Thread: Questioning Reality

Originally Posted by heebiejeebies

Thanks for the replies everyone. I really don't want to start questioning everything, despite the encouragement of some of the posters to do so. Some may wish to do that and find it enlightening, but I don't. Anyway, by the looks of it, LDing won't make me do that if I'm not already that way inclined. That's fine. My other concern, which just dawned on me, is that since I am scared of LDing, I'll probably always wake myself up once I become aware (same as what happened last week.) If I have the guts to see it through despite my fears, then there's probably a good chance my mind will create a scary dream, is there not?

You said what I wanted to say, but better.

There's no reason that your mind will make the dream go nightmare. Unless you expect it to! In fact, many people become lucid in a dream because they had a nightmare. They realized that the monster wasn't real, and kicked its butt, or befriended it, or chatted with it. If you know that it's a dream, and nothing can truly hurt you, then have no fear! =)

Originally Posted by RunflaCruiser

I don't think questioning your reality will change your waking life one bit. I don't think it will make the line between reality and dreaming any less clear in the real world. You only do it so you will question your reality in your dreams. It like a rollover effect. In your dreams is when you need to question it so you can be lucid, and that will be the only difference.

Thank you. That about sums it up.

Originally Posted by ZmillA

This is why I took a break from my LD pursuit. After I had my first LD a couple of weeks ago I realized they I dont want to do RCs all the time and always be questioning things just for the sake of being aware in something that isnt real* and will eventually be forgotten like all other dreams.

Not to be rude, but I wonder why you're here if that's your attitude towards lucid dreaming...I mean, sure, you took a break. But why come back if you think about it like that?

Originally Posted by Abra

You said what I wanted to say, but better.

There's no reason that your mind will make the dream go nightmare. Unless you expect it to! In fact, many people become lucid in a dream because they had a nightmare. They realized that the monster wasn't real, and kicked its butt, or befriended it, or chatted with it. If you know that it's a dream, and nothing can truly hurt you, then have no fear! =)

I guess so ! I was thinking of times when I've woken up suddenly in the middle of the night with sleep paralysis, convinced that I was being attacked by something evil. I didn't want whatever fear caused that dream to give me nasty LDs. But I guess if I'm aware, I'll know not to worry. Hopefully.

Thanks =)

Originally Posted by NonDualistic

If you really want to change , you must begin by seeing past your own ego...
just as the OP must learn to see past his own ego and therefore his own fear

It's always funny how an attention-hungry "spiritual" person with a big ego teaches others to be egoless, man. I wasn't asking for your ignorant advice, was I?

Originally Posted by IWantToChange

It's always funny how an attention-hungry "spiritual" person with a big ego teaches others to be egoless, man. I wasn't asking for your ignorant advice, was I?

We laugh at the ego, the object.

Laugh along, and drop it as equal. Be free.

This is no spirituality. It is an embracing of all, body and spirit, humanity and existence.

To be instead of become. To living'ness' instead of living. You cannot escape it, even ego and reality-doubting is a manifestation of reality.

One more teacher *sigh* who imagines that he knows something...
Cloud, I wasn't asking you to share your highly valuable thoughts. Please stay away and mind your own business.

i thought it was real the other day but it was a dream when i woke up. It scared me alot.

Originally Posted by IWantToChange

One more teacher *sigh* who imagines that he knows something...
Cloud, I wasn't asking you to share your highly valuable thoughts. Please stay away and mind your own business.

Teaching/teacher.

Minding/mind.

My thoughts have as little value as yours. I am God.

Such words, and you see them and not their meaning.

It is so late to sleep.

It's unfortunate that you took that statement the wrong way.

It didn't mean that you would start thinking life is not real. It just means that Lucid Dreaming can trigger the desire to come to a deeper understanding of what reality is. For many people it doesn't even do that, I don't think.

Physics already teaches that the physical world is an illusion made up of nothing but energy particles congealed into seeming solidity. To form not only the environment we exist in, but also the bodies we use to exist in it.

That doesn't mean life isn't real. It just means we have a lot to learn about what real is.

There is no reason you can't get Lucid just for fun and ignore the philosophies, if you don't want to contemplate such things.

Originally Posted by ClouD

Such words, and you see them and not their meaning.

Why do you care? I can tell you the obvious: you think you're wise and want to teach poor little me to be more like a wise spiritual you But you're in no way wise or spiritual, you're a nobody in that department, a dreamer... Didn't you feel how unpleasant it sounded? That was your ego making the truth sound bad, just like it was writing your posts, thinking that they make you look cool.
I hope someday you'll be honest enough with yourself to see through your own ego-driven behaviour. It's important to a person who wants to get rid of ego.

P.S. Just to make it clear: you can't assume from the nick alone what it is about, so don't waste your valuable time, I do not care much for egos.

Originally Posted by IWantToChange

Why do you care? I can tell you the obvious: you think you're wise and want to teach poor little me to be more like a wise spiritual you But you're in no way wise or spiritual, you're a nobody in that department, a dreamer... Didn't you feel how unpleasant it sounded? That was your ego making the truth sound bad, just like it was writing your posts, thinking that they make you look cool.
I hope someday you'll be honest enough with yourself to see through your own ego-driven behaviour. It's important to a person who wants to get rid of ego.

P.S. Just to make it clear: you can't assume from the nick alone what it is about, so don't waste your valuable time, I do not care much for egos.

Who is the one who "wants" to get rid of the ego, if not the ego itself?

'it" is that which wants

it is that which critisizes and condemns

that which calls names, pokes and assails

that which has a need to defend

that which takes offense

that which prefers one thing over another

"it" is that which brings itself out on those around "it"


Even now

I watch it stir

See its restlessness

Witness it in your presence


Within, You are a great teacher

Teachingness expresses

Focusing Us

Originally Posted by psychology student

Yeah, but counterfeit money (no matter how real) does not disprove the existence of real money. Lucidity, is just a very credible copy of reality.

Yes, that is a very good point PS. I am inclined to agree.

Originally Posted by heebiejeebies

Thanks for the replies everyone. I really don't want to start questioning everything, despite the encouragement of some of the posters to do so. Some may wish to do that and find it enlightening, but I don't. Anyway, by the looks of it, LDing won't make me do that if I'm not already that way inclined.

I just wanted to backup that its purely a personal decision as to how you look upon lucid dreams. The science behind LD'ing is just as prevalent as the spiritual and philosophical views you'll find. Even reality checking in which you directly question if you're awake or dreaming during the day doesnt have to be a philosophical practice, you're simply trying to build the habit of checking whether you're dreaming in hopes that you'll do the same in a dream. Aslong as you keep in mind why you're doing it you should never actually ponder the nature of the real world unless you want to.

Originally Posted by IWantToChange

Why do you care? I can tell you the obvious: you think you're wise and want to teach poor little me to be more like a wise spiritual you But you're in no way wise or spiritual, you're a nobody in that department, a dreamer... Didn't you feel how unpleasant it sounded? That was your ego making the truth sound bad, just like it was writing your posts, thinking that they make you look cool.
I hope someday you'll be honest enough with yourself to see through your own ego-driven behaviour. It's important to a person who wants to get rid of ego.

P.S. Just to make it clear: you can't assume from the nick alone what it is about, so don't waste your valuable time, I do not care much for egos.

You are great Teacher. Teaching-ness is what We drip, of nothingness.

You're guests in my thread, kids. Be nice !

I would think it would give you a greater understanding of what you think reality is.

OK, let's make this the "heebiejeebies paranoia and reassurances" thread. One more for you - what about oobies? Is it possible to have them without willing them, when you were actually just trying to have a lucid dream? I've heard people say they are related, but I really only want to do lucid dreaming. I don't want to go anywhere near the other stuff.

Originally Posted by heebiejeebies

OK, let's make this the "heebiejeebies paranoia and reassurances" thread. One more for you - what about oobies? Is it possible to have them without willing them, when you were actually just trying to have a lucid dream? I've heard people say they are related, but I really only want to do lucid dreaming. I don't want to go anywhere near the other stuff.

The simplest way I can put this without sounding like a "stoner" is that you only find what you are looking for.

Originally Posted by heebiejeebies

OK, let's make this the "heebiejeebies paranoia and reassurances" thread. One more for you - what about oobies? Is it possible to have them without willing them, when you were actually just trying to have a lucid dream? I've heard people say they are related, but I really only want to do lucid dreaming. I don't want to go anywhere near the other stuff.

No, they're not related. And even if they were, it takes a heck of a lot longer to have an OOBE that an LD.

Thanks for your reply. Part of the reason for my question was fear, and the other part was just wanting to say the word "oobies". Hopefully it is all systems go now - I'll start trying some techniques this weekend.

Hehe...oobies..you should trademark that.

Anyways, good luck with trying you techniques. It'd be great if you posted results.

Great idea! I'll sue the estate of Roy Orbison for retrospectively breaching my trademark with his song "Oobie Doobie", then we can split the profits.

Anyway, thanks everyone, I'll post back if anything happens, assuming I don't chicken out half way through.

Originally Posted by heebiejeebies

One more for you - what about oobies? Is it possible to have them without willing them, when you were actually just trying to have a lucid dream? I've heard people say they are related, but I really only want to do lucid dreaming. I don't want to go anywhere near the other stuff.

They're basically the same, it's about how you fall asleep without losing consciousness. Some people have their attention on their body and have OBEs from that, some ignore it and enter a whole new lucid dream. You won't know until you've tried.
But if you want to have only lucid dreams, don't try WILDing just in case, and then the chances to have OBEs for you will be slim.

You seem to be so full of fear for lucid dreaming, no matter about what exactly, you just fear it. Once you get answers to one thing that you fear, you bring up something else...