesting. How do I react to that. Etc. I suppose there's a multitude of possibilities left for me to explore here

My experience this morning was the absence of anything that interests me around me. Same ole' houses. Same ole' people. Completely bored actually. As I did this (I got aware I was bored and ordered my mind to do something useful) my mind started automatically to 'look/explore in my surroundings' you know and it automatically started to gravitate towards the aesthetics of the surrounding green trees. And my feelings calmed. This to me is meta-awareness. I am aware of the process. How I feel when I am 'bored' and what 'calms and soothes' the mind. You know. It literally degrades suffering.. The assertive action is to actually adjust the self like I did I ordered it to find something

I think we come from slightly different angles here

So no, the Self will not necessarily adjust itself to the new awareness;

Let me know if you think what I do agrees with ur thinking or if there's any adjustments I could implement. After all I'm a beginner

^^ Your video seems spot-on, Daniel, but I have to ask: why use the "ADA" term at all? It seems that "mindfulness" would work just fine, and doing so might help keep novices from googling "ADA" and coming upon the tutorial here, which has very little to do with mindfulness.

Dthoughts:

Originally Posted by Dthoughts

Let me know if you think what I do agrees with ur thinking or if there's any adjustments I could implement. After all I'm a beginner

I believe that we're generally on the same page, Dthoughts, and you seem to be on the right path. I really can't think of any adjustments you could make right now.

Originally Posted by Sageous

^^ Your video seems spot-on, Daniel, but I have to ask: why use the "ADA" term at all? It seems that "mindfulness" would work just fine, and doing so might help keep novices from googling "ADA" and coming upon the tutorial here, which has very little to do with mindfulness.

Convenience as it's a popular term. and everybody already knows it. He might receive a slight amount of extra hits from people who learned ADA first also. A slight amount of hits because I think it would be more rewarding to conceive a personally developed terminology in this case. Just a armchair opinion

@Sageous

Essentially Dthoughts hit the nail on the head.

While I've long shared your issues/frustration with ADA, it seems to me that the term isn't going anywhere, so rather than enter into a battle against it, I feel that it would be better to work with the term, iron out the negative points, and use it as a starting point to put people in the direction of mindfulness. At least this way any misconceptions can be nipped in the bud. It's not a term I use often (if ever) but I do get asked about it often, so the video is really my standard answer put into a more accessible form.

Coincidentally, I've just uploaded a tutorial for this technique:

(for the record, I completely agree with Sageous. ADA, in my opinion, is just a modern term for mindfulness, something that is a core practice for any serious lucid dreamer)