Anyone want to share the first lucid dream you can remember?

Mine happened when I was in university. Unfortunately I didn't write it down, but it made quite an impression and the general details have stayed with me.

I'm walking on a dark and rainy night in the university campus. There are crowds of people all around, everybody seems rather despondent and the atmosphere is gloomy. Suddenly I realize I'm dreaming and I start running around excitedly shouting at the top of my lungs, "I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming!" Such is my elation that I start waking up, so to stay in the dream I focus on the motion of my legs walking, and soon I am well back in the dream - so much so that I lose lucidity. Shortly thereafter I get on an elevator with two beautiful women. We have an uneventful elevator ride after which I wake up.

It has occured to me that this dream may have had a very different ending had I still been lucid when I got on the elevator... ;) Perhaps that was my dreaming mind's way of pointing out some of the potential rewards for efforts to attain and maintain lucidity.

Hey there. I'll never forget my first time. A few years before I'd seen a story about the DreamLight on a show called "Beyond 2000" on the Discovery Channel. For some reason I remembered it one night and searched the internet for any info. Having found the L.I. web site I began reading anything I could click on to learn how to do it. Shortly thereafter I ordered a NovaDreamer. But before it even arrived I had my first lucid dream, probably because I was to obsessed with the idea.

I was laying in bed with my wife one evening, when I decided to do a quick reality check before dozing off. I'd been using my digital watch because it beeps when you push the button. Everything was normal (darn!) Then shortly after I did it again and to my amazement it made a "squirt-gun" noise" Battery must be going dead'. No, wait" weak batteries don't do that! I immediately rolled over and told Cindy "Honey, I'm dreaming! I actually did it!!!" She was very proud of me, at least my dream-wife was proud of me. I couldn't believe how clear and detailed our dream-bedroom was" absolutely amazing. And the feeling of complete freedom was beyond description.

However, armed with the knowledge I'd spent days reading about I decided to test the dream. I remembered all the emails I'd received from other lucid dreamers, and various experiments that were presented in past issues of NightLight. I knew I had the ability to pass through solid objects, but I wondered about the solidity of my own dream body. I remember saying to dream-Cindy "Hey honey, watch this'" I got out of bed, held up my left hand and proceeded to run the other hand right through the palm. When I pulled it back out the hole filled in almost immediately, as if it were liquid. Kind of reminded me of the cop guy in Terminator 2. Dream-Cindy was as amazed as I was. In my elation I decided to fly (float actually). Standing by the foot of the bed I told dream-Cindy "If you thought that was cool, watch this'" I then floated up and over the bed where I assumed a horizontal position, drifting until I was directly above her face to face. I then gave her a passionate kiss. Only our lips touched as the rest of me hovered above her motionless. That has to be my all-time greatest make-out session.

When we finished, I recalled a NightLight experiment about seeing yourself in a dream-mirror. So happens we have a real life full-length mirror just outside our bedroom door. Sure enough it was in the dream too. But as I stood in front of it, it scared me half to death (which makes me wonder what would have happened if I'd looked at it twice.) My reflection was only a dark silhouette of a thin, frail body, like that of one who died of starvation. Completely featureless, and distorted. The experiment suggested that I walk through the mirror, but fear got the best of me. How could a dream so beautiful turn so frightening? I decided to return to the bedroom where I told dream-Cindy what happened. As I stood there beside her I could see the dream starting to fade to black and white, and clarity was beginning to diminish. Remembering that "spinning" was a great way to remain lucid I did so. "I'm losing it" I told her. Shortly thereafter I woke up. I was extremely excited about having just been lucid, but the real Cindy didn't appreciate being woken up just to know this. Bummer (or is it "Bumber"? Spell-check doesn't like the latter.)

Anyway, my first time left such an impression on me that I've been obsessed with getting back there ever since. Remember the "Nexus" from the Star Trek T.N.G. movie? What do you want to bet one of their writers is a lucid dreamer? By the way, you mentioned elevators. Both myself and Keelin have found that elevators are strong personal dreamsigns. If my memory seves me, Keelin can't step into one without doing a reality check!

Thanks for sharing your first L.D. experience. And thank you for allowing me to share mine. La la la la - L.I.B.A.D.

Respectfully, Brian

Hi Brian,

An amazing dream! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Your writing of it allowed me to imagine it quite clearly. But I also realized while visualizing your dream that the details I was imagining were all taken from my own experience (e.g., the bed looked like my bed, the bedroom, like my bedroom). I realized that my ability to imagine things is, like my dreams, limited to my experiences. This struck me as sort of sad, but as also being an interesting insight into the workings of my mind.

BTW, I wonder what the significance of the mirror image was? It is funny how a dream can seem so totally under one's conscious control, and then pop up with something so surprising and inexplicable.

My initiation into the world of lucid dreaming is hard to pinpoint exactly. As a child, I had episodes in which a certain tacit awareness allowed wonderful, flighty adventures. But at age eleven, when my newly deceased father began to appear in my dreams, I joyfully came to realize some of the possibilities of that extraordinary state. And although I was unaware of the term "lucid dream" at that time, I knew these spontaneous experiences were surely not of this everyday world. Still, it was several years before I learned that this type of dreaming could be accomplished intentionally and that there were even methods for prolonging the state. (From the bottom of my heart, Thank You, Stephen!)

In one of my first recorded lucid dreams that I can recall off-hand, I commented to friends: "' and to prove this is a dream, I'll jump out this second-story window!" And as I passed through the window frame, I distinctly recall thinking: "Ah, but I've been wrong before!" Fortunately, I found myself hovering nicely with a pleased (and very relieved) expression mid-air. That was before I learned about reality checks!

;-> Keelin

PS: You're right about the elevators, Brian. On one memorable occasion, a waking life elevator misbehaved and I casually remarked aloud to fellow passengers: "Perhaps this is dream!" Whereupon a woman looked at me and said:" Oh no, I ALWAYS know when I'm dreaming! This is REAL!" Which, of course, made me all the more suspicious that she might in fact be one of those ever-clever and mischievous dream characters..

Hi Lester. Interesting you mentioned that. I also find that some of my visualizations are based on a "complete" experience. However, I find that most of them just seem to materialize at random, comprised of bits and pieces of what I call "partial experiences", seamlessly joined together into a totally new environment. When reading a novel I often visualize a room the writer describes in a way totally unlike anywhere I've ever been. Yet I think we all have a basic understanding of walls, doors, windows, lighting, paint, materials, shapes, etc. Like mental building-blocks these "elements" of experience can be freely rearranged into new environments that make sense to the reader'or dreamer. I think the distinction between the two deserves some research (How about it Dr. LaBerge? Does the reading brain in any way parallel the dreaming brain on an EEG?)

Anyway, thanks for letting me share. Happy dreaming! Respectfully, Brian

Hi Brian,

I definitely think we can create novel combinations of parts of visual experiences we have had before. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to dream of going someplace we had never been before. But somehow, when I visualized your bedroom, mine came up as a default setting. Perhaps it is because that set of images is so highly activated for me, due to its recent frequency. That isn't to say that I am incapable of visualizing other sorts of bedrooms, just that my own came up instantly as the "default."

On the question of visualizing when reading and when dreaming, I would hazard a guess that they both use much the same visual centers of the brain. That is not to say that the other centers of the brain used in the two situations (dreaming and reading) would be the same--they must surely be different in important ways. (For example, you have to use lower level print decoding, phonetic recoding, syntactic parsing, and other language related sections of the brain in reading that presumably would not necessarily be needed while dreaming, unless you were reading in your dream!)

I understand that Dr. LaBerge has compared the EEGs for visualizing and dreaming and found some differences, but I don't know what these are. In fact, I'd be very interested to know what differences there are between the visual processing of dream imagery and waking mental imagery. Dr. LaBerge, can you tell us anything about this?

Thanks for engaging in this discussion. It's fun!

Best regards,

Les

From: Roberto, Italy This was my first lucid dream: I was in a large building with many rooms sunk in darkness. I hardly could see a lighting control panel and tried to switch on all the lights without touching the switches. I managed to switch on all the lights only by thinking and was very happy of this successful magic operation. I was in a supermarket full of products. At this point I realized that I was dreaming. There were many people in that place and I thought 'in a low voice': "This is a lucid dream! All these people must not know that I'm a lucid dreamer. They don't know that they are in a dream, but I do!" I carried out other magic operations and attracted some large bottles which flied with docility towards my hands, while I wandered about the supermarket. Unfortunately, I was so happy to be in a lucid dream and to have magic powers that I lost lucidity and fell asleep again.

Here's my first lucid dream. I had this when I was 16 years old, after about 10 days of practicing and checking my digital wrist watch every so often during the day for a reality check.

In my dream, I was sitting at a desk at school, listening to another boring lecture by my English teacher. I checked my watch out of boredom, and noticed the time, of 11:25. I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to look again, and when I did, the time had completely changed! Well, thats an instant Dreamsign if I ever saw one (oooooh and I have). However, to make sure I wasn't imagining things, I looked again, and the time had once again totally changed! I was so excited that I screamed at the top of my lungs, "THIS IS A DREAM!" Without waiting for the response from the other people in the classroom, and leapt into the air (I have always wanted to fly, so I figured I would take my first opportunity) Passing through the wall was like passing through "thick air". Immediatly after I jumped out of the classroom, I found myself in my house. I flew through the wall and into the back porch, but could not pass through the metal porch (I can still not pass through metal in my lucid dreams). Anyway, I tried numerous times to achieve total flight in my backyard, but I could never stay in the air (have since overcome that to some degree.) At this point I was struggling to stay asleep. I recalled the technique of "Spinning" and it worked like a charm. I stayed lucid. Afterwards, I had a sexual encounter, but must have gotten to excited at some point and was pulled out of the dream. I couldn't stop telling people about the dream the next day. It was so exciting. I still have some problems I am addressing about the dream state, but that was my humble beginning, and the start of my addiction and awakening to another world that I was missing, 8 hours out of every day.

Ryan

so far I had 2 lucid dreams. I just had one recently, since I started getting interested in this topic. but my first lucid dream I can remember must have happened when I was about ten. I dreamt that some guy wanted to shoot me. when he put the gun to my head, I laughed at him, and said:" you cant shoot me, its only a dream". that was my first lucid dream.

peace!!

My own lucid dream story. (briefly) I came upon lucid dreaming by accident as a child. I used to have these nightmares/ night terrors that I was drowning back in the late 1950's and early 1960's. I would be very deep in a pool or lake and not be able to get to the surface in time. I would wake up gasping for breath, heart pounding and quite scared. I had these dreams about once a month for several years.

Then one dream, I just decided to breath in the water. To my shock and delight, I could breath under water! The transition was slow, but I eventually was able to nearly always breath in the water and go on delightful underwater adventures. The problem was that as soon as I realized it was a dream, I would become very disappointed - devastated, and wake up. Soon the water breathing turned to flying in dreams, but I still experienced the same disappointments and early awakenings.

As I began to come into puberty and explore my sexuality with dream characters, the event began to have a kind of intrinsic reward and the early awakenings were delayed. Later, as I became interested in dreams in general, I began exploring the imagery of the dream itself, and to this day I'm still fascinated by the phenomenological material of the dream itself. Its so real! (sometimes). But it never occurred to me that the lucid dream was something I might bring about. I would enjoy them when them occurred, but never considered increasing the amount or controlling the time in the event itself.

Then I came across LaBerge's book Lucid Dreaming and realized that what I was doing was being called lucid dreaming by him and others. And not only were other people doing this, but with great success in controlling and sustaining the event. I tried his MILD techniques and sure enough, I could increase the amount of lucid dreams and the time spent in them. But it was a lot of work, and I eventually gave up the practice. Later, I liked the NovaDreamer, but I moved around too much during sleep and I broke it. (Is there a free fix-it service?) When I first started using the NovaDreamer I only had incorporation dreams at first. I would see flashing red lights at dream traffic stops, see flashing red lights on workman's sawhorses, and see alien flying saucers flashing lights. I also had these annoying dreams where I was blind because I was wearing a mask. I recall one in particular where I was on a motorcycle and so I couldn't reach up to take the mask off! Finally I had a dream where I was in a kitchen talking with an unknown woman and asked her why the toaster was blinking. She gave me the bread out of the toaster and said something about it being a "toast" to me for recognizing the dream light. I became excited and thought I might be dreaming. I was fascinated by how "real" the piece of toast was, down to the smallest detail. The whole room seemed to glow and I felt delighted.

-Richard rcwilk@dreamgate.com

The reason I am here is basically, probably due to my first lucid dream. I can't say for sure but if I hadn't had so many tastes of what I now know as lucid dreams, I don't think I would have considered ordering the Nova Dreamer. As soon as I started reading off of this Website I knew, I just knew that what I've been doing all these years was lucid dreaming. Too vivid to ever even effectively describe. I've never told this to anyone before, so I almost feel like I'm at a "DA" meeting. My first lucid dream, I was probably 8-10 years old. My bed had a large shelf off to the right about 2 feet up about 1 foot wide where I would put stuff.....I woke up one night, the light in the room was on, and these miniature people were walking on the shelf towards me. One in particular seemed to be in charge or in front, and he talked to me as I sat up. The strange thing was that when we were face to face, that one figure became my size. I never saw the figure grow, it was just suddenly my size. I have no idea what was said, but the figure became small again and the bunch walked off. I remember thinking in the dream that "this is a dream, it has to be". The vividness and realism of that scene to this day makes me wonder if it was real. As bizarre as the whole thing was, I still wonder if it was just a dream. That is the kind of overwhelming power that the lucid dream has had even this many years later. How could something so obviously not real even make me question it's realism? I found this Lucidity Website by surfing the web, and now I know that what I had was a lucid dream. So now I've ordered the Nova Dreamer because many hundreds of times I've questioned myself within my dreams. Other than easily flying, or rather floating in my dreams, I've never actually pursued doing more, although so many times inexplicably I've been to places I've never seen before. I still don't know what that's all about. I think the whole theory of "Reality Tests" is a very brave endeavor because 99.9% percent of our population would say "You're nuts" if they heard me uttering "is this real", and then touching the mirror. I realize that to achieve control over the places I've been, I must do this, and with the images and feelings these places have left me, it's so worth it. In "reality", Reality Tests are not so strange. Our population is so ignorant with what it feels it "knows". I feel we only really know about 1% of our own reality anyway. Remember, the earth was once flat.... Thank you for this Website. Regards.....Udo

I was about 8 years old and I had a nightmare that a bunch of other kids and I were trapped in huge McDonalds playground. Some fat man kept us locked in. After lots of escape attempts I finally escaped but the fat man noticed so I ran and hid behind a bush. Then I noticed a policeman in the distance, however I didn't want to stand up and risked being seen by the fat man. So instead I just stayed there and then the fat man caught me and I woke up. When I awoke I decided I wanted to have the same dream again. But skip to the very end. When I fell asleep I dreamed I was hiding in the same bush and I realized I was dreaming. As soon as realized I was dreaming I got up and sprinted twords the police officer. He arrested the fat man, the end. I woke up happy.

This is the first lucid dream I had within a week of taking delivery of my NovaDreamer back in November '97 - what follows below is the original extract from my electronic dream journal:

Last night, the flashes had gone off several times in my dreams without me initially recognizing them but then it hit me what was going on. I was at my parents' old house and there was a thunderstorm going on outside and the NovaDreamer flashes were manifesting themselves as lightning! Then I realized suddenly that I was dreaming and it was intensely exciting. I was consciously aware that I was in a dream so I decided to examine small details like the door to their bedroom that I was walking through, I could reach out and actually 'feel' the doorframe with its intricate grooves, and the roughness of the paint on the wall. Then I said to myself, "Well, this is a dream and I'll just confirm this by floating carefully and slowly over to the other side of the room" and with a gentle push of my legs I flew gracefully to the point that I was looking at. Then I looked through their window to the outside back garden where we had a swimming pool, so I decided that I'd float through the window and, as I was dreaming, there was no point in opening it, I could just float straight through, so I did! No hesitation and no doubt about it! As soon as I was outside, I could really feel the outside air, hear birds chirping, and even see flecks of sunlight glinting off the surface of the pool. The colours seemed so vivid and intense, not any more unrealistic than real life, I just think that I was just more aware of them. I noted to myself at this point that again I knew I was dreaming and that I should note that it was extremely realistic and virtually impossible to distinguish from the waking world, the detail and 'feel' of it was exceptionally realistic. At this point, I began to float up above the pool and became so excited that I woke up (a common problem I understand with new lucid dreamers), but I had a big smile on my face and a renewed resolution to pursue this desire for lucidity!

There've been many more since then, but this is one of the most memorable and realistic. Do others find that the first is often the best, or am I not trying hard enough?!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts...

Nick

Hi everyone,i had my first lucid dream at the age of 19(by the way my name is Jeff i am new here and from the Netherlands).I was walking in my neighbourhood,it was a black and white dream(no colour for miles around)and i suddenly realized that i was dreaming.wowi thought,i will soon wake up and start my day...wat shall i do next??I then saw the store at the end of the street where i usualy bought my food. Trick or treat i thought,and i went to the store and entered it and soon i was eating chips and al kind of cookies and loads of chocolate. I was realy wondered how real it al tasted.Then the store owner confronted me by saying that i had to pay for all that.I was amused and said to himCome on man...this is a dream. And i left the store.A few moments later i woke up and thought this was a wonderful experience. A year later i began to realize that u could use these conscious dreams for sleep research.

greetings, Jeff.

Two parallel realities, bodies of human beings, body of creation and imagination of human beings and of creation.Dreams, and all scientific realities, between the two.What happens between these two certainties narrows the field of concern. One reality to two human beings:women and men,not only physically different, but physiologically, psychically, different. Division of cosmic labor:human fusion and fission.Creation and creators are a free meal in the infinit and finit attraction and logic of it all, but everything else is crudelly itemized to cost, the best caution might be "do not do for humans what they do better themselves". Lucid dreaming is a result of many factors, privates and generals,armies of cosmic truths and facts earned by lovers of truths for truth'sake. Claiming our own imagination scientifically from the "pack" might reveal the clearest contact to our universal imagination, instead of any other universal"provider".Our "factories" and refineries, the human body,mind, brain trilogy might survive more successfully to continuity, all dream venues more accuratly computerised, and protected.

My first LD was in the night of July 20th, 1996. It was a direct result of dream recording. I started record my dream in July 11th, 1996. 1:45 pm - Suddenly I found myself flying over the Zavitan canyon in the Golan hights, Israel. [that morning I was planning a journey with my kids to the Zavitan canyon and I looked at some pictures of it. I also had an argument about it with my wife. that made me take a nup when I am "alert" and angry]. I felt the wind on my hair as I flew with my arms spread. I knew it was a dream and I was smiling. I could also feel my body position in bed, and to my surprise, I felt my eyes moving fron side to side as suppose to be in REM condition. I woke up with an ear-to-ear smile.

I forgot to add previously that I owed my lucid dreams to art and intellectual success, but the year I connected with dream research I stopped dreaming. The sensitive difference between one mind and all or any of them must have been at work, in our western view of earth and its solar system.Imagination will have to be secured as personal property for us to lucid dream more successfully.Will look forward to yours, until mine under "Post your lucid dream", my favorite part of this site.

I need a bit of help...

I'm a beginner trying to have lucid dreams. I have been learning dream recall and using the NovaDreamer.

I suppose by definition, I've had two lucid dreams by now. Unfortunately, I don't know if they are classified as "true" lucid dreams. My understanding is, by definition, a lucid dream is when you are aware that you are dreaming, and perhaps control it. Well, in one of my dreams, I did a light test by trying to turn on the lights. It didn't work, and I found this to be quite odd. Later, in the same dream, I was able to control the color and intensity of the lights at will. For most, this would sound like a lucid dream, but I'm not sure if it actually WAS a lucid dream, or just replay of some of the thoughts I've had in attempting to learn lucid dreaming. The colors in my dream were bright, but not out of the ordinary. Nothing seems "out of this world" or unusually vivid. In short, my dream seemed like a "normal", everyday dream. Will my dreams get "better" with practice? Did I actually have lucid dreams?

Dear Jesus -- I am hoping someone more experienced than me comes to your rescue, as I am only a new lucid dreamer myself. But already I have noticed various types of lucid dreams or degrees of lucid dreaming. It seems to me, that as long as you are aware that you are dreaming, you are having a lucid dream, which can vary from simply having the thought, "I am dreaming", to being able to control elements of the dream, to having that "Ah Ha! I'm dreaming" realisation, coupled with an experience one can only describe as enlightenment as one knows everything is an illusion and nothing can touch you. More experienced lucid dreamers will tell you there are states beyond this, but at this point I classify my dreams as either lucid or pre-lucid and include them all in the final count of lucid dreams.

Joan

Dear Jesus,

The basic definition of lucid dreaming (the awareness of dreaming while you are dreaming) is indeed correct -- and essential -- in defining a true lucid dream experience. As you are beginning to see, however, levels of awareness can vary greatly from dream to dream and even within a singular dream. Other factors within a lucid dream (for example: vividness, control over elements and action, engagement within the dream scene, sense of a personal dream body, etc.) can also fall anywhere along a rather wide spectrum.

You may find the discussions under the topic "Aspects of the Dream State/Degrees of Lucidity - Lucid or Not?" of further interest on this matter. And surely, your own adventuring will be the most enlightening!

Sweet dreams, Keelin

By James C. Ramsey (james.ramsey@gte.net)Time frame that of November 3, 1999 at 11:00:00 AM. This is my first posting and I must add that I am a novice lucid dreamer.

I am sleeping. I hear a noise. It is the furnace coming on. I had thought that I had turned it off. I get up from my bed (in the second bedroom--my place of solitude for lucid dream attempts). to turn this annoyance off. But, something is wrong. The atmosphere, the ambient light is very subdued. Likewise, the area where the thermostat should be placed has now been replaced with a counter, an eye-level thru-way. It seems rather high. I must have shrunk. It dawns on me that I might be in a dream. I proceed to move to the front door. The room I travel through, presumably a llving room, is unlike that of the home I am familiar with. It is larger and very well lit. I find the front door and move to outside. Felix the Cat goes with me. The outside is bright. The day is sunny. I perceive that I may be lucid. I look down at my hands. They are there, very solid. I then fly, ever so slowly, above the terrain. I come to the realization that I am now lucid. Oh me, oh my! As I move across the land, I see a man with a basketball. He is tossing it down the hill, presumably to someone else. As I see this transpire, I notice that I am at the top of a hill. Before me is park of some sort, filled with people. I want to test my lucidity and come to rest next to a metal post or hand rail. If I am lucid, then it should be easily removed from its base. I proceed to lift it away from its foundation. It break away without effort. I now see a food/beverage stand before. I would like to experience the sensation of drinking (while in a lucid state). There are two stands before me. The one furtherst from me is occupied by a dark man. He does not acknowledge my presense. I proceed to another stand and ask the proprietor for a drink. He gives me a small one. I ask the price and he comes up with some kind of forumla. Again I ask the price. Again he cites a formula for determining the price. In the next instance, I see three young women in a pool. I would like to feel the water. I step over to its embankment and thrust my hand into the water. It feels cool, but not unpleasant. I would like to join the ladies, but I am clothed and I would be most embarrassed to remove them. In the next instance, I am in the water. I tell each of the ladies that I am dreaming, lucid dreaming, and that each one of them are a dream character. They seem not to believe me. I look at the woman in the center of the pool. She has three eyes. The third eye disappears and then reforms in the middle of her forehead. Once more, I make it known that I am dreaming and the three woman present are dream characters. They seem to feel that I need counsel and recommend a man near the pool. I look over, behnd me and the pool, and there appears to be a man, bearded, behind a counter or food stand. I leave the pool and begin walking toward what appears to be a concrete building. All the while this is taking place, I am aware that there is a Church somewhere near by. I wish to explore the possibility of having a spiritual awakening within the context of my lucid state. Likewise, there is this urge to have sex with a woman. I walk into this concrete building. It may be a public bathroom. There is an older man just ahead. He is facing the wall. On the wall just to his left, there is a yellow stain. Perhaps urine. Just behind the man is a small table. On it is a partially peeled banana. I walk further into the bulding and glance to my left. There is a disgusting sight before me. I see two large brown canvas bags, obviously stuffed with something that has brought flies. Yuk. I then proceed to try and destroy the larger of the bags. It is white in color. As I stare at it, it begins to glow, as if my gaze has the power of a lazer. After a few seconds, the bag begins to melt into the pavement. I awaken. Finis

My first lucid dream occurred on my very first attempt, using the Nova Dreamer. I've lived my life in 2 large cities -- Chicago and New York, chronologically, and I'm mentioning that because the setting for this dream was an elevated train station (we used to call them "El Stations" or just "L's" as kids; elevated trains and subways were, and still are, a large part of the makeup of several large cities.)

The dream began in one of these "L's", and the first thing I noticed was that it was of an earlier 1940's-50's variety, with all the old station houses, transformers, cast iron railings, etc. Being a life-long train lover this was a very pleasant setting and, with the sudden appearance of blinking lights from the Nova Dreamer (pale green, no less!), I became lucid. There were a few other folks on the station and I seemed to hear someone say that a train was approaching. I heard a bell in the background -- ding! ding! ding! :), which confirmed it. As the train pulled into the station I was equally pleased (and still lucid) to notice that it was one of the old brown cars that I loved as a kid -- complete with all the wooing, clicking, and churning sounds of an earlier era. The passengers alighted, and among them was a tall, attractive and mysterious almost outworldly-looking woman with light-colored eyes. She almost reminded me of the characters in the trendy comic strip, "Amy and Jordan". I walked up to her, willed to be as tall as she (It happened instantly.), and asked her if we were, in fact, on the Dream Network. "Yes, we are", she replied. Dream then ended. (doggone it!)

The first lucid dream I had was the best experience. I was laying on a sofa bed in my friends garage about to go to sleep when something spooked me, so I turned on the light. As I tried to go back to sleep I decided to try to have one of those lucid dreams that I just started reading about. So I imagined that the light was the sun light and that I was on this one street in my old neighborhood. Now that I have a pretty good picture of every- thing, I start...1, I'm dreaming, 2, I'm dreaming.. the next thing I know..... 22I'm, dreaming?.. yyyyyaaaaaaaaaahhhhhoooooooooo!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!! wooooohooooohooooooo!!!!!!! I'm FUC#@$G DREAMING... I guess I was so excited that I was about to wake up because I felt everything fading, so I remembered what I read and started spinning in circles and it actually worked. I felt stronger and even moor alert, I had to pinch myself to see if it would really hurt. It did and even that excited me because everything was true. out of no-where a couple of guys down the block started to yell things at me (punk, we're going to kick your A@#) I just looked at them and said to myself, "yah, whatever" and put my hands palms facing them and kind of pushed. Poor guys, they went flying into the building at full speed. After that I decided to fly away to see if it would work. It did, I flew, everything was working..... the rest is an adventure, from flying in to the water and testing if I could really breath, to telling my x-girlfriend to fu@# off, it was great..................

Dear Yoshicanival!

Congratulations and a lucid welcome!

I'm very astonished, that you have been able to navigate so well in your first lucid dream. I remember, that in my first lucid night I had a series of three dreams, i.e. one DILD and two WILDs. I have been very alert, too, and carried out some tasks. Nowadays I'm rarely as much alert in LDs, as in this first night. But I keep on the track.

I wish you more surprising adventures and success in the greatest LD adventure, that is discovering yourself.

Yours

Ralf

My first major LD (in a long time, anyway... long enough to forget what a mind-boggling experience it had been!) happened the February before last during a trip to California, the night after receiving my first lesson in "astral travel" from a spiritual teacher I was visiting there. The particular method turned out not to be a very effective one for me and I only had two other major LDs before adopting a more own-to-earth approach some months later, but my excitement and intense concentration were evidently enough to get me "out" that first night... and the experience of it went beyond anything I had imagined. Like my childhood LDs it did not, in my memory, emerge from a dream nor did I (again, in my memory) drift back into a non-lucid dream or wake up afterwards -- I simply found myself there, in virtual space, without any idea how I'd gotten there, and then woke the next morning without any recollection of what had happened after the LD. As a boy I'd regarded my LDs as timeless events, and the only proof I had that they had occurred at all was my incredibly vivid memory of them; in my mind they were as real or more real than anything that had ever happened to me, though I could not place them in time (there wasn't even a sense of the LD having happened last night or any night in particular). Any doubts I had as to my teacher's claims of the perfect realism in astral space were immediately put to rest -- I found myself standing in what to all appearances was a real house, white-walled and with a beige carpet (these details are important as they were confirmed the day after by my instructor, which knocked me for quite a loop, let me tell you!), surrounded by a dozen or so people, all in white, sitting, standing, meditating and talking quietly among themselves. Anyway, Jim was there (this was a representation of the astral "class" I was expecting to attend that night) and we had a short conversation about will vs. action in astral space before I blacked out and then found myself standing in some dimly-lit old mansion. Looking to my left I was momentarily alarmed to see two "ghosts" beside me, an elderly gentleman with a cane standing near an ornate mirror on one of the walls, and a woman seated in a chair, both "realer than real", apart from the fact that they were glowing slightly and also transparent, in traditional ghost fashion. In a moment I realized I had nothing to fear: I was no less a "ghost" in this place than they were, as I soon confirmed -- holding my hand in front of my face I found I could see right through it, which I found rather amusing. I then went on to explore the mansion in what was certainly one of my longest LDs ever, stopping to listen with rapt attention to the the (genuinely useful) advice of several fellow ghosts along the way. This "projection", among other things, sufficed to deprive me of my scientific sanity for a matter of months, and I developed quite a wonderful little metaphysical scenario to account for it. I was very sorry to see it go... it was the sort of theory which, even if it weren't true, one feels it ought to be true. Lucid dreaming can do strange things to your mind :-)

Happy travels,

Josh

Josh,

That was a great post! Who was the teacher you were visiting in CA?

Doug

Josh,

That was a great post! Who was the teacher you > were visiting in CA?

Doug

A psychic named Jim Self; he heads the Avalon Institute in Chico (there's a website at www.avalon1.org) and gives classes in various cities around the country. Really amazing guy by any standards.

I remember my first lucid dream was of course after reading about lucid dreams and listening to a cassete tape called "Controlling your Dreams"by Dr.Stephen LaBerge. I had this dream while napping in the afternoon on the couch the dream starts off like this:"I was jogging through a small town down the street and people were there, I knew I was dreaming and I controlled the rate of my running by running faster, then the dream scene changed, and I was in a indoor mall being chased by someone. I was on skates and kept skating fast to lose this person, the person was still after me and I was about to crash into some doors leading outside but since I knew I was dreaming, I went through them. After I got outside the person was still after me and I was skating down cement stairs,( I didn't fall and was bumpy feeling)then I decided to take a quick right to lose the person,went into some bushes", the dream ended.

Hey I did it!!! I had the most intense lucid dream. I was in an ancient city with several other people, and the mask flashed and I went lucid. I was looking at a tiled wall when I realized I was dreaming. The wall was old, dirty, and cracked. So I told the wall to "get new and pretty" and it "healed" and turned white and beautiful! Then I decided to fly. The rest of the dream was an elaborate flying adventure, over sand dunes and other places. At one point I told a guy in the group "hey, did you know we're dreaming?" He said, "We are? Cool!" Then I told another guy, but he just kept yammering away with whatever he was saying. This dream went on so long, I saw 4 more cues during the dream, each time recognizing that the ND was reminding me of my lucidity. The flashes looked like a beautiful tunnel of light, made of concentric circles of white light. Finally, I ran out of things to do and I terminated the dream consciously! I was paralyzed when I awoke for about 5 minutes. This dream was so awesome, I can't wait to experience this again, this time with an agenda of what I want to do!!!

Congratulations Kristina!

I think I did it...almost!!!

On 21 September I awoke at 5am. I did my dream journal and this woke me right up, so for the first time since I had started MILD a week or so before I went down for a decaf tea....30 min then back to bed. This is the end of the next dream I had.

'.....I walked into the yard. I saw a dark green car (automobile) same colour as my own, but strange shape and open top. My wife and daughter were looking at it enthusiastically. I thought that this cannot be the car I hired to go away tomorrow, I'm awake but this must be a dream, such a strange car. I see attached to the back of the car something like a small chainsaw or hedgecutter. I cannot understand why that should be there. I assume that I am awake but surely I must be dreaming. I turn away then turn back to look at the back of the car, the saw is still there. I think I am dreaming but how can I be if I am awake. I feel strong sense of urgency, almost panic, for more information. My daughter is standing beside me. She is wearing a fawn coloured woolen cardigan. Quickly I put my arm around her shoulder to test see if she is solid. I feel the soft cardigan give way but she is solid.' And I then awoke.

I generally test my state when I get in my car, which is also dark green, and I often use the writing on car number plates to test my state, unfortunately I was not able to cope with the saw. I notice that the 'oddness' of the situation was certainly less than the routine oddness I experience every night, so I feel that there was an element of spontaneity involved. I also recall that I felt during the dream that what I was experiencing was particularly like the waking world and this caused the difficulties I had in reaching a definitive conclusion. Perhaps I was stupid in the end to test to see if my daughter was solid, I remember Stephen LaBerge writing that a dream pinch is similar to a real pinch. Anyway this is my first near-success if not success so I thought I would post it.

Owen,

It is excellent that you remembered to test your state! Try not to let the "odd" events rattle you. Onward and upward! Stay focused on your goal of what you will do when you get lucid next time, and perhaps a more reliable way of testing your state. It is not at all uncommon for dreams to feel very much like the waking world.

On a lighter note, I think I may know what the saw was for. Have you seen Robot Wars? It is televised from San Francisco each year. I had the opporunity to accompany my husband and sons there this year. Saws were not at all uncommon on the back and/or front of the robots. The saws can be used to protect against attack by other robots. Perhaps your dream mind was suggesting a creative solution for dealing with crazies in rush hour traffic! ;)

Love & Light, Nibbana

Leslie..A new first lucid dream!!

I did not see the film, but thanks for the advice.

On 3-4 October at about 6am I was attempting MILD. I got up to go to the bathroom and woke myself up completely, then returned to bed....

"I was in a room with bunkbeds. It was morning, I was getting dressed. I saw a young woman stranger in another bed near to me. I felt embarrassed. The woman drew back curtains from the window and called me to look at the beautiful view. The view was poor, but falsely I agreed with her. I heard the noise of voices. My Mother and Father (now dead) had arrived and I left the bedroom walking to meet them. I felt irritated, why did they come so early. I looked at my watch, the fingers said something to or past 6 o'clock. I walked into a room. A group of people were seated in circle, my Mother to the left and my Grandmother (now dead) facing me. When I saw my Grandmother I realised I was dreaming. I approached her and saw her face covered with a red and grey knitted mask. I pulled the mask down and there she was, but with much longer hair than usual. I felt happy that I knew I was dreaming, but very concerned to test my state to prove it. I went to the wall near my Mother, who looked at me. I started to jump up and down on the spot. The first couple of jumps seemed normal, but after several more I floated slowly down. I felt really pleased, this was consistent with being in a dream. I just stood and looked ahead (I don't recall what I saw) and felt it was wonderful knowing I was dreaming. Then I was by a light-switch by a door. I switched it and saw that a TV in the next room went off. I thought that this was unconvincing as evidence that I was dreaming and switched it back (I don't recall what happened). I went through the door to the next room and switched the light-switch there. Nothing happened, and I thought yes that is better. Then I remembered that I should read some writing. I walked through to another room. There was a low table with some magazines. I picked one up. I thought it was a TV guide. I looked at the first word, -Jul , then moved the magazine out of sight and then back. The -J had changed to W. Yes, I thought, that has worked. I walked further into the room. The young woman was there, standing at a kind of lectern, with a young man just behind her. I turned back and stood still. I started to reflect. At last I had done it, and also I had not woken up yet so perhaps I would not suffer from the problem of premature awakening. Then I felt at a loss, what should I do now? I saw through an open door part of a large circular table with a white tablecloth laid for breakfast. I moved towards that room and said "It's early isn't it?'. A Woman's voice replied "Yes it is'. Everything went black" I awoke.

The feeling of being lucid was truly wonderful and confirms to me that I had attained lucidity, but was unable to prove it to myself, in the two short dreams I posted earlier. I cannot say that the visual images I recall from this last dream are more vivid than for non-lucid dreams. This surprises me a bit. Perhaps it was because I was focusing on the state test results rather than on my surroundings or dream characters?

Owen

Lucid dreaming is something that has always happened to me since I can remember. I can remember at age twelve when I realized for the first time that there was something really cool about these "special dreams" where I would figure out that I was dreaming. They all had one thing in common at some point I'd doubt that some event was possible except in a dream. I then tried to teach myself to remember that any time I doubted weather I was dreaming or not, it must be a dream (a very simple form of a reality test). That was around '87. Then in '94 I found the Lucidity Institute on the University's internet. I was amazed that people everywhere had exprienced the same thing and were talking about it. I began attempting induction, and about a week later was successfull.

I had been asleep only a very short time but was very focused on entering the Lucid dream world, this may have even been a WILD. Though I've never explored the method of enducing those.

"I felt the wind immediately and then the night sky began to appear. I was standing outside my house in the culdesac. I was lucid from the begining. I decided first to try and fly. Running into the wind I believed I could take off and did. At first only for a few feet, but a few attempts later I had acheived mastery. For some unknown reason I chose to fly to Iowa State's campus something like 200 miles away. I left Omaha and flew east along I-80 the same way I'd have driven. I arrive at the campus in record time alone just the way I'd left. I spied the football stadium and decieded to land. As I land I throw my arms upward as if I'd just scored the winning touchdown, but noone is around to notice. It's late and knowing that the greek row was only a few blocks away I choose to look for a party. I try but can't manage to take off, and as hard as I try I can't seem to change my position on the field. I can walk but I am unseccessfull at traveling even the shortest distance. As I begin to doubt my control of the situation the dream becomes non-lucid. Although I still realized I was dreaming I could control nothing including my own actions. It this point I remember that I'd been here about 2 weeks prior in waking life and that I'd taken LSD and had a very strange experience. The combination of remembering actual events and remaining in the dream world was too complicated. As the dream begins to fade I realize that for a moment I can actually feel my dream body standing outside as well as my physical body laying on my back in bed. At this point I decide to try and wake up and it works."

I've often had lucid dreams since but none as powerful and very rarely to that level of lucidity. I also figured out that I couldn't have been asleep for more than 25 minutes. I haven't had much time to experiment since then but a recent near death experience has renewed my interest in the subject. I will try to post on some other topics as well but would also enjoy visiting with anyone interested. Dan Dmac190@dellepro.com

Hey Dan,

Sounds like you're a natural at lucid dreaming. Lucky you! Most of us have had to work very hard at it. I've been at it since July, and I've had some great success. There's nothing like the feeling of lucidity! Especially flying! I've had about 10 major LD's since starting in July. Lately though, my dreams have been getting more vivid and they've been tricking me into thinking I'm awake, even when I test my state. Just asking the question "am I dreaming" no longer does the trick, now I need more proof! My dreams have been tricking me for the last week! I have a lot of flying dreams, and I'm also very interested in out-of-body experiences.

You had a near death experience? Would you mind sharing it? I've very interested.

Kristina kscheps@hotmail.com

Kristina,

Sounds like you're well on your away as well. I think the fact that you doubt the state of reality in the first place may be enough. For me that's the key to becoming lucid with any regularity (trusting in my perception of reality). After all how many times have you questioned reality and found that you are awake. I never have at least that I remember, but I guess I can see how it could happen. I'm sure though that what works for me may not work for everyone. Also I've noticed that even though I sometimes know that I'm dreaming I can't manage to gain control over my own actions. I've tried to learn to accept this as just a different level of lucidity rather than a failed attempt. If I try to attain full lucidity in these circumstances it seems like I risk wasting the whole dream away or worse becoming too aware and waking up!

My recent experience was on Fri. Oct. 6. I worked 17 hrs. that day and then had a few drinks at a bar. Along the way home I feel asleep at the wheel and hit a guard rail at around 65 mph. Worst of all I wasn't wearing a seat belt. I don't remember anything until I woke up in an ambulance, but I felt just like when I've had a dream and can't remember what it was about. I think this is what led to my renewed interest in LD's and increasing my dream recall. I'm attempting to attach a picture of the car and the guardrail but I scanned it so you may have trouble viewing it without Micrografx picture publisher 7a. . Kristina or anyone else interested in discussing dreams or anything else please feel free to email.

Dan McClannan Dmac190@dellepro.com

My first night with the NovaDreamer is a success! While I have been trying to induce lucid dreams for around 6 months, my success has been limited to a "flash-and-fade" (where I just shout I'm dreaming and wake up or continue in the dream without questioning or looking at my hands, my initial goal) or even worse, the realization that I am dreaming causes me to wake up before I can even express it. However, I just recently received my NovaDreamer, and setting in on the light sleep setting, went to bed. At the end of the night, the NovaDreamer had given me 21 cues. I remembered four dreams and two of them were lucid! So I'm very excited to share them (my "first" lucid experiences) with you now.

I must have just entered REM, because my dream started with a bright white light flashing in my eyes, and I realized that I was dreaming. However, since I don't want to wake up, I start spinning my dream body to see if I can stay asleep and generate some visuals. Tingles course through my dreambody, physical exhilaration. When I stop spinning, I am laying in my own bed in my apartment. Slowly, I begin to raise my right arm, but it is buried beneath my covers, so I can only move slowly, because I am afraid that a jerky motion will wake me up. I feel amazed just that I am controlling this motion and am aware of it. I look up at the ceiling fan above my bed and though it is dark, I can see it. However, the fan almost seems to "jump" back and forth between different forms, as though it can't decide what it looks like. Suddenly, I realize that I shouldn't be able to see anything because I'm wearing the Nova Dreamer, and this wakes me up. Fortunately, it was already light in my room when I removed the mask, so it further confirmed that I finally did it! My second lucid dream that night (ok, it was around 10 am or so) seemed to be a continuation of the first. I'm back in my apartment and immediately realize that I am dreaming. I get out of bed and decide to look in the mirror. I look at my eyes, and the pupils expand until the retina is gone and then contract until the pupil is completely gone, but I can still see myself in the mirror with "no eyes" so to speak. I don't know if others have tried this, but I found it bizarre and fascinating. I reaffirm that I am dreaming, and every time I do, an incredible rush of excitement runs through my hands. I decide to look at my hands, since this has been my lucid goal for several months. First, I look for the reflection in the mirror, and I can't see my hands at all. Then when I look at the palms, the life line and head line have somehow formed a circle in my palm (not as in waking life.) Also, when I awoke, I realized that my left and right hands had switched appearance in my dream. Again, reaffirming that I was dreaming, I accomplished my first lucid goal! So now I stepped back into my bedroom to see myself lying asleep in bed. Amazed by the sight, I begin floating up towards the ceiling. But the incredible rush of excitement from seeing myself sleeping and flying is too much, and I awake.

Wow, it is fun to succeed and share this amazing experience with others. Thanks. Sweet dreams, Marc G

Dear Mark,

Congratulations! What an impressive start to a never-ending journey of wondrous adventure. Thank you for sharing your enthusiastic dream accounts, which I'm sure will encourage others who are also beginning to work with the NovaDreamer.

May I ask how recently you received your NovaDreamer, and were you following the daytime exercises that are included with the course?

Wishing you continued Good Lux! Keelin

Thanks! I received my NovaDreamer on November 22nd and had my first lucid dream that night. Actually, I haven't started the lucid dreaming course yet, but I did use Dr. LaBerge's trance induction tape during the day and before I went to sleep to get myself used to the Nova Dreamer's cues. I also read the Nova Dreamer manual during the day, and I know that six months of reading and meditating on becoming aware must have helped.

I'm looking forward to an amazing journey that I have just begun.

Wonderful wishes to all, Marc G

My first lucid Dream started out as a Nightmare. I was in a wood it was dark and foggy I was being chased by a pack of dogs. Things just didnt look right and why was I being chased my a pack of dogs all of a sudden it just clicked I'm dreaming and the dogs just vanished and that was it I woke up.

ok need a little advice here as to whether or not this infact was a lucid dream. now i dream all the time and remember my dreams, keep a journal and everything. last night i had a few dreams and towards the end of one i appeared to be dreaming about someone i know. i woke up for a second (at least i think i did) and told myself if "so and so" appears in your dream again you will know you are dreaming. i feel back asleep (assuming i ever really woke up, i could have dreamed that).

someone appeared in my dream, although not the same person, either way it reminded me i was dreaming. suddenly i was aware i was dreaming and of course i chose to grab the guy and start kissing him (gee maybe something is lacking in my life haha) anyway it was quite breif and i remember not being able to focus clearly on what was around me, i remembered people saying to just say outloud "Clarity" "Clarity Now" or something like that... i did that but then immediatly woke up. turns out though i had not woken up. i dreamed i woke up because once i really woke up i realized i had woken up, in the dream, in my old bedroom.

now here is my question, i definetly seemed to be aware i was dreaming and took control of my actions, but it seemed almost that i had had a dream about being lucid instead of actually being lucid, if that makes sense. OR maybe it's just because i never gained COMPLETE lucidity so everything appeared to be a little out of order and not so clear. i know others have experienced it like this. All i know is it was my first real experience (happened one other time but i woke up immediately) where i was able to actually control what i wanted to do, even for a short time. and it felt more like i was THERE, then it does when its just a regular dream. sorry to be so wordy would love some feedback.

Kelly, I'd like to add my opinion. You say "suddenly i was aware i was dreaming and of course i chose to grab...." and other things that suggest to me that you definitely were lucid.

Before I started induction techniques I had lucid dreams a few times in my life. I knew I was lucid...absolutely no doubt at all.

But it is strange when I started the induction techniques the first time I became lucid I thought to myself, "but am I dreaming" and would not admit it....then in later dreams I was only convinced when I did the state tests, jumping up and down and reading writing etc.

I cannot speak for expert lucid dreamers, but from my own point of view I am confused about the role of dreamsigns. I think that what might happen is that lucidity is achieved spontaneously, then dreamsigns are generated which are then recognised.

For example in one of my dreams I was buying a newspaper from a street vendor. He had a box with a few coins in. I turned away and then when I looked again at the box it was brim full of coins. I realised that this transformation was impossible and I became lucid.

Now I have a suspicion that what might have happened is this. After seeing first the box of coins I became lucid spontaneously. My mind then created the need to see a dreamsign and when I looked again at the box it was full.

I would be interested if anyone can supply a dream that disproves this. I mean I would be really interested.

I'm not sure that it would come from a really experienced lucid dreamer as my impression is that they tend to become lucid spontaneously more often than not, Alan Worsley for example.

Owen

BTW I heard that he no longer has lucid dreams, can anyone confirm this?

I believe this would be considered a lucid or semi-lucid dream. It is the first and only one that I have had since I started trying 4 months ago. I hope to have others, the memory was fantastic!

I was driving my car up a steep hill, as I passed some men walking on my right, they threw some water at me. I actually felt the sensation of the water hit my left shoulder. I thought this was odd since it came from the right, plus all my windows were up! I continued to drive up the hill, then suddenly the road beneath me began to crumble. My car started to fall. I got the 'ol roller coaster sensation in my stomach. Once I landed, I got out of my car and said to myself, "this can't be real, I must be dreaming!", then I immediatly looked at my hands to try and stay lucid, but I woke up anyway. Was this a lucid dream, semi-lucid dream or neither? Any comments? Thanks Jim

Most annoying, Jim. I get those, and they piss me off mightily. Definitely a semi-lucid, because you thought of lucidity in a dream state. The sudden wake-up is, as I said, most annoying. Oh well, every skill must be apprenticed I suppose. Better luck next time, eh?

Alan T.

Dear Owen & Jim & Alan , et al,

First, a response to Owen:

From the wording in your dream account (of the box of coins), I get the impression it was your recognition of the morphing that caused you to realize you were dreaming, though of course, you're the only one who can say when the exact moment of lucidity actually occurred.

I am curious about your comment (quoted below) and have two questions for you:

"Now I have a suspicion that what might have happened is this. After seeing first the box of coins I became lucid spontaneously. My mind then created the need to see a dreamsign and when I looked again at the box it was full."

1. Might you actually be meaning that you became pre-lucid spontaneously (i.e.: questioned that you might be dreaming) and needed a dreamsign for verification?

2. Are you saying that the imagery changed because of this need?

It would seem to me that, given the inherent instability of the dream world, the imagery would have changed regardless of your becoming lucid. But perhaps you have a different perspective on this? Nonetheless, your question reminded me of a spontaneous lucid dream I had several years ago:

From a hilltop overlooking a lush valley, I am watching a glorious sunrise. I'm about to say "This is so lovely!" but the words that come out are, "This is a dreamscape!" Startled to realize it is true, I look around and, completely confounded, can not find a single thing that seems beyond waking world possibility. After a couple of moments, however, I spy an odd little patch of fog hovering above the path. I marvel that this is the only element that seems even remotely out of place as the rest of the scene is that of a bright Summer's morn. I walk over to investigate what this "dream fog" might feel like...

When I became lucid spontaneously in the dream, I didn't feel any urge to intentionally create something odd in order to prove that I was indeed dreaming. It was more a feeling of absolute wonderment as I looked around. Of course, the dream eventually provided plenty of anomalies, but I believe they would have occurred regardless of my awareness.

PS: Do you recall where you might have heard about Alan Worsley?

And in response to Jim's car dream:

It would seem to me that your experience, as reported, would be considered a lucid dream -- by the definition of lucid dreaming as "knowing that you're dreaming while you're dreaming". Well, at the least, a lucid moment or two! ;-> Now, if you had said you'd thought "this might be a dream" and then looked at your hands to see if they'd morph as some type of reality check, then I would agree with Alan and classify it as semi-lucid -- meaning you'd had a strong suspicion, but needed some form of verification.

What caught my eye in particular (in your account) were the words: "I thought this was odd..." -- a clear indication that your level of critical awareness was on the rise at that point in the dream.

And on a more personal note, "odd" happens to be my favorite dream cue word! I tend to say it in waking life whenever the occasion calls for it, and have tried to make the habit of doing a reality check each time I utter it. So it's no surprise that when I say the same thing in dreams, the habit of state checking carries over and this often results in lucidity. In general, I've found it helpful to pay attention to the various ways in which I react to any dreamlike situation in waking life, because it's most likely the way I'll react in my dreams to a similar situation.

To gain further from your first lucid dream experience, you might review your dream again, and at each dreamsign that you can identify, make a sincere resolution to catch it "next time", see yourself doing so and then imagine attaining the goal you have in mind for your next lucid dream. You wouldn't want to be caught unprepared -- and there will surely be a next time!

The other suggestion I would offer is to rub your dream hands as soon as you become lucid. This will help stabilize your sense of dream body and prolong the dream. Actually, any type of active engagement within the dream will assist you in this manner.

May that "next time" be tonight! Keelin

Dear Keelin,

Thanks; to respond to your response. It seems so far that in about 50% of my lucid experiences there is a dreamsign present that appears to be the trigger. In the other 50% I appear to become lucid spontaneously.

In these spontaneous LDs I do not need to do a state test. I know with absolute certainty that I am dreaming. There is absolutely no doubt. This is curious, I wonder then what it is that I am recognising. I do not seem to have a pre-lucid phase on these occasions.

I think what I was saying previously is that if a dead relative appears immediately after my becoming lucid spontaneously, it would be easy for me to be misled into thinking erroneously that the dreamsign preceeded the lucidity.

Because I am focusing on dreamsigns while awake perhaps the onset of lucidity generates the dreamsigns....fulfils my expectation.

I had another talking animal dream the other night. I picked up a hamster and stroked it and it started to talk to me. I immediately realised I was dreaming. Or did I become lucid (spontaneously) and then the animal talk?

Perhaps it is not important from the practical viewpoint. There does seem in my case to be a developing association between odd dreamsigns and lucidity.....and I have failed to develop any non-odd trigger successfully. My non-odd car is there always in my dreams but can I develop it as a trigger?....hopeless! I think this might have something to do with information content...less without the oddness.

I met an acquaintance with a professional interest in sleep and he said to me that someone else told him about Alan Worsley.....so you have it third or fourth hand! The issue at the time was whether lucid dreamers might loose the skill. I guess loss of interest of perhaps certain medications might have adverse effects.

I enjoyed your story about the short sea dream. My LDs recently are becoming more numerous but never very long but I usually manage to do a new task or repeat an old one.

Best wishes,

Owen

Hi, I need advice on how to avoid awakening while flying. Over the past few months I've suceeded in having several LD but I awaken after only a few seconds. During the day I'd strongly affirm and visualize flying saying "When I dream I fly (visualizing flapping my arms),and when I fly I am dreaming!" It has worked several times but I can't stay calm enough to avoid awakening. I rapidly speed up and couldn't stay in the dream. Because I'm flapping my arms I cannot readily rub my hands together. Aso I wasn't mentally reminding myself to remain calm which might've helped but flying is intense for me -yet is a useful dreamsign that I'd like to keep working on. Any advice? Also I have had an other similar energy problem - I was lucid walking hand in hand with someone (mentally affirming during this time "Stay calm, it is a dream") but the person pulled me into a fast run and the energy got so intense I awoke (my legs were tingling with energy! very cool!). Any advice on extending the lucidity would be appreciated. Ted

Hi Ted,

Well, firstly I am no expert at Lucid Dreaming .... I mean, I have my experiences like everyone else, but I'll give you a few tips that I have picked up off the masters ;-)

Looking at your hands : This is the best way (for me at least) for the dream to stabalize enough for you to remain Lucid. When you realize your dreaming, look at your hands. I did this once and had a very freeked out experience. The dream became VERY real..... almost too real for my liking. This method I shall be attempting again.

Spinning around : Haven't tried this one, but it's supposed to help you stay Lucid for longer. Just spin around apprantly !

See if these bring you any luck and let me know. I know I shall be trying them as soon as I can have another LD. Hope the testing goes well my friend. Happy Dreams !

Daniel

Daniel, Thanks for the advice. I searched the posts and read your account of looking at your hands. Very interesting. I'll definitely try to do it the next time I'm Lucid. Since my last post I had a series of four 20 sec. long lucid dreams in which I'd fall back into subconscious dreaming for a few minutes then wonder if I was dreaming, hop in the air & I'd float then recognize I was dreaming for 20 seconds or so then fade back into subconscious dreaming etc. The last dreaming sequence ended while I was soaring through a light warm rain when the Nova Dreamer fired off (I knew exactly what it was and looked down to help reduce the light (looking at my hands probably would've been a better idea for next time)but the light woke me & the dream faded. The wakings were such a thrill and brought a sense of acomplishent after doing so many prospective memory exercizes, state testing and MILDs, writing dream journal! This stuff works but requires a lot of time and effort on my part. Stephen's book does say that it gets easier with practice. I hope it doesn't require as much time and effort indefinitely. Thanks so much Daniel for your advice. Ted

Dear Ted (and fellow Oneironauts),

Regarding prolonging lucidity in the dream state:

As Daniel mentioned, your dream hands can be useful. But rather than inactively gazing at them, rubbing them together is likely to produce more effective results. The sensations that this action creates will help keep you focused on being in the dream. To explain this a bit further: In the process of waking, external sensory input promotes the brain's creation of a competing mental model. So keeping your sense of dream self vivid and actively engaged will support and strengthen the dream-generated model, which in turn will help keep you there.

I realize that, according to your dream report, your personal style of flying includes the flapping of arms. Despair not! You can always rub your fingers together. This suggested variation comes from of one of my former students, who even though he realized he was holding only a dream version of his child while flying, was nonetheless reluctant to let go of her in order to rub his hands. You might also experiment with seeing what happens if you stop mid-air to rub your hands. Perhaps you'll find that you can soar headlong (or feet first?) wherever you want to go. Then again, there's always the hands-free magic carpet. ;->

There are more comments & suggestions on prolonging lucidity under the Forum topic heading "Aspects of the Dream State: Length of lucidity in Dreaming" which you might also find of interest.

And a word of encouragement: From my own experience and the reports of countless other oneironauts, I can assure you that lucid dreaming does become easier with practice. The entire journey can be most fascinating and revealing as well, and the skills you'll be developing along the way will lead you toward "lucid living" (that is living with more awareness in your daily waking life) which is a blessing unto itself.

Wishing sweet dream adventures to all, Keelin