Non-Lucid Theory

[Baron Samedi]

Many people, myself included often miss dream signs, some really obvious ones, such as flying. My theory is that we get used to the dream world, and its rules and such, dreaming from, probably before we are even born, that we forget about the physical world and just accept everything in the dream world. Thoughts?

[Loaf]

I just don't think. I'm mindless. I can't tell whats right or wrong. I don't even recognize a dreamsign as a sign, because it doesn't stand out the way it would IWL.

[Baron Samedi]

I just don't think. I'm mindless. I can't tell whats right or wrong. I don't even recognize a dreamsign as a sign, because it doesn't stand out the way it would IWL. Interesting. I didn't think in dreams until I was in my early to mid-twenties. I remember thinking, "Oh my God! I am actually thinking in a dream." I am still often very impulsive in dreams. I don't consider what I want to do, or don't want to do, I just do.

[mowglycdb]

ehhh I had a very messed up theory about that. that when your dreaming, it's like watching a movie, you know you that anything you think wont change it, getting lucid would be aknowloging that your imagination is totally real and you can participate in your created imaginations o.o

[nina]

It's because most people do not practice Mindfulness in their waking lives.

[Loaf]

Interesting. I didn't think in dreams until I was in my early to mid-twenties. I remember thinking, "Oh my God! I am actually thinking in a dream." I am still often very impulsive in dreams. I don't consider what I want to do, or don't want to do, I just do. Sometimes I think in dreams, but its pretty rare these days. Unless I am lucid of course. Usually if I do think in non-lucids, it turns into a lucid.

[Darkmatters]

Yeah, I agree with Mowgli - a non-lucid is like movie and a lucid is more like a video game... sort of. Same basic principle anyway. I'm beginning to practice mindfulness meditation... hope it helps!!

[louie54]

Yeah I agree that it's just being like auto-pilot zombie. We're basically a bunch of robots who just wake up, get stuck in traffic, sit at a desk, go home, go to sleep to start cycle again. Having a continuous cycle would just make it worst. Plus in REM sleep, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlpfc) is fogged up, which messes with constructive thinking and memory along with self-awareness. This was found by Allan Hobson.

[Nick89]

To my mind, lucidity is the natural and healthy state in a dream. People lost that natural ability because of the way they began to live their lives. They separated from the nature, from their spiritual nature, as well, gradually began living their lives with as less self-reflection and self-awareness as possible. Most people, including you and I, spend most of their lives functioning just like a robot. Automatic reactions to everything. That's how we live our lives, which is sad. Just consider two simple examples. One: you meet someone who, unlike most people, when you tell him or her about LD is completely fascinated, or who tells you he or she has already been into it. You immediately give the person a plus. Just can't help it. I know - it's natural. Still one could frankly say to himself 'no, this person is not more clever, more interesting than others, nothing like that. I like him more because we share interests and some general attitudes to life or opinions or whatever. It doesn't say anything about him/ That's all' An another example: you finally manage to have your first lucid dream, or complete a lucid task, or whatever. You feel satisfaction, gladness. Just can't help it, and try to say to yourself 'I'm not in any degree better now, after I've managed to do this, I'm not in any degree more complete, more fullfilled. All this stuff is just the surface of my being. It doesn't give me any real hapiness, only feeds my ego.' It's hard to be self-conscious like that. In 99 per cent of my time - I frankly cannot. If we act, think, feel automatically in our lives for most of the time, why should we not be inclined to do the same thing in dreams? Therefore I frankly and sincerely congratulate all those that have a lot of lucid dreams because I believe that lucid dreaming is interrelated with being self-aware in waking life. What I merely try to prove, is my opinion that to me being lucid should not be considered anything extraordinary. Maybe it will stop to in ten, twenty, fifty years, who knows. We cannot expect the society to treat lucid dreams are something else than wierd and extraordinary, however, if they consider an unconscious, completely 'unlucid', automatic life as something normal...

[Serenity]

I wish I could figure out why I've been so passive lately... I've been missing very blatant things

[J.D.]

An another example: you finally manage to have your first lucid dream, or complete a lucid task, or whatever. You feel satisfaction, gladness. Just can't help it, and try to say to yourself 'I'm not in any degree better now, after I've managed to do this, I'm not in any degree more complete, more fullfilled. All this stuff is just the surface of my being. It doesn't give me any real hapiness, only feeds my ego.' It's hard to be self-conscious like that. In 99 per cent of my time - I frankly cannot. I know what you mean. Although to be honest I think I'm overly self-conscious in that way. I'm always wondering about what makes myself and others feel things, or act in a certain way.. I could go on for hours but It'd be way boring. I think if you do it too much it holds you back in waking life. Sometimes you just have to play the game and not think about why things make you feel the way you do. I've found this to be particularly true in regard to work and relationships. Maybe that relates to what you said at the start of your post about the way people live their lives with automatic reactions to things.

[nina]

I'm beginning to practice mindfulness meditation... hope it helps!! Very good. It will help. Watch the Peaceful Warrior. Awesome movie.

[Mariano]

sorry, but I think that all this thing about mindfulness is bullshit. It's okay if you practice it, it will improve your daily life, but not your dreaming life. I don't live in automatic pilot since 2 years, and that doesn't make me lucid. Lucidity occurs when you realize you are dreaming, not because you are always mindful, the quality you live on your daily life is not directly correlated to your dreaming life. Dreams are formed by expectations and motivations, not because you are a robot. just my 2 cents. Don't want to offend anyone.

[nina]

sorry, but I think that all this thing about mindfulness is bullshit. It's okay if you practice it, it will improve your daily life, but not your dreaming life. I don't live in automatic pilot since 2 years, and that doesn't make me lucid. Lucidity occurs when you realize you are dreaming, not because you are always mindful, the quality you live on your daily life is not directly correlated to your dreaming life. Dreams are formed by expectations and motivations, not because you are a robot. just my 2 cents. Don't want to offend anyone. That is just...ignorant. But you're allowed your opinion of course.

[Caradon]

I am still often very impulsive in dreams. I don't consider what I want to do, or don't want to do, I just do. I prefer it this way. If there is some fun spur of the moment adventure, or just something outrageous to do right off the bat, I much rather be doing that than some prearranged task. The funnest Lucids I've had were from spur of the moment events. I like to save the tasks for those times when there isn't something particularly exciting going on.

[Mariano]

That is just...ignorant. But you're allowed your opinion of course. if it's ignorant then why not giving some reasons?

[louie54]

if it's ignorant then why not giving some reasons? Before we get all crazy up in here, I think I should point out that with auto-pilot, you are free to think more clearly. Since your dreams tend to mock you, you are likely to think clearly in dreams as well. With that, it should be easier to recognize if something is wrong. I believe this has helped me.

[Baron Samedi]

sorry, but I think that all this thing about mindfulness is bullshit. It's okay if you practice it, it will improve your daily life, but not your dreaming life. I don't live in automatic pilot since 2 years, and that doesn't make me lucid. Lucidity occurs when you realize you are dreaming, not because you are always mindful, the quality you live on your daily life is not directly correlated to your dreaming life. Dreams are formed by expectations and motivations, not because you are a robot. just my 2 cents. Don't want to offend anyone. Mindfulness, or awareness of my actions, intentions, emotions, thoughts, coupled with deliberateness has improved my lucidity. Dreams are tied to waking life. Example: You do nose-pinch RC's in waking life. You do it in a dream. Another example: You see cars in waking life. You see cars in dreams.

[waving on oceans]

It's because most people do not practice Mindfulness in their waking lives. Agree.

[Mariano]

You do nose-pinch RC's in waking life. You do it in a dream. It's funny because I never RC on waking life, but in dreams.

[Dire]

I always figured that the reason we often miss our dreamsigns has less to do with our waking attentiveness than it does to with the logic center of our brain being turned off. It's not as if you don't recognize things like flying as out of the ordinary, otherwise it wouldn't be nearly as exhilarating. Oddities in dreams simply don't seem illogical, so it's difficult to see recognize them as dreamsigns.

[Hukif]

ha, always thought it was because RC didn't work for me lol Now being serious, the logic part of the brain is shut, so yeah, thats why I would think people miss obvious DS.

[louie54]

I composed my own little tutorial. It's linked "explanation" in my signature.