Woohoo! I'm a freak!

Seriously, I'm not sure what to tell you to do about your parents. I can't decide if they're overprotective or just terribly afraid of the unknown. I mean, how the heck do you get in a fight about dreams?

Quote Originally Posted by Truffles View Post
They think that with LDing, I'm not getting enough rest during the night
The body cycles through 4 stages of sleep each night. During those stages the majority of restorative work is carried out in REM sleep. Amusingly, you do not actually manipulate your sleep cycles during a LD, you merely take advantage of them. Nothing about lucidity implies that you can alter your sleep cycles or change your REM periods to a possible harmful effect, you just use those periods to become lucid.

In any case, there's no basis for that claim on any real level. Hell, the only real harmful thing about attaining lucidity is "old hag," and that's merely illusory, it doesn't actually harm your body.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REM_sleep

I need to know how to explain LDing to her in a way that kinda doesn't well, "scare" you.
I can't see why they'd think LDs are scary in the first place. It's nothing more or less than being aware that you are in a dream. Some people have that naturally, (my brother) it comes to them as pure talent. Others (like us) need to develop that ability into a working skill. Ask your parents if they've ever realized they were dreaming, bravo, they've experienced low-level lucidity.

P.S. It might be kinda funny to point out that one definition of lucidity means "sanity."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucidity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dreaming

It's also a good idea to try and show them that lucidity, although being a relatively new field, is not "out there" with the likes of telekinesis, Ouji boards, Bigfoot, or whatever. Point out to your parents that lucidity actually surfaces in modern culture (careful with that one) and that actual reseach has been done.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_LaBerge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lucidity_Institute
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_d...opular_culture

they don't want me to be on Dreamviews because it's full of "freaks."
Firstly, that sucks. Secondly, your parents said that?!?

I think they need to experience it for themselves.
Good luck with that one.