Thread: Hi!

Hey, just introducing myself to the forum - and lucid dreaming, for that matter. I've had an interest in lucid dreaming for quite a while, but never took it very seriously until recently. I have yet to look thoroughly through the forum, but I'd like to describe my dreaming experiences anyway.

For a long while, I thought I didn't have any dreams. Of course, I learned later on that I do have dreams and began a dream journal. I can currently remember about 1-2 dreams per night, a small accomplishment for some, but one that took me many months to achieve. My dreams, however, occur much differently from most dream accounts I've read up until now.

When I dream, I really don't see, hear or feel anything. It's more like my head is narrating a story to me and I get to sit there, process the story and acknowledge it. I don't have pictures appear in my head at any point during the dream, but I could tell you what happened in the dream after it's over. Almost like my subconscious mind can only read the subtitles of my dreams.

My experience is rather frustrating compared to all the wonderful descriptions I've heard of dreams, and I'm very eager to achieve such a state. I understand it could even take years before I get there, but I was hoping others could shed light on some aspects of my situation -- such as whether it is common and if anybody has been able to achieve lucidity from a condition such as mine.

Now, on to reading this bountiful forum! I look forward to any advice and hope to stick around

Well you seem to have made a good start to increasing you dream recall... Your description of your dreams happens to me quite a lot, but I also have 1st person dreams, where I'm doing something. Try waking yourself up 1-3 hours before you get up and try to remember your dreams then, as I've heard that you get 3rd person dreams more towards the beginning of the night, and more conscious 1st person dreams later in the night.

Also, don't hesitate to startdoing reality checks, which means questioning whether your dreaming or not. I'm not sure if you've looked at the tutorial section yet, but if not then do so soon. It's very helpful in teaching you about all aspects of Lucid dreaming. I suggest you start with looking at DILD and MILD, the two methods most suitable to new Lucid dreamers.

PS. Welcome to the forum, you'll love it.

I can't share your experience because I often dream the opposit... that means, I hardly speak or hear someone speaking, most of the time I see self-explaining sceneries or then I know (maybe telepathically) what dream characters want to say.

Maybe you could try to watch a good movie just before going to bed. Maybe you're influenced then by the images instead of text...

It's, however, possible that you are someone who has a (I can't remember the technical term) memory that has you showing text instead of images (which is the most common) holy, I think I'm confusing... Example: is it like that, when you think of a "tree" you usually don't see it with your inner eye but the letters of word "tree" themselves?

Hey, don't get frustrated anyway, that will prevent you from achieving what you want to do... So, try to think before falling asleep that you WILL have a dream with feelings, emotions and loads of images. By keeping doing that you'll finally have those dreams, I'm sure.

and btw. welcome to Dreamviews

Wow, fastest replies I've gotten on any forum, thanks a ton guys!

Lord Toaster, I actually tried for the first time last night waking up 1.5 hours early, staying up for 30 min and sleeping the last hour out. I certainly remembered my dream much more easily this morning, but again, it feels like a very low level of lucidity compared to where I want to be. I'm not familiar with DILD, but I've been trying MILD for a good amount of time now - I'll be sure to look more into both.

And thanks for your input stuetzl, I don't find your description confusing at all. I think my dreams are similiar to the text dreams you describe, so I'm going to look into that next. And I'll certainly try to keep confident about my situation, especially since recently I've been noticing minor improvement here and there.

Originally Posted by pokilty

Wow, fastest replies I've gotten on any forum, thanks a ton guys!

No prob. Since the forum is international (US, Europe, Far East, and even a few Asian, as far as I know; correct me if there are more), it is highly probable that someone is awake and in the forum to write you a reply

Originally Posted by pokilty

And thanks for your input stuetzl, I don't find your description confusing at all. I think my dreams are similiar to the text dreams you describe, so I'm going to look into that next. And I'll certainly try to keep confident about my situation, especially since recently I've been noticing minor improvement here and there.

No prob again. However, I wasn't just referring to a sort of dreams but to a way of thinking. The majority of people's thoughts are pictographic ones, meaning when they think they see pictures like in a movie.
There is a minority of people, however, whose thought tend to be in bookform, meaning the think not of the things but of the names.
Don't ask me where I picked that up, I think it was a primary school teacher that explained it to us and gave the example of his wife being a "textual mind" (<-- it's not the right term, I just call it like that).
And maybe you're one of those or maybe it's just a complete nonsense of my mind telling me that a primary school teacher once said that you never know

Hallo! welcome ^_^

Originally Posted by stuetzl

There is a minority of people, however, whose thought tend to be in bookform, meaning the think not of the things but of the names.

This seems to be precisely the case for me. I've discussed thoughts with friends and family, and they all seem to be surprised that I can't remember pictures. I already know that my memory is considerably poor, and I practice various mnemonic techniques to strengthen important information. But even now, if I tried to picture my brother in my head (who I've lived with my whole life) I couldn't do it. My greatest fear is that this limitation on my memory also defines my limitation on the vividness of my dreams, but I'll give it my best shot nonetheless

Thanks for the welcome Volcon!

Originally Posted by pokilty

This seems to be precisely the case for me. I've discussed thoughts with friends and family, and they all seem to be surprised that I can't remember pictures. I already know that my memory is considerably poor, and I practice various mnemonic techniques to strengthen important information. But even now, if I tried to picture my brother in my head (who I've lived with my whole life) I couldn't do it. My greatest fear is that this limitation on my memory also defines my limitation on the vividness of my dreams, but I'll give it my best shot nonetheless

I wouldn't look at it as being limited... I can't imagine fully how it is to think like that, but I can imagine that you aren't that bad in writing texts, right?

Maybe you should do some research, for I'm convinced that you're not alone. Perhaps you find people having the same problem.

Originally Posted by pokilty

But even now, if I tried to picture my brother in my head (who I've lived with my whole life) I couldn't do it.

and btw. picture faces in one's head is not easy I have difficulties with that as well. Now that you're telling me that, I can neither really picture my brother's, nor my parents' faces in my mind, too.

Are you reading books btw? Maybe it could help you to read Fantasy or Science-Fiction books in order to kind of activate your pictographic imagination...

Originally Posted by pokilty

When I dream, I really don't see, hear or feel anything. It's more like my head is narrating a story to me and I get to sit there, process the story and acknowledge it. I don't have pictures appear in my head at any point during the dream, but I could tell you what happened in the dream after it's over. Almost like my subconscious mind can only read the subtitles of my dreams.

Hi Pokilty, and welcome to the forums.

I can relate just a bit to this description, though I usually have realistic first-person dreams. There are occasions when I'll have a purely "story" dream without visuals, and even sometimes have dreams that are purely aural, without any visuals or story! (Just sounds and/or music).

Never having pictures at all seems very unusual to me. I wonder what form a lucid dream might take if there were no imagery? Makes one wonder!

Originally Posted by skysaw

Never having pictures at all seems very unusual to me. I wonder what form a lucid dream might take if there were no imagery? Makes one wonder!

Well my dream style seems uncommon, like I feared. In that case, I'll make sure to share discoveries I make as I progress to ease people who might show up with the same situation I have

On a side note, I find it ironic that it's unusual for people not to see pictures when they dream while my girlfriend is the polar opposite - she has had lucid dreams daily for as long as she can remember!

Originally Posted by pokilty

Well my dream style seems uncommon, like I feared. In that case, I'll make sure to share discoveries I make as I progress to ease people who might show up with the same situation I have

On a side note, I find it ironic that it's unusual for people not to see pictures when they dream while my girlfriend is the polar opposite - she has had lucid dreams daily for as long as she can remember!

I'd be curious about your dreams btw. Would you mind starting a dream journal here in DV? I think I wouldn't be the only being curious about your dreams out of texts (ok, that last one was exaggerated but nevermind)

and your girlfriend can be quite a lucky one. Sounds like, she's a natural... I suppose it was she who has made you curious about LDing, right?

Hey welcome to the forum. I dont think it will take you years, there are loads of experienced people here to help you out.

Just curious, who is that in your Avatar?

Oh and welcome to DV

Welcome to the forum

Originally Posted by stuetzl

I'd be curious about your dreams btw. Would you mind starting a dream journal here in DV? I think I wouldn't be the only being curious about your dreams out of texts (ok, that last one was exaggerated but nevermind)

Started my online Dream Journal! Here you go:
http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...d.php?p=470686