Dream Instinct?

[QwertyDream]

Hi guys, this is my second post here at dreamviews, i'd like some awnser to my experiences I now am à frequent lucid dreamer thanks to dreamviews, mostly using DILDo, but i never get to take advantadge of this as i always for some reason choose to wake up, only to see à falset awakening. is this instinct that my conscious brings to my dreams or just my brain? Alsof, if you go lucid in your dreams, do you remember everything from real life, or just remember what you need to be lucid?

[Piggy]

I very rarely remember things from real life. Or rather, I should say I rarely think about it because I'm so intent on getting a lot done in my LD before I wake up. The fact that my alarm will wake me, or that I'll have to get up and go to work crosses my mind while once in a while but I try not to focus too much on real life

[yuppie11975]

To answer the latter, generally you remember everything in real life. It's essentially the same as being perfectly conscious. One way to combat the troubles of false awakenings is to begin the habit of performing a reality check every time you wake up. This will take a few seconds, but have a profound impact on your lucid dreaming. You'll begin doing them in FA's, and catch yourself out. Best of luck!

[Zoth]

Alsof, if you go lucid in your dreams, do you remember everything from real life, or just remember what you need to be lucid? It depends. When you become lucid you might have a better access to memory, but that doesn't mean it isn't impaired. Especially at lower levels of lucidity, many people have troubles remembering things like their age or what they did last night, which is because their autobiographical memory is still not working at waking life levels. Memory is a tricky thing ^^

[Sageous]

Oddly, Qwertydream, there may be an instinct of sorts hard-wired into us to wake up when we're aware that we're dreaming... sort of a leftover "fight or flight" instinct that tells us that we're not supposed to be self-aware in a dream. And yeah, since you're still asleep, FA's would be typical result of trying to wake up before it is time to do so. It should be relatively easy to overcome, though, as you develop your self-awareness and memory skills. Indeed, in time you'll likely be able to reverse the instinct and convince your body to stay asleep during, say a long late-morning LD that you wish to continue even though you're brain is sure it's time to wake up. Also, try using those FA's as a tool to return to lucidity, since they're a dream-sign in themselves. Regarding memory, I think Zoth nailed it, but let me add that strong memory of your waking-life can equal strong lucidity. You can be lucid without remembering anything (sorry Yuppie!), but if you are able to tap your memory (which is typically shut off during dreams) during a LD, you will find yourself more self-aware, more confident, and, of course, able to attempt your planned goals.

[JoannaB]

In answer to the question whether all waking memory is available in lucids: my very first lucids ever tended to go like this "I can float! That means this must be a dream. ... But I could float even in waking life." I have had lucids however during which I became lucid because I realized that a house my dreaming mind had insisted was my own actually was nothing like my real house in waking life which I could remember very well.

[Sibyline]

Am I the only one immature enough to enjoy the Freudian slip in the second paragraph? My memory is oddly selective in LDs. I do have trouble remembering dream goals, but then I remember other things from waking life quite clearly and accurately. I agree with Zoth and Sageous that it depends on your level of lucidity.

[Asyyd]

Qwerty, perhaps you copuld try to do a quick, but thorough, Reality check every time you wake up? such as plugging your nose, so it's fast. but make sure you really question it.