Tip: How To Short-circuit Your Own Mental Resistance To Ld, Pronto!

[chevalier_violet]

Hello, I'm not sure how many of you know of the works of Carlos Castaneda, the guy who supposedly had such a mastery over his dreams that he wrote all his best-selling books in them. Anyway, this tip comes from a book of conversations with him that is not very widely published. In the book, a student is complaining that he has tried to dream (in Castaneda's books, dream is always in italics to differentiate it between a normal, uncontrolled dream) but has met with no success. Castaneda tells him that the student hasn't really, really been wanted to, or else he would have by now. "If you're serious that you want to *dream*," he says. "Prove it: don't eat or speak until you succeed. You will be astonished how quickly it will happen." That's the advice, don't eat or speak until you succeed. When I read this, my first thought was, "what ridiculous advice! How am I supposed to go through an entire day, with a roommate, with hundreds of acquaintances I see everywhere, without speaking? What am I going to do, pretend I don't know them? And how am I supposed to survive without eating? I don't think I want to LD thaaat badly" I moped around for a while feeling sorry for myself: on the one hand I couldn't dream, and on the other, I couldn't take this action to get me to dream. I felt trapped. Finally, something in me broke, I became furious, and I steeled myself to not speak or eat until success. It was a Friday so at least I wouldn't be going to classes until Monday. That just meant having an LD before Monday (hopefully!&#33. And if not, well I would figure something out before my classes began. My first act was to go down to the grocery store to pick up enough fruit and vegetable juice to last me 2 months with lockjaw. I have to go, to be continued!

[Hellfire]

That's interesting, I guess the hunger will drive you to have a lucid dream I might try something like this, except just with the eating. Nothing for me except water, milk (get to sleep faster), and dark chocolate (help dreams).

[FreeOne]

wow. i guess i can see the whole concept but still...wow

[Richter]

Sounds interesting, and effective! I know lots of people fast and such to achieve certain results, so why wouldn't it work for lucid dreams? I might try it, except instead of not talking at ALL, I'm planning on only responding to questions, and even then with as few words as possible. Please keep us posted on your results!

[chevalier_violet]

Part 2: The woman at the cash register gives me a really weird look when I show up with 30 euros worth of juice. She probably thinks I have just come off 3 weeks in the desert. Things are going well so far. Of course, it's only been half an hour. When I get home, suddenly my roommate comes into my room, and asks me what I'm doing today. I freeze. He knows nothing about LD or my attempts to do it. I'm frantically trying to think of a way to not have to answer this question. While I'm thinking these thoughts, he's just standing there, wondering if the question was really that complicated. Finally, I come to the conclusion that emitting bodily sounds isn't speaking. I loudly grunt "huh?" and wave him away with my hand. He gives me a confused look and walks away clearly hurt by my rudeness. I feel awful. I immediately hurl myself onto my bed, commanding myself to LD and so that I can go explain to my roommate, but with no success. I take a sip of pear juice, and fall into a dark, dreamless sleep. Later that day, after taking every backcorner route, diving into bathrooms, and hiding in nooks and crannies to avoid people I know, I manage to make my way to my school's computer lab. When checking my email account I discover that I had already made plans to go see a concert. Unlike my roommate, this friend hadn't seen me in a few days. I could have probably cancelled, but instead, I decide to tell this friend the truth. Then I come to my senses. My email: "Hey Robin, I can still go to the concert tonight, but I lost my voice this week, so I can't talk. If you don't mind doing most of the talking, see you at 8." It's been 3 hours, and already I'm spending every free millisecond begging my subconscious for a LD. At 8:15 I show up to the concert, V8 in hand, still without a clear idea how embarrassing not speaking can be. Gotta go, more later.

[dreamMeUp]

this is well written and an exciting experiment. Hope you win! :yumdumdoodledum:

[.jared.]

This sounds like a very stupid move. Sure lucid dreaming is cool. But honestly. Youre selling out REAL life in place of basically...a virtual reality. Lucid dreaming shouldn't cause real life to be horrible.

[Eminence~]

Wow, I admire your dedication! This might be just the thing I need. I'll try this someday soon.

[JaphyR]

This is a funny way to try to achieve an LD, but a vow of silence shouldn't be this stressful. Instead of focusing on not speaking, focus on listening. That is, don't focus on not doing something, focus on doing something else instead. That's part of the point of the silence. Just commit to it if you're going to do it, and look at those who speak to you with a great smile. They'll figure it out, or at least accept that you must be committed to doing something for some reason. If speech is just a technicality you're avoiding in this experiment, like a self-imposed punishment, it won't do much for you. Make it an opportunity to focus inwards on your inner voice, and outwards on observing the world around you more closely. You might even drop the email and posting while you're at it, thus dropping verbal communication rather than the physical act of speaking. Good luck.

[Hellfire]

This sounds like a very stupid move. Sure lucid dreaming is cool. But honestly. Youre selling out REAL life in place of basically...a virtual reality. Lucid dreaming shouldn't cause real life to be horrible. [/b] If you think it's stupid, then that's your opinion. I think it's a good incentive to push yourself for a LD. Besides everyone could do with eating less :yumdumdoodledum:

[Ardent Lost]

Yeah i think if you're going to do this it would be best to take some time off and go for trip somewhere by yourself. The whole not talking to people could be more trouble than it's worth with your friends. You've already said you felt bad about blowing off your roommate and he probably didn't think any higher of you for it. I can see the idea behind it, but i think if i were going to do it i'd go off somewhere by myself first. So my friends don't think i'm ignoring them and i don't feel bad/embarrassed for not speaking. I agree with JaphyR, silence shouldn't be stressful. It may be that rather than focusing on LD you're focusing on being embarrassed and stressed out. In which case you're probably more likely to dream about that than you are to have a lucid dream. Just my 2 cents.

[Richter]

I think the point IS to be stressful, so that it's a punishment for not lucid dreaming. Kinda like programming one's subconcious, and not rewarding it for doing EXACTLY what one doesn't want it do... But what do I know.

[John Updike]

This is an interesting idea. For those slightly less committed, maybe resolving to abstain from masturbation until success is reached would work too.

[AlternateReality]

i usually just hit myself when i go to sleep and when i wake up, i read that somewhere on here. i could try the not talking, because most people i know would not question it. Although if a teacher called on me i don't knwo what i would do.

[DyerMaker]

I like the persistence but I think going about it less drastically will still work. Such as, I found that when I quit cigs, weed, and drinking for a while to try to get my head clear I was rewarded with several lucid dreams in a short span. I don't think it's due to me quiting those things directly but rather showing some sacrifice for the cause. So maybe if you give up something you like until you have one that would work.

[chron911]

This is a funny way to try to achieve an LD, but a vow of silence shouldn't be this stressful. Instead of focusing on not speaking, focus on listening. That is, don't focus on not doing something, focus on doing something else instead. That's part of the point of the silence. Just commit to it if you're going to do it, and look at those who speak to you with a great smile. They'll figure it out, or at least accept that you must be committed to doing something for some reason. If speech is just a technicality you're avoiding in this experiment, like a self-imposed punishment, it won't do much for you. Make it an opportunity to focus inwards on your inner voice, and outwards on observing the world around you more closely. You might even drop the email and posting while you're at it, thus dropping verbal communication rather than the physical act of speaking. Good luck. [/b] no thats not the point. The point is without being able to eat or speak, your brain works extra hard to try to get u to dream, so its a good idea

[Eminence~]

I tried a variation on this yesterday- No buying food at school until I LD and talk to a certain DC. And guess what? Last night it happened. Lol. I didn't even get a chance to not buy food at school.

[chevalier_violet]

I tried a variation on this yesterday- No buying food at school until I LD and talk to a certain DC. And guess what? Last night it happened. Lol. I didn't even get a chance to not buy food at school. [/b] Congratulations. It takes courage to LD - and perhaps a touch of madness. Bon appetit

[Eminence~]

Congratulations. It takes courage to LD - and perhaps a touch of madness. Bon appetit [/b] A touch you say? Well then I'm set for life. And pssh, I'm trying it again. No buying food at school until I LD again!

[chevalier_violet]

Part 3: At 8:15 that night I met Robin outside a concert hall. The second he perceived that I had "lost my voice," an unsettlingly malicious gleam entered his eyes. Now Robin is a great person, and I love him, but he's the kind of guy who will apologize profusely for a benign joke about your shoes, even if that joke wouldn't make an insecure schoolgirl cry. In a way it's sweet that he cares so much about other people's feelings, but he takes it too far and he just ends up appearing sycophantic. I had often feigned offense at his remarks only to laugh hysterically as he began to apologize. Anyone else would know right away that I was joking. Not him. At that time I figured that if he loosened up a little, it was for his own good. Thus making fun of him was just like giving to charity. He didn't seem to fully share my point of view. He appeared determined to even the score in just one evening, with a little "charity" of his own. Thanks to my excellent training, he was well beyond the point of feeling any remorse at mocking me. He exited the gate at full speed, quickly nicknaming me "cute little Andy," and calling me this, to my chagrin, at every possible occasion. He then launched into an interminable monologue mocking me about my inferior musical abilities, my intelligence in general, and my looks, particularly the furious glint in my eye. Now I don't have the fastest mind, but as he was laughing at his jokes alone, only the most wittiest, sliest, and most devastating comebacks were entering my head, only adding unrequited temptation to injury. Doing this charade in order to dream lucidly seemed more and more ludicrous by the second. By that point I was dreaming, with startling clarity, of shocking him with my perfectly intact voice, tossing out a few of those witty comebacks. But instead, I faked a cough (which hurt), and pretended to struggle to say a few words. After asking him to buy my tickets with subtle eyebrow movements, my only wish was for the music to begin as soon as possible. Until then, he was going to ask me if I was still "too dumb" to respond at the end of every sentence. I could feel my cheeks changing hue, the sweat begin to bead on my forehead. The pressure was building, I was going to explode. Averting disaster, I leapt out of my seat to go the bathroom. This concert hall has a policy where the person taking tickets at the door gives you a bathroom pass, which lets you back in afterwards. Unfortunately, the chump at the door neglected to give me this pass. After mutely passing a row of tantalizingly bored-looking, approachable French women, on the way to and from the can, I showed my used ticket to the chump, who refused to let me in without a pass. Now, how would you say, "it's your fault you didn't give me the bathroom pass, I just exited through your door, you idiot" in hand gestures and eyebrows raises? I pointed to my throat to indicate that I couldn't speak, and tried to communicate this thought several times. He did not understand at all, but let me back in. I too dislike hindering the clinically insane. The music was fantastic - mostly because I didn't have to listen to Robin for a while, and could renew begging my subconscious for an LD. Afterwards, perhaps to motivate myself even more, I walked with Robin in a nearby park and then went out for ice cream. I'll never forget the conversation we upheld, him insulting me, and I feebly telegraphing responses scribbled on grocery receipts - some of which he didn't even deign to read. "Goodnight, cuuuuute littttlllle Annndy! When someone wishes you goodnight, it's impolite not to respond, you know." I waved goodbye, silently plotting to give Robin a call the second Ariel got her voice back.

[chevalier_violet]

Part 4: What a night! But at the very least I had Robin to thank for giving me another motivation to LD: revenge! Once home I took a swig of Apple Cranberry Delight and wished with all my might for a LD (and a nice hunk of bread). I visualized myself Lucid Dreaming, I prepared several triggers, I meditated, I practiced. Finally, mentally prepared, I tucked myself in and awaited. It all seemed so easy. The secret to LD's is desire. All you have to do is want it badly enough, and it will be yours. I fell into a peaceful sleep... ... and didn't wake up until the next morning. I hadn't LDed. "Oh damn it," I thought as I took a sour sip of 6 fruit cocktail. I spent the entire day silently wishing this suffering to end, fake coughing my way past acquaintances, and hankering for a warm piece of chocolate. That night I chugged an Orange-Carrot concoction, wishing even harder than ever for a LD. I went to sleep... ... and again didn't wake up until the next morning. Now it was Sunday and I was getting frantic. After a sip of "Mango-Lime Fiesta" (that I desperately wished were something else), I did a few minutes of homework, and plopped myself down for a forced nap. But nothing happened. I was dreading the thought of 8 hours of class (and choir after that&#33 as mute as a statue. Action had to be taken. Another forced nap was had, but only darkness ensued. Finally, on the third nap on a Sunday afternoon, I was dreaming that I was in a field with a few friends, laughing and dancing, when suddenly the thought entered my head that I should look at my hands. I looked down and saw them: hairier, larger, a bit contorted, but unmistakably mine. For the first time since my childhood, I was fully conscious that I was dreaming. In a flash, everything vanished and I found myself in bed, alone.

[akukei]

Thats a very interesting way of achieving a lucid dream. Certainly soinething that would never have crossed my mind. Do you think sacrificing so much for a dream is worth it? Are you happy with the results? I don't think i could dedicate myself so much to dreaming.

[TheNocturnalGent]

im really enjoying reading about your quest. I certainly hope you dont wake so soon in the future.

[Seeker]

Sounds to me like it is all about motivation. When you spend every living waking moment wanting something to happen and you are taking steps to make it happen, then it most likely will.

[invadergarf]

This is really interesting. I could never not talk for that long just for a lucid dream, lol. I can see how it would work though, your mind would be set on lucid dreaming all day. I may try giving up other things though to LD, but i'm not sure what there is that I do often enough to give up. Eating definitely isnt a good option due to the whole starving myself problem.