Thread: Side effect of long term lucid dreaming

About two months ago I began to develop excruciating headaches accompanied by facial numbness, slurred speech and a general loss of my normal cogntive speed. I went to a neurologist who did the usual MRI with contrast and provided me with three types of headache meds (relpax, prednisone, and zonegran). None of those medications worked. On my last visit a month ago he asked me to explain my sleep habits. I told him that I have been a lucid dreamer for the past 33 years, that I begin to dream even if I doze off for 5 minutes and that I dream every time I sleep. My consciousness NEVER shuts off. I can be dreaming and explain the dream to my wife while the dream is taking place without completely backing out of the dream. I am a very light sleeper but I still Ld. I explained this to the doctor who surmised that perhaps this was not a good thing because of the extended length of time.

So, he prescribed the drug amitriptyline that I take before bed. This causes be to go into a much deeper sleep, but it does not inhibit my ability to ld. What it did do however was literally open up new realms in my mind for journeying. I have always been able to ld to the point that it was a constant battle to not control EVERTHING. Does this make sense? After 33 years there was no surprises. As I said before I was the dreamer and the dream. I was the director, producer, and actor. The amitriptyline allows me to now be a participant with the ability to still be "godlike' but now I just go along for the ride without knowing what lies around every bend. I am no longer always in charge of the "set changes".

My headaches are completely gone and my cognitive abilities are sharper than ever. A note of interest is that I ran out of my meds three days ago and I can literally see through my LD's how my brain is moving back to my normal levels of dreaming. The first day without the meds was incredible however. It was like I was watching my dreamscapes materialize molecule by molecule. Everything happened on an microcosmic level, like I was literally being reborn.

I just wanted to share this, I don't know if anyone can relate or benefit from my experience. Let me know what you think!

Wow, that's pretty intense. It must be interesting to always be conscious, seems like life is much more fulfilling that way.

Like nearly everything a continual state of consciousness has its pros and cons. The con is that the past 33 years seems likes a VERY LONG TIME.

wow... thats freaky...

i always get headaches but they get worst when i lucid dream and sometimes after a long non lucid dream where i walk alot my legs are really sore though out the day but i think once i get the hang of lucid dreaming it'll go away but you seem to have different problems so this makes my reply usless...

Heres a point to ponder: http://www.dreamviews.com/forum/viewtopic....ht=snooze+loose

And another: http://www.dreamviews.com/forum/viewtopic....1297&highlight=

Oh i adore your ability. Not that headach thing. You can go right into LD anytime you like?

Wow Aneas, I must say how much I admire the extent to which you have control of your dreams. Also, I have never heard of anyone wanting to un-lucid dream.

I've only had a handful of LDs. During the time it took for me to improve my dream recall, I would recall all dreams and I never had any control of them. Most of my dreams are ones in which I just hang on for the ride.

Since you have such precise control, why don't you create the setting for you to just dream w/out being lucid. Maybe you can create a door or something and state out loud that this door leads to random dreaming and deeper sleep.

WOW! omg i didnt realise that there were people who are always lucid! that is such a weird concept! its good that you sorted out the headache problem and your dreams are more exciting too! bonus! how does it feel when youre telling your wife your dreams as they are happening?

Good suggestion ThomasELEN, I will try the door. In answer to your question Andomeda, it is like getting lag when you are playing a game on the internet with a high ping. If I talk while dreaming everything slows down and the dream becomes transparent. It is like swimming just under the surface of water, you can see everything beyond the water but it is not completely in focus. Of course, depending on the dream content I sometimes don't answer her questions.