Forced wake-up from a lucid dream

[FredFlintstone]

If you're in a lucid dream, is it possible to force yourself to wake-up and so remember the lucid dream better, rather than trying to remember it at the end of the sleep? Thanks, FF

[Abra]

Heck yeah. A very useful skill. I find it most productive to wake up as soon as the dream scene becomes hypnopompic sensation. By that, I mean, when you start experiencing the following: -Dream starts 'fading' -Dream constantly changes scenes -Dream becomes third person -You no longer have a body (in your dream) When this starts happening, it signals the end of a dream. Afterwards you will either continue sleeping (losing the precious dream from memory!) or wake up (if you are at the time where you usually wake up). Some suggestions for waking up, if the will to awaken doesn't work, include the following: -Shouting your intention to wake up -Closing your eyes in the dream (very effective. By depriving yourself of sensory stimuli, you are more likely to awaken).

[FredFlintstone]

Thanks for the quick reply. When this starts happening, it signals the end of a dream. Are there not methods that can be used to strengthen the dream so to speak?

[Abra]

There are. But that wasn't your question! To lengthen the dream, you can spin around, rub your hands, grab stuff, look at your hands/feet/ground. Clairity swears by feeling stuff--really getting into the texture and such. A technique that has helped me is to insist that I am standing upright, not laying in bed, and begin walking slowly. Also, guess what? These also 'strengthen' the dream. I call it 'stabilizing.' It tends to make things more vivid, too. Just as sensory immersion lengthens the dream (such as the examples in this post), sensory deprivation brings it to an abrupt end (like what I mentioned in my previous post). Makes sense, doesn't it? =O

[FredFlintstone]

Makes sense, doesn't it? Perfect sense... Thanks for your help.

[Abra]

No problem. =D