From Tracie: Lucid Dreaming

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Lucid Dreaming

Have you ever heard of lucid dreaming? Almost every night, when I'm asleep, I'm comepletly aware that I'm asleep, and I am able to control my dreams. The question most people immediately ask is, "Can you fly in your dreams?' and the answer is, yes. I can, and often do, fly in my dreams.

It isn't all about flying. (Although, the flying is fun!) I can also continue a dream from a previous night, picking up where I left off like opening up a book to finish a chapter. I can control where I go, I can make choices about what will happen, and so much more.

I have been lucid dreaming since I was a small child. The first time I remember having a lucid dream, I was four years old. I was sleeping in the floor of my grandparent's living room, and I dreamed that a strange woman was in the apartment with me. She was very scary, and she was trying to hurt me. I remember realizing it was a dream because the couch and table were in the wrong place. I stood up, and told her to leave. She turned around, and walked through the closed door. Shortly after that, I woke up.

There are still some nights when I'm in a lucid dream state, but have a hard time gaining full control over what is happening. This usually only happens during extreme nightmares, and it feels similar to having a panic attack. In those cases, I will eventually make myself wake up.

Jana mentioned that she has been dreaming about writing. I don't often dream about writing, but I'm thinking maybe I should start. It might help me to write more often during my waking hours if I got some practice in while I was asleep.
Stream Of Consciousness Sunday button

Do you have lucid dreams?

25 comments:

  1. On two occasions that I can remember, I've been so scared of something in a dream that I consciously chose to start dreaming about something else. That's as close as I ever got to lucid dreaming.

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    1. I think that would count for sure. If you were consciously able to realize you were dreaming and then do something about it.

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  2. I don't even remember most of my dreams. Which is weird, I think.

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    1. It feels weird to me - but probably only because I do remember mine. My daughter often says that she can't remember hers, though, so maybe it is a kind of normal thing.

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  3. I don't remember most of my dreams, but occasionally I will have one so vivid I would swear it happened. I can remember every detail. I wish I could continue some dreams they are so wonderful.

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    1. Some dreams are really just almost perfect.

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  4. I definitely am a lucid dreamer. I think it's kinda awesome!

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    1. I think it is awesome, too. And I love that you do it - it is only recently that I have found other people who do it.

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  5. I think I have these, too. They feel SO real...

    I wish I dreamed like my husband - he is always some sort of superhero! I love when he tells me about it. :D

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    1. They DO feel really real.

      My husband always has crazy-interesting dreams. I wish I dreamed about being a superhero - I'm going to have to work on that this week ;-)

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  6. It's funny you mention this as I actually did a science project in the 7th grade on whether or not it could be proven if people could control their dreams. This led me to the discovery of lucid dreaming and proved that, yes, you can.

    It didn't and hasn't helped me since with the nightmares I now rarely have - but then constantly had. But it was an interesting project for an twelve year old.

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    1. That does sound like an interesting project. When I was 12 I didn't realize that other people dreamed like this. I should have been more ambitious and turned it into a science project like you did. Brilliant.

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  7. Yes, I do and it started getting even crazier after I saw the movie Inception because now I'll do things like warp the scenery.

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    1. Right? Inception gave me all sorts of interesting ideas ;-)

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  8. No...I don't. The closest I've had to them is having a great dream and starting to wake up from it, realizing it is a dream and wanting to stay asleep. Ha. Never works. Cool that you can control that part of your mind. Never been able to tap into mine.

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    1. I wonder if it is something that you can learn how to do? I've never researched it before.

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  9. I have had lucid dreams but they aren't intentional. I've been in a dream where I have been flying and it's like all of the sudden I *get* how to fly. The only time that it's really clear to me is when I have a dream that I'm about to die and I realize "this is a dream and this isn't real and I can make this all go away."

    Curious - ever heard of astral traveling?

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    1. I don't really know anything about astral traveling, but now you have me all curious, and I'm going to have to read up on it!

      It is really nice when you are having a bad dream and are able to stop it.

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  10. I have control a dream but not all the time. Also my lucid type dreams almost always occur in the morning. I'll wake up and go back to sleep because I want to finish a good part of the dream.

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    1. I do that a lot (well, when I don't have to get out of bed immediately because my kid is needing breakfast and I overslept). I wonder if the morning are when most people who lucid dream find themselves doing it. Hmmm.

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  11. I always hear about people having lucid dreams, but I don't think I've ever experienced them myself.

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  12. I used to do a lot of lucid dreaming, especially when I napped, but it doesn't really happen anymore. I sort of miss it.

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  13. I wish I was a lucid dreamer, it would be fun and really interesting to control what's going on...fascinating!! Wonder if I can teach myself how to do it?

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  14. I haven't for a long, long time--but I used to! I remember looking around and going, "This is a dream....you're all not real because this is a dream." LOL :)

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