Lucid Dream

[Josephlittle]

Hello, I am pretty new to all this concept of lucid dreaming, and I wanted to know one thing: In the lucid dream, do you see as if you are seeing in real life? or is everything just kind of blury and you can obviously tell its a product of your imagination? Also, how do you know if you had a lucid? Do you remember it immediately when you wake up, or is it like when you get drunk, you have a good time, then the next morning you dont remember shit? I might be having lucids every week, yet I have no idea if they are actually lucids. Are lucids when you have control over your dream? or is it when you can clearly see and smell stuff? thank you

[Antz]

Welcome, well for me every thing was clear, and I could easily recall what happened, but remembering dreams is something you need to practice at [like write them in a journal as soon as you wake up]

[Josephlittle]

okay, but whenever I had a lucid dream (gosh, about 5 years ago) I could only remember fragments, and it wasnt the same as if you go walk in new york now, and walk in new york in your dream

[Puffin]

Hi Josephlittle, The quality of lucid dreams can vary. Some can be crystal-clear, and some can be blurry and/or dark, which might make things difficult to see. It all depends on the vividness of the dream. Typically, lucids are more clear than normal dreams because you're aware enough to notice the small details in things. Lucidity is just consciousness within a dream; saying this, you'll know immediately if you have one, right when it starts in the dream itself (many lucids start randomly within the dream, where you suddenly become aware and make the connection that you're asleep)! As for the senses of sight, touch, taste, smell, hear... You can use all five of them in a dream. I've tasted incredible foods before, seen very colorful forests and realistic cars, and have heard so many noises (including dream characters talking to me in realistic prose). I don't use my sense of smell as much because I'm not even really sure if I "breathe" in my dreams or not; you don't usually pay attention to that. Touch is probably the most common and realistic sense; one memorable experience for me was rubbing my hand along a brick wall. I could feel all the tiny air holes and textures in it, as well as that of the cement. You'll know immediately if you have a lucid. You're dreaming, walking along, then all of a sudden you stop and look around. "I'm dreaming!" you might say, and you might become very excited. Lucidity does not mean control, though. You can be lucid and be unable to control anything (sometimes a dream just doesn't like to co-operate!), or you could be in a normal dream, not lucid, but be able to control things. If you've ever had a dream where you were in space, using magic, or something else like that, you were exhibiting dream control, even if you weren't lucid. In a nutshell, lucids are where you're conscious in the dream. Whether you have good control over that dream doesn't matter - if you realize that you're asleep and what's around you isn't real, then you've just had a lucid. The dream can last one second (where you become too excited that, well, you wake up) or fifteen minutes; the timing doesn't matter as long as you have that moment where you've realized that you're dreaming. When you wake up, you'll usually be able to remember the lucid more clearly than a regular dream. It won't be hazy or half-remembered as long as you have relatively good recall - in other words, you can remember an average of 2 dreams a night, give or take. This is why keeping a dream journal is important. If you ever wake up in the middle of the night, have a sheet of paper and a pen at your bedside to record what you've just dreamed about. Write other dreams down in the morning. Write any fragments you can remember!

[Caretaker]

Edit: Puffin beat me to it. The vividness varies depending on how long you've been practicing. Some people say that their dreams are so vivid, it's no different than waking life as you're seeing it right now. However, I can say from experience that recalling the Lucid dream I had after waking up was like recalling any other dream. The only different is that the thoughts I had in the dream were my own and I can remember them like I can any other thought. Remember a lucid is why we keep dream journals. Yes, you could be having lucid dreams every night but if you can't recall them, then it doesn't matter. A lucid dream, by my definition, is a dream where you are aware you are dreaming. That doesn't mean you always have control over all of it or that every sensation is fully active like smell and taste but if you're aware that you're dreaming and control mostly what you do, you're lucid.

[Snorlax]

1) You may see as if it is real life, vividness in dreams varies. 2)It is necessary to improve your dream recall if you want to practice lucid dreaming. This way you can remember your dreams. It is not difficult at all, but highly recommended that you keep a dream journal. 3) By definition, a lucid dream is only a dream in which you are aware that you're dreaming. However, once you know that you're dreaming, you often want to take control. Control is not by definition a part of lucid dreaming, but they are often associated. You mention vividness a couple times (clearly seeing and smelling). I would recommend reading the All Day Awareness Guide by KingYoshi (a veteran member here). There are also threads about foods and supplements that can increase vividness in dreams. Don't worry, lucid dreaming can be easily obtained. Good luck, and have fun. Edit: You both beat me to it.

[Josephlittle]

So, what you are saying is that Lucid dreaming is a memory that sticks with you? my dreams are mostly like when you break your arm. You only know the pain of breaking your arm when you actually break it, but if your arm isnt broken, then you have no idea how it feels. Like, I know I dream every night, yet I just dont remember feeling anything, just the main ideas of my dream. That is NOT a lucid right? and with lucids, do you remember what you smelled and touched or do you just remember the main idea of the dream?

[Puffin]

Yes, lucid dreams definitely stick with you after you wake from them. If you know you're dreaming, that makes it a lucid. This knowledge can be fairly passive, but if you know you're dreaming and are aware that nothing bad can happen to you, etc., then you're lucid. Regardless of whether you actually remember all the details, it's still a lucid. It sounds like you just have to work on remembering your dreams; by doing that, you'll be able to remember more of your lucid ones. In lucid dreams, you can remember dialogue, smells, sights, sounds; essentially as many details as you care to observe or remember. Dreams can become extremely detailed and memorable.

[Caretaker]

So, what you are saying is that Lucid dreaming is a memory that sticks with you? my dreams are mostly like when you break your arm. You only know the pain of breaking your arm when you actually break it, but if your arm isnt broken, then you have no idea how it feels. Like, I know I dream every night, yet I just dont remember feeling anything, just the main ideas of my dream. That is NOT a lucid right? and with lucids, do you remember what you smelled and touched or do you just remember the main idea of the dream? Edit: HOW DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS PUFFIN!? Hmm, I can't give you a 100% correct answer on that but I'm assuming that you keep the memory of the sensations you've felt within the dream. I can still recall the rough yet smooth polished wooden dresser that I used to pull myself out of my bed while being lucid.

[Josephlittle]

Thank you for all your fast responses, I will keep them in mind for when I try to have a lucid

[JussiKala]

So, what you are saying is that Lucid dreaming is a memory that sticks with you? my dreams are mostly like when you break your arm. You only know the pain of breaking your arm when you actually break it, but if your arm isnt broken, then you have no idea how it feels. Like, I know I dream every night, yet I just dont remember feeling anything, just the main ideas of my dream. That is NOT a lucid right? and with lucids, do you remember what you smelled and touched or do you just remember the main idea of the dream? I've not had more than like 12 lucids or so. However, they've all been very different. Some have been the fadest memories, some have been the most intense feelings and sensations of my life. It depends on the dream in question, and how well your remember it after waking up.

[Josephlittle]

last thing, best noobie way to have lucid dreams? WILD's? MILD's?

[Snorlax]

I would say it is better for beginners to try out MILD or DILD before WILD, but there is no set in stone rule.

[Josephlittle]

I will try to have my first lucid as a DILD, trying to listen to the Audio Aid. I am very excited to have my first dream, and I am reading about it for about 3-4 hours per day. Doing reality checks often also helps me, so thanks for all the help DV

[Caretaker]

Just remember that you shouldn't be discouraged if you don't achieve a LD. It's important to stay positive and confident. Good luck to you and your dreaming!