Hello! (First post (: )

Hi all! I just wanted to introduce myself, and also had a question. This seems like a really neat forum, and I definitely want to read a lot of the posts!
Well, after a dream I had during a nap a few hours ago, I really want to learn about and try lucid dreaming more.

Last week or so I read a little about lucid dreaming, but didn't really attempt anything, but today I had a seemingly lucid dream, much along the lines of what I read, and probably prompted by what I read.

In this dream, I was at a fencing tournament, then something clued me into that I was dreaming--the locations seemed to not be exactly static. I thought "Maybe I'm in a dream..." Even though I remembered reading that people will often say "no" to this question, I asked my friend if I was in a dream. In real life, she's very honest, and in the dream, she didn't seem to want to give an answer, which I took to mean I was dreaming. I tried flying, but after a few moments, I lost control of my flight. Frustrated and aware that I had class soon, I tried to wake up. When I awoke, I felt something was not right, so I tried the "looking-at-your-hand" technique and, lo-and-behold, my fingers wear wavering, not exactly five. Then I tried to actually wake up, but felt unable to move. I couldn't remember what to do, so I just called for my roommates (which did nothing in real life). Eventually, though, I did wake up-- and fortunately made it to class.

Now, my question is, is it possible to dream about lucid dreaming? (I hope that question makes sense) Or is this just a case where I didn't have the confidence or experience to know how to control my actions?

Thank you so much for reading this super-long post. :) I look forward to meeting you.

:welcome:

It's possible to dream about it without becoming lucid, for sure. Happens to me all the time. It does sound like you were actually lucid though - why do you doubt you were? Is it because you woke up and it all seemed like a normal dream? In my first lucid I could hardly move either - that's not uncommon.

I constantly have false awakenings, but the other night I did have a dream that I was dreaming. It was really odd. Take how odd dreaming is anyway and give it another little twist and you're somewhere there. I just laid in bed for about 15 minutes trying to get my head around it all.

Edit:
By the way, welcome!

Thank you so much for your welcome, paragon :)
The dream did not seem normal, but I think I'm a doubting sort of person. I really need to stop second-guessing myself on things! Surely it would help in this endeavour as much as in other areas of my life.
Do you know if there is a way to wake one's self up from a (lucid) dream?
I'm glad to know that inability to move is not uncommon. :) Though I admit, it was rather annoying because of my awareness that I had somewhere to be. I typically have an ability to wake up when I need to, dream or not, though I think an alarm clock or better sleeping schedule would be more reliable than counting on that ability or trying to wake myself up through dream, haha.

@MisterHyde: Thank you for your welcome as well :)
I can definitely see how such a dream could induce ruminations! I have difficultly imagining it. To dream that you are dreaming... even just that sentence confuses me hehe. I will have to think on it.

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Originally Posted by MsFish

Thank you so much for your welcome, paragon :)

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You're :welcome:

My way of waking up is simple - decide I am going to wake up; imagine myself on my bed and start moving my real body - then, of course, always do a reality check to make sure I'm actually awake and I'm not going to find a monster on my toilet or something!

Other people have other techniques. Steven Laberge suggests not moving your eyes in order to disrupt your REM and cause yourself to wake up.

@paragon: I'm going to have to try your suggestion! While I almost never lucid dream, I do often have those pesky "getting ready" dreams (and laying-in-bed-unable-to-move dreams), and then wake up only to find I'm still in my pajamas. Perhaps that (and a quicker realization that I'm dreaming) will help with those kinds. Eek, and I do hope that I never find a monster on my toilet, dream or real-life :) Unless it is a friendly one, of course.

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Originally Posted by MsFish

In this dream, I was at a fencing tournament, then something clued me into that I was dreaming--the locations seemed to not be exactly static. I thought "Maybe I'm in a dream..." Even though I remembered reading that people will often say "no" to this question, I asked my friend if I was in a dream. In real life, she's very honest, and in the dream, she didn't seem to want to give an answer, which I took to mean I was dreaming.

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Good job, sounds like a DILD. Remember, your DCs will behave as you expect them to, so don't let the opinions of others judge their behavior :) Expect them to be honest. Always expect that they might not be, and never take a DCs word about lucidity (RC to be sure)! But generally, believe your DCs to be friendly and helpful so they will be :)

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Originally Posted by MsFish

I tried flying, but after a few moments, I lost control of my flight. Frustrated and aware that I had class soon, I tried to wake up.

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If you have an alarm set, don't worry about sleeping in too late or anything like that. The alarm should wake you up from your sleep, but man... I would never wake myself up if I didn't have to :D

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Originally Posted by MsFish

When I awoke, I felt something was not right, so I tried the "looking-at-your-hand" technique and, lo-and-behold, my fingers wear wavering, not exactly five.

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This would be a 'false awakening', good job catching it with the RC!

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Originally Posted by MsFish

Then I tried to actually wake up, but felt unable to move. I couldn't remember what to do, so I just called for my roommates (which did nothing in real life). Eventually, though, I did wake up-- and fortunately made it to class.

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When you say that you couldn't move, do you mean your real physical body? If so, you could have been in sleep paralysis.

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Originally Posted by MsFish

Now, my question is, is it possible to dream about lucid dreaming? (I hope that question makes sense) Or is this just a case where I didn't have the confidence or experience to know how to control my actions?

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It's definitely possible to dream about lucid dreaming, but I don't think that this was the case with your dream. It sounds like the standard confidence issue, rather than a non-lucid dream. Just give yourself more time and experience and you will be zooming around in no time.

Work on that second guessing yourself. During RL, when you RC but they fail, imagine what you would do if they had not, and you really were in a dream. Imagine the things you would do with confidence :)

Thank you so much for your insights, Shift. :)
I was not entirely familiar with the terms and abbreviations, or how they'd apply, but your post has helped me understand them in context for sure.

The part about not being able to move, I think more I meant, unable to wake up. In my dream, I knew I was dreaming and had to wake up soon--foolishly, I'd set no alarm--but since I couldn't seem to do that, in my dream I tried clapping and calling for my roommate. I couldn't move any more than that, was stuck lying on my (dream) bed, and certainly those dream actions did nothing to wake me up or catch the attention of my roommates in real life. I was under the impression that in sleep paralysis you are pretty much awake, but are unable to move your physical body.

And thank you for your advice on RCing, confidence, and imagining! I'm going to have to add some variety, because I fear people will think I'm a bit odd if they catch me looking at their hands, counting to myself :)

These ought to help: http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ad.php?t=36723 http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ead.php?t=2954

Ah, I see what you mean about not being able to move. If you are in a lucid and find you're having trouble moving, just keep reminding yourself that your dream body doesn't really exist, and so there's no reason for you to be trapped in the first place. Try to incubate that idea while getting up and telling yourself, "RIGHT NOW, I AM SITTING UP!" Really believe that there's nothing to hold you back, since there isn't, and that you're able to sit right up. Even imagine climbing a second body out of that first one if you have to.

Yea, it's fun doing RCs around people. I've gotten to the point where I just flatout do them. I figure, I'd rather let people speculate than let some DCs make me feel uncomfortable, cause me not to RC, and then miss a lucid opportunity! Still yea, there are more discreet ways. Reading text, checking the time, plugging your nose from the inside, etc.

If that happens again, I'll definitely have to try that to wake myself up.

RCs do seem like fun around people (although I'll have to be careful not to confuse myself or make a friend of mine who is missing a finger uncomfortable >< ) Even if someone did notice, I do suppose it could lead to an interesting conversation. :)