Thread: Hello

Hi there, welcome to the forum

Glad you found the community - I've also found this to be an extremely well put-together site, and the members here are awesome. We're a pretty open-minded group. So feel free to post any questions or experiences. Good luck and have fun!

I already have one large question, is training to Lucid Dream, worth it. I know this may seem very naïve, but is the final outcome of the training one that can be enlightening? I am not a skeptic of the practice but I wonder if Lucid Dreaming will simply lead to me being in control of totally mixed imagery that later on feels empty.

Well, I think such a large community on lucid dreaming can demonstrate how and why people think it's worth it. And here's the bottom line: if you're going to be sleeping for 8 hours per night (or however many you sleep), why not use your dreams to make them more enjoyable?

Yo! Hey there, ZNOFZ. Glad to have you with us, though I'm fairly new here myself, though, but maybe I can help answer some of your questions.

Originally posted by ZNOFZ
I have one last question, is and underlying focus of this forum on drug use to explore the mind or mostly one’s own ability without the aid of a substance?

This is a good question. In answering, this forum seems to be VERY diverse. Other than lucid dreaming, there's no underlying focus, or ulterior motive, of the forum. Some people like to use drugs and supplements in their attempts to LD, and some prefer to learn to LD without the aid of substances. It all depends on the members you talk to, but there's no overall consensus or anything... so,

Personally, I sit on the fence. I'm trying to train myself to LD and improve my recall WITHOUT the aid of substances. Once I can do that, I've got no problems with trying substances, at least the legal and relatively benign substances, to augment my natural/trained ability, once I've established I'm able to do it without the aid of substances.

Others on the forum do use substances, and others stay clear entirely, though... I suggest you have a read of various posts, and make you mind up for yourself. In short, though, the forum doesn't have any "underlying focus" when it comes to substance use, and I think you'll find, whatever you believe, the forum can quite happily accommodate you.

Originally posted by ZNOFZ
I already have one large question, is training to Lucid Dream, worth it. I know this may seem very naïve, but is the final outcome of the training one that can be enlightening? I am not a skeptic of the practice but I wonder if Lucid Dreaming will simply lead to me being in control of totally mixed imagery that later on feels empty.

I'm new to LD-ing, and have only had one decent-length LD. But even so, I can answer this quite confidantly.

Yes. It IS worth it. LD-ing is more than just being in control of empty, mixed imagery... it's a much fuller, more meaningful experience. In my LD, my longer one at least, I was able to walk around and talk to a dream character, and get some interesting answers.

LD-ing isn't just experienceing a whole load of random stuff... like I said, it's more than that, and anyone who has LD'ed will probably tell you the same. Essentially, you become conscious in a dream, and it's much the same as normal life, except the things you see, hear, etc, aren't a product of the outside world, but are a product of your own mind, etc.

My suggestion, is to perhaps pick up a copy of Stephen LaBerge's Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming... it's regarded by some as the "bible" of lucid dreaming, and the best and most accessible piece of literature out there on the subject. Towards the end, he gives a lot of detail as to what LD's can be used to do, and what one can experience in them. It might answer a whole load of your questions.

Hope you enjoy your time here, and glad to have you aboard!

Thank you for the very thorough answer to my questions! Your explanation about whether or not lucid dreaming is worth it was very well though out. I hope to catalogue everything I experience when it comes to dreams in my Dream Journal. Once I LD for the first time I will review the entire journal and look for underlying connections. I am already very excited and have been free the last two days to research about LD. Thanks for the warm welcome! Also, I think I will pick up a copy of that book!

Welcome to the site. I think the potential for lucid dreaming is stll much unknown. My thought is that in a lucid dream one may enter other levels of the mind and other realities?? Good luck.