Induction Methods: Mental vs. Substance

I've seen a lot of various substances and supplements suggested around the forum recently for lucid dream induction. Some seem harmless, others seem like they could be rather harmful. I'm curious what everybody's take on these methods versus the mental methods of induction, such as MILD, WILD, and the like.

I prefer to use the mental methods. The main reason for this is that I like to do things myself, and rely as little as possible on outside methods. If something I rely on suddenly fails or stops working for me, I'd much rather have it be something I can influence directly than go to other about. Also, I don't like the idea of using various substances on my body. In addition to the potential negative effects of whatever I might use, there's also the issue that the body maintains a certain chemical balance. If we do something to change this, the body will change its chemistry slightly to compensate, and eventually the substances will reduce in effect, and we will develop a dependence on them. Not something I want to deal with.

Hey.

I'd say it'd be better to stick with just plain mental exercises... because even though vitamin this and that and this tea and blah blah MIGHT work when you use it, it might do one of two things:

1)Hinder your ability to become lucid using other mental methods, and
2)You would only be able to become lucid when you used the tea (i.e. reverse placebo effect... when you drink tea, O IM GONNA LUCID DREAM TONIGHT, and you do. when you DONT drink tea... well u know the rest)

...because i'm SO experienced (hahah not) but thats my...theory? lol.

If some of the original criteria can be met by the person , like being able to remember at least some dreams at all ( which can be improve too) Lucid dreaming can be obtained without any outside chemical influence.
Most all that substances do is try to aid in the effort to Lucid dream. To add to that most of the effects are just hear say rather than fact. Some may indeed work and if an individual would persue it through those means then so be it.
It all comes down to what combination works for you! Unless ofcoarse it invovles harming your body.
Even if somthing is actually a placebo, who cares if it works for a particular person. Wether it be in the form of a technique an herb or a device.

Good point, the placebo effect is a powerful thing, and god it can be used to an advantage (like saying that certain chemicals cause coughing in chemistry class and watching the insuing coughing fits.). Which reminds me, I must start my placebo experiment.

There are definitely some 'purists' who believe only the mental methods should be used... and it might only be coincidental, but I dont know any of those who can't lucid dream easily/naturally/confidently.

Personally I haven't used substances but I think people should definitely at least experiment. If you dont want to use substances as a matter of honour, then that's fine. However if you're scared to use them because you're worried they'll screw with your chemical balance, perhaps you could loosen up and give it a go.

What peeves me is people who choose not to use substances (as a matter of honour) who try to get others to stop using them, or putting them down for doing so.

I personally think it's best to stick to mental methods - lucid dreaming is pretty risk free, when you think about it, and that's one of the benefits of it: you can just stop, it's easy to do, you aren't actually affecting your body in any way. But when you start smoking things or using injections or depriving yourself of sleep for days on end, that is where you start taking risks and affecting your body in (sometimes) harmful ways. Sure, you can go and take drugs or whatever you want to use for a dream anyway, I'm not going to stop you - but I'm not joining you.

I like to think of it the way that without aid your not dependent on anything. In a worst case scenario, on a deserted island after your ship got wrecked you would be thankfull for learning it all the hard mental way i guess.