I've finally caved and joined.

[jasonresno]

Hey guys, So I'm obviously new to the place (as a member) but I've been lurking for awhile now. I've always been interested in dreams (I'm a daydreamer, at heart) and the idea of being able to control them...has my very interested. I love the idea of being able to have adventures while I'm sleeping. Even just to simply fly or see something I've never seen absolutely exhilarates me. I do have a few questions, if you guys don't mind, and with these answered I think I'll be ready to get started. 1) Is there any inherent danger in Lucid Dreaming? I've read about (being cognizant) of Sleep Paralysis and how that's terrifying. But is there anything else? Will Lucid pain become real pain? And so on. 2) How "spiritual" is Lucid Dreaming? I'm a practicing Christian and, as lame as this sounds typing it, I'd rather not "invite" any, ah, darker spirits into my life. I know it sounds weird, bear with me though . 3) How long is "Lucid Time" in relation to "real time"? So, let's say I go to bed for 5 hours. Wake up. And then go back to bed to help initiate the Lucid State. And let's also say that I aim for a full 8 hours of sleep (with that little pause). Assuming I go lucid: Will it "feel" like two hours in my lucid dream? And this isn't really a question but more of a comment: "Inception" by Christopher Nolan was an incredible film. And I promise you guys are going to see many more visitors here because of that film. Anyways, cheers and I hope to hear back from you!

[Robot_Butler]

1) There is no real danger in lucid dreaming. Depending on what types of induction techniques you use, you may lose a little sleep or mix up your sleep schedule. I would say the biggest danger is wanting to sleep all the time so you can have more dreams 2) Lucid dreaming is only as spiritual as you want it to be. Just like regular dreams, you can interpret them however you chose. Treat them as fun adventures, or meaningful spiritual insights. It is up to you. 3) Lucid time and real time are mostly the same. If you have a 20 minute dream, 20 minutes will have passed in the real world. The cool part is, it doesn't always feel like the same amount of time has passed. Just like a 2 hour movie that tells a story about someone's entire life, dreams time can trick you. You may have false dream memories of living an entire life. You may have rapid scene changes that make it seem like hours or days have passed. It can be very cool

[jasonresno]

Thank you so much, Robot. That was exactly what I was hoping to read. I really like the fact that lucid dreaming is scientifically documented because, well, it gives me even firmer motivation. A lot of stuff you read like this, regarding the metaphysical and the not-quite-grounded in reality, involves a ton of pseudo science. But seeing actual results from real people, backed by legit and recognized scientists, with little to no bad consequences.. Well, I'm really excited ^_^. I guess while I've got you here: any tips you would reccomend? I'm going to start a dream journal and practicing amping up my ability to dream recall. I already do reality checks throughout the day to help get me into the habit. And I also do a lil positive reaffirmation right before going to sleep ("I will look at my hands while dreaming and realize I am lucid"). But, yeah, that's what I'm doing so far. I'm open to suggestions! My goal, when I'm good enough, is to be able to manipulate my dreams enough to do and try things I'd never do in real life (like play music on a stage, meet characters from books, fly). Are these realistic expectations?

[J.D.]

Honestly, enthusiasm is a great contributor to lucid dreams. You're on the way already. My goal, when I'm good enough, is to be able to manipulate my dreams enough to do and try things I'd never do in real life (like play music on a stage, meet characters from books, fly). Are these realistic expectations? Damn straight! You wouldn't believe some of the stuff people do. The other night I summoned a dragon out of a frozen lake and rode it across the country, burnin' and pillagin'.

[jasonresno]

Thanks for the response, JD. I'm glad enthusiasm helps because, haha, that's something I have in spades. I'm determined to do this the right way. I'd rather take longer, investing in proper techniques, to realize my end result rather than try to take shortcuts and frustrate myself to quitting.