Found out about Lucid Dreaming yesterday... Please Help!!!!!

**thesilentsound** · 01-13-2012 01:24 AM

Alright, so I'd never heard of lucid dreaming until yesterday. I was on Tumblr (blogging website) and saw a photo posted about how to lucid dream. It said to lay on your back and stay COMPLETELY still for 20-30 minutes, and you'd start to feel a heaviness in your chest. It then said you could open your eyes and start to hallucinate, and your body would be asleep, but your mind would be awake. It all sounded pretty science-fictiony but I decided to give it a go. After about 20 minutes of laying completely still, my whole body started to tingle and I felt like I was lifting into the air. I couldn't remember how to move, but I didn't panic. It was almost soothing actually. My mind was completely awake however, and I could even hear my mom talking downstairs! The feeling subsided and I opened my eyes, to find the ceiling was swirling. Then I turned onto my stomach and went to sleep for real. That night I dreamt like crazy, then woke up feeling surprisingly well rested but unable to remember my dreams. I never can! I asked my mom this morning what lucid dreaming is, and she said it was just a clear dream. This didn't sound right, so I googled it today. I was so surprised when I found it was just a dream where you realize you're dreaming! I've always been able to do this! In fact, I've had arguments with characters in my dreams about whether or not I was dreaming! I never realized it's been called "lucid dreaming." Anyways, that was all a few years ago. Now I only remember my dreams briefly when I wake up, then they fade within 10 minutes. I'm really interested in the whole lucid dreaming process, as I've always been fascinated with neurology and the science of dreams. However, I'm scared to DEATH of the possibility of sleep paralysis & "seeing demons." Any help/information will be greatly appreciated! One final note is that I've always been a big "talker." I tend to throw temper tantrums in my sleep...which is quite embarrassing when you're with a roommate at summer camp. Also, I've had short exchanges with people at night that I don't remember the next morning. I've also been told that when I'm woken up out of deep sleep I start to "panic" and my eyes look "crazed"... just some weird bits of info.
(Oh and I'm 13 years old

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**Robot_Butler** · 01-13-2012 01:36 AM

I am impressed that your first attempt was so successful. It seems like you are destined for some amazing dreams. The guide you saw on tumblr was probably an introduction to Wake Initiated Lucid Dreaming (WILD). We have a good introduction to it here: WILD Tutorial - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

If you haven't already found it, check out the Wiki - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

If you have any questions, feel free to post them or message me

**Burke** · 01-13-2012 01:44 AM

Hi and welcome to the forums!

As far as sleep paralysis goes, its not as scary as you think it is. Those accounts of "seeing demons" are extremely rare and even if they do occur, if you are not afraid of them then they will go away. Just focus on something else or something soothing. Also, what your mom described when you asked her about lucid dreaming is simply a vivid dream. Although lucid really means clear or even vivid, in this terminology it is the same as "conscious."

When it comes to remembering your dreams the first thing you should do is start a dream journal. It's where you write down all the dreams you can remember from that night whether it be in a notebook or online. If you are having difficulty remembering your dreams then when you wake up remain completely still. Think about any dreams you may have had and nothing else. After 5-10 minutes you should write down anything you remember. Even if you don't remember anything still write something, like, "Nothing" or, "No dreams." Dream recall will build as you progress and you will start to see an increase in the amount of dreams you can remember.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is to not give up if you are having difficulties. Just relax and try to keep a positive attitude. Any negative thoughts/emotions will only decrease your chances of having a lucid dream. Most people have their first lucid anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months. Some earlier, some later. It sounds like you were already moderately successful, so if I were you I would start working on my recall and make some goals to strive for.

Good luck!

**thesilentsound** · 01-13-2012 02:58 AM

Thank you for your help! I think I'm going to give lucid dreaming a go tonight... I don't think I'll do WILD though because that seems like it's generally more advanced and even frightening when starting off. Do you have any suggestions on how I should try lucid dreaming tonight? Or should I just aim to remember my dreams tonight? Oh also something I forgot to mention is that when I try to remember dreams, I forget them. I usually wake up with a general notion or feeling, possibly a summary, of a dream from the previous night, but as soon as I try to focus it goes away. Any suggestions about that too? I'm such a newbie!

**fOrceez** · 01-13-2012 12:24 PM

Hahahah, that photo's all over tumblr.
I would recommend you aim to remember your dreams first - no point in having a lucid dream when you can't even recall it, right? Also, you should read up on reality checks and other techniques through here; http://www.dreamviews.com/f20/beginn...eaming-124786/
If you have any questions about it, feel free to post them here

Oh- Welcome to Dreamviews!

**Robot_Butler** · 01-14-2012 01:06 AM

Weekends are a perfect time for a Wake Back To Bed (WBTB) Even if you don't pair it with anything (such as WILD), a brief awakening towards the end of your sleep will hugely increase your chances. Just get up, use the bathroom, remind yourself of your intention to lucid dream, and return to sleep.