Should I be glad?

**IStoleYourGirl** · 07-21-2013 07:38 PM

I was in the car with my mom and some Jamaican guy in a suit. We were in Detroit.
We stopped at the gas station. I waited until my mom put gas in the car and then we continued to drive.
(Before I continue, I'd like to mention I had watched the movie Avatar last night.)
Anyway, we started driving again and I noticed big bird lying under a bridge. I thought to myself "Detroit has some interesting birds"
We continued to drive a little more and as we came upon on this other bridge, it had a side fence to prevent people from falling off. Well as we drove another big Avatar bird jumped on the other end of the fence and yelled. Next we headed toward a parking garage. A third bird jumped down as soon as our car entered the garage halfway.

My reality check instinct kicked in and I ignored the bird and started counting my fingers. I counted 6.
Tried again. Counted six. I was really confused. Counted again. I had six. I said "I'm dreaming!"

Next thing I know. Everything goes dark. (Probably closed my eyes) I feel myself go into what I thing was a fetal position. My heart started thumping and I felt like I started falling, and fast. I Icould hear and feel feel the wind. This lasted maybe 5-10 seconds.
Then snap. I woke up. I was still paralyzed. In the same position. But I think my hand was in the air. Almost like I was reaching for help. Anyway. I didn't really freak me out too much.

What was the cause of this. Why didn't I just go lucid?
Should i be glad? Is it at least good that I did a reality check?

**benni** · 07-21-2013 08:02 PM

Hey,
Of course you can be glad. You did go lucid by noticing that you are dreaming

Attaing lucidity doesn't equal having control in your dream. Just the fact that you counted your fingers and hence realised that you must be dreaming is enough to say that you are lucid. It's great that you did a Reality Check. That shows you that you must have been practicing enough in your waking life so that you are doing the same thing in your dream: questioning your surroundings followed by a Reality Check. Congratulations on that!

**IStoleYourGirl** · 07-21-2013 09:57 PM

Thank you. That really helped to read.
But any recommendations?

**benni** · 07-22-2013 08:14 PM

Recommendations for what...? how to interpret your dream and its cause or how to increase the frequency of your lucid dreams and how to stabilise them?

**IStoleYourGirl** · 07-23-2013 09:10 PM

Both.

**Runeword** · 07-24-2013 06:54 AM

hey good for you. as you get more comfortable with the idea of being lucid in a dream you will be able to stay calm when you know it's happening and won't cause an early exit. also keep in mind that this can happen sometimes even if you do stay calm just by the fact that you are hitting the end of a REM cycle.

**IStoleYourGirl** · 07-24-2013 09:35 AM

Okay. Thank you.
But if also like to mention. The night after I had a somewhat bad dream and that certainly hasn't helped boost my confidence and determination.

**Leichen** · 07-25-2013 02:06 AM

^Was it related to lucid dreaming? If it wasn't I don't see why it would make you feel that way. Nightmares are actually very helpful for developing this ability, mainly if they have a repetitive pattern that allows you to realize when you're having one.
As for the recommendations, I suggest you to read some of the post-its on the lucid dreaming general forum. You probably already did, but hey, I can't read minds.

**IStoleYourGirl** · 07-25-2013 06:54 AM

No it wasn't. And the only reason I really thought much of it was cause it happened the night after the story above.
And yeah. I'll check it out. I've barely looked through there.
Thanks.