Has This Ever Happened To Anyone Before?

**megarock** · 10-30-2005 07:21 AM

So, for a few weeks, I've had a dry-spell...couldn't recall any deams at all, no matter how much I relaxed. So a week ago, while I was at school, I walk over to the vending machines and pick up a bottle of Dr. Pepper. I drink most of it (Like 9/10) of it, the bell rings and I put in in my bag. So anyways, I go through my day and then, before I went to bed, I remembered the bottle of Dr. Pepper in my bag...I pull it out, finish it off and go to bed. I fell asleep quickly (I don't notice caffene having an effect on me at all) and that night, I had an LD! I wake up, go to school and continue on with my day without Dr. Pepper. The night I didn't have a Lucid Dream. The next day I went to a friends house and we both drank Dr. Pepper...He trhew a can at me and said "Here's on for the road." So I take it and drink some of it before I go to sleep. That night I also had a Lucid Dream...So I've been drinking a bit of Dr. Pepper every night (About 1 cup or less) and so far, I've had a Lucid Dream every single night I've tried it! Has this ever happened to anyone else? Anyways, I think this is the development of DPILD! Dr. Pepper Induced Lucid Dreaming...

**Leo Volont** · 10-30-2005 07:28 AM

Diet or Regular?

**Longshwen** · 10-30-2005 07:36 AM

I've been on a bad run also. When I first joined in September and started journaling my recall got better for about two weeks and I had a couple short lucid dreams. Lately, my recall is down and no lucids. Oh well I'll keep trying.

Oh, and I will be trying Dr. Pepper tomorrow.

**Leo Volont** · 10-30-2005 07:42 AM

Originally posted by gjridenhour
I've been on a bad run also. When I first joined in September and started journaling my recall got better for about two weeks and I had a couple short lucid dreams. Lately, my recall is down and no lucids. Oh well I'll keep trying.

Oh, and I will be trying *Dr. Pepper tomorrow.

Diet or Regular?

**Wolffe** · 10-30-2005 11:44 AM

I think we only get regular over here, so i know which im gonna try! ^_^

**Leo Volont** · 10-30-2005 11:50 AM

Originally posted by Wolffe
I think we only get regular over here, so i know which im gonna try! ^_^

Oh great, we can be fat lucid dreamers.

I heard once that the taste ingredient in Dr. Peper is prunes. I don't suppose most people would think of downing a few prunes before going to bed. And as an old person, guess what... I just happen to have a bag of prunes in the cupboard.

**Wolffe** · 10-30-2005 01:03 PM

Ahh, but diet drinks tend to contain carciogenic chemicals. Better a fat lucid dreamer than a cancerous one, I think ;P

**megarock** · 10-30-2005 07:37 PM

Originally posted by Leo Volont
Diet or Regular?

It was regular...I might try it with Diet tommorow...

**Nugget75** · 10-31-2005 05:04 AM

so far, I've had a Lucid Dream every single night I've tried it![/b]

That's extremely weird. I know i've had Dr. Pepper before sleeping, but it was before I was a lucid dreamer. Maybe I'll try it, it could just be a mental thing though. How many nights has this worked for you, and did you any methods to accompany your dr. pepper?

**megarock** · 10-31-2005 06:05 AM

So far, I've only had two nights without an LD since starting the "Dr. Pepper Regime"...
And no, I didn't use any other techniques to accompany the DP...Well, I mean I tried to relax as much as possible, but that's it...

**Nugget75** · 10-31-2005 06:16 AM

Downside to this technique is you'll be a fat lucid dreamer with no teeth

How many nights HAS it worked for you? Other people who are trying this please post your results.

**EarthEnchantress** · 10-31-2005 03:51 PM

Originally posted by Nugget75
Downside to this technique is you'll be a fat lucid dreamer with no teeth

How many nights HAS it worked for you? Other people who are trying this please post your results.

Na...coulden't you just brush or rince your mouth out after drinking the Dr. Pepper, then go straight to bed?

Or must it be taken while in bed, right before sleeping? Im going to try this out. Ive had slight luck with lucid dreaming laitely. This topic would be excellent to have in the Attaining Lucidity topic. Ive heard chocolate helps too. But that REALLY would make you a fat lucid dreamer.

**TygrHawk** · 10-31-2005 05:05 PM

Originally posted by Leo Volont
I heard once that the taste ingredient in Dr. Peper is prunes.

This is another (totally untrue) urban legend.

**Scruffy** · 10-31-2005 06:39 PM

I wonder if the caffeine has anything to do with it. It might somehow serve to keep our minds a little more towards waking - less deep sleep, making it easier for us to lucid dream. Chocolate, along with coffee and tea, could therefore have the same effect.

**EarthEnchantress** · 10-31-2005 06:58 PM

Originally posted by Scruffy
I wonder if the caffeine has anything to do with it. It might somehow serve to keep our minds a little more towards waking - less deep sleep, making it easier for us to lucid dream. Chocolate, along with coffee and tea, could therefore have the same effect.

Yup, that's what I read

I wonder how much it would take to gain the effect. I don't see any harm in a small cup of tea or Dr. Pepper, or a small piece of chocolate before bed, but it might have less effect. It would also be interesting to try different herbal tea's, sodas, and even different types of chocolate (dark, white, etc). I am actually curious if certain smells help too. A Wiccan friend of mine passed on some incense, oil and tea recipes for me that are meant to help with lucid dreaming. And I am looking foward to trying them out. I'll pass them along if anyone's interested.

**TygrHawk** · 10-31-2005 07:01 PM

I'm quite certain that the caffiene is having some effect. That's one of the things suggested in the WBTB method, which has worked well for me. Have a soda or a chocolate bar during the time you are awake.

**WindsOfPlague** · 10-31-2005 07:50 PM

Last night I had my first lucid dream. Right before I went to bed I opened up a dr pepper and took a few sips out of it and went to bed. I never drink dr pepper before I goto bed, just water.

**Krippe** · 10-31-2005 07:57 PM

As soon as i read this through i went up to my store and bought a good ol' Dr Pepper. gonna test it tonight and post results here

**WindsOfPlague** · 10-31-2005 08:25 PM

Let us know what happened. I really want to know if the dr pepper helped me have my first lucid dream.

**Ryden** · 10-31-2005 11:08 PM

My Theory on why this works: (if it isn't just a placebo effect)
After ingesting a substance you have a reasonable amount of time before the substance affects you. This time frame is usually 30-45 mins. Therefore, in drinking it just before bed the caffene does not have the oppurtunity to keep you from falling asleep. Then, once you have fallen asleep, the caffene works to pick up mental activity and therefore help induce lucid dreams while I suppose at the same time not being enough of a shock to wake you up. This last part only applies to small doses of caffene because with anything higher than a cup or so I would imagine you would be likely to wake up.

All in all a very interesting proposition. I am surprised it hasn't gotten more attention in the past as it seems to have a decent amount of validity. However, this method could also very likely result in a less restfull nights sleep.

**Krippe** · 10-31-2005 11:17 PM

Originally posted by Ryden
My Theory on why this works: (if it isn't just a placebo effect)
After ingesting a substance you have a reasonable amount of time before the substance affects you. This time frame is usually 30-45 mins....

thats bad news for me since i usually lay in bed for like 1-2.5hours before i fall asleep. gotta get myself really tired then

**Lexx** · 11-01-2005 12:19 AM

Originally posted by Krippe

thats bad news for me since i usually lay in bed for like 1-2.5hours before i fall asleep. gotta get myself really tired then

Yeah, me too. But i will try it today!!!

**Callista** · 11-01-2005 12:51 AM

Oh dear! 1-2 hours borders on insomnia... may I share some tips?

I have problems with insomnia, and it's annoying to say the least. I suggest relaxation techniques to help yourself fall asleep in a normal time (5-30 minutes). Nothing really funky, just progressive relaxation works, with visualization (your basic calm-peaceful-place) if you want. Eventually your thoughts will start to become disconnected, and you'll fall asleep.

Eventually, I will perfect this technique and be able to put myself to sleep within fifteen mintues if I so desire. Eventually. Until then, I'm still an insomniac who's trying to figure out how to get to sleep when she wants to be asleep, and not sleep for 20 hours when she finally manages to do so.

Other causes of not being able to get to sleep quickly, at least for me:
--Caffeine consumption leading to muscle tension.
--Minor/moderate pain--headaches especially
--Anxiety
--Unpredictability over when you go to bed and wake up (i.e., 10 one night, 2 the next)
--Noise in my environment
--Too much light
--Not having taken a shower that day (every once in a while I wake up ten minutes before school, can't take one, and feel annoyed and grungy all day)
--Too much heat, or too cold
--Blankets made out of something other than cotton
--Uncomfortable sleepwear
--Depression (though that can lead to too *much* sleep too)
--Forgetting to brush my teeth, etc.
--Having drunk too much water, too near bedtime and ending up having to visit the bathroom before I fall asleep
--Being too busy mentally planning my next day.

Basically, to get to sleep you need to have comfortable surroundings, mental peace and physical relaxation. Sometimes it takes hours to acheive those things. I'm hoping to get down to minutes, myself, but I'm still working on it.

**Lexx** · 11-01-2005 01:09 AM

Originally posted by Callista
--Caffeine consumption leading to muscle tension.
--Anxiety
--Being too busy mentally planning my next day.

Thats my problems. I have a storm of thoughts, usually bad thoughts and i think that i am going crazy. I believe that this has to do with subconscious more than caffeine. I managed to solve the problem by workin on my personal matters.
Thanx for the reply

**EarthEnchantress** · 11-01-2005 07:43 AM

Wow, its great there is so much discussion about this. I had plenty of Halloween treats today, so I am curious how that will affect me tonight. I am also going to drink some normal Coke, sense we don't have Dr. Pepper, and see what happens.

But what I think should be noted is perhaps drinking soda before bed should be done only occasionally, as I agree it could lead to a less restful night's sleep, and you might get worn out. And hey, if it's so effective, is it really so bad to only try it once and a while anyway?

Another thing I am curious about is if, if I may throw out another idea here, the soda eventually becomes a symbol of "I am going to lucid dream tonight" just like the concept of repeating "I will lucid dream tonight" over and over as you fall asleep. Could be one success lucid dream aided by the caffeine could identify with Dr. Pepper specifically. Just me throwing out crazy ideas again

Sounds like Dr. Pepper is becoming the lucid dreamers new best friend...or caffeine....