ACME's workbook

[ACMEAnimator]

Alright, well to be honest I'm completely new to this. I first heard of lucid dreaming a few months back actually, but was never dedicated enough, but now I am determined to commit to it especially with the advantage of summer vacation. Starting from today I will start doing reality checks and recording my dreams into a journal. As I write this I'm wondering if this really is a dream keyboard I'm typing on connected to a dream computer *looks away and looks back* ...no changes. My goals: To have a lucid dream at will, and within them... -fly -talk to dream characters -using special powers -discover myself and subconscious -find inspiration for my music and art -find relaxation and enjoyment in my own worlds Hope this is sufficient.

[OpheliaBlue]

Hey ACMEAnimator, Welcome to the Intro Class!! Yes your workbook is great, I look forward to seeing your progress

[RareCola]

Welcome to the class! Great goal list I'd recommend adding some time-framed goals too, a new month is coming up so maybe set some goals that you wish to achieve before the end of the month. The motivation to complete them is great! Make sure to keep us updated, and we'll do our best to help!

[paigeyemps]

Hi ACMEAnimator! Glad to see you join the class! I think I replied to one of your intro posts? I'm not quite certain though, but I think that was you. Haha. Anyway, good luck on your goals! Also, when you record your dreams, be sure to keep an eye out for any recurring elements at all, they may be people, places, things, events (such as being chased), and of course, they could also be emotions. See ya around, and don't hesitate to ask any questions at all.

[ACMEAnimator]

My dream recall is very poor right now, which is weird because I was able to recall dreams before, never wrote them down though so i guess the ability's starting to fade. All I have in my dream journal right now is "Nappa* returns...Earth explodes" and after that I could hardly remember anything, so i just wrote down two emotions that were still lingering when I woke up which were sorrow and shock. I will try to keep journaling regularly no matter how lazy I feel. As for reality checks, only time i've done them so far was right after waking up (I've heard alot about false awakenings) but again I will try to do them more frequently. It's mainly a finger through palm check and the breathing one. That's all I have, and thanks for the tips really, I will take your advice *Nappa- I was watching a TV show the previous night, "Dragon Ball Z" and there's a character named Nappa who just appeared out of nowhere. I guess I fell asleep thinking of that.

[paigeyemps]

I will try to keep journaling regularly no matter how lazy I feel. As for reality checks, only time i've done them so far was right after waking up (I've heard alot about false awakenings) but again I will try to do them more frequently. It's mainly a finger through palm check and the breathing one. That's good too hear. People (including me) often have the "i-don't-need-to-write-that-down-i'll-remember-it-later" syndrome x) Also, you can put notes around the house to remind you to reality check. If you want, you can put sticky notes in your mirrors, or the fridge, or basically on anything you use frequently. Soon enough, you'll get used to it, and it'll become daily routine. You could also train yourself to RC everytime you do something you do everyday, like go up or down the stairs, or go in or out of the house, etc. It may seem hard to remember at first, but try to do them as often as you can remember.

[ACMEAnimator]

Woke up this morning and my recall was a bit better this time. Maybe it was due that banana I ate before going to bed. I think i'll make great use of the dream journal online because when I write down my dreams, since I'm still drowsy my handwriting gets real sloppy so It's hard to read it later on. there are two dreams that I can recall most of and one I can barely make out. The first dream I wrote down was about a girl musician looking for some other players to perform with since she wanted to start a band. For the majority of this dream I think I was just "floating" over the scene, just observing since i didn't take part (I don't even remember having a body). When she's pretty much given up, a guy walks up to her with a proposal, and this man I recognized to be Vegeta*. He agreed to have her in his band ,which wasn't very good btw, just as long as she dated him. Reluctantly I bet, she accepts. After that it got kind of blurry.... Until the very end. I remember her sitting near the garage entrance with Vegeta trying to put the charm, when a guy who's dressed like a rocker makes her an offer she can't refuse. Apparently he was part of a team of professional musicians who had a spot open and she fit the bill. Excited, she left Vegeta jaw dropped as she rode of into the distance in their van. The second one I just remember parts of, but i remember being in a train station. A big one real fancy like. My friends point me to one of the trains arriving within the station, and I notice, that this is no normal train. There was a guy in front in carnival clothing saying, "Step rightup and try out our newest attraction!" going on and on about how awesome it was so we decide to go. Next thing we know we're shot off into a dark tunnel with climbs, dips, extreme turns and twists. And the passengers (who don't seem to realize that this is no ordinary subway train) are holding on for their lives onto the yellow poles near the seats and around the center of the aisles. And don't get me wrong, it was all exciting, but it felt scary in a sense like in the horror films. it was reminiscent of the scene in Final Destination 2 where the train goes through a horrible disastor, and it felt JUST like that in the dream. Only...it wasn't so scary. Oh and the last thing I remembered waking up was getting my teeth whitened at the dentist. Kind of random i know... As for RC's, I did two today. One while in the bathroom since it got all quiet and eerie, and once while eating breakfast. Vegeta* - Once again a DBZ character finds his way into my head at night...If this happens again i may have my dream sign!

[RareCola]

Haha, those Saiyans won't stay out of your dreams! How does that work anyway? Do you dream that they look like real-life people, or are they in your dreams as their cartoonised selves?

[ACMEAnimator]

Yeah you're right they won't hehe, a while ago I promised myself one of the first things I'd do is train with Goku. Maybe that intention snuck back into my brain. As for how they looked, the memory is a bit fuzzy but I think they looked real enough to be in the real world. I'm going to try a simple mantra tonight before I go to bed, something along the lines of, "I will remember my dreams in the morning". I'm still shooting for lucids, but I want to improve my recall first in the rare case that I do have one. Do you think that will help?

[paigeyemps]

I'm going to try a simple mantra tonight before I go to bed, something along the lines of, "I will remember my dreams in the morning". I'm still shooting for lucids, but I want to improve my recall first in the rare case that I do have one. Do you think that will help? Oh definitely! Autosuggestion is a very powerful thing. But then again, not all people do well with mantras, so just experiment and see what works well for you. Good luck! And don't forget to really grasp the meaning of your mantra, otherwise they're useless.

[RareCola]

Yeah you're right they won't hehe, a while ago I promised myself one of the first things I'd do is train with Goku. Maybe that intention snuck back into my brain. As for how they looked, the memory is a bit fuzzy but I think they looked real enough to be in the real world. I'm going to try a simple mantra tonight before I go to bed, something along the lines of, "I will remember my dreams in the morning". I'm still shooting for lucids, but I want to improve my recall first in the rare case that I do have one. Do you think that will help? Of course, recall is the base for all lucid dreaming and preparing for recall is much better done the night before, rather than struggling to recall in the morning, so you're on the right track! I suggest you take at least 10 minutes to either sit up in bed, or lay down if you think you can avoid falling asleep for 10 minutes, and just practice that auto-suggestion which you mentioned. Also I suggest visualising a dream ending, fading through into waking life, seeing yourself waking up, recalling an amazing dream and writing it down in your dream journal. Switch back and forth between this visualisation and auto-suggestion for about 10 minutes and then lay down and go to sleep. I'm sure you'll experience some improvement!

[paigeyemps]

Just a thought: August is coming up! Why don't you create a list of personal lucid goals you would like to achieve this month? It can help motivate you and put you in a better mindset to get lucid sooner! Good luck.

[ACMEAnimator]

Thanks paige I think I'll try that. I have a few pages of content here, I hope it isn't too lengthy. But I'm remembering my dreams better and i think I'm ready to choose an induction technique. First page i haven't wrote much because i didn't remember too well that night, I came home really late. Page 1: - A mountain -Someone on the top of the peak (apparently someone important and mystical) -Prince with a powerlevel of 6000 (that came outta nowhere) =Roller coaster Page 2: I'm in an elevator with a rifle in my hands, and i notice that I'm wearing a brown police uniform. My boss has given me instructions through radio to arrive on the 5th floor and kill everyone in sight. I didn't want to do it, but if I didn't do the job, off with my head he says. The number reaches 5, the bell dings, and the doors open. And this hallway i recognize to be the same hallway my apartment is in. I slowly walk out masking my footsteps with farts (kidding) and there they are. About 10 people, with 4 people in the corner and the rest dispersed throughout the hallway. For some strange reason I leave my rifle and pick up a handgun instead. I aim at one of their heads...close one eye...and... *This program has been brought to you by ACME Warehouses! We have all of your random, unimportant, and non related needs. The contents of this broadcast make no sense at all but we strive to improve customer satisfaction. 50% off all fire throwing items this weekend. "HEY GET BACK TO THE SHOW!!!" And now back to your regularly scheduled program. ...and...I fire!! Multiple times! Strangely enough i miss every shot at close range! Why? Because every time I pull the trigger the gun does a little jump, a 45 degree angle making me miss every shot. And this led to my demise as I was soon discovered. Everyone ran...except for one. he slowly turned around with a mean look on his face, his eyes gaze upon my terrified face so terrified i drop the gun and dash for the elevator. Before the doors could close he comes in, gun in hand, and aims at my right leg. BANG! he shoots and blood splatters. The pain isn't so apparent but I'm screaming like a little girl anyway. BANG! he shoots again, and at this point I'm in tears, "OOWWWWW! AHHHH OK YOU GOT ME! Please have mercy I'll leave!" But clearly it didn't matter to him, as he raised his gun one more time, aimed at my face, pulled the trigger... BANG! I wake up with a sweaty pillow and a face like this However, this dream wasn't as scary as it sounds, it was pretty normal actually, with just a deep plot. if you guys could help me find any consistencies within my dreams and maybe recommend an induction technique that'd be awesome. Thank you guys so much for helping.

[OpheliaBlue]

That's... quite a dream ACME Do you have shoot em up dreams often?

[ACMEAnimator]

Well now that you mention it, I have had a few since you've said that. But this morning, something happened. I think I had a pre-lucid. The dream started out with me on an empty street. And as I looked around, the whole town seemed empty. No people, cars, or even chirping birds. Later in the dream I asked myself, "Am I dreaming?" and I didn't realize until I woke up that this never happened before! Right after I ask that I perform a RC, poking my finger through my hand, and it fails. Now this is the moment where i expected everything to become vivid and brilliant in color, but it didn't. And the dream...still felt like a regular dream. It felt like a had some control, I tried floating and flying, but it still felt like an ordinary dream. maybe I didn't really have control in the first place...Did I dream of being lucid, without actually being lucid?

[Caenis]

Hmm, that's tough. It's difficult to tell the difference between dreaming of lucid dreams and real LDs. LDs don't have to instantly become vivid, that's why people stabilize after all. However, something I have noticed is that my dream body feels like my real body. Physical touch is still off, but I can feel my limbs move. Do you remember how those details felt in the dream? Whether it was a lucid dream or not, congrats! That's still good progress and an exciting dream!

[RareCola]

I find the best way to test if a dream was really lucid is to gauge how you remember the dream. Does it feel like a waking life memory, or more like you were experiencing a story?

[ACMEAnimator]

Hey guys. I realize it's been quite a while since I've last posted here, but for a while I've been really occupied with other stuff and I kinda got frustrated with the lucid dreaming and eventually gave up. However, I've decided to try again, and harder this time. So I guess I'm starting over. Starting tommorow I shall begin from square one. Wish me luck.

[CanisLucidus]

Hey guys. I realize it's been quite a while since I've last posted here, but for a while I've been really occupied with other stuff and I kinda got frustrated with the lucid dreaming and eventually gave up. However, I've decided to try again, and harder this time. So I guess I'm starting over. Starting tommorow I shall begin from square one. Wish me luck. Excellent! Welcome back. I think you've got just the right idea. Build back up from the basics and you can't go wrong. It sounds like things were going pretty well for you in terms of dream recall. If you start attending to your dream journal, I think you'll find that coming back pretty readily. That dream recall will help you learn what your dreams are like and provide you with much-needed motivation as you go about zeroing in on lucidity. Your 08/06 dream sounds very close to me. Some extra stabilization or an extra nose pinch RC might have blasted you into lucidity. Think of this experience often, particularly when you are getting ready for bed. Visually imagine what you will do if you find yourself in this situation again. A good source of ideas for this: http://www.dreamviews.com/f12/ninas-...torial-118317/ -fly -talk to dream characters -using special powers -discover myself and subconscious -find inspiration for my music and art -find relaxation and enjoyment in my own worlds Great goal list. Stick with it, be patient, and definitely don't let it be a source of stress. We're all just here to play. If any questions or frustrations arise, don't hesitate to stick em in your workbook. Whatever difficulty you might encounter, odds are one of us has been there before!

[ACMEAnimator]

Thanks for the welcome Canis. Alright, so I got up this morning and I do believe I recalled a couple dreams, I can't remember them now though since I haven't written them down. I had to leave for school, so I'll wake up a bit earlier next time to journal them. Throughout the day I did plenty of reality checks. Pretty much every hour or whenever something strange happened. (In the lunchroom a coin seemed to drop out right in front of me out of nowhere. I looked up and faced the ceiling of course. Turns out somone threw it ). Hopefully by doing these often It should carry over to dream habit.

[CanisLucidus]

Excellent! Like you said, if you can squeeze in a little time to journal them in the morning, you'll find your recall improving. Taking the time to bring them back into your short term memory, organize them, and place them onto paper really solidifies them in your mind. This helps connect your waking life and dream life in a really positive way. And hey, you had me for a second with the coin from the ceiling thing. 100% chance I'd have done a reality check on that one. That's a great example. Any time you catch just a whiff of that, "Hey, that's kinda weird..." feeling is a perfect time for an RC. Keep us posted!

[paigeyemps]

Heads up: It's almost October! I suggest making a new list of monthly goals you want to achieve, as well as reevaluate your DJ for possible new dream signs or any realizations

[ACMEAnimator]

Sure why not, thanks paige I'll try it. Didn't recall much this morning, too little to even explain, but again i'm doing the RC's more and more hopefully soon just automatically without thinking. I'm also trying some form of all day awareness, taking notice of the little things. But i think the main reason our brains tone those out is so we don't go mad with all this information. . I'll try remembering my dreams next morning. Thanks again.

[paigeyemps]

Sure why not, thanks paige I'll try it. Didn't recall much this morning, too little to even explain, but again i'm doing the RC's more and more hopefully soon just automatically without thinking. I'm also trying some form of all day awareness, taking notice of the little things. But i think the main reason our brains tone those out is so we don't go mad with all this information. . I'll try remembering my dreams next morning. Thanks again. Hahah yea, we might explode with all that info! I think what matters most is not remembering the info themselves, but maintaining that attitude of trying to notice those info keep it up!

[ACMEAnimator]

This morning I resisted the urge to move upon waking up, mostly due to the headache I had. My dreams lingered around for a bit and I wanted to get them down but I didn't have a pen near me so I stayed there to avoid popping the dream bubbles. Ended up taking my phone which was right next to me and talking it out into a recording. As i write this I'm listening to it, but during some parts I couldn't understand myself since I was so tired I think i'll leave this dream to an online journal which i'll start soon. An idea came to me later on during the day, something I think you guys might be interested in. I'm a bit handy with a pencil so I thought out making some sketches from my vividly recalled dreams for all of you to see. What do you guys think?