How do you rate yourself? (2nd attempt)

[White Shadow]

Okay this is my second attempt at this poll. I hope you all find it more satisfactory this time! I know it won't be perfect, but as you can't always cover all bases (without it getting too silly!), you might just have to compromise on some selections. The most important thing, anyway, isn't really your level, but more the experiences you've had. Here is what I originally wrote in the first attempt at this post: Shortly after posting my comment about using Lucid Dreaming to enhance your waking life, I started wondering just how skilled the folks in here really are. So I thought I'd post this little poll on how advanced you guys think you are and what you actually do in your LDs. So choose a level and let us all know what you have accomplished. I think a lot of people would like to know if there's more to LDing than flying and shagging! I don't want to make this an exclusive poll, but I think for the sake of making this interesting and easy to read, I would suggest that beginners refrain from simply posting "I'm a beginner and haven't LD'd yet" type posts. There's so many of you guys about that it'll be too much. What I really want to know is if anyone has managed to do more than just have fun in their dreams. Has anyone done anything on a more serious note? Also how easy is it for you to induce LDs and how long do they last? And did you use an LD to help you get better at LDs? Stuff like that really. I'm really interested to hear what people have to say. WS Ps. The comments (in brackets) on the poll itself are just examples, just use them as a guide to rating yourself. I feel, however, that without them people could be fooling themselves as to what category they are in. Try to be as honest as you can.

[Seeker]

Guess I'm an intermediate level 3 (yay for me!)

[Hate]

I voted "student level 2", because it was the best compromise there seems to be for me. I can LD about once a week (twice in a good week). My dreams aren't usually so realistic, but I think I have pretty good control over them. Anyway, I think the best LD experience I've had happened last Saturday. I flew really high, came down really fast, and stopped few centimetres above the ground (after that I woke up). Even though it lasted only some minutes, it was really intensive and good quality dream. It felt amazing, more than flying ever have for me.

[OpheliaBlue]

Hey White Shadow!!!!!!! I voted: Intermediate Level2 (can LD infrequently, full control, always realistic) That's the closest to me. I never really know when I'll have an LD, but I can have anywhere from a couple a month, to a couple a week. But when I DO have one, I have full control and it's totally realistic.

[Placebo]

Now THIS scale makes me look good .. hehe

[Clairity]

I have about a 50% success rate when I attempt to lucid dream and I always have full control and total realism. I guess I'll go with Intermediate level 3.

[Sesquipedalian Dreams]

good job with the poll. nice changes

[Howie]

This is like Deja'vu. I think I have said this before. At times I have streeks where I would consider myself a pro. But those only last a day, two or three maybe. So for the most part I am intermedeit level 1

[Gothlark]

I LD on will with full realism and control. I can make it more realistic than real life if I try. I sometimes get caught up in the moment and forget that I can do anything, but I stay lucid and I could probably make myself remember if I tried. Pro for me.

[White Shadow]

Perhaps you'd like to try my experiment then? So far it seems you are the only one qualified to do so. Here's a link: http://www.dreamviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12387

[White Shadow]

Only 16 results? You can do better than that! And we need more people's experiences of their talents, even if they were accidental I suppose. I'm really just trying to find out if there's more to LDing than just flying and shagging and stuff! And I'm not talking about OBE's or any ESP crap, but more things that can be monitored and recorded. I suppose people, especially beginners, would like to know how long it takes for a beginner to become a pro, and what kind of processes can help develop skills like: logic or memory within dreams themselves; the ability to make dreams seem longer; vivdness and realism. Or perhaps someone has managed to cure a part of their personality they had a problem with? For example: if someone always says the wrong thing without thinking, or they start a story strong, but then always fuck it up at the end, and they have resolved this through talking with their subconscious in a lucid. Or maybe someone has improved their confidence with the opposite sex through practice of what to say in a dream? Stuff like that really? WS

[nina]

Actually I don't think I can answer this post. I mean I guess I'm closest to expert because I can usually LD at will...but as far as control it varies. Sometimes I have vivid lucids with little/no control...sometimes I have vivid lucids with lots of control...sometimes I have blurry lucids with lots of control...etc. etc. etc. So I guess I can't really answer this question.

[Howie]

Originally posted by lucidnina Actually I don't think I can answer this post. I mean I guess I'm closest to expert because I can usually LD at will...but as far as control it varies. Sometimes I have vivid lucids with little/no control...sometimes I have vivid lucids with lots of control...sometimes I have blurry lucids with lots of control...etc. etc. etc. So I guess I can't really answer this question. I know what you mean aquanina. There is so much grey area involved (or gray matter) when it comes to levels and lucidity. I have expieriance all of the above at times and at differant levels and vivdness.

[the beauty who sleeps]

I picked Student Level3, although I think I hover somewhere between there and Intermediate Level2. I do find it hard to get into a LD, but once I'm there, I find control is REALLY easy, (the only reason I didn't pick Intermediate is I have had 1 dream where I didn't seem to have full control for some reason) and everything is always realistic. Although for the most part the times I've been in a LD (I've had about 8-10 of them) I don't always control everything in the dream. Usually I'll go along with whatever the dream is doing, but add my own things or change to something else once I decide upon what I want to do.

[Lucky27]

I picked Student Level 3. I usually LD 2-3 times a week, mostly on weekends, I have little control. this morning i was trying to throw poker chips at people w/ my mind/telekinetically (or however i'm supossed to word that...) It was hard, I think I only got a few to move but they didn't even go where I wanted them to. But my LDs do seem real though.

[Wicked]

I think the most accurate option for me is Student level 2. I've once summoned and spoke with a manifestation of my subconsciousness. I did try to "change" myself, but my SC denied it from me. Details are availible in my dream journal.

[Yume]

I can LD at will, I have little control, and my dreams are usually realistic. I don't know what to rate that.

[cerebusdreamer]

I took Student Level3 (can LD infrequently, good control, often realistic) but I did not fit exactly in the guides. I'm in LD since january, had 13 LD until now, usually 1/week. In january I had 5 ld, 6 in february and only 2 in march. :-( My LDs are dramatic realistic and can control some of the dream. I accomplished the lucid tasks from february and march, did some telekinesis in on ld and used a rocket-shoe to flight higher and longer.

[plobable]

what if i have only begun and have lds only once or twice and had full control and it was completely realistic o_O which may be false since i have not much expirience with them so it could have been little to no control and very unrealistic... but it didn't seem that wayyy

[Tron]

I chose Novice Level one but that is a huge leap forward ... because I LD NON-frequently

[Yttrium]

Originally posted by White Shadow So choose a level and let us all know what you have accomplished. I think a lot of people would like to know if there's more to LDing than flying and shagging! Interesting that you should mention both of those. One thing I've noticed is that what I intended to do in a ld is not necessarily what I decide to do when I get there, priorities change. I always fly though, it's the main way I know that I'm ld'ing.

[nesgirl119]

Well, of course I can do whatever I want in them. If it wasn't for that, I would not be a Dream Sage, & I wouldn't be able to Dream Share w/my niece (pretty much, you have to have a high level of that!) Had all of that since I was 4!

[White Shadow]

I'm really pleased to see everyone has found this post interesting, even if you don't all agree with my rating system. That's not really the point anyway, it's just to give people an idea of the different levels out there, so posting your own level just gives us a greater understanding (it'd be too confusing if I were to create a title for each possible combination!). Letting us know what you can do is great too. I myself am just entering a new phase of LDing for me. I have been able to jump into an LD after about 5 seconds of waking, rather than staying up for an hour and trying a WILD. I have yet to gain confidence in my dreams though. Only last night did I experience this again, and as I tried to shout "CLARITY!" my voice felt small and constrained, as though I'd lost my voice. It was only when I decided to take it one step at a time and try to speak the word, did some sound leave my lips (in a sense!). I then worked up the volume and was able to shout! (It didn't really get any clearer, but at least my voice was okay!) In reality I KNOW it is all about self-confidence, but I've still to learn this in the dream world (where my logic and clear-thinking abilities are still asleep!). Hopefully that will come with practice. Please carry on with your posts, they have proved extremely interesting. WS

[cerebusdreamer]

Originally posted by White Shadow [color=darkredI myself am just entering a new phase of LDing for me. I have been able to jump into an LD after about 5 seconds of waking, rather than staying up for an hour and trying a WILD. I have yet to gain confidence in my dreams though. Can you share with us what have you done to enter this new phase? I'd like to be able to LD in 5 seconds :-)

[White Shadow]

I really don't know what it is. I've just been able to do that a couple of times. I have noticed that when I really want to LD I can (and I mean REALLY focused). But when I kinda want to, but am not really that bothered and don't make that much effort, then I might not. But on these two occasions I woke up and thought about a WBTB, but there wasn't enough time to get up. So I tried to WILD. As I was already quite relaxed, I didn't need to spend ages on the technique, so I just concentrated on the HI. after a while, I noticed they were becoming more intense (not extremely realistic, but I felt like I was actually in it). The main way I tell I'm in the dream is if I feel sensations that wouldn't normally be felt by lying in bed, i.e. G-Forces, motion, pressure, or even freedom of movement when I know my body is lying still. Then I knew I was dreaming. Only one of the times did I feel vibrations, and actually I think this was the first time I ever felt them (I felt them before, but I'm sure I dreamt that!). Having said all this, they were not very vivid, and only lasted a few minutes. I did, however, do a proper WBTB a long time ago, where I got up for about 75mins, read up on LDing, and the techniques, and then went back to bed to try a WILD, which resulted in the most intensely vivid and realistic LD I've ever had before (and since!). Having said that, I was sure on my last LD (a couple of nights ago) that all it needed was a little self-belief to increase lucidity. As this was realised within the dream I'm sure on my next attempt I can get that one step closer. I know it doesn't tell you exactly how to copy my technique, but that's really as there is no actual technique! After trying all the techniques for a long time, you tend to use parts of all the techniques as well as just instinct. But I have to stick to my point that if I REALLY want to LD I generally do. It's just finding that moment that I have the passion to do so. My mind now knows that I can do it, and quite regularly, so this is obviously all it needs. Maybe I'm talking bollocks, but this is what it seems to me. WS