I don't understand lucid dreaming.

[Zatoichi]

Hello lads, I'm new here, and I've got quite a few questions about lucid dreaming. When I'm asleep, I never realise i'm dreaming, so I guess I can't lucid dream. But i can always do whatever I want in my dreams. If i wanna show something to someone, i do so. Etc etc. Once I sat on my bed, straight up, like meditating, and I just started "daydreaming" with my eyes closed. I do this quite often, mostly it involves fantasy-ish worlds and stuff. I felt my eyes moving really fast under my eyelids, and it was as if I was actually experiencing it? What's this called? I find this concept of lucid dreaming quite strange, why would you want it? If i close my eyes right now, i can dream if i want to, is it any different than that? Greetz, Zatoichi

[Bonsay]

Hi, If you just daydream or visualise, yes it's nice, but it can't compare to Lucid dreaming. A LD is a dream in which you know you are dreaming, that's all. When you realise that you are dreaming, you can take controll of your dream. Imagine this: You are now reading this post, then suddenly you see a purple unicorn come into the room. You start thinking about it and decide that something like this doesn't happen very often. At that exact moment you remember the waking world and realise that you're dreaming. If you can stay calm you won't wake up. And if you can keep your dream stable, you can take control of it. You can do anything you like. This can't compare to visualisation because it looks exactly like the waking world. If you move your hand, you'll se your hand move, if you create a ball of fire, a ball of fire will (should) appear in front of your eyes. It's like directly experiencing the visualisations coming from your conscious and unconscious mind. Lucid dreams can't really be explaned. They are so different than anything you've ever imagined or probably experienced. In short LDing is something you should experience at least once in your life. It's that awesome. And you can also fly. So, good luck if you decide to try it out! Hope I helped.

[Zatoichi]

So let's say: visualising = watching a movie you can feel and control. LD = being the main character of the movie you can feel and control?

[Bonsay]

I'd say that's a fair description. It's awesome . Not to mention all the fun and adventure you can experience. A world created from internal input you gather while you're awake.

[Zatoichi]

I'd say that's a fair description. It's awesome . Not to mention all the fun and adventure you can experience. A world created from internal input you gather while you're awake. Mjamjam, so how long does it take to learn? 3/4 months? or 3/4 years?

[Chris182t]

So let's say: visualising = watching a movie you can feel and control. LD = being the main character of the movie you can feel and control? I'd say more like visualising = watching a BAD unrealistic movie through a dusty piece of glass LD = being the main character in your own movie, doing whatever you want, experiencing everything like it's actually happening and all from the comfort of your bed.

[Sugarglider11]

Welcome to dreamviews Uhh, I really dont understand your second post but about your first one, lucid dreaming is knowing that you are dreaming like bonsay said. Anyone can lucid dream, and its much better than day dreaming, right now, look around, thats how real a lucid dream can get. During visualization you cant feel the heat of the sun or the wind across your face. edit: about your third post, there is not an actual amount of time to learn, it varies for everyone, and what do you mean by learning, once a week, once a day, month etc.

[Zatoichi]

Welcome to dreamviews Uhh, I really dont understand your second post but about your first one, lucid dreaming is knowing that you are dreaming like bonsay said. Anyone can lucid dream, and its much better than day dreaming, right now, look around, thats how real a lucid dream can get. During visualization you cant feel the heat of the sun or the wind across your face. Ah right. Well, problem is, my dreams are really dusty too . I never see faces in my dreams, will my hopefully future LD's contain faces? Cause that'd be awesome!

[Chris182t]

Mjamjam, so how long does it take to learn? 3/4 months? or 3/4 years? It's different for everyone. If you're truly dedicated then there's no reason why you can't be having your first by the end of the week.

[Chris182t]

Ah right. Well, problem is, my dreams are really dusty too . I never see faces in my dreams, will my hopefully future LD's contain faces? Cause that'd be awesome! LDs are much clearer than regular dreams, just like reality, so I'm guessing that you would be able to see faces, yes

[Sugarglider11]

Ah right. Well, problem is, my dreams are really dusty too . I never see faces in my dreams, will my hopefully future LD's contain faces? Cause that'd be awesome! Yeah, you can see anything in a dream you imagine. The fact you dont see faces in dreams is most likely a recall issue, you should start a dream journal and I'm pretty sure you will see faces in your dreams very soon.

[Bonsay]

Yeah like chris said. I got my first LD in a week by accident. When I experienced the first one, more followed in that month and it got easyer. Now I get 1 or more a month without trying (because I suck). I'm currently working on different dream inductions, hypnosis stuff, or just WILDs (wake induced LDs).

[dodobird]

Ah right. Well, problem is, my dreams are really dusty too . I never see faces in my dreams, will my hopefully future LD's contain faces? Cause that'd be awesome! No one can guarantee that, but there is a good chance that you will see faces ( and much more ) in a lucid dream. A normal dream is a bit like being drunk. When you have a lucid dream your level of awareness sky rockets and as a consequence often the environment around you become much more vivid and clear. And we are not talking just the visual sense, but also touch, hearing and all the other senses. Also there are some certain techniques of improving the vividness of the dream, that you can try once you become lucid. No doubt you will learn about some of these techniques when read the lucid dream tutorials on this site, and elsewhere.

[Zatoichi]

Yeah, you can see anything in a dream you imagine. The fact you dont see faces in dreams is most likely a recall issue, you should start a dream journal and I'm pretty sure you will see faces in your dreams very soon. Maybe, but i've got trouble imagining faces too. It's actually quite wierd. If look at random stuff, like pebbles on the floor, i can connect dots and recognize cartoon charactar faces out of them. I can imagine faces, completely mold them in my head etc, but actually imagining a face of someone i know is really hard. Most of the time it ends up distorted :p. And when i'm imagining, its always like "flashing" as if a light is going on and off. Or is htat just cause i watch my pc screen too much? Wow, im getting really pumped up about this. You guys are so right, normal dreams are drunk . The only thing i'm scared of is, you realise time. So your nights get like "reallly long" and you get bored... Or am I wrong about this?

[Bonsay]

You don't spend a lot of your time dreaming. Check out the sleep stages on Dreamviews.com. It's hard to get bored in a LD and besides it takes time, dedication, discipline to have every dream lucid (or if you are a natural LDer). The flashes of light could in fact be a form of Hypnagogic hallucinations. Hallucinations you get when falling asleep or waking up. If you get very relaxed when imagining, you might fall into a LD via WILD. When you are passing from waking into sleep stage wierd things happen.

[adraw]

What you told us about the flashing light. Its just the screen you can observe while visualising has low refresh rate. Some people {like me} have problems visualising, but dreaming and lucid dreaming is different. Even when I awaked from dream. I could see images myself. Dreaming makes progresses in lots of mental areas. So if you like daydreaming I think, it will help you with vividness too. I had one lucid dream. But the vividness and feeling {and that is most important} was so overwhelming I cant even describe it. I could see colors, sense faces. And it all came after my often black and white dreams. It is worth the try. And welcome. Lots of people will help you here. This forum is different. people are somehow related. Related in helping each other. Enjoy your state. {From my newby perspective }