Thread: Task of the Month for February 2014

Oh that's OK sorry for growling I was embarrassed though about gushing so much and not doing it right after being so excited about finally doing TOTM. But yeah I somehow interpreted the task as having quotes around it, and somehow that stuck in my head. Glad Ophelia agreed . Yay, wings! Now pardon me while I take a screenshot and treasure it, hopefully it's the first of many to come!

Well, you deserved them! It wasn't any easier the way you did it, and still a great result.

Congrats on the lucid and wings!

And I was dreaming of playing gta where I got the answer in a fictitional language. my sub c says gta 6 will be in asia.

Here's the full DJ entry with the TOTM lucid in it. It turned out to be quite an epic night of recall for my 6 month anniversary! I think I really like this new approach I'm taking -- not trying to wake up after every cycle, I sort of naturally get up at about 6-7 hours, and at that time work for a while on recall, and then if I can, manage to go back to sleep for one more sleep cycle.

00:00 Saturday 2014-02-22 - Dream Journals - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

Well I swear I'm the only one who's had problems with the heart thing.... I should really get a prize for not giving up after 4+ dreams of failure.

I am just gonna quote this since it's pretty long.

The one I decided to try was the heart task again.

First I remembered that I did a horrible job trying to rip my heart out so I looked around for something to cut my chest open with, I got a fork and knife then chickened out when I felt how real the cold knife felt against my skin, so I decided to do it another way.

I then remembered on dreamviews that people had luck having their hand phase through their body, so I told myself that my hand could phase through everything EXCEPT for organs (so I could grab it).
I tested it first on some furniture around me and it worked but when I tried to make my hands go through my chest it didn't work since skin is technically an organ... *facepalm*

Then I tried the usual way I've tried it which is just ripping off the ribcage. First I made my fingers super strong, then tested the strength by lifting a piano with one finger and stuff.

Then I successfully ripped off the ribcage, it crumbled like chalk would when you break it in half, but underneath the ribcage was another smaller ribcage... I gave up at that point and there was a noise in real life that woke me up.

So that's another 2 attempts that ended in complete failure... I think I'll just give up on this one, but if I do get lucid today and want to try again, I'm going to get a human anatomy book or a model skeleton to look at so that I don't start growing ribcages again.

Did the hearty advanced one!!
I experimented with taking 15 mg of Melatonin - a lot, but not dangerous whatsoever - quite the opposite - it's a strong antioxidant like vitamin C and E.
Will make further tests- but I'm pretty convinced that helped me to overall notice that I'm dreaming 3 times in my - admittedly over-long sleep.
Here's my TOTM:

.. then I saw a woman sitting on a bench and watching birds on the ground - colourful ones in the size and shape of sparrows.
They were walking about in rows, which turned and they walked a pattern like that - hard to describe - I almost forgot what I wanted over watching them.
Then - as I had imagined doing it irl - I "remembered" that there was a little knob to turn to open my chest up. After so many people have reported problems with reaching through their breast-bone - I thought, that would be practical - and it was.
I opened up - reached in with my hand - and got to grip a slimy blob - it didn't beat - it quivered, but more like it wanted away from my grasp..
Got it - tried to take it out, but it was quite fixed to blood-vessels - in the end I had to really rip to get it, which felt weeird - not painful - but I felt the ripping. Looked very realistic, did my heart - only the colour was a bit less than fresh!
My DC didn't like that whole manoeuvre at all - she screamed and ran away - me behind her - and in the end, I threw it at her, but I didn't hit her - she was gone then.
I decided this must be enough.

Very clever fix to the bone problem, StephL!

Is Melatonin available over-the-counter in Germany? If so, I'll buy som next time I drive through.

Congrats StephL on the dream and the daring advanced task! I don't think I have the stomach for body stuff like that (pun intended).

I've read some cautions about taking melatonin supplements, with lists of nasty possible adverse consequences, but I've never seen in my memory real scientific studies about the effects. Apparently there haven't been studies done on the large dosages that I see some talking about on LD sites (over 5mg).

Originally Posted by http://altmedicine.about.com/od/melatonin/a/melatonin.htm

Some experts consider the doses commonly found in melatonin supplements, 3 to 5 milligrams, to be far too high and say that amounts in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 milligrams are more reasonable.

So I'd say: caution. Start with low doses and slowly increase to find the one that works. The concern with regular melatonin supplementation is that the body gets used to it and stops producing it naturally, creating a dependency on the supplement in order to fall asleep.

My personal approach and recommendation is to use it rarely, in those cases where falling asleep is really important and when I haven't slept well for several days running (or in combating jet lag). I've found 1mg about 40 minutes before bed is enough to create an extra drowsiness to sink into.

Haha Steph, great dream! And great DC reaction. If the heart had actually hit her, it would have been bonus-worthy

PKJacker: I admire your moxie on this task. Maybe instead of worrying about and making sure the anatomy is perfect, you could try something innovative like Steph did, where there was a door and doorknob that you can open to get to your heart.

Also, I just wanted to point out to folks that this task reads: "Literally give your heart to a DC. Use any means necessary." It doesn't say anything about having to rip it out. You can summon your heart any way you can think of. Do what you know, and use the lucid skills that you already have to acquire your heart.

It's not available over the counter here.
But do not worry:

Studies in humans have shown melatonin toxicity to be remarkably low with no serious negative side effects even at high doses (3 to 6.6 g) administered over a period of 35 days.159,160 Nevertheless, minor reactions to melatonin supplementation such as sleepiness, vivid dreams, headache, abdominal pain, and nausea have been reported to occur occasionally in a small proportion of individuals.

From: LE Magazine, January 2004 - Report: Melatonin and Cancer Treatment

You can find the references there.
Cancer patients receive around 80 mg a day in in other studies - and now please consider - it has been shown to be safe in 3-6.6 grams over 35 days - not milligrams. 6000 mg/35 d = 171 mg a day, if they mean 6 g over the whole period and not per day.
I'm a bit tired today - so won't do it every night - but no need to invoke a scare.
That's not correct.
Also - this supposed production re-bound - where do you have that from FryingMan?
Can't find a thing on it - and it should be mentioned, where I looked, if it was of significance or there at all.

There are threads in the supplement department that seem to say, Melatonin does go against REM and lucidity and vividness and should be taken to be able to fall asleep with stimulating other supps.
This is completely wrong. It enhances vividness and is conductive to lucidity - this I read in several places - and my own experience was really impressive.
I had never taken more than 6 mg for falling asleep before - while I can sleep wonderfully like that - it seems not enough to be noticeable in the dream-department.
Of course one instance doesn't say a lot - I will report, once I do it again!
Something else - with ageing - our natural levels decline - maybe a hint at why children tend to vivid and also lucid dreams..?


By the way - seems to be a great thing to supplement, if you have cancer:

Administration of supplemental melatonin has been shown to be beneficial even in the supportive care of advanced and end-stage cancer patients: it lessens tissue wasting and diminishes weight loss, fatigue, weakness, and depression;17,21,43,47,53 enhances immune function;10 improves wound healing;54 and improves quality of life and survival rates.4 Furthermore, melatonin improves common symptoms found in both patients with advanced cancer and those undergoing chemotherapy; it counteracts anemia55 and lymphocytopenia,14,21 stimulates platelet production,21 enhances appetite,16 and diminishes cancer pain56 (including bone pain) through its natural analgesic properties.57 These are substantial benefits considering that approximately half of all patients diagnosed with cancer die because of poor symptom management.58

Not trying to cause a scare, but urging caution and going slow, that is basic common sense, regardless of any studies. An individual's reaction to any thing could of course fall outside the reports of any studies. "Be careful with supplements" is I think a very wise stance to take.

There is a great deal of disagreement in what I read on melatonin. I think the level of differing opinions is sufficient to urge caution. And 35 days is a pretty short study, wouldn't you agree? After all, in our lucid dreaming practice, we're all planning a lifetime of dreaming practice (at least I am!). Also, people with cancer are less concerned about being able to fall asleep and about hormone imbalance and liver function than being able to stay alive, so the focus of the study is not on long-term health of otherwise healthy people.

In fact, the article I linked to suggested a study that the common conception that melatonin production reduces with age may in fact not be true at all! Good for us more mature folks.

And to state that is it absolutely incorrect that melatonin is a REM suppressor is I think also incorrect. Read Yuschak for instance, who goes in to very great detail on the effect of various substances that affect sleep and dreaming including melatonin, seratonin, and dopamine, and the REM rebound phenomenon. The vivid dreams stated as a side effect of melatonin are most likely due to the rebound effect, where the REM is suppressed while the melatonin is in the system, and as it wears off REM periods in compensation become longer and more closely packed, and perhaps more "intense" and aware. So melatonin can causes vivid dreams, because of its REM suppression effect.

And on a personal anecdotal level, the couple of times I have taken large (3mg) dosage, where I was usually waking up 3-4 times per night with recall, I totally "blacked out" for the night and only woke up in the late morning. Of course, perhaps the effects of such an increased dosage as 15mg could be entirely different.

Originally Posted by OpheliaBlue

Also, I just wanted to point out to folks that this task reads: "Literally give your heart to a DC. Use any means necessary." It doesn't say anything about having to rip it out. You can summon your heart any way you can think of. Do what you know, and use the lucid skills that you already have to acquire your heart.

Yeah I've been imagining a much milder approach, "summon" a valentine's red, shiny, heart-shaped candy box in the area of my chest...hope that will cut the mustard for wings, if I get the chance!

Each to their own FryingMan - I still pose, that you are not entirely correct.
Caution with taking anything is always justified - but saying cancer patients wouldn't be concerned with stuff like liver function and hormone balance or getting sleep is a tad naive.
And - what they took daily over 35 d was more than ten times the dose that I took.
People won't do my dosage daily anyway, as it does indeed make you tired over the day.

Did you even follow my link?
You'd get to actual medical publications and data - not to people proposing it would be good to do studies on an alternative medicine site.
What they are mentioning, and you are citing is simply that some experts think, effects can be observed with lower doses than 3 mg already. That doesn't even say something on topic.

Originally Posted by StephL

Each to their own FryingMan - I still pose, that you are not entirely correct.
Caution with taking anything is always justified - but saying cancer patients wouldn't be concerned with stuff like liver function and hormone balance or getting sleep is a tad naive.
And - what they took daily over 35 d was more than ten times the dose that I took.
People won't do my dosage daily anyway, as it does indeed make you tired over the day.

Did you even follow my link?
You'd get to actual medical publications and data - not to people proposing it would be good to do studies on an alternative medicine site.
What they are mentioning, and you are citing is simply that some experts think, effects can be observed with lower doses than 3 mg already. That doesn't even say something on topic.

That's OK StephL, indeed to each his own. I really don't want to enter into a "my source is better than yours" discussion as tends to happen. Many sources contradict each other, the clear results are not in for high dosage melatonin use.

I just want to advise readers excited by your results, as one was already, that supplements should not be treated lightly.

LUCID
*The dream started with me just lounging in my girlfriend's sisters kitchen. My teacher Lama Dorjee approached me pointing out a book that was on the table, saying what's wrong with this book. I looked at this familiar book of one that I own and noticed that the cover picture was different. I must be dreaming, I am dreaming! I became lucid in the dream state and it was because of my meditation teacher, awesome!!!

Then I ended inside of a car in a parking lot of an apartment complex. I got out of the car and immediately thought of the TOTM. There some random dude standing the parking lot, so I walked up to him and said can you show me my soul mate. He said yes I can, and started walking as if he was leading me the way. I asked what's your name man. He said essay, like how a Mexican would say it. I said isn't that a little stereotypical, as if I was talking directly to my subconscious. He looked at me and laughing he said yea it is. Then we arrived at an apartment door which seemed a little scary to enter, but I made a conscious thought not to tell my fear limit me in way in the dreams cape.

I entered the apartment and essay kind of disappeared. Then I noticed my meditation cushion in the hall of this apartment. Wow this kind of looks like my apartment I thought. As I thought this the place pretty much transformed into a strange version of my apartment. Then I walked into my room to pay a visit to my shrine. When I first arrived there was no shrine at all just a empty shelf were my shrine actually is. So I bowed one time and the offerings appeared. I bowed again then all this pictures of the lineage teachers that seemed very alive appeared. I looked at each one very closely. It was so amazing and I felt like a had actual contact with all of them.

There was one picture that really stood out, it was my resident teacher Lama Dorjee who caused lucidity at the beginning of the dream, he appeared to be Chenrezik. I didn't meet my soulmate but I did have an awesome dream! Next time I will try to call out to my subconscious for my soulmate.

Originally Posted by KarmaSangye

so I walked up to him and said can you show me my soul mate. He said yes I can,

I wish I had done as well.
I woke up and got a cup of coffee and read this thing then looked out the window at our winter wonderland (for lack of a better description) and went back to bed to try for a living Zombie one more time.
I had a giddy feeling as I finally fell into the darkness and could see and feel my hands rubbing together then started to wake up then back into the void several times feeling like my head dropped between my legs each time and it was not a good feeling and in the end I said there's no future in this and woke up for good .. Rats

So last night I completed basic task 2. I asked a DC (who had asian facial features) who my true love was, and the said they didn't know =)

I originally thought that skiing uphill would be ~awesome~ earlier in the month, and soon afterwards I had a dream where I body surfed up the rail of an escalator (pretty quick too) and then kinda got in trouble by the mall authorities, lol. I thought that event might be tied to my original interest/intention on the other task. Skiing uphill is such a rad task, I'll have to keep that in mind even after February ends.

You can read more about my last nights dream if you'd like, here: http://www.dreamviews.com/lucid-aids...ml#post2085642

Got one of the Basics! My second one!
I know it's not a good one, but it's difficult to have a smart conversation with a lingerie top model while you are dreaming
Here's the full entry Lucid at nudist restaurant
It does not include explicit nudity though.
And the TOTM bit:
Happy with my dream control abilities I walk away to the entrance/lounge area while I struggle to remember a task to do, and see two lingerie top models sitting there having a drink in underwear (again day redidue from the news "Etam wants to be the European Victoria's Secret")
I talk to a brunette wearing dark-purple lingerie, and we go to a corner of the place. I tell her "Who is my soulmate? Is it you, right?" "Well, I don't know..." We start kissing and the dream ends.

Hope that's good enough to get my wings!

I work well under pressure sometimes and I had noticed that the end of the month was far too close. So I got lucid and... I did two of them!

Originally Posted by Sibyline's dream journal

I stormed into the kitchen and called out for my cat. "Come out here, Cat1! We are going to look for dog biscuits in your bowl." Looking into the cat's bowl, and sifting through the various treats in there, the best one was a light brown biscuit in the shape of a dog. It looked like a dog biscuit but also like those animal pasta shapes that kids like. So I picked one up and popped it in my mouth. Expectation actually made it taste like dry pasta. "Hey, Cat1, that's one TOTM done, isn't it great!? Don't go anywhere, I need you for one more."

Originally Posted by Sibyline's dream journal

Just to test, I pressed the tip of the knife through my skin at the top of my chest. Of course, no pain, so I continued to cut downward. Then, starting from the top again, I pressed harder, trying to get through the breastbone. Eventually I decided it must be good enough, and I tried to reach my hand in. My four fingers hit bone and stopped me. But I plunged my thumb in a little to the side of them, and it went through the flesh.

Then I reached in my whole hand and found my heart right away. It was warm, but I didn't feel it beating, so I just pulled it out and unceremoniously dumped it in the cat's bowl (which didn't have any biscuits in it anymore), and said, "There's your lunch. I'm going to work now." The cat lowered her head to sniff the bloody organ in the bowl and I woke up.

Full dream:
Double TOTM DILD - Dream Journals - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

^^Congrats on the super efficient task execution, Sibyline!

But oh noes that poor cat's lunch.

Lol at you giving your heart to your cat for dinner

Congrats on the last minute TOTMs guys! I'm still hoping I can squeeze in a dog biscuit..

Thanks! She absolutely would have eaten it too... after dragging it around the house, of course.

I left my heart behind once but nobody picked it up, and finally I found a hill to do the bonus. (still skiing up with a car but now it was wakeboarding more than skiing but I skiid a little bit at the end) not really worth journalling though,

It happened right after the explosion dream with terrorists I had small lucidity and I faded in and out to get to a hill from an earlier dream.

Next time Im thinking of time machining myself to e arlier dreams.

Is it too late to post?

http://www.dreamviews.com/blogs/smas...losions-55801/

I am not sure I entirely understood your blog entry, Mr. Smashem. Care to add more detail?