Thread: Length Of Lucid Dreaming

Welcome to Dreamviews!

I've experienced everything from extremely short lucids to long dreams where I've gone into and out of lucidity several times. There are some here who claim the ability to continue dreams from night to night.

Lucid dreams can last as long as your REM periods last (fist period is maybe 10 minutes and then second one 30 minutes an so on). After 8 hours of sleep you might even have a hour long LD.

So are lds like short stories compared to full on feature length movies? I suppose until i have one or lots of em i wont know but when you wake up from a ld does it feel like you actually spent alot of time in your dreams or does it feel like you were there for a flash and then gone? Also how do you know how long you have actually been lding in actual time, im trying to get my head around this

Lucid dreams can last as long as your REM periods last (fist period is maybe 10 minutes and then second one 30 minutes an so on). After 8 hours of sleep you might even have a hour long LD.

This is rubbish, their no scientific evidence saying we only dream during REM periods. You can have LD for a long time at any stage of dreaming, however it depends on how good you are, practice and waking up before memory gets wiped. I had a two hour ld in the mourning, however I got help from Gothlark. Gothlark claimed he has had longer LD's then this.

So I guess it depends on how good you are. The rubbing technique where you rub something rough with you're hands or feet seems to work the best to keep you in a dream. Also staying up 24 hours seems to increase vividness and lucidity of a dream.

Originally Posted by wendylove

So I guess it depends on how good you are. The rubbing technique where you rub something rough with you're hands or feet seems to work the best to keep you in a dream. Also staying up 24 hours seems to increase vividness and lucidity of a dream.

That's interesting! That's why the later I go to bed, the more vivid my dreams are! Probably because of more serotonin and melatonin production, right?

My last lucid lasted for about 10-15 minutes and it was the longest one I've had. It was probably cause it was an afternoon nap and I became lucid quicker than I would have in the morning. For me, time passes really normally in Lds...

I am starting to half remember my dreams now and they are getting stronger even in the short time I have been trying to remember. I get like little flashbacks of my dreams through the day also, is this normal.

I cant wait to get good at this cos i have a very active imagination and i want to give it some sort of release
Can you tell me what are the best techniques to practice when going to sleep to give me a better chance of experiencing lds. thanksthese dancing bananas are well funkylol

Also, I remember a dream i had when i was around six years old and i was flying out of the house. It was REAL, i mean i went around for a long time actually believing that i could fly, it was awsome, and when some people dont understand how real these dreams can be i have an idea and can still see myself leaving the house. Maybe it is easier when you are younger as you do not impose limitations on yourself and are open minded at a young age.

Also staying up 24 hours seems to increase vividness and lucidity of a dream.

Have you experienced this yourself? Because there was some debate on another post as to whether this actually worked.

Originally Posted by CrazyInSane

Have you experienced this yourself? Because there was some debate on another post as to whether this actually worked.

i have in my time, stayed up all weekend, but those partying days are over for me nowlol. i want to lucid dream on a regular basis (every night if possible) and i dont think i would have the energy/stamina to do this on a regular basis. how often have you been lding crazyinsane. i have heard people can do this every night, is this relatively easy or will i be pulling my hair out for months to come? haha

Some people can do it every night, but not many. I haven't tried every night yet, but I usually give a serious attempt about 3 times per week, and I usually get at least 1 successfully, which is very satisfying in itself.

I don't think you'll be waiting for months or anything, just be persistant and try every method you can find on this forum until you find the one that fits you. You should be able to get up to 2 per week or more if you really try. I recommend WILD + WBTB.

cool. i will try the methods you suggest. i definatley gonna do the spiderman thing ASAP. hehe.

also, how long you been doing it, did somebody tell you about it or did you do it without knowing what it was.

I had a lot of LDs when I was a kid but didn't know what they were. About 10 years later I found out about what LDing was by Googling around I think... then I joined here in Dec. 2006 and have been devoted to LDing ever since (on and off).

The main reason i want to do this is because i find that if i can use my sleeping time for some form of expression then it must surely have a better impact on the rest of my life.( also i hate to waste time doing nothing, i like productivity, i am very restless). I meditate a litle but i am going to do more i think this will help loosen my mind up for lding. Also, i get little flashbacks of m dreams through the day, this is normal yes??

Quite normal indeed. And yes, striving to have lucid dreams is very productive because we spend about 25% of our short lives asleep—LDs are a perfect way of lessening that wasteful percentage.

Originally Posted by rustboy

Lucid dreams can last as long as your REM periods last (fist period is maybe 10 minutes and then second one 30 minutes an so on). After 8 hours of sleep you might even have a hour long LD.

Originally Posted by wendylove

This is rubbish, their no scientific evidence saying we only dream during REM periods. You can have LD for a long time at any stage of dreaming, however it depends on how good you are, practice and waking up before memory gets wiped. I had a two hour ld in the mourning, however I got help from Gothlark. Gothlark claimed he has had longer LD's then this.

And what, pray tell, in rustboy's post is rubbish? Exactly where does he say that dreaming occurs ONLY during REM periods? No where. While it's true that there's no "proof" that dreams can occur only during REM (which obviously is not the case, what with hypnagogic dreamlettes and the such) there is plenty of proof that dreams DO occur every REM period.

So rustboy's assessment that LDs can last as long as an REM period is absolutely correct. If they last longer, fine. And he's also correct in that the REM periods increase in duration - up to a certain maximum - as the night's sleep goes on. The REM periods increase while the time between them decreases.

Originally Posted by baby faced assassin

So are lds like short stories compared to full on feature length movies? I suppose until i have one or lots of em i wont know but when you wake up from a ld does it feel like you actually spent alot of time in your dreams or does it feel like you were there for a flash and then gone? Also how do you know how long you have actually been lding in actual time, im trying to get my head around this

Well, according to the Guru of lucid dreaming and LD research, Stephen LaBerge, dream time very closely mirrors "real time". People often have the feeling that they experience long spans of time in a dream but, it's believed that the apparent duration extension actually is a function of "scene changes".

It's like when you watch a TV show or movie. The movie may cover a span of 10 years but it only actually lasts for 90 minutes or so. The cutting between scenes gives the perceptual illusion of experiencing longer time frames.

And what, pray tell, in rustboy's post is rubbish? Exactly where does he say that dreaming occurs ONLY during REM periods? No where. While it's true that there's no "proof" that dreams can occur only during REM (which obviously is not the case, what with hypnagogic dreamlettes and the such) there is plenty of proof that dreams DO occur every REM period.

It was heavily implied that REM is something special and that you can only lucid dream or dream during it. If that wasn't the case he would have said you can dream in the mouring for ages.

cool. I am having more vivid dreams and i can see signs that means 'this must b a dream' but i do not have awareness as it is happening, only when i wake up from them. obviously i am not dreaming what i want to dream about either yet just random odd stuff from the depths of my psychelol


Has lding had a positive impact on any of you guys' in the "real" world. I mean, has it had any life changing /profound effects on any of you or is it just real cool n lots of fun. Because i have read that you can learn more about yourself through this which i would like to do if possible or is that just bull but you can do stuff like fly which you cant do in the "real" so thats good enough. (which i would DEF like to do also)

Originally Posted by baby faced assassin

Has lding had a positive impact on any of you guys' in the "real" world. I mean, has it had any life changing /profound effects on any of you or is it just real cool n lots of fun. Because i have read that you can learn more about yourself through this which i would like to do if possible or is that just bull but you can do stuff like fly which you cant do in the "real" so thats good enough. (which i would DEF like to do also)

I do really believe that lucid dreaming has had a positive impact on my life. I think the initial "base" effects were somewhat intangible in nature but they manifest themselves in very real, observable ways.

Some benefits I've noticed are an improved sense of well-being and self-confidence. Honestly, I've always been self-confident - because I seem to have far more skills than just about anyone I've known (I know that sounds narcissistic) - but there are things about me that really challenge my will and ability to fulfill my life's dreams. LDing reminds me of the ambition I once possessed. It reminds me that if I apply myself, I can accomplish things that most of the world's population doesn't even know exists. I derive a certain amount of pride and joy from that.

It's also possible to "practice" and hone real-world skills in LDs, though I must confess that I myself have not exploited that much. You can fulfill wishes. Plus, I always awaken from LDs with a good feeling and attitude that lasts throughout the day. And, as I like to point out, attitude is very important in everything you do in life. It can make or break you.

All in all, the benefits of lucid dreaming - for me at least - are more of a philosophical and mental thing and somewhat hard to properly convey with words. But, there is absolutely positive aspects to LDing that carry over into the real world.

been away for a couple of days now still no luck. doing a bit of reading before i nod off. I know there is no average time before you learn to ld and everyone is different but i have quite an imagination so i thought it would have happened by now. (just getting impatient i guess)

i believe the secret is in the awareness. I find trying quite tiring after a while,is there such a thing as trying to hard to ld( a bit like meditating), is mental stamina something i need to build on

also Can anyone tell me what makes a good lucid dreamer??