So the first few times I used my NovaDreamer I had remarkeable success: the flashing LEDs resembled a brilliant white strobe illuminating my entire dream world, and I immediatel knew I was dreaming.

I limit my use of the NovaDreamer to weekends (though I use it as a sleep mask without turning it on nightly); these last two weekends I was disappointed to discover that while the NovaDreamer was going off, I wasn't seeing the cue...or it was waking me up.

One night it said it went off 13 times. I didn't see any of those in my dreams, though I did get woken up by two. A test of the REM detector shows that it is working normally.

Here's the thing: I did a sleep study at the Stanford lab in February. The daytime sleep study showed that I have a peculiar tendency to go into Stage 1 then Stage 2 sleep, but never into REM sleep during the 40 minute daytime naps. Oddly enough, I was in fact dreaming (I still recall several dreams from that study, including one where I shoved someone and twitched myself awake).

These types of Stage 2 dreams are substantially different from REM dreams...they are more 'wispy'-feeling, they're more like random musings than my usual full sensory dreams. This is the type of 'wandering mind' experience I hit while meditating. (Which raises the question: am I actually meditating, or am I in Level 2 sleep?)

At any rate, on Sunday I found myself repeatedly being woken up by the LEDs on the light sleeper setting. I saw all four flashes as if I was awake...that, and the feel of the dream lead me to believe that I was doing my weird 'Stage 2' dreaming thing.

How can I work my way past this? Is there another setting I should try? The first few times the NovaDreamer worked in a full-blown dream, it rocked, and I'd like to work with that some more, as it seemed to have helped with my 'angst dreams'.

Hi Gretchen!

Having used the NovaDreamer for several years now, I can assure you that there have been times when the cue has worked like a charm (one flash => instant lucidity!), other times when I've gotten a good, strong incorporation and either recognize it or not, and times when I've been amazed to learn that there were plenty of signals and yet I find no hint of a cue in the dream accounts of the night.

Over the years I've had to adjust the cue settings (mostly brightness and length) depending on my general level of awareness (frequency of state checking during the day), the degree to which I'm seriously focusing on lucid dreaming (intentions and specific goals), and on "cue habituation" (getting accustomed to the light stimulus).

My suggestion is to not worry about this too much, just keep track of your experiences. If you're waking too often, you can try shortening the cue length. If you're sleeping through all the cues for awhile, try variations of intensity, length or even style. You might also want to take a look at your current level of sleep needs. I know when I'm just dead tired, I can sleep right through the most dazzling of light shows.

May you catch the Light fantastic again soon, Keelin

PS: thanks for your thoughtful suggestions re marking the NoveDreamer ;->

Thanks for the advice, Keelin! Last night I started reading "The Promise of Sleep" which, while it doesn't address lucid dreaming, DOES address sleeping patterns and problems (I've got restless leg syndrome). It became pretty clear to me last night that I'm running a nasty sleep debt, so I went to bed early.

Around 7 am, after several nasty dreams where I spent far too long shrieking at loved ones, I decided it was time to get some REAL rest, and on went the NovaDreamer. :) Poof: instant good dreams, and I picked up the cues as the white strobes again!

So, my first goal is to get my sleep debt to a manageable level. I'll use the NovaDreamer anytime I have bad dreams, using it to 'cue' me that this is, in fact, a dream...and then I'll start working on lucid dreaming again. :)

Hi Gretchen,

Glad to hear you're seeing the ND cues again. Amazing what being well-rested can do in that regard! As a fellow "masked dreamer", I'm curious to know if you've had other cue incorporations besides the white strobes you mentioned. For me, incorporation has taken a variety of forms -- which certainly adds to the exciting challenge of catching them.

May you continue to see the Light -- in any way, shape or form, Keelin

Well, the strobe effect has always caught my attention, and seems to be the primary cue that I recognize. I've never seen anything else blinking, or glares of reflected light, and for whatever odd reason the light is always white instead of red.

On a good night, the NovaDreamer reports about 13 cues. I'll pick up and recognize at least three of those. I've no idea where the other ten go. :) It's very possible that the flash is incorporating itself so well into my dream that I'm not spotting it at all.

The alternative answer (which is probably more likely) is that I have a history of sleeping through anything and everything once I'm deeply asleep. I've been told I once latched onto my bedmate's pillow, and refused to give it up even after quite a bit of tugging. At the age of five, I once had a LiteBrite set plummet six feet off a shelf and destroy itself on my bedroom floor, waking up the entire house. I, however, slept right through the whole thing.

So I suspect that I'm missing the early cues, the ones that occur in the early hours when I'm probably dead to the world. Later in the morning, after 5 am, is probably when I'm seeing the cues.

After collecting more data over the weekend, here's what I found:

I got a pile of cues Saturday night. I had a really interesting dream involving a cruiseship with a casino and ice rink on board, and these little flying disc things that you could check out the shoreline in.

When I woke up, I went, "Woah! There went at LEAST five different cues in that one dream alone that I ignored!" I was seeing them as bursts of static...kind of like the late-night TV static pattern...that would obscure my vision. And in the dream, I'd shake my head and say, "Ooops, hang on just a sec, this thing is trying to tell me I'm dreaming and I already know that, shut off already!" On one occasion this happened while flying around on one of the disc-things, and happened right when I was trying to read a direction sign. I was mildly concerned that I was going to crash! :)

No lucid dreams, tho. :) I suspect as I eliminate my sleep debt I'll get back on track with that. I'm now going to bed an hour to two hours before my normal bedtime.

Hi Gretchen,

Your question about where the cues (of which you've no recollection) have gone is a familiar one. It may be that there are certain times within our REM periods where we're just more receptive to picking them up. I believe this is an area that is still being studied.

When I updated to the SuperNovaDreamer, I was able to set a specific "window" of time in which the cues would actually be delivered. This was especially beneficial for me, as having worked with the ND for several years, I'd become fairly habituated to the cues, so being exposed to them only in later (and longer) REM periods was quite helpful.

I shall be on the lookout for your "disc things"!

• Keelin

Hey Gretchen & Keelin!

Fascinating discussion of the NovaDreamer! I recently took the plunge, and finally got one as a birthday present from myself. I've been enjoying it and have also shared many of the experiences that Gretchen has described. For example, Gretchen noted that when in a sleep Level II "wispy" dream state, she noticed the flashes just as if she were awake, and found them annoying. I've found that that happens with me if the flashes start before I've fully entered REM sleep (i.e., probably in Level 2). This can be a problem if the sense of annoyance extends into the REM state. Thus, Gretchen also mentions being in a full-blown dream in which she reacted to cues by saying to herself "Ooops, hang on just a sec, this thing is trying to tell me I'm dreaming and I already know that, shut off already!" I have had a similar sense of half-consciously acknowledging the cues, and then ignoring them (much in the way I sometimes ignore my alarm clock). Only after waking up do I remember the vague sense of having ignored the cues several times. I'm wondering how to get beyond this. You guys seem to suggest that this is due to the brain's deep need for sleep, so maybe getting more sleep is answer. However, I am pretty careful about getting enough sleep. In fact, in order to reduce sleep loss, and maximize the potential of gaining lucidity through the cues, I've been combining use of the mask with the morning nap technique. That is, I only put the mask on after having gotten up 90 minutes earlier than usual, staying up about 30 minutes, then going back to sleep for 90 minutes. I then set the NovaDreamer to start flashing after 30 minutes, giving me an hour of cueing time.

Another interesting problem I've had is with maintaining the dream when I do notice the flash. This happened in a nightmare in which I had just become lucid due to the intensity of the emotions. I dreamed I was about to be taken outside to be shot by some guerilla fighters in a third world country in southeast Asia, and I was kissing my daughters goodbye for the last time. I suddenly became lucid and bent the guerilla's rifle barrels back like Superman, then took one of the guerillas with me as I levitated up through the roof into the sky! Suddenly, the NovaDreamer lights flashed, and I began to lose the dream. (It is interesting that the more lucid one is, the easier it is to see the lights without incorporating them into the dream. I either ignored or incorporated the earlier flashes when I wasn't yet lucid.) I read Keelin's article "Adventures with the NovaDreamer" (NightLight 7(1)) in which she describes the problem of being woken up by the flashes, and she says that she uses dream body spinning to overcome it. I still find this hard to do, though I've been trying dream body Aikido rolls, which I have much more experience doing in real life, and thus find easier to imagine doing. However, even with that, my success in extending dreams has been limited. I suppose practice makes perfect (or at least 'better'!).

Best regards,

Les

Hey Les! One of the alternatives to 'spinning' is to focus hard on a specific object or sensation, and bring your dream back that way.

The most successful lucid dream I've had so far, I was walking around in sandals. When the NovaDreamer flashed, I started to lose the dream...but suddenly I started feeling that horrible gritty, rough, broken poured tarmac sensation of the path under my feet, and I focused on that to bring the dream back in a rush. The key here is that I HATE walking barefoot on gritty surfaces.

I never seem to have enough presence of mind to 'spin' (even though I do this regularly as part of my tribal dance), but the feet thing does seem to work for me.

Hey Gretchen!

That sounds like an excellent suggestion! I'll try that!

I know I had some luck before with rubbing my dream hands together briskly (I think that may be a suggestion from "Exploring the World of..."). But just generally focusing on something in the environment sounds even easier. I think I recall Keelin suggesting something like that for getting back into a dream as well.

Best regards,

Les

I am thinking of buying a NovaDreamer, but it is rather expensive. I have had lucid dreams before, but they rarely last for more than a few seconds before they disappear. Will the NovaDreamer prevent this from ocurring, or will I consistently have lucid dreams, but only have them last two seconds? Please e-mail me with your answer, it would be much easier.

I've been delighted with my NovaDreamer (I won't travel without it. It's great for hotel rooms with thin curtains, or travel companions who flip the light on unexpectedly!). Your experiences with it are bound to vary over time, but there are many posters on this list who have had theirs for years and love them. I myself use mine for lucid dreaming work every weekend, and wear it every morning from about 5 am on (the point where too much light seeps into my bedroom).

Duration of lucid dreams will get better with practice (according to Stephen LaBerge's book "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming"...you get a copy of this with your NovaDreamer, plus a lucid dreaming workbook), but it can take a loooooooong time (or a short one). Your mileage will vary.

I'm sure that if you bought your NovaDreamer and didn't like it, you would have great success re-selling it at a slight discount on this forum. :)

For me it is rather difficult to wake up well rested when using a NovaDreamer.

Man, one has to be patient with ND. I guess, the trick is to adjust the human being and the electronic device to each other. Which make take quite a while (at least in my case).

People like myself are tempted to set the REM sensor to the maximum sensitivity level. As well as the cues brightness. (Otherwise they just do not notice the cues). Insomnia instead of lucid dreaming. Looks like a dead end, doesn't it?

I finally desided to stick to the manual and started with using the DreamAlarm function in combination with low sensitivity and brightness.

I can well recollect laaarge dream epsiodes but still don't remember if I have noticed the cues or not. What could you recommend, dear fellow-dreamers?

After using ND for 2 months I still cannot get used to the mask. If it is warm in the room the mask is too hot to sleep in. If it is cool, it just takes more time to get rested. Still, I prefer the second option. Is my case unique?

Nope, my first night with the NovaDreamer was a disaster! I was staying awake waiting for the cues!

The first thing I would do is fix the temperature in your room. I can't handle hot summer bedrooms, and had A/C installed last year. My bedroom is now 68 degrees every night, and I sleep much better (optimum sleeping temperature for humans is usually 65 to 68 degrees).

For the NovaDreamer, I started out using it only as a sleep mask, and worked on finding the optimal strap snugness...too tight, and I can't sleep, too loose and it slips off over my head. Once I got that, I simply slide it on over my head.

Then, I began wearing it as a simple sleep mask, leaving it turned off. Every night (and I mean EVERY night) at 5 am I wake up. This is probably due to the light seeping in around my curtains. At this point I put on the NovaDreamer, and go blissfully back to sleep.

I always leave my NovaDreamer on the '2' setting, the one for light sleepers. I don't catch ALL the cues it gives me, but last night there were at least three that I saw and which partially got away from me. :)

One thing you might want to do is reduce your sleep debt first. I find that if I'm behind on sleep, I just don't respond well to the cues or I don't see them at all. Most people find that being well rested is essential for lucid dreaming.

Hi Fellow Lucid Dreamers!

I'll respond first to Ryan's question. I think it is a very valid one, and worth publicly answering. You said: Quote:

I am thinking of buying a NovaDreamer, but it is rather expensive. I have had lucid dreams before, but they rarely last for more than a few seconds before they disappear. Will the NovaDreamer prevent this from occurring, or will I consistently have lucid dreams, but only have them last two seconds? I have shared your experience with very short moments of lucidity in dreaming. It is one of the topics of primary concern for me now in terms of developing my ability to lucid dream. (See the new thread entitled "Aspects of the Dream State: Length of Lucidity in Dreaming.") After waiting about 6 months, I recently laid down my money and bought a NovaDreamer. In my limited experience, the NovaDreamer has not been able to solve the "short moments of lucidity" problem for me. However, I have had those moments of lucidity much more frequently since I started using it. That is, the NovaDreamer seems to make it easier to have such moments. On the other hand, I have heard others (I believe Stephen B., and Keelin) comment to the effect that having multiple cues over the course of a dream can help one to maintain lucidity. That is, you see a cue from the NovaDreamer, become lucid, then start to lose lucidity, then see another cue, regain lucidity, etc. I haven't yet had much experience with that sort of thing. However, I am sure that it does work that for some people, and I hope it will for me soon.

I think the bottom line is that the NovaDreamer cannot "make you lucid" but it can help. But most of the hard work remains for the individual to do. The NovaDreamer can only facilitate the process of becoming aware which you have worked to develop on your own.

In response to Anton's question, I have also had some problems getting used to sleeping with the NovaDreamer. The two problems have been 1) getting used to sleeping with a mask on, and 2) getting over my excitement at the potential of having lucidity cues. The second problem has been worse than the first. I've been able to get used to wearing the mask after a few nights. But I've noticed on occasions when I wore it all night that my sleep was rather shallow because I was excitedly waiting for the cues to start. This becomes like a variant of insomnia. I sleep, but not at a deep enough level. Then, when the first cue comes, I'm wide awake and have a hard time getting back to sleep because of the cues that come after that. Interestingly, I haven't had that problem when I take a nap with the NovaDreamer. In any case, I think this problem will fade away as I get more accustomed to using the NovaDreamer, and the initial excitement wears off. I also have been experimenting with the controls, and think I've managed to find a cue that I like. So, I think you are right when you say that it takes patience, and that it requires adjustment of the person to the machine as well as the machine to the person.

Finally, in response to Gretchen, I think she is right about the possibility of reselling a NovaDreamer without much difficulty. I'm sure someone would be glad to buy it for a discount from anyone who had one and was unhappy with it.

Best regards,

Les

Thanks, Gretchen, Your advice to use Mode 2 was indeed useful. The next night I recognised 2 or 3 cues out of 14. I had a problem, however, to 'force' myself into the lucidity state. But this has to to do with something else, perhaps.

:) That's about my average too. I'll pick up maybe three, four cues out of about 13.

As far as achieving lucidity...intent definitely comes into play here. When my NovaDreamer was new, when the first cue showed up my dream-self said, "What the hell?!!.....OH! That's my NovaDreamer! I'm DREAMING!" Now that I've had it for some time, I find myself acknowleding that I'm wearing it in the dream, and ignoring the cues.

Pre-NovaDreamer I found it almost impossible to achieve lucidity in a dream. Going to sleep with intent didn't work; doing six or seven reality checks during the day didn't work. After I got the NovaDreamer I knew I could achive lucidity (having done it briefly).

Then one afternoon I struggled for several hours trying to install software on my computer. After the first forty minutes it suddenly hit me, "Geez, this is a lot like one of my dreams. Am I dreaming?" For the next couple of hours I kept chuckling as I did repeated reality tests using the Lucidity Institute business card.

To my stunned amazement, that night my dream-self recognized a serious of events as "too weird", and performed a reality test and immediately began flying...without using the NovaDreamer.

One technique will definitely complement the other. If I set a timer to do a reality check every hour, or successfully checked every time something weird happened, I'm positive I'd pick up way more NovaDreamer cues.

Hi all,

Yesterday I received the supernovadreamer in the mail. I was a bit suprised to find the electronics not very well protected and already got visions of it breaking down in a few months. I hope it's not as fragile as it looks. The same evening I set it to average sensitivity and on mode 2 (light sleeper).I thought I'd start out low. Throughout the night I woke up around 10 times each time remebering a dream. Yet I wasn't able to trace any light cues in the dreams.Except for one experience when the a bright white light and a blasting sound came at me. There was no dream story connected to this, but I'm sure it was the supernovadreamer. One of the dreams I had was on the topic of lucidity and I was semilucid in that one. Also, considering I normally remember having had around 2-4 dreams each night, and memorize around 1 or 2 dreams,the increase in potential dream recall is very significant I found using the novadreamer. I know I've had around 10 dreams and memorized 2 dreams of last night. I'd love to have lucid dreams, but I certainly can see the benefit of remebering more dreams also and where it may lead to eventually. Right now, as I'm writing this, I only remeber 2 dreams, but there was the potential for far more, which I haven't experienced before. I was busy enough with the novadreamer itself instead of starting memorizing dreams. If I would have, I could write down 10 dreams today instead of 2. Lucky me. One thing that bothered me was the strap around the head. I had it partially over my ears and it really started to hurt after a while. I have the same thing with headphones and it must be some sort of sensitivity I have to pressure at the ears. I had to loosen it that much that it dropped off my head at one point. I either will make the strap softer with some silk or something or I will put the strap above my ears the next night. Overall, I'm really am pleased with the novadreamer. "It does something". It improves dream recall a lot, which really is a necassity for having lucid dreams in my opinion. Also, it's a thrill that I'm constantly cued whenever i dream, very exciting technology. Remebering dreams is a piece of cake. And this is only the first night I'm using it. The problem is though whether i want to practice WILD's or whether I memorize the dream to write it up the next day after waking up. One precludes the other a bit, but maybe someone has some advice on this? I'm not in a hurry to have a lucid dream. I've had a lot of them in the past already and there's little doubt in my mind it will happen and the novadreamer will facilitate it.

Frederick

The NovaDreamer strap is the most problematic for me also. If I wear it over top of my ears, it likes to ride up on my face, thereby letting light in and waking me up. If I tighten the strap so it doesn't slide up, it puts too much pressure on my sinus area and keeps me awake. If I move the strap so it goes across my ears, that tends to work better.

I travel a bit, and my usual travel companion snores like you wouldn't believe. He also likes to stay up late reading. So I use the NovaDreamer as a sleep mask and use wax earplugs for the noise. I'm considering building some sheepskin 'ear mufflers' to attach to the mask to deal with the snoring. The cushioning of those should help your sore ears also.

As fragile as the NovaDreamer looks, as long as you aren't beating your face against the wall, punching yourself in the face, or forget where you put it in bed and lean an elbow square in the middle of it, it should be fine. It's probably in the most danger from elbows. I'm installing a hook on the wall over my bed to hang it when I'm not wearing it, so it's safe.

Gretchen...

Don't forget that for the batteries to last longer the Nova Dreamer has to be in the dark*

John

Hi all,

A week after having purchased the Novadreamer I've had some success. I use the Novadreamer every second night. The second night, when I actually did not use the Novadreamer, I had a WILD! I remeber quite a lot of dreams also. My goal for this month is to write up 50 dreams which I'll probably be able to reach.

One thing bothers me a bit though. I only recognized one light cue yet in my dreams. That's not a lot considering the amount of dreams I've had already using the Novadreamer. Yet I do wake up several times a night. I don't remeber waking up from the light cue, but I assume this to be the case. This leaves me with a bit of a dillema. If I would increase the lenght and intensity of the Novadreamer would I then increase the likelihood of the light cue being incorperated into the dream? Or would it just lead to waking up more often?

Ofcourse I'm gonna test it all out, but maybe somebody has some useful experience and advice for me so I find the perfect setting better.

I have no more problems with the straps by the way. My ears seem to have adapted to the pressure. Now it's just uncomfortable in a general sense, but definately worthwhile wearing.

Thanks for soothing my fears of the novadreamer breaking down Gretchen!

Frederick

I have been using the Nova Dreamer for about 6 weeks with some success (about 1 lucid dream a week). However, I've run into a problem with the Nova Dreamer going off during a lucid dream and waking me. This happened again just this morning. Has anyone else run into this problem and is there a way to stay in the lucid dream when this happens? I would appreciate any assistance. I've already tried 'spinning'.

This happened to me too! It turned out to be a phase that lasted for a week or two, then went away. As I recall I was really, really tired when that was happening, due to not sleeping well. After I got caught up on sleep that seemed to stop happening.

From what I've experienced and read from others (waves to Keelin) you'll go through SEVERAL phases with the NovaDreamer. I'm currently going through the phase where I see the cue, but I go, "Not now! I need to (do this thing in the dream), I know I'm dreaming go away!", which isn't TRUE lucidity but more of a kneejerk "Yayaya, go away" reaction.

Spinning doesn't work for me for whatever weird reason. What does work is other unusual sensations. I managed to stay lucid in one dream by focusing on the (to me) highly irritating sensation of my bare feet on rough broken-up tarmac.

I seem to be a deep sleeper as I am now using an intensity of of 5, 32 cues, 4 cues a second and I'm planning to go higher. Till know I thought I wasn't incorparating the light cues of the Novadreamer in my dreams, but I'm beginning to suspect they are far more subtle than I realize. How ambigious can dream signs be? Last night, I saw white painted indians in my dreams. Other possible dream signs I experienced before are "a white chicken laying a white egg", "slightly vibrant colors in dreams than usual", "the threat of artillary attacks but not actually seeing explosions". Do others experience such ambigious dream signs from the novadreamer? It's gonna be hard this way for me to recognize them.

Frederick

Dear Fellow Oneironauts,

Below are a few thoughts and suggestions in response to recent questions posted under the topic of NovaDreamer Experiences:

Dear Les and Joe:

I can relate to the situation both of you and Gretchen mention of being already lucid and finding subsequent cues from the NovaDreamer interruptive or annoying. In one rather pleasurable dream episode, I remember pleading "NOT NOW!!" But more effective in such circumstances seems to be a shift from focusing on the cue to tactile interaction with the dream scene. If the spinning technique isn't working well for you, I'd suggest hand-rubbing. I find that if I think too much about how disruptive the cue is in this type of circumstance, it becomes even more so. And if the brightness of the cue seems overwhelming, simply re-direct your gaze away from the light source. Looking at my feet (and dancing -- to stay engaged) usually works for me.

Les, you mentioned being disturbed by the cues going off while waiting to return to sleep. Have you been using the reality test button to set a cue delay? Each press (including the one you do for the actual reality test when you first wake) sets a delay of 10 minutes. When I wake mid-night, I usually press it a couple of times to allow a few moments for jotting down a note or two in my dream journal and for a few minutes of MILD.

Hi Frederick:

The WILDs which I've experienced have always been preceded by a variable amount of awake time. So I don't think that allowing a few moments to take notes about a fresh dream would necessarily preclude them. Often just a key word or phrase jotted down mid-night can trigger full dream recall in the morning. I find it's best to leave the light off when I make such notes and try not to move about too much.

As for mid-night awakenings in general, while the average person wakes several times during the night, most brief arousals go unnoticed. If you are currently focusing on dreams, and specifically on dream recall, however, you may be more aware of waking after each REM period. It is possible, of course, that cues from the NovaDreamer are indeed waking you. If this is your suspicion, but feel you may still need more time to recognize the cue, you might try a longer cue length at a lower intensity setting. The reason I suggest this is because I'm remembering a dream in which I was already lucid, and counted the flashes of a later ND cue. What surprised me was that the number of flashes was less than the actual setting -- which would indicate that even though I was aware of what the flashes meant, it still took a few moments for me to actually see the signal.

And Yes! NovaDreamer cue incorporations can be very subtle indeed! Which is why a very vigilant eye is worth developing while awake -- and worth bringing along while adream.

And for Gretchen: Just want to say THANKS! for your valuable comments and comforting assurance to all the new "masked dreamers".

Wising you all many (recognizable!) Qs in your Zs, Keelin

PS: Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Les!

Gretchen & Keelin,

Thanks for your advice on my problem of the Nova Dreamer waking me from lucid dreams. I'll be more prepared next time.

Pleasant Dreams!

• Joe

Hi Keelin & Gretchen!

Thanks for your ever-helpful advice!

I think the idea of hand rubbing or focusing on some other tactile sensation is a good one! Keelin's comment about setting the delay is also important. When I have enough wherewithall to plan carefully, strategically using the "cue window" in the SuperNovaDreamer helps a lot in terms of allowing enough time to get to sleep before the cues start. This also allows one to collect data on "undelivered cues."

Re. taking notes at night, I have been using my PalmPilot. It has a backlighting feature which makes it easy to write in the dark, and I am able to transfer data from it to my computer later, thus saving having to re-write everything on the keyboard.

And Keelin, on the topic of birthdays, Happy un-birthday to you, and all fellow oneironauts out there!

Les

Les-

I am relatively new to Lucid Dreaming, all of my instances with realizing I am dreaming often end up in me waking up immediately after the notion and my vision goes to black. I have good news for you. Although I am not very advances YET in lucid dreaming, I think you have a great idea with this palm pilot of yours. For one thing if you wake up in the middle of the night, you turn it on (thus killing 2 birds with 1 stone) see not only are you writing down your dreams, but let's just say the PalmPilot doesn't turn on? Bingo, reality test.

While I drifted off of my issue to congratulate Les on the perfect choice for a dream journal, let me persue my frustration. Whenever I do realize I am dreaming my vision in the dream goes away and then I feel an incredible amount of tingling in my body all over and then wake up. I know all of you are more advanced than I as of now in this field so any input would be greatly accepted by me on how to stop this damned blacking out.

Good Day, Pleasent Dreams. John

I have been using the Novadreamer for 10 days now and have only noticed cues twice. I am now at 20 flashes, intensity is at 4. What am I doing wrong?

I have never been able to induce lucid dreams while asleep. I am able to have WILDS approximatly once a month.

Currently I remember about 2 dreams a night.

I myself need the highest intensity and about 24 flashes. Took me a while till I found out I had to hike that thing up. No guarentee for lucid dreams though, but in my case it does bring waking life and dreaming life "closer together", so to speak.

I forgot to add. One cue a second.

Dear Ken,

Take heart, fellow masked dreamer! Twice in the first ten days is an accomplishment worth celebrating. As for increasing the likelihood of catching those cues at night, nothing beats developing a keen eye for lighting during the day. I found it especially beneficial to keep a daily list of each occasion in which lights caught my attention. It's also helpful to carefully review your dream accounts and take note of all possible incorporations of the light cue that you may have missed -- along with (and most importantly) the sincere intention to recognize them NEXT time!

Since you didn't mention these considerations, I'm assuming you're getting enough sleep and have already worked with the sensitivity setting.

Wishing you many sightings of Qs in your Zs, Keelin

Hi gang! Thanx for all the recent feedback about the N/D -- Ken & Frederick for your experimentation with different settings, and Keelin for your tip about watching for lights during the day. Working in a computer center, I've got a plethora of happy li'l lights (if not people) to observe! :) Had my first l/d in a while last night (after a brief summer vacation from my practice), using the good old generic #4 setting with the beeps. Set intensity at 7 and received 3 signals, one of which got thru to me in the dream state and then kept me lucid. I'll stay with that for awhile, log the settings to my SuperNova, and keep you guys posted. Your pal on the DreamNetwork -- Marz

Heureka! After reading Stephen's book and trying really hard for some 6 months without any success (and yes, from time to time I told myself not to take it to seriously and relax...) I started to doubt whether I would ever have a lucid dream.

I received the NovaDreamer 1 week ago (with the SuperNova interface), and BINGO!!! on my third night of using it (after I had found out that I really am a ver*y deep sleeper, and had set it accordingly) my FIRST LUCID DREAM EVER.

Very short, because my girlfriend woke me up, but definitely an experience!

Just wanted to state that here, there might be others in a similar situation wondering whether to invest...

Wolfgang

Welcome to the club, Wolf!

Those pesky girlfriends can be worse than cats! ;) As for your first lucid dream, quoth the proverb:

"If one drop falls, why not two?"

Stephen

Hi everyone

This is my first time posting here, I bought the nova dreamer about 8 months ago. I put it off for a while and began using it now for 2 weeks. One thing I couldn't get was that I thought that only unusual lights would be produced in my dreams from the novadreamer, but I'm getting the most usual lights, like the television, and ordinary lamps. How do I prepare for this? Since I encounter these lights literally hundreds of times during the day, I couldn't possibly do that many reality checks. I would appreciate any help you can offer on this.

Thank you

Dear Vijai,

Ah yes, the brain can be quite clever when it comes to incorporating and inventing rationalizations for that intrusive light cue! Of course it's much easier to discern the true meaning of the NovaDreamer cues when they are blatant (the entire scene suddenly flashes dramatically) or when they appear completely out of context (a knight in shining armor shows up at your family reunion). But now you know from your own experiences why the daytime practice of noticing light is so essential to working with the NovaDreamer.

My suggestion regarding your question about how best to go about this would be to approach the exercise with reasonable moderation. You might try setting a variety of specific goals each day. For example, on one day, set your intention to notice the first time you see a car's turn signal, the light in your refrigerator, and the sunshine. The next day, your goal might be the first time you see the light on your computer monitor, a car's headlights, and the first twinkling star. Choosing different goals daily will keep the exercise interesting and help develop your flexibility. Eventually, you will find your attention is more easily snagged by sudden light in any situation.

May your dreams be filled with Light, Keelin

Thank you Ms. keelin, I appreciate your suggestion, this sounds like a great idea, and I'm going to get started on this right away.

I just had my first Nova Dreamer experience last night. Although I've been a "natural" lucid dreamer for years, I couldn't pass up the $100 discount for the winter sale.

Anyway, I put it on and set it to the "light sleeper mode." I'm waiting for permission from a moderator to discuss the very first dream I had with the Nova Dreamer. It was non-lucid, but the side affect of wearing the mask wrapped (maybe too tightly) around my head, and the flashing lights, actually caused a very interesting erotic dream. Details upon request.

Anyway, I figured I should set it to the next level up" the medium sleeper level. The next dream I had (I know because I checked the cue count) came about two hours later. I started dreaming, and became lucid by myself. Just as I became lucid, I looked up and said "Duhhh" Reality Check." I said it this way because it was, for some reason, very obvious that I was dreaming. The instant I said this and was looking up at something, the Nova Dreamer started flashing VERY bright red lights. I saw them plainly and clearly, and so brightly that in my dream I was even worried that it had actually blinded me. The whole dream went black (although I think I was still dreaming for several seconds of blackness). I woke myself up to see if I really had gone blind, but, of course, I was fine. I found out that I had received only one cue, which was the one I saw after I had already become lucid on my own.

After this, I was a bit annoyed and very tired, so I took it off and tried to get some sleep. I'll try again in a day or two.

dv

Hi Keelan, I have not used the NovaDreamer yet. I am taking my time to do it right. I am spending a lot of time on dream recall. I have had 3 lucid dreams since I began practicing. That was 4 months ago. My first question is, while I like the idea of increasing my chances for a Lucid Dream with the machine, Will I decrease my chances for a "natural" Lucid Dream by using it? Secondly, I have read many accounts of others' Lucid Dreams. They talk of increased clarity, beautiful colors, increased detail. My 3 LD's seemed to have very subdued lighting. One of them was at night with very dim street lights. The other two had very soft lighting. How do I get those beautiful colors and the inhanced scene that others talk about when they find they are having a Lucid Dream?

Hi Terry,

While using the NovaDreamer can certainly increase the likelihood of your having a lucid dream, I see no reason why it would lead to a decrease in your ability to become lucid without it. It's important to keep in mind that it is not the NovaDreamer that causes lucidity (i.e.: the device cannot force you to recognize the dream state). While it can be relied upon to deliver timely cues, it's up to the dreamer to interpret those cues correctly.

If you aren't already doing so, I'd highly recommend following the "Course in Lucid Dreaming" (included in the NovaDreamer package). It is designed not only to help prepare you to catch the light cues specifically, but also to assist in the development of critical awareness in general. As a result of this training, you will be much more likely to have lucid dreams -- with or without the aid of an external device.

Regarding the enhanced clarity, color intensity and increased detail that dreamers sometimes report at the onset of lucidity, I can only say that while I have experienced this on occasion, it is not something that happens every time I become aware that I'm dreaming. When it does occur, it can be rather astonishing, and yet, in some ways, it is not unlike what happens in waking life when one devotes full, focused attention to something (although in dreams, the experience might include a perspective unattainable in waking life.

Wishing you a splendid, light-filled journey, Keelin

Hi all:

I used to own a Novadreamer(ok, I still do but havn't used it in a while) and would like to continue using it in the hopes that I can have a lucid dream. However, there is this problem I have with it. Of course we all know it is uncomfortable, but most of that can go away after a few weeks(months). My problem is that I remember around 1 dream a night(finally, most nights anyway) but this dream is at the end of my sleep right before I have to get up. When I use the novadreamer I tend to wake up a few times before that and by than[when I have the dream I remember] the novadreamer has been ripped off my face so of course no chance for a cue.

Also, I remember when I did use the novadreamer in the past I had hardly ever remember seeing a cue in a dream even when I was able to remember a dream while still wearing the NV, and this is on the highest settings[brightness etc.]

Any suggestions on how I can get around these(especially the first problem) and any other problems people have using the novadreamer would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Hi Keelin! I don't know if you remember me but we talked about lucid dreams over e-mail I think 3 years ago, may be more though, and thought you to be one of the most knowledgable on the subject. Anyway, just saying hi.

Joseph, who has been trying to have lucid dreams for many years and is still hoping one day to wake up and be a natural lucid dreamer, or have a good solid 10 minute vivid lucid dream, whichever comes first :)

E-mail has changed to jc5816@worldnet.att.net, wonder why I can't change my e-mail in Edit Profile

Hi Joseph!

Indeed I do recall our dream correspondence of a few years back. Glad to hear you're ready once again to don the mask!

Below are a few suggestions in response to your present concerns:

If you haven't already done so, or as a refresher, I'd highly recommend doing the "Course in Lucid Dreaming" that comes with the NovaDreamer. It is an excellent step-by-step guide and, as you know, it includes daytime exercises as well as a variety of nighttime techniques. Specific instructions for working with the NovaDreamer are given throughout.

Increasing your dream recall would also be beneficial. With this in mind, you might try using the Dream Alarm on the NovaDreamer. Although it will wake you during REM, you will consequently have more opportunity to record your dreams. Then you'll have a chance to start focusing specifically on the dream signs that may work best for you. You may also find that the cues are actually showing up in your dreams, but have been so cleverly incorporated that you just didn't catch them. Again, the daytime practices suggested in the Course will help sensitize you to the spectrum of light anomalies that may occur in your dreams.

Having a specific goal in mind to accomplish in your next lucid dream will provide great incentive for becoming lucid. You can practice attaining your goal during the day through active visualization. Imagine you have just realized you are dreaming, rehearse your intended goal and promise yourself that the NEXT time you are dreaming, you will remember to recognize it!

May you soon see the Light -- and know its true meaning ;->, Keelin

PS: Regarding the update of your e-ddress:

Go to Edit Profile > Information About You > (here is where you update your e-mail address). Be sure to click on the "SAVE THIS INFORMATION" button. If this doesn't work, let me know and I'll try to update it for you.

Thanks Keelin:

I recently bought a device similiar to the PEST(of which I do own) but is more practical. This is a vibrating watch. I set it for every hour and it vibrates on my wrist to remind me to do a reality check. This was better than the PEST since the PEST I had trouble where to place it, also it is more practical on my wrist. So I have been doing reality checks for the past 3 weeks(truth be told, within the first 2 weeks I had three "very semi" lucid dreams where I may have thought it was a dream, or the concept occured to me, but in all the cases I didn't have enough logic to actually do something about it(hence the very semi). However, none of them where from reality checks and I didn't do a reality check in any of my dreams(this was why I stopped a few years back, after 4 months of reality checks and not doing them in my dreams I got disappointed). This is for anyone who is interested in the reality check reminder idea.

Ok, back to the ND. I have a very bad problem with waking up from the Dream Alarm, once I do I can't fall back asleep! This happens any time I wake up in middle of the night(even this morning when I woke up a half hour earlier than usual I couldn't fall back asleep). I don't know how to get by this sleeping problem so can't increase my recall more than its current 1 a night(which for me these days is great, took me 3 years to get to this stage).

I'll try to do the course again and come up with a goal(the goal thing isn't hard to do).

Oh, and one of the Moderators changed my e-mail for me. Seems in the edit profile the option of changing e-mail isn't allowed, strange.

Again, thanks Keelin!

Hello all,

I received my Nova Dreamer yesterday, I'm very excited! I tried it on last night, but unfortunately I was too tired (I drank too much alcohol, came home late, and saw the ND had arrived, it was lying on the kitchen table) too remember any dreams. I'm practicing the course on lucid dreaming now and I can't wait to try out the ND again! Greetings, Owen Knoote

Hey, Owen!

I recieved my SND a while back, and while school and work have kept me from getting almost ANY sleep, I have found it very helpful to become conscious of my waking state as well as my dreams. I'm 20, if you want to e-mail me, i love to talk about this stuff! darainking@yahoo.com

Tom Gleason

Hello, I bought a Novadreamer. I've been using it for sometime now without success. I see the cues in the dream in a lot of forms. They are so well planted in the dream. Car lights, Flashlight...

I read about a way to use the Novadreamer to induce false awakaning. There is very little information in the manual of the Novadreamer. How do I induce the false awakaning? I think the false awakaning is the best methode, because I do reality check in the morning. Thanks, my e-mail is: guyw@zipmail.com

Guy.

Hi Guy,

It's great that you know the Nova cues are being incorporated into your dreams. Sounds like the problem is you are not noticing these cues until AFTER you wake up and recall a dream? Are you doing your daytime practice of being on the look out for bright/unexpected/etc. lights and doing a reality check when you find them? Once this habit becomes deeply engrained into your waking consciousness, it will be much easier to carry this reflective awareness to the dream state and become lucid. For more detail see your NovaDreamer manual.

If you're remembering at least 1 dream per night and the above still doesn't work, something else you might try is turning up the brightness setting of the lights slightly so they show up more clearly in your dreams (but of course not so bright they wake you up).

As you know, a false awakening means you think you are awake but you are actually asleep still. Getting in the habit of pressing the Nova button between your eyes each time you wake up (even during the night) to see if it functions normally or in an odd "dreamy" manner could be quite helpful in reaching lucidity, too. If the button malfunctions, delays, etc. that's your clue that you're probably dreaming--and it's time to go explore your lucid dream. . .

Best Wishes, Nibbana

Dear Guy,

If you've been seeing the NovaDreamer cues in your dreams, this is a very encouraging start! All you need to do now is to train your mind to make the correct association between those flashing lights and their true significance. The exercises in the "Course in Lucid Dreaming" (that comes with the NovaDreamer package) are specifically designed to help you develop this essential skill.

As for the ND "inducing" false awakenings, it sounds to me like there is some minor confusion here. Occasionally the cue may interrupt the dream in such a way that the current scene is totally obliterated while the REM state remains undisrupted. When that happens, the dreamer might assume that he or she has actually awakened. To accommodate that belief, it's not too surprising that the brain then creates a rather convincing mental model of the dreamer lying in bed wearing the NovaDreamer mask. And unless one is in the habit of doing a reality check upon assumed waking, it's quite easy to be fooled. However, by pressing the Reality Test Button on the mask, the dreamer can instantly determine his or her true state.

So it isn't exactly that the ND causes the false awakening, but rather that it acts as a contributing factor in such instances as described above.

Hope these comments are helpful for you, Keelin

Thank you very much for responding.

From now (after I have read your responds), I will do much more reality checking.

Today I found my self in the morning, with out the Novadreamer on me. Last night, I've set the novadreamer to mode 1 and it was very wierd, because I woke up, and it was on mode 9. I thought it was a dream, but the Novadreamer showed I was wrong. :)

Thank you. Guy.