Thread: Hi i'm new to all of this.

Originally Posted by christiaan

Hello Everybody

My name is Chris and i'm new to this forum.
This is my first post on here.
I've recently learned about Lucid dreaming and realized that it is something that I have experienced before.
I did not have control over it or anything but I've been in such dreams where I realize that I'm dreaming.
There was a 6 month period where I had Sleep Paralysis every now and then (I think that's what it was)
Where very scary things would happen to me and it would seem very real until I realise that I am in a dream and
I would push my nails into my fingers to create some pain that I can wake up. This did not always work, I actually
don't know if it ever worked but my girlfriend picked up on this after a while and would wake me up when ever I start
getting these dreams I would make sounds and start breathing fast and so on and she would wake me.

I've done some research into Lucid dreaming and it seems like the coolest thing ever.
I've downloaded some guides on how to do it and stuff to inspire me to do it but I have not had a Lucid Dream since i've been trying.
I only started with it two days ago so I've had two nights that i've been trying to have lucid dreams but I haven't even been able
to remember the dreams I did have. I'm starting a dream journal but it is still empty...
I've heard that smoking marijuana can influence your dreaming and you would actually have more trouble
remembering your dreams, I don't know if this is fact but would be great if someone on here knows.

Anyway I watch things on my laptop or spend time writing on my laptop before I go to sleep for about 2 hours
and i've also heard that, that is not a good idea. I'm really just trying to find out if there is anything I should stop doing
to maybe help this process towards Lucid Dreaming.
I do meditation aswell, but also just recently started and had some cool experiences with that.
If anyone has any tips for me on how to achieve Lucid dreaming I would really appreciate it, i'll keep trying
anyway every night and hope for the best.

Thank you
Chris

The MJ never bothered me, but if you're a daily smoker who stops get ready for some weird VIVID dreams (probably not lucid, that topic wasn't on my radar at that point in life)

Hey, welcome, I am younger then you here

Not sure how it affects dreams, but watching tv or a laptop uses up a lot of brain resources and makes you more tired then reading a book or watching photos or a movie on film. Plus, it excites your brain too much, when melatonin should be calming it down in order to sleep. Therefore, you shall rest less, your body recovers less, more toxins stay in your system, etc...

One fact that less people know is that colours on a laptop are in fact, a sum of 3 colours that mimic a real color. Plus, your eyes and brains are bombarded with that same colour blinking 50 times per second. I have studied this on Film School, not on faulty logic urban myths you find on dumb emails or facebook posts.

Technology has changed a lot of things, but the natural human biological clock, if changed, faces some stress. Check this image here, so you see what I mean: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Biological_clock_human.svg (sorry you have to copy and paste, I am not allowed to post a link)

Capture.jpg

Now, knowing the right thing to do, and doing it, are two totally different things... Although I do not believe on the lame excuse like "I am a night person". Which classifies as nonsense (imo) as believing to be a vampire or a werewolf. Some people are tall, some are short, some are hyperactive, some are lazy, some are extrovertive, some are introverted. Its like trees, and cats and dogs. But you dont find trees blossing in the snow while the rest of the same species has no leaves.

Its all a matter of habit, and thanks to a very, very recent invention called gas, and later on, the electricity. Or we would all be sleeping when its dark. If you want to learn more about how we only recently changed our habits, watch this amazing BBC series on youtube: "The History of the Home" and for this that I mentioned, the episode for "The Living Room"

Capture.jpg

Cheers

Hi there, and welcome!

Marijuana (and smoking in general) and alcohol really affects your recall. However, if you're already a smoker and a drinker and stop you'll get a REM rebound, which is what nougat420 was referring to. For going on the laptop before bed, I'd suggest spending less time on it because the light coming from the laptop will prevent your brain from producing melatonin (which helps with sleep). So turn down the lights before bed so that your brain knows it's sleep time.

I know something that can help with recall. Try writing a day journal at the end of the day, describing details, what you were doing, thinking, your emotions, etc. and it should help with dream recall because you are working on your waking life recall. More information here: http://www.dreamviews.com/dream-sign...reams-try.html

Hey Everybody. Thank you so much for the replies, Love it when I post on a Forum and people actually reply with great information.
I did a little experiment, I do smoke quite often, the night before I posted my first message I smoked and watched shit on the laptop until I went to sleep.
I could not recall any dreams or anything the next morning but I did meditate a bit before going to sleep and had some nice experience but nothing like an out of body experience.
So the next night I did not smoke and did not watch anything on the laptop. Read a little bit of my Hemingway book and I actually woke up the next morning remembering 2 different dreams I had.
Not all the details but I could recall what happened, some strange things that don't really make sense but it wasn't bad or anything and I could remember some details of it.

And so last night I smoked again and watched some videos on youtube of people talking about their Lucid Dreaming experiences and after that I went to sleep and can't recall anything
that I have dreamt. So As far as my 3 day experiment goes it tells me that laptop and smoking before bed is not great you you are hoping to have lucid dreams.
I want to experiment with them both separately aswell.

I'm really looking forward to having my first legitimate experience with lucid dreaming, I can almost not wait. It just sounds amazing.
I bought a book yesterday to use as a dream journal but don't really have anything to write in it yet.
I love reading aswell do you think reading before going to sleep would influence this at all?

Thank you again for your replies, really appreciate it.
I'm from South Africa btw and I can honestly say that I do not know one person that even knows about lucid dreaming.
Some has had some OBE's but everyone does at some point, hoping to experience something soon.

You're welcome!

Hmm, a book before bed? Well, I suppose it would affect your dreams. If it's the last thing you think of before going to sleep it may show up in your dreams that night. Then again, everything around you influences them.

Glad I could be of help! <: