Thread: My experiences, I'm very curious and want others opinions. Might be a long read sorry!

I've never posted here before just discovered this site a few minutes ago. So hello to any readers!

A couple of years ago, I must of been about 17 or 18 (20 now). I started reading this book "The Art Of Dreaming by Carlos Castaneda" teachings of Don Juan. About the Seven Gates of Dreaming. It got me really interested, always have been even as a kid but never though it could really be done. The first gate made total sense, about picturing something, focus on it, look away, then be able to re focus on it to realize you're dreaming. Within a week or two I was able to do this, the object I focus on to realize I'm dreaming is my hands, then I start to feel and hear myself breathing. The rest of the book seemed like hookydooky bullshit to me, still does. They even spoke about taking mushrooms and stuff, keep in mind I don't take any drugs, haven't smoked weed in years either. But I have been able to realize I was dreaming and stay in a lucid state for a short amount of time before waking up, have done this at least 6 times or so in the passed three years. Not sure if that amount of times within that year spand is normal or not. I wanted to share my dreams with you all. They usually start out as normal vivid dreams, then later on I realize I'm dreaming.

The first time I realized I was dreaming : Don't remember how it started out, but I remember being in the library of my old highschool for a presentation going on. A bunch of other people were around, I was sitting next to a friend of mine. We kind of looked at eachother and said let's get the fuck outta here. As we stood up to leave I looked at my hands, front and back, noticed they were my palms and that's when I realized I was dreaming. As we were walking out I woke up. (This is when I realized this isn't bull shit and it actually can be done, I was really exited about it)

The second time : Again I can't remember how it started out, was a long dream, but I was at the beach with a bunch of people I knew, not a beach that I remember from real life, I turned around and everybody was gone almost like I got ditched, short after a huge tsunami wave came barreling through, I ran to this shack, as I got inside it instantly got dark and creepy like a horror movie, like SAW or something, I kept running and jumped over this wooden fence thing that was blocking my way right in the middle of the shack, as I jumped over my dream went into slow motion, I looked at my hands as usual and realized I was dreaming. I stayed in control and kept running. As soon as I got out I ended up in this dark city, kind of like something out of The Crow, or Batman. Nobody was around, there were no noises, but it was dark and damp. Surrounded by huge dark buildings. Could see the "Liquor" neon sign with bulbs flickering like straight out of a movie, steam coming up out of the sewer caps in the street. I noticed a really big dark church, I was for some reason focused on it and pulled to walk to it. I knocked on the big doors with that handle thing, and kind of let myself in. It was a dark square room with candles lit that led me to a hall way, as I walked down the hall it led me to a big bright open room. Inside was a bunch of old men wearing black robes all having their hoods up. Kind of like the sith lord from Star Wars, they all looked at me then went back to what they were doing. Kinda of talking to eachother in groups. One of the men walked up to me and told me to follow him to the middle of the room, which was where he was already standing, where this big bridge thing kind of was just there. So on the bridge now was just me, this guy, and some other old guy in a black robe. He asked me if I was "My name" and he got my name right. Full name might I add. I replied saying yes then I woke up.

The third time : I was on this dark swampy dock, surrounded by trees a huge dock also surrounded by a swampy lagoon kind of, with small boats everywhere. I was hanging out near this apartment or something that was on the dock, there were three girls inside kind of flirting with me and asking me to come inside, I was chilling out on the edge of the window, as I was on the window I noticed my hands and realized I was breathing. So now I'm in control, the girls were still there kind of giggling and still asking me to come in but I had something more important to do (haha) so I ducked down from the window, noticing their faces got really sad. Turned around and realized I wanted to try and do something cool in this dream. The dock area I was on was like this big plaza with street lamps, and sort of like christmas lights or 4th of july decerations. I told myself I wanted to try flying, so I jumped up, when I jumped I went really high but slowly started to fall back down. So I pretty much just started moon jumping all over the dock then I woke up.

The fourth time : I was kind of hiding from someone, was a slender man type of deal. I can kind of remember him having a big gun like he was out to kill me, but wasn't human at the same time. Would see this figure and I kept trying to hide from it, it was like a normal suburban neighborhood, dark out, snow everywhere, each house had christmas decorations, and all of the houses were really small. As I ran behind this house, sitting next to a frosty the snowman decoration, I was panting, breathing hard, heart pounding, I was scared for my life. I looked at my hands and realized I was dreaming, the panic helped that a lot too. I sort of sat there for a little while, shivering, nose dripping, hands in the snow. I got up to run and then woke up.

The fifth time : I was in a dark suburban neighborhood again, night time like usual, not many houses around. I was following someone that was wearing a red shirt and jeans, no clue who it was but I was scared, as I was walking I looked at my hands and realized I was dreaming. Was panicing like last time so that helped too. The person started to walk up a driveway, onto the grass, then dissapeared into the dark. I stopped being scared, I kept walking that way but soon decided to turn around. There was like a little japanese tree outside the house, the lights were on in the house. I turned around started to walk down the driveway, said I'm gonna try flying again. But before that I noticed a doll in the window across the street, standing on a table, I looked away then looked back at it, but this time it didn't have anything on it, it was one of those blank dummies that you usually see at an art studio or something. I got kinda freaked out, but said fuck it. Started moon jumping since I still can't seem to figure out how to fly. Touching the top of the only street light there. I just jump really high then softly land on my feet.

The sixth time : I don't remember much at all, but this random guy pulled on me as I realized I was dreaming we walked through a door and some how I ended up in Paris, he gave me an ear piece, and on the other end was my mother. My mom started talking to me and said now I'm going to tell you the truth about everything. And I woke up.

If I did this anymore times I don't remember, I feel like it's been forever since I had a lucid dream and I really want to start doing it again. I just found this site and though I might share my experiences. I have no idea what any of this stuff means and would love some insight. Thank you for reading!

edit* Also during these dreams sometimes it's blurry, sometimes I can feel the temp and the weather. And it usually feels like I weight ten hundred pounds and it's kind of hard to move. Almost like I'm fighting for the control or something.