How Long Does a Lucid Dream Last?

[magical mike]

I have a few questions about time -How long dose a normal lucid dream seem to fell like? -How long dose a lucid dream really last? -What is the longest amount of time you can stay lucid? -do you dream when your in a comma? -If so would a doctor put me in a comma on request? lol

[eppy]

it varies from different people.most of mine feel like a half hour. it depends what REM period you are dreaming in. i don't know. i don't think so. i don't think so.

[magical mike]

thinks for the answers.. anyone else maybe? soooo uhhh yeah.. I was only lucid one time for about 5 mins at the most lol

[Decipher]

- I've had lucid dreams which felt like it lasted from 5 mins to forever(that I had to force my way out of it due to exhaustion lmao) - I have no idea, really since I'm not too knowledgable about REM and those stuff. - As I said, I don't know. - I don't know. - No.

[seeker28]

The REM stage of sleep, when dreams happen, gets longer over the course of the night. The first one is pretty short, the last one is pretty long. You can lenghten REM stages by becoming sleep deprived for a short while and then sleeping. You will get "REM rebound" which basically means your body will make up for lost REM sleep by having extra long REM sleep phases. From what I understand, it isn't unheard of to have an hour-long REM phase, especially if you experiment with REM rebound. Because of this cool thing called "time dilation" in dreams a LD can feel like it lasts hours, days, or even years. Time dilation happens when your dreaming mind skims over things you have experience with -- like walking, brushing your hair, going to class, etc. In the dream time dilation happens when your mind just briefly touches a memory about doing something (like walking) instead of actually going through the motions in the dream. So basically your dream doesn't waste time on acting out the thing it replaces (like walking) but you don't notice because you remember walking. I'm not sure I explained that clearly. Did you get it? Most people feel like their LDs last from a few seconds to about an hour. The more experienced with LDing you become, the longer your LDs tend to last. I don't know if people dream while in comas. And I'm pretty sure a doctor would loose his licence if he put a healthy person into a coma just for kicks. XD

[magical mike]

The REM stage of sleep, when dreams happen, gets longer over the course of the night. The first one is pretty short, the last one is pretty long. You can lenghten REM stages by becoming sleep deprived for a short while and then sleeping. You will get "REM rebound" which basically means your body will make up for lost REM sleep by having extra long REM sleep phases. From what I understand, it isn't unheard of to have an hour-long REM phase, especially if you experiment with REM rebound. Because of this cool thing called "time dilation" in dreams a LD can feel like it lasts hours, days, or even years. Time dilation happens when your dreaming mind skims over things you have experience with -- like walking, brushing your hair, going to class, etc. In the dream time dilation happens when your mind just briefly touches a memory about doing something (like walking) instead of actually going through the motions in the dream. So basically your dream doesn't waste time on acting out the thing it replaces (like walking) but you don't notice because you remember walking. I'm not sure I explained that clearly. Did you get it? Most people feel like their LDs last from a few seconds to about an hour. The more experienced with LDing you become, the longer your LDs tend to last. I don't know if people dream while in comas. And I'm pretty sure a doctor would loose his licence if he put a healthy person into a coma just for kicks. XD yeah I understand! I knew some about the rem sleep and all that!.. I wil try the rem rebound lol this weekend!.. If I ever end up in a comma, Ill tell you all if I dream or not! also, If I am lucid in a dream, can it still seem like years? because you said "Time dilation happens when your dreaming mind skims over things you have experience with" So in that case, I doubt a lucid dream would be able to fell like hours.. and that also brings my mind to the fact that you never really know if your dreaming or not.. I use to think this when I was kid, I use to think, that I was really some grown man, who was really good at juggling I think.. Maybe I had a lifetime long dream when I was a kid and I just cant remeber it now weird...

[Decipher]

also, If I am lucid in a dream, can it still seem like years? because you said "Time dilation happens when your dreaming mind skims over things you have experience with" Yeah, one of my LD's felt like it was going on for months, as I said, it felt as if it was taking forever and it would never stop, so I guess LD time for years is also possible.

[seeker28]

Yes, a LD really can feel like months or years. When it comes to "never knowing if your dreaming or not" check out the tutorial on RCs here. I almost always know for sure wether I'm dreaming or not when I become lucid!

[magical mike]

Yes, a LD really can feel like months or years. When it comes to "never knowing if your dreaming or not" check out the tutorial on RCs here. I almost always know for sure wether I'm dreaming or not when I become lucid! So your saying if your lucid you still may not know your dreaming or not? that brings up another question.. can you get so skillfull to were you allways know when your dreaming all the time every time you fall saleep or atleast 99% of the time?

[topten35]

I have a few questions about time -How long dose a normal lucid dream seem to fell like? -How long dose a lucid dream really last? -What is the longest amount of time you can stay lucid? -do you dream when your in a comma? -If so would a doctor put me in a comma on request? lol 1-For me when i'm lucid, it feels like there's nothing to do except when i come up with an idea, but sometimes its fun. 2-sometimes they last around 10 minutes, my longest one was around 45 minutes, but it happend in the morning after getting up then i went back to sleep. 3-i don't know about that 4-lol, i don't think so.

[Robot_Butler]

I find that the most powerful time dialation is due to false memories. Like Seeker28 mentioned about just "remembering having walked" instead of actually having done the walking. I have had dreams that lasted only 15 minutes, but seemed to span years, because I started the dream with so many false memories. Sort of like watching an hour long TV show. If you know the show, know the storyline, and know the characters, you remember the entire season as you watch the episode. My longest lucid dreams have lasted around an hour real life time. Maybe a bit longer. Staying lucid is tricky. I need to constantly remind myself. In a normal long lucid dream, I will sort of jump in and out of lucidity. I will be lucid, but get carried away or distracted, then have to bring myself back to lucidity. I like it that way, because I can experience the randomness of the dream and the amazement of being lucid in the same dream.

[seeker28]

So your saying if your lucid you still may not know your dreaming or not? that brings up another question.. can you get so skillfull to were you allways know when your dreaming all the time every time you fall saleep or atleast 99% of the time? There is a difference between suspecting it may be a dream and knowing. If you suspect it is a dream, but aren't sure do some RCs. If you're going to do something dangerous or possibly illegal in a LD and you are new to lucidity do a RC first, just to absolutely sure. Some naturals LD 100% of the time. I imagine it is possible for a non-natural to LD that much, but probably would take a lot of work.

[Shift]

If you do a search, there a lot of threads on this topic that many people have debated. Some people say, that dream time passes the same as real time. Some people say it doesn't. Some say it varies. Some people go to sleep and wake up and say, "well, I was asleep for 30 min and had that dream, the dream must've lasted around 20 min." Other people argue against it. It seems to me like a lucid dream lasts longer if you make sure to stabilize. Sometimes you can spin or do other things if you feel yourself waking up. I suppose the max length of a dream could be the length of your longest REM period, and the way you perceive that time period playing out may make it longer or shorter. It seems to boil down to perception versus the time that you were physiologically dreaming, and how accurate that perception is we don't know yet.

[magical mike]

thanks shift! I think the way I precive lucid dreaming is a little difrent.. I cant describe fully what happend to me last night.. I was chasing a girl (long story Ill post it on my dream jornal latter if anyone wants to read it) but uhh I was chasing her down a spiraling tower.. and I took a short cut, and jumped from one bride to the other (about 20 feet away something I would never do just to chase a girl lol) and uhh (dream sign here yes! my first really good dream sign xD) everything was in slow motion (as most of the time ) (oh I just remebered another drema sign! oh wait.. it only happens when I am lucid.. I talk in ademonic voice.. dose that count?) anyways I was jumping in slow motion (dang it sorry for all these mixed thoughts lol.. when I am lucid alot of things happen in slow motion.. why is this?) (and another thing lmfao.. I try to rub my hands in the dream, or spin around but its really hard.. and I can fell my WL eyes open).. so I was jumping and I for some reason without even thinking about it, I said "I am dreaming" without even thinking about it! I had to clue at all I was dreaming either.. well except for the slow motion.. but.. its like half my mind works without me knowing it..