Was this the beginning of a lucid dream?

[Footmunch]

In the late hours of this morning, I found myself in an unusually clear and detailed dream, which I'll tell you about: Me and a friend were walking through a moat with very steep and high limestone walls, bushes and plants growing everywhere and a beaten path running through the middle, and eventually we came across these dark green plants. When we touched them, we'd experience a sudden flurry of very frightening visions and thoughts, but it felt like a thrill, almost an adrenaline rush. At this point I'm not sure what happened, but we must have either continued to the end of the moat or gone back the way we came, because we met another friend. The friend I'd been with originally started to insist we go and try it again, and I reluctantly agreed, while the other friend wouldn't have any part of it. On the way back through the moat, I heard the sound of gunshots, and turned around to see these birds perched in the wall's gaps dropping one by one. The gunmen (who I assumed to be the school's maintenance workers...) were out of sight, round the corner, but I started running fearing that I would be mistaken for a bird . When I caught up with my friend who was only a few metres in front of me, he seemed to have no idea that armed men were right behind us. Anyway, we continued, and eventually came to a dusty, dark room that was familiar from real life but not in the dream. Even though there was only one enterance to the tunnels linking the moat to the surface, we suddenly found ourselves in a difference place. The stone and dust was replaced by concrete walls and floors which were clean and shiny, and there were several windows, out of which there were beautiful scenes of snow-capped mountains. We started to become frightened because we couldn't find our way out...and this is where I think I almost reached lucidity. I suddenly realised that the enironment couldn't change like that and it dawned on me that all this was a bit ridiculous, because I've never been inside such a building and there are no mountains in this country at all. Suddenly the dream ended and all I could see was darkness. Strangely, when I tried to move, I could move my legs but not my arms. I started repeating to myself mentally: 'This is just a dream, this is just a dream, this is just a dream.' and I heard this rushing sound, like the sound of air buffeting your head on a stormy day. I felt my upper half spinning (this may have been because I'd remembered a technique that I'd read a while ago on a lucidity website, but I'm not sure). Unfortunately, as soon as all this started it was over . I felt scared (partly because of the scariness of the dream itself) and woke up. I had another ridiculous dream last night and I thought briefly that this was quite unrealistic, but never got to the state of realising i was dreaming. Was this a lucid dream in the making? If so, how do I try to stay asleep next time? I just hope I'll be able to experience this again...

[nightshade]

Yes it was a lucid dream Originally posted by [url http://www.consciousdreaming.com/lucid-dre...-dream-tips.htm[/url]]..... I have also found that one of the most common things that ends lucid dreams is having your visuals go out on you. You could accidentally fly into a wall or building or sometimes just be going too fast for the dreamscape to remain stable. As a result, you will not be able to see anymore. Sometimes, it happens spontaneously especially if your dreamscape is n’o stable. * If your visuals do go out on you, then you often will find yourself in a black void much like a cave or a womb. If you find that you have lost your visuals, you may verbally intend more visuals to appear which sometimes works or you can just wait it out. Just DON’T GIVE UP AND DECIDE TO WAKE UP! Hold onto your lucidity and stare into the blackness. Eventually, a whole new dreamscape will appear. Once the dreamscape appears you will already be standing in it and you will be lucid or sometimes you may even have to consciously step into the dreamscape. .....

[Footmunch]

Wow. In that case, how do I gain greater conscious control over my lucid dreams? This was over before I had a chance to control it...I must have woken up when I was just beginning the transition from normal to lucid. I just read on LD4All that OBEs are characterised by the exact same things I mentioned before: the spinning sensation, a rushing sound etc. Could I have been beginning an OBE instead? How does one tell the difference between OBEs and LDs?

[Barbizzle]

First of all, that was the begining of a Lucid Dream. Many people become Lucid in the later parts of thier dreams because they are closer to being awake. Your mind was preparing to wake up while you were still dreaming. the next that happens you should perform a reality check. Like try to look at your hands to see if the are normal or not. If they look wierd you will know for sure you are dreaming. Secondly, I dont believe in OBE's because there is no scientific evideacne of this phenonmon. Lucid Dreaming is proved science and can be practicly understood

[nightshade]

Originally posted by Footmunch Wow. In that case, how do I gain greater conscious control over my lucid dreams? This was over before I had a chance to control it...I must have woken up when I was just beginning the transition from normal to lucid. You probably had control and were just confused because of the black void. If that happens again rub your hands or look at them (helps you not to wake up), think that all that you see around you (or in your case not see) is a dream that is created by your mind and you can make everything happen just by thinking about it. And then try to get back into a dreamscape. To do that you can just think of a place where you want to be or push a button that takes you wherever you want. There's also a thread about this on LD4ALL http://forum.ld4all.com/viewtopic.php?t=17375 Originally posted by Footmunch Could I have been beginning an OBE instead? How does one tell the difference between OBEs and LDs? An OBE is a normal Lucid Dream in which you see your own body lying in bed or leave your body.