I'm glad to have found this site. I have been an active dreamer from many years that started in childhood. I would like to note first of that I am a survivor of trauma, and I believe that much of my thoughts and feelings about trauma are worked through in my dreams to one degree or another.
I always know when I'm dreaming. For me it seems to be the only type of dream I have. Sometimes its deeper and more vivid, but there is always an awareness that I am dreaming. I have been able to carry on regular conversations with people with in a dream state, in that I can converse with them and then go back to the dream, and again to the conversation, ect.
To be honest, I dream so much and so actively that it interferes with my getting proper sleep. I like the idea of lucid dreaming, but in many ways I feel it is affecting me in a negative way. I feel as if I can't shut my brain down and truly rest and I am concerned for my emotional well-being. I read all the time that people want to lucid dream, I wish I didn't!
Obviously this is not the place to come when someone wants to stop lucid dreaming lol. I guess I am looking for answers and when I talk about this the general response is disbelief, or I get the raised eyebrow as if they are questioning my sanity. Believe me, there are times when I question it myself!
I guess I am still searching for more information about lucid dreaming and if other people experience negative effects or lack of sleep from it. Perhaps what I do isn't lucid dreaming, but so far I haven't a better explanation.
I use creativty for my work, so combined with trauma maybe it could explain some of the difficulty I'm having.
Thank you for reading this post. Any advice or ideas would be lovely.
Zanydreamer33