Learning how to Lucid Dream

I was just wondering how others have learned to Lucid Dream? Were you always able to do this naturally, did you lucid dream as a child then loose the skill? Have you learned in adult life how to Lucid Dream with the aid of anything?

I can't be absolutely sure but I am pretty certain that I could Lucid Dream as a teenager - I could certainly fly but then I seemed to loose the ability into adulthood.

Recently I have been trying a few different things but the best technique for me seems to be to wake very early - around 4-5am briefly and as I drift back off to sleep I repeat to myself "I am aware, I am dreaming". If I get back into a dream quickly this seems to work well.

The other thing I have been doing is listening to a Lucid Dream MP3 which I found as a free download (PM me if you want more information). It includes singing bowls, sound of a waterfall, bird song etc and voices saying things like "I am dreaming, I am aware" etc.

You are supposed to listen to music when you wake up early and whilst you drift back off to sleep but I often find that I am too lazy to put the ear phones in, set the player going, select the file, press play etc etc. Listening to it before going to sleep though seems to have had a lesser but still quite discernable effect and helped me to remember dreams in much more detail.

With regard to remembering dreams - my hubby has never been able to remember his yet I asked him to simply say "I want to remember my dreams" a few times to himself before going to sleep - amazing, first night and he remembers and has since then!

I find dreams to be invigorating and even the scary ones, now that I have the capacity to be in control, are quite exciting rather than nightmares. I'd love to hear about everyone elses experiences with learning to Lucid dream and if anyone has used one of those Lucid Dream machines with the flashing lights - feedback on that would be very welcome!!

Millie

Lucid Dreams

Read the book "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep"
by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. It is the best book that I ever read on
Lucid Dreams. The East was into Lucid Dreams and using it for
spirtual development for a very long time. The book gives detailed
instructions for Lucid Dreaming using Lucid Dreaming as a spiritual practice.
Leleii

I am a regular lucid dreamer, which only started about a year ago. There is a website called varieties of lucid dreaming, where you can talk to other LD'ers about this. Worth a look.

Sue x

Fascinating topic !

Thanks Leleii

I've just ordered the book "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep" and another one called "Dreamgates: Journey into Active Dreaming" by Robert Moss. I'll let you know how how the 2nd one is in a few days when it arrives.

Has anyone ever tried Brain wave generator sounds. A lot of people swear by things like this and it does fit in with certain vibrational frequencies just like singing bowls emit.

I'm finding lucid dreaming a very enthrawling subject.

I had a really bad nightmare as a 3rd grader. I think I had always been able to lucid dream, I just didn't know it until after I had the nightmare. After the nightmare, if I started to have a scary dream, I would change it (when I would start to get scared, I would become aware that it was a dream and take control to end or change what was going on to move away from the scary stuff). I can replay "the good parts" and have dreams that carry on over multiple nights. I am sure there is other stuff going on that I don't remember, I am sure I am attaining REM sleep state and really dreaming because I am always rested and don't ever have the symptoms of REM deprivation.

I have always wanted to do more research into lucid dreaming but never got around to it. Thanks for a great question, Milfoil!!!

valeria

Lucid Dreams

Tell me about the Dreamgates book when it arrives. The Tibetian
book is very spiritual and deep, yet it describes lucid dreaming in a clear cut
matter. It has lots of spiritual exercises and meditations and it gets into
how lucid dreaming can help you in real life. It has complicated exercises and
simple ones. It even tells you in what position to sleep so that you can have
a lucid dream and what to meditate on whle you fall alsleep.
Anyway, when you get the Dreamgate's book, tell me how that differs from
the Tibetian book. It should be interesting.
Leleii

I've never tried the books or cd's - I simply just ask for a lucid dream - it sometimes doesn't work on the night I asked, it can be a couple of days later. Try some Amethyst under your pillow - that can induce vivid or lucid dreams.

Sue x

valeria said:

I had a really bad nightmare as a 3rd grader. I think I had always been able to lucid dream, I just didn't know it until after I had the nightmare. After the nightmare, if I started to have a scary dream, I would change it (when I would start to get scared, I would become aware that it was a dream and take control to end or change what was going on to move away from the scary stuff).

valeria

Click to expand...

I used to do that as a child and into my teens and up to my early 20's I guess. I might still do it on occasion.
Everytime I thought I was going to die or someone was going/trying to kill me I would kill them instead or change the dream in some way. Course looking back on it now I think it was a way of not facing my fears. I'd be in the ocean and sharks would be coming at me and I'd freak out out and make myself wake up or have something different happen.

I also find that alcohol in moderation (for me only a glass or so of wine) seems to help with dreaming & recollection whereas too much alcohol ruins it and I get very poor recall.

Cheese also seems to help with vivid dreams (esp a good Stilton!!).

Of course neither of the above have anything to do with Lucid dreaming but you have to be able to dream fairly vividly to start off with don't you?