Hi, Myles and Owen

Interesting experiences.

I think it would be bad, if a sleeping Cro - Magnon wouldn't hear the cave - lion approaching. He wouldn't survive. Today survival depends on hearing the watch beep...

BTW: the NovaDreamer uses sound to cue the dreamer.

Thanks for inspiration, anyway

Ralf

Ralf,

Do you know though why the light cue is what LDers focus on rather than on a noise cue. Are light cues supposed to get through better than noise cues.

When I was spinning it was pitch black even though my bedroom was quite light.

I suppose the best thing might be a noise that also emitted light or vice-versa.

Owen

Are LDs injurious to health.................

Has anyone heard of any explanation for the slight headache after a lucid dream....it occurs very very frequently with me.

I'm not concerned that this is harmful per se. But I had worried that it might have been the result of very elevated blood pressure during the dream which would have been bad news for me.

I've taken my BP after an LD a few times and it does not seem to be unduly elevated.

There is a brief reference by SLB to possibility that LDs might be used to train for reducing BP. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

Owen

Owen,

When you have a lucid dream to you immediately awaken, or do you always wake up at the same times regardless if you are dreaming lucidly or not? Do you frequently suffer from fatigue or drowsiness during the day?

Unless you are dreaming of something terrifying, I doubt that any dream would raise one's blood pressure. Sleep apnea can elevate blood pressure or induce a headache, as I recall.

John

Stephen clarified at dream camp that external sounds are always audible during sleep and dream, but the mind generally disregards - filters out - all but significant ones (e.g. your alarm clock, or someone calling your name, especially a cave-lion calling your name). Incorporating sounds into dreams, lucid or otherwise, is pretty common, I think. The first time I remember experiencing this was when I was a kid sleeping out on the porch and heard a dream conversation:

"Look at all the little lambs!"

"Those aren't lambs, those are sheep... sheep... sheep... sheep..."

and I awoke to hear a little bird saying "...cheep... cheep... cheep..."

John,

Thanks for your comments. My understanding was that blood pressure might well mirror what it would have been had you been in the situation when actually awake, and you give an example of a terrorifying situation which is pertinent.

I found this quote from the web site given.

"REM sleep is a much more active sleep stage than NREM sleep. Although dreams may actually occur during all sleep stages,REM sleep is also known as the dreaming stage of sleep. During REM sleep, cerebral activity and cerebral blood flow increase; blood pressure varies and may increase markedly; respiration is irregular; and body temperature is unregulated." http://www5.ambien.com/hcp_normal_sleep.asp

I would suspect that sexual excitement in a dream would also result in a rise in blood pressure given that (in men at least) there are physical correlates (ie nocturnal erection) of waking events that would result in an increase in blood pressure.

I recall reading one famous LDer that he (or she) experienced a kind of elation manifest as sexual excitement in most lucid dreams.

What I experience in many LDs is an extraordinary excitement this "this is all a dream". I'm more calm now and perhaps therefore my LDs on average are longer.

I think Stephen LaB was referring to the possibility, by analogy with improving skills in an LD, that perhaps some kind of exercise maybe imagining the the BP was decreasing and the arteries cleaned out etc etc might result in a reduction in blood pressure during the day.

I'd be interested to know if anyone can suggest a suitable practice during an LD.

I've read that although daytime meditation can decrease BP which I suppose is good, the reduction is temporary. As far as I know there is no really good evidence that folks with high BP can reduce it by meditation (after you correct for life style changes, eg cutting back on booze, which might have happened coincidentally with initiation of regular meditation practice.)

Regards,

Owen

PS I'm aware of the problems of sleep apnea. I don't suffer from this fortunately.

Hi there!

First of all: I keep a log where I record all my lucid dreams. I also record the most fantastic and beautiful scenes I've ever seen while dreaming, lucid or non lucid. So far I only have ten entries, they really need to be extraordinary and overwhelming in order to qualify. Two of these wonderful scenes I've encountered while lucid, the other eight in ordinary dreams. Not too surprising considering that I have far more ordinary dreams then lucid ones.

What surprised me though, when I begun ponder, was that as far as I remember seven of these eight wonderful dream scenes was followed by lucidity. If not shortly thereafter, at least later the same morning. A coincidence? I wonder... Is it that these scenes made so big impression on me and caused such powerful emotions that parts of the brain just couldn't stay asleep anymore, causing a much lighter sleep which resulted in lucidity? Or is it simply that the pictures was so fantastic that I understood they couldn't be real? But why didn't I in any of these cases become lucid straight away then? In all the seven cases I got lucid only after a while, in the same dream, the next or even later on, not while experiencing the scene.

Sure, I often have lucid dreams and the possibility that it has only been coincidence is not impossible. But it still puzzle me. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Second: Very well... This is a LD I had yesterday. Quite a long dream, nothing special though, but I promised I would post one and so I do. It was preceded by two other long LD's in which I had only been fooling around. Flying, playing tricks with my poor fellow dream characters and so on. I visited a pretty cool green house too. Owned by a gigantic chines with tattoos all over his body. But that's not what I was about to tell.

I had lost my lucid dream and slipped into some kind of black void between sleep and wakefulness. As a manic I frenetically rubbed my hands, the only connection to the dream world I still had left. From a third person view I saw my bed appearing in the black void. It tipped over and I feel out. I rotated in the air and landed on firm ground. When I stood up I was back not only in first person but in the dream world too, not far from where I had left it.

I defied gravity and took a few peculiar leaps, very hard to explain. Then I remembered I should try to find someone to interact with, not good being all alone. I rushed off to the nearest house hoping to find an attractive female who could accompany me. Inside I instead found a quite dreadful malformed girl from a TV program I watched before going to bed. I jumped out through a window and ran to the next house. Under the balcony I saw what looked as a nice women with long black hair. But when I reached her she was a approximately seven year old snotty little girl. I decided to take her with me anyway. I said to myself that the next time I looked on her she would be at least ten years older, when I looked the next time she was like twelve. I held her hand and dragged her with me. At the end of the street I glimpsed some kind of mossy cairn inside the forest. The air around the cairn somehow seemed to glitter and I knew I would find an old treasure there. Maybe a ancient sword or something.

Have I told you about my Japanese sword? The one I've been trying to find once again? Maybe not, but that's another story.

Anyway, I hoped I might find it in that cairn. But the brushwood looked dark and just too brushy. So I thought I might try to go around and find a path somewhere. I headed down the street but the surroundings darkened and I felt how I was about to lose the dream. I immediately sat down with the little girl, who once again was only seven. Why I stopped I don't know, I think it would have been better if we kept walking. But I rubbed her little hand between mine. I didn't really lose the dream but when it was stable again we was like fifty meters down the street. To my left a big trail winded up in the forest. I knew it was leading to the cairn. We followed it 15-20 meters or so. It was really nice with bright sunshine filtering down through the foliage. But the dream world started fading again. We sat down once again and I rubbed her hand. The dream stabilised for a short while and we came a few meters further on the path but then we had to sit down again. The dream stabilised once again.

We came to the cairn where a big mossy coffin was half buried in the mound of stones. I said to the girl that this was where I might find my sword and told her to help me remove the stones so we could open it up. But when we had removed most stones the world begun flickering. The decayed lid fell down in the coffin when I tried to lift it off. I had no time to lift away the pieces of the lid, and it was already too dark to see what was in inside. The dream faded and I lost it.

Finally: I've begun reading an interesting but shockingly thick book about the human brain and while reading about how our memory works I begun pondering if I couldn't use my (I think) relatively vivid fantasy to easier remember things. I made a few memory tests and scored surprisingly well. In one of them I got thirty randomly chosen words; nouns, verbs, interjections etc. I had one minute reading them and then I had to do a long sum. After that I wrote the words down. I only forgot three of the thirty words. And that was far less than I had thought. The next day I wrote them down again to see if I still remembered them. I only forgot three once again. Not the same though.

I'm glad that my vivid fantasy, which has improved greatly since my interest for lucid dreaming started, can be used for more then just amusement.

Long live the Tangerine Dreams!

Hi, Linus

Thanks for your intriguing report. It is over and over good to read your words, your dream worlds are so wonderful.

I think, that high emotions can trigger lucidity. I've had such dreams. But sometimes it seems, as if the critical faculty is simply overwhelmed by these feelings, and only later on, when the high tide of wonder slowly ebbs, we are able to walk with feet on dream ground again. I had some of my highest emotions in non - lucid dreams and I think, that I would have woken up, if I were lucid in that moments.

Nice display of prolonging techniques in your dream. I know, we are not that into interpreting here. If it were my dream, I would be very satisfied being together with the girl. She seems to be not actually the fitting object for sexual desire. But maybe she represents something inside of me, my female side. I would be pleased to act, as you did, at least in general. You were tender and communicative and together you explored the dreamworld. Wonderful.

Memory seems to be a question of how to link the details. Fantasy seems to be helpful. Lucid dreaming certainly increases fantasy and creativity. Interesting observation.

Keep on god work Hope to see more of your reports

Yours Ralf

P.S. I sometimes listen to "Tangerine Dream"

That thing about Tangerine Dreams was actually a little intern joke between me and myself. Hmm, sounds insane, but I feel quite healthy, that's just how I am I guess. I downloaded a song with the band Tangerine Dream. The name was Fly and Collision of Coma Sola, I think. Didn't like it. But the morning thereafter I had a wonderful lucid dream which qualified to that list over the most breathtaking dream scenes. It was a sunrise, or maybe a sunset, over a dark massive spruce forest. It was very bright orange and sanguine colours but in glaring contrast to dark ominous clouds which mingled into the scene. It looked just as a painting from the Romanticism. But I'm sure the image was more inspired from the opening scene in Final Fantasy; the Sprits Within. Well, there's no need to tell you about how wonderful it was, the fact that it's one of the ten most amazing scenes I've ever seen can speak for itself. Now back to explaining that thing about the tangerine dreams. Because when I was heading away from the scene someone, I'm not sure who, said something very similar to: "Just don't you love Tangerine Dreams?" And therefore I've since then called all dreams with this sort of romantic feeling, bright colours and beautiful scenery Tangerine Dreams... so now you know.

"You were tender and communicative and together you explored the dreamworld." Tender, I'm not so sure. It was more like if I dragged her along against her will. I was disappointed that I had only found a little girl, and she seemed to be a little fretful that I didn't appreciate her accompany as much as she would have liked. But she became more docile as the dream progressed. And I guess it helped me more rubbing her hand between mine that only my one. I like the idea of having a dream guide. A companion. It's a sort of link to the subconscious. A interpreter between me and the dream world. In the beginning of June I had a cool dream. The beginning was kind of dull but then I met this mystical guy. I don't really remember the dialogue we had but I think I complained that it was so hard changing the scenery. Then he made a gesture with his hand and said something like: "You mean like this?" The whole world flickered and suddenly I was in Mossgrift, my village I've struggled so hard to reach. It was not identical, but very close to the scene I've imagined. But as I turned around and excited started walking down towards the houses the scene disappeared. It only lasted a few seconds. Then I don't remember what happened. I guess I woke up. In another dream a few days later I met a character from a book I had just finished. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. I met that weird creature called The Baggage. A magic chest with dozens of little feet. He followed me at distance, acted as if he was a faithful dog. I had already fell in love with him. I hope I meet him again. I wish he could accompany me in every LD.

Hi, Linus

I know these intern jokes, so we are four, at least...

"Tender, I'm not so sure. It was more like if I dragged her along against her will."

I was aware of your actions, I read what you said, but wanted to focus on the positive, tender and loving aspects. Of course we could dive deep into the shadow, but maybe it possible to simply focus on what positive things we see. And this is the case for me seeing how you work together with that dream - girl. The interesting thing is, that she seems to be reluctant to your morphing. Maybe that increases the meaning, that exactly her appearance has. How young she is, how snotty and unwilling and how supportive in the end. She has a character, she is a character!

Very surprising dreams you had. Especially the "Mossgrift" vision. What a trick, what a pity (or luck?) for you.

Thanks for posting

Yours Ralf

From the DreamWorld...

After lying awake for a long time, I'm suddenly aware of imagining that I am holding an overflowing handful of tangled black strings. I'm amused by this spontaneous fantasy and soon feel the tactile sensation of scrunching the strings in both hands. The action reminds me of the dream prolonging technique of hand rubbing. Wondering what these strings might be leads to imagining a crocheted shawl. When I look down, a dream unfolds as the shawl spills out of my opening hands.

Without any feeling of abrupt transition, I am walking on a dirt road in what appears to be a small, quiet village, bathed in soft moonlight. The temperature is uncomfortably chilly. This surprises me as temperature is not a quality I usually note in my dreams. Grateful for the dream shawl, I wrap it around my bare shoulders.

There is the usual longing for the Sea. I focus on watching my bare feet stepping along the path, willing it to lead to the Sea. As the dirt becomes sandy, I think "this is working!' And when I finally look up, there is a beautiful beach scene to my right. I marvel at the detail, the completeness of the environment. I wade through a shallow inlet directly in front of me and for a moment consider flying over the low sand dunes. I choose instead to climb them. Reaching the crest, I pause to take in the Sea.

The scene shifts and now I am walking through a small courtyard. There are people sitting at patio tables. They tell me I must have a key to pass through a maze in order to get to the Sea. A man escorts me past cemented pools of clear turquoise seawater into an enclosed, watery passageway where he produces a printed pass from a wall-mounted machine. I accept it without a second glance.

The water has disappeared and the man has turned into a woman without seeming remarkable. We enter an area that is littered with broken glass bottles. My guide seems dismayed. I've cut my foot and am surprised, considering this is a dream, to feel a small sharp pain. The sensation lasts only an instant. We begin to unroll a thick layer of foam rubber to make the area safe for walking. Lucidity fades unnoticed as I become engaged in conversation with two other amiable women in this small room, still somewhere within the underground passageways to the Sea.

-Keelin

Yes, it is astounding, that (lucid) dreams are that real sometimes. Maybe by growing experience in LD and by getting more aware of everyday rich sensory impressions ( I think these both go hand in hand) dreams and waking life get similar in intensity and deepness.

The ocean, it is right here, don't you feel the waves?

Dive long and lucid

Yours Ralf

Hi, fellow lucids! I haven't been on the forum in a few months. I had some changes in my life and don't get a chance to get on the internet too much. I haven't kept up. But I hope to catch up some now. I've missed everyone, and all the postings. Anyway, I had a lucid dream and I really wanted to share it. I was walking down a wide hallway that was full of people ' it was supposed to be where I work. I saw a woman with some kittens and I thought, "Oh, someone brought my kittens in to try to find homes for them, I didn't think we could do that.' I kept walking and I saw an administrator. I walked right by him, and he was unsmiling and he didn't look at me, and I thought, "He hates me because I insist on pursuing this thing with Dianne.' Then for some reason I looked down at myself and saw I was wearing my nightshirt. I turned around then and headed back in the other direction, and thought, "Did I really not get dressed before I came to work?' Then I realized I was dreaming! I was so thrilled, I said "thank you" about eight times (I think to my higher power.) I kept walking, and was thinking about what I should do in the dream. I wanted to change my nightshirt into a blue sequined cocktail dress. I tried, but only succeeded in changing it into a beige fabric dress. I decided to just let the dream take me, and to just enjoy exploring it. I went up some stairs and stopped on the landing, where there was a window with white blinds. I opened the blinds and was all kinds of happy at the scene outside. There was a kind of empty lot right outside the window, and there were buildings beyond this ' small, sort of rundown buildings, with a lot of red in their coloring. And at each one there was a red car; about ten of them, all identical. Beyond this there were more buildings, also mostly red. It was beautiful. I was looking at some activity on the porch of one of the houses, maybe involving more cats, and then a little boy jumped off the porch and went into the empty lot. I decided to move on up the stairs, and I was reflecting that I was glad that this was a dream, so I didn't have to care about the little boy being by himself. The stairs took me to a well-lit hallway and I recognized that I was entering the school that appears often in my dreams. I was thinking then that I would like to direct the dream after all, because I didn't particularly want to have it take place at the school. So I thought about changing the venue to an old house, maybe even to find a sort of chapel room I had dreamed of in the past and had always wanted to return to. Then I woke up, because the kittens I was lying next to were moving around. I went back to sleep, and was actually able to re-enter the dream, but I ended up being woken again, so I didn't get that far. I just recall that when I re-entered the dream I was looking at my feet, and I was wearing dress shoes so I knew I was dressed right this time. I was back in the original hallway again. There was something about cats again ' lots of different ones, and I remembered to make the effort to speak to a dream character. I just picked anyone, and I got his attention, but all I did was ask him where something was. He answered me and I moved on. What a wonderful experience! I think one reason I had the lucid is that I had woken up early and then gone back to sleep. Thanks for "listening,' Kate

Hi, Kate

Yes, it has been really long, since I last read lines of yours. Hope, you are doing quite fine, although your hints seem to say something different. Your nightshirt dreamsign makes me smile. It isn't too uncommon. But incidentally I encountered a similar situation yesterday: I dressed up for training tabletennis and choose shorts for after the sports (not taking a second glance at these trousers).When I was ready with showering, I put on the trousers and couldn't close them. (Since I last put them on, I gained about 7kg weight...) So I had to make my way back home with open shorts. Good, that my t - shirt was XXL... A real waking life dreamsign worth a reflection intention - exercise. Back to your dream: Did thanking your higher power somehow make you calmer? I mean, do you think, it did prolong your dream? Why did you want to change your shirt, knowing this was a dream? Why didn't you want to dream of the school and do you think, that willing the scene to change lead to premature awakening (besides the cats)?

Anyway, that was a long and interesting LD. I wish you more of that and hope to see your words again, soon.

Yours Ralf

Hi, Ralf! Thanks for writing back and for the amusing real life parallel experience. I've been using a stationary bike for weight loss and cardiovascular health and I love it, because I can read so I don't get bored. My life is actually fine - but definitely changed. To answer your questions: I don't think thanking my higher power enabled me to stay lucid. I don't seem to have a problem staying calm in lucids since I got over-excited last fall in a lucid and immediately woke up - I learned my lesson that time. I was just so thrilled to discover I was lucid this time that gratitude filled me. I wanted to change my clothes because I wanted to take advantage of my lucid state, and I like to transform things. I probably did feel uncomfortable being dressed like that in public - as far as that goes, knowing nothing was real didn't seem to change that in me. An interesting point: what waking concerns does each dreamer let go, knowing they're dreaming, and what things still matter? I recall not wanting to go to the school because I didn't think it would be that interesting, and I was still trying to take the fullest advantage of my lucid state. But it's possible there was some symbolism in my mind about not wanting to learn. I don't think that willing the scene to change led to premature awakening, because that doesn't seem to have happened to me in the past. I think it was just the kittens. On the other hand, I'll keep that concept in mind. I recall one lucid where I woke while trying to change darkness back into daylight, but I think the alarm woke me. The kittens also woke me from my re-entry lucid, but it's possible I owe the lucids to them in the first place. Either way, they're not spending another night with me. I recall that Joy's insane calico helps her have lucids, but I just don't get enough sleep with animals moving around on the bed. I've totally let the pursuit of lucids go lately but of course now that this carrot has been dangled in front of me I'll be pursuing them avidly again. Great to be corresponding with you again, and wishing you many lucids (ones where your clothes fit), Kate

Hi, fellow lucids! I just read everything on the site, and went though the archive through April something. I'm surprised there's so little activity, but maybe there's more on other sites. Anyway, Amy's dreams are fascinating. If I get the chance, I'll ask a dream character if they know they're in my dream. I talked to a character in a lucid once that gave me the feeling I was in her dream. Linus's dreams still feel like I'm reading mystic Nordic fantasy tales, only better, because they're set in dreamscapes with dream logic storylines. I particualrly liked the part about the mossy cairn with the glittering air where he knew he'd find his sword. I could really connect with that feeling. And the tantalizing glimpse of almost Mossgrift... A lot of us seem to be seeking something over and over in our lucids. You'd think we'd be able to give it to ourselves, since it's all in our minds. Owen, I recall feeling headachey after lucids, as if they had taken something out of me. I figured it was worth it. I don't have high bp. Frequent lucids to all, Kate

Kate!

Thanks for your prompt answer. Regarding the trousers I succeed in eating less and some jogging, doing gymnastics and playing table tennis. Good that you are fine.

Looking forward for new messages

Yours Ralf

Hi, Kate! Good to hear from you after so long, and with such a great dream story to tell!

It was evident enough to me that you were transforming your dress mainly for the sake of transforming it -- a blue sequined cocktail dress being no more appropriate to wear to work than a nightshirt!

Wait - I guess that depends on your work!

Funny, my calico cat hadn't been bothering/helping me lately but last night she started howling unconsolably for no apparent reason. At last I shut her out of the bedroom and, thinking of everything I had to do today, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to go to sleep again. I put in a request for dreams: "Guidance," I thought; "... and lucidity... but, know what? - all I really want is to get enough sleep!"

An unseen entity said, "Do you have a five-level dimmer switch?"

"No," I thought in reply, "but I can pretend I do," and I went to the wall by the front door and we counted down from bright to dark: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... "Now here's a boat," the voice pointed out, as a small boat appeared rocking gently on water.

"Hey, I'm asleep, this is a dream!" I thought. "Wow, that dimmer-switch thing was to get me to sleep! That worked great!" I woke up (or dreamed I woke up) and practiced the "five-level dimmer switch" a couple more times before falling deep into long, non-lucid dreams.

So I got a little guidance, a little lucidity and a lot of sleep!

Joy

Hi, Joy. Great to hear from you again! Perhaps sadly, a sequined cocktail dress would be inappropriate for my work. I think I was into the magic of little girl or theater world dressup. I was curious about your dream experience. Did you actually fall asleep before hearing the unseen entity's words? A sleep rheostat would be a good thing to cultivate. It's admirable that you were able to come up with something natural to handle your sleep problem. Or that you were open to guidance from "something" that could help you. I'm going to keep trying every night now (not necessarily just at night) to promote lucidity and incubate dreams. I know a good attitude has got to be a big part of that. I hope to have something to report soon. Happy dreams along gentle waters, Kate

I would say it started out as a "hypnagogic image," or whatever one calls the auditory equivalent. On those occasions when I'm annoyingly alert and I really need to sleep, when I drift into one of those half-asleep dreamlets it often catches my attention and kicks me right back into full awakeness. This one sneakily guided me into deeper sleep.

I've been playing with the concept that there are other layers or levels of ourselves that find our everyday concerns totally boring and would love to show us some new insight, perspectives and modes of perception, given half a chance!

Joy to everyone

I really enJOYed these posts

Hi, Keelin. A strange and visually poetic dream...it seems full of symbolism too, like the old fairy tales, though I'm very content not to try and analyze. The watery passageway made me think of the home of Mr Jeremy Fisher, which I always loved. Joy - if you find a way of accessing those other layers of self, please report! I feel as if I have a part of me that doesn't want me to have the pleasure of lucid dreaming, and I'd like to heal that portion, or kick her out, or something. Ralf - glad you enJOYed the posts. Do you have anything new to share? To life and lucidity, Kate

Hello Everyone I have been thoroughly enjoying reading these posts. Although I haven't written in many, many weeks, I have lately been having a spike in LD frequency. This started in July when I visited friends in Saratoga, CA, and has continued throughout the summer. They have been especially insightful, with many symbolic images such as water and food. Probably the most interesting and startling and new LD characteristic was a dream character that actually initiated conversation with me. From what I understand, a common LD frustration is being obsessed with sex. Well, I suffer from this (although at times it's wonderful). I was having a typical LD where I was searching for someone to seduce in an office, and a dream character said "Stop. Aren't you sick of this? You've done this before a million times. Why don't you do something more interesting like fly around or see what's on the other side of that door?" The dream character was disappointed in me and I knew she was right. I became embarrased and woke up!! I found this to be so interesting and have not been able to share it with anyone, so here it is : ) It's nice to be back and finally posting my own stuff Tracy

Hi, Tracy. That's exciting, that a dream character addressed you. It also seems very healthy. If you do feel that you've been controlled by an obsession with sex in LD's, then how nice that your mind (and/or whatever) produced a source of guidance for you. It's also a good tip for me that a change of scene and seeing friends you don't usually see increased your LD's. Travel is always positive, it seems. Personally, I was thinking that I might like to try the sex thing when I get lucid again. I'll have to see how it goes. Maybe a dream character will seduce me. (Enticed by my blue-sequined cocktail dress.) That would be fun...but I don't want to get obsessed either. There's so much to explore in the world of LD's. I was advised by a dream character in a non-LD and I never was sure what to think of this... Anyway, it will be exciting to hear what is behind the door! Have fun with your LD's, Kate

Hi Kate Yes, I found it exciting to be addressed by the dream character. And I was surprised by how surprised I was! It totally caught me off guard. Next time I will try to remember to say something back. Funny too how I became embarrased even though I knew I was dreaming. I agree that travel is always positive in many ways. Once I become a teacher (this year!finishing my masters!yay!)I will hopefully have more time to at least go camping and sleep outside- often conducive to some good LD's. What was your dream guidance like that you mentioned? Did you find it to be useful or insightful? Tracy

Hi, Tracy. Well, I wasn't sure what to think about the dream guidance. The character, an older lady who looks like one of those old-fashioned housekeepers like in The Others, first appeared in a LD. I got her attention just for the sake of talking to a dream character, and we exchanged info, but I don't recall the dialogue. I never do recall dream dialogue that well, just the gist. She was nice, but she smushed my shadow box. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and thought maybe she hadn't noticed what she was doing. But I wondered...She reappeared in a nonlucid with a plot involving my being in a house with dangerous intruders. I was trying to decide whether I should open a window and jump out, and she was there, and shook her head and said: "I wouldn't." But I did anyway. I don't know what to make of this character and her actions...When I jumped out the window there were bad guys right there, but they didn't see me behind a bush. I also had an LD where a young Apache with a motorcycle appeared in the woods. I ended up running away from him, and I felt after waking that he might have been a guide, and that I had on some level feared hearing what he had to say, and threw away an opportunity. Not very conclusive stuff...But thanks for asking about it. Sweet dreams under the stars, Kate

I've accidentally posted this to the "First Lucid Dream" section. So here is now at the correct place...

Hello to all fellow oneironauts! I haven't posted much due to excessive workload but there something I wanted to share for a long time...

I had 5 SUCCESSIVE LDs at a 2 hours nap between 20:00-22:00 after 3 days of not much sleep due to travelling. It's rather dificult for me to have LDs since I don't get much sleep because of long working ours. But this happened during my summer vacation. I guess it was REM rebound from not sleeping too much.

What amazed me was that I was aware of all the 4 false awakenings and never stopped beeing lucid until the time I woke up. It was rather out of this world!

The best part was when I was in my house and my mother was coming out of the bathroom and she said:

• "Niko, you look taller"
• "Mum,can u see my feet beeing on the ground?" The she looks down, sees me floating vertically and looks up to see if I am hanging from a rope from the ceiling. She was puzzled and confused.
• "Mum, I'm dreaming and floating!" Then like my friend Chris says: "Who needs doors when you have walls" Through all my dreams I used flying as my main transport means and the walls where my exit from any room I was. I had lots of sex (ooops), met lots of friends and took two of them for a short flight around a park over a big lake. At one point I was walking up a staircase and I saw a small window on the side of the wall. I wanted to get out through it. I tried to squeeze out but I got stuck. Then I thought that I could make myself smaller and fit and I did!

What surprised me the most was that I could do anything I wanted and had great control over any situation even though I've only had around 5 LDs since I started my LD work (Jan '02) that weren't long enough to practice.

My LD frequency started ramping up since then and I have around 1 LD per week. What works for me is trying to feel waking life as a dream especially when something weird happens. All my LDs started by just realising it's a dream with no reality check.

Thanks for listening boys and girls, Be well and follow your heart!

Nikolas

I love it when we get lucid dreams in clusters like that, I wish I could do that all the time. Lately I have clusters of extremely short lucid dreams that I forget very easily if I do not write them down.Whats up with that? I used to think being lucid guaranteed remembering.

May we all have lucid clusters! (long meaningful ones preferrably- LOL)

Hi Ryan,

I think the reason why you forget the clusters of small ones is because you momenteraly wake up between them and if you don't put an effort to remember at least the main feature of the first one, it gets overwritten by the next, especially if you continue sleeping.

I had a cluster of 2 short ones this morning but I had to wake-up to go to work so I remembered both of them in extreme detail, especially the sensual one! LOL! ;-)

Haha, maybe I just need some sensual lucid dream clusters so they will stay in my memory

Hahahahhahaha! You got that right! Anything that stimulates your senses will do! Touch (mmm), smell (my favorite) and sight (who doesn't?).

So there you have a nice looking flower that feels soft and smells great!

Got you there!

Hahahahhaha!

Hooray! I got lucid this am. I guess it was low level lucidity, because part of it I don't recall and part of it was a dream within a dream. But I got a lot out of it, as it seems to me to be about mentally imposed confinement. Also I confronted a familiar nightmare. I was on top of a building with my mother looking across at another building top, which had some cars parked along the railing. A van started sailing slowly over the railing and through the air in a downward arc to land. I said to my mother: "See that, we're dreaming!' She didn't respond and basically disappeared from the dream at that point. I decided to fly, and took off from the building top (which was only a few stories.) I remember it felt wonderful but don't recall the scenery. Then I noticed I actually had my eyes closed so everything was black. I opened them, and from some perspective I saw my eyes opening, and they felt sticky, as if they had run in my sleep, and I figured oh-oh, I'm waking. But after that I saw whitish flagstones and grass on the ground, to which I was much closer. So I pumped my arms and flew high again, and I recall I found a way to fly that was easy, with no more trying to keep my body level and all that. It's after this that my memory gets vague. I recall something about my dancing to the rhythm of some music on the building top (I can't dance at all in real life.) I was seeing myself at the same time I was experiencing this, and I was some weird beige color and very thin like some kind of alien, and I was thinking people around me must think I was weird. The next thing I recalled was being in my bed in my real apartment lying face down and feeling there was someone on top of my back, which is a nightmare I have sometimes. I tried hard to cry for help, like I always do, and I seemed to croak it out this time. I was aware in a way that I was dreaming, so I decided to feel if there was really someone there. I reached up and felt a hand holding down my arm. But I noticed the hand was just flaccid and didn't move. I also saw it in my mind's eye, and saw my own arm, just as I had seen my own eyes open and seen myself dancing. Then I decided to throw myself out of the bed, and if I felt the floor under my back, I'd know there was really no one on top of me. So I flipped out of the bed and I could feel the carpeted floor under me, so I knew there was no one really there. I thought I had heard the upstairs neighbor call my name from outside after I had croaked for help, (in reality I don't know them) so I went out to the living room to see if he was outside the door. I didn't see anyone. Then the scene had changed to my parents" old living room in NJ. I was wearing a long white nightgown, and I was standing in front of the couch trying to really think about what's written on the forum in terms of making the most of my lucidity. There was some good music playing. I decided to spin just for the heck of it, even though I feared it could wake me rather than prolong my lucid state. But I had a sense of just taking a chance for fun. So I spun around and around, and I said "lucidity x 1,000.' Then I said "lucidity to the max!' and kept spinning. Nothing seemed to change, but I was having a good time. I decided to fly through the house, and as I was floating by the front door I thought about trying to change the scene to a big, interesting house instead of this little ranch, but I didn't really try to ' either because I didn't have the confidence or because the lucidity was low. I floated through the rooms, and in my parents" room there were some mirrors on the wall above the bed and my mother's dresser. I looked in them and liked the way I looked. Then I floated into my old room and wanted to go through the window and explore the outdoors, which looked very inviting. But I couldn't push through the screen. So I decided I could do better in the living room, and returned there. But on my way I noticed the music seemed very loud, and I thought the neighbors wouldn't like it since I'd already probably woken them up. (As if I was still in my apartment instead of my parents" house.) In the living room, I saw that the radio was sitting in my mother's chair sort of upended, as if it was a car stereo someone had pulled out. The controls were odd, and I had trouble adjusting the volume without turning the tuning apparatus. I ended up changing the station, and even though I was planning on leaving, I tried to get it back, because I didn't want to lose it for the future, since it was unusually good. It was now on a talk show. I was having trouble achieving my purpose with the controls. Then I was looking at a catalogue of apartments, which all seemed to have a stone protrusion out front. I wondered if they were balconies, because they didn't look big enough. Then my view expanded, and I saw that the protrusion was a planter on a much bigger area, and it was all stone with moss and plantings like something on the Mediterranean, with porch furniture, and very charming. I also saw a dining table at the window which looked out on the balcony, and it was glass with beautiful yellow pear-patterned settings. I was thinking how nice it would be for the people to sit at the table while they ate and look over the balcony onto the street outside. Then I thought about how my brother used to sit with his back to the lake at a vacation place my grandmother had, and some cousin making some witticism about this. I noticed that as I continued to look in the window of the apartment, instead of there being a normal arrangement of furniture, there were just more of the same tables, as if it were a store. Then I woke up, which was a good lesson to me to try not to get caught up in pointless projects and diversions in LD's (and life) when the opportunity is there to fly and explore. Wishing everyone great and long lucids, Kate

Just wanted to say congrats on the lucid dream, very long and full of detail!

Hi, Ryan. Thanks! Kate

Hi Kate!

It's always nice to hear such excitement! Let's dance and celebrate! And who is to say who can dance and who cannot? Dancing is something personal with no reference to anyone else. Dancing purifies our souls and cleanses our spirit! Just build a fire and start dancing around it. See how it feels. Connect to everything around you. Feel free of form! Why should you care if you're out of rhythm? If you can synch to your own tempo that's what counts the most!

In this world, everything is possible!

All the best!

Niko

Dear Kate Wow! Your details are amazing. Sometimes I feel that it is scary to even begin to try to explain all of the sudden changes and absudities in dreams without being confusing, but your explanation of your dream is very clear.

I was in and out of lucidity in this dream: I was in a hotel/castle outside of Cairo waiting for my boyfriend to meet me. I decided to drive into the actual city of Cairo without a map by myself, in some rental car. I thought "Well, I have no clue where I am going." I became lucid when I realized that I could speed quickly around dangerous corners with only one hand on the wheel. The street signs were in English and Arabic and French. They were exactly like the big green signs on the NJ Turnpike. Once I realized I was dreaming I stopped worrying about the fact that I was lost! Drove into the downtown. Saw women in full burkas (sp?), children and many men. Then, about a 12 foot woman in a burka walked among the crowd, and I questioned whether she was on stilts? She was VERY creepy. I lost lucidity briefly when I became afraid of a strange event unfolding: a crowd of people sitting around the perimeter of a huge pedestal, something a large statue would be placed on. In the center of this pedestal was one of the 12 foot women spraying the people with a fire hose. The sitting people were flying around everywhere from this gigantic spray of water and getting hurt. I found myself walking on a narrow, cobblestone street and again became lucid. I was trying to find a restaurant named Sy Sabanian, (which by the way I was holding the menu and this name was spelled vertically and was in a strange, beautiful font) and ran into a few European tourists on the street. I got the feeling that these people were having their own dream, and meeting me just as I was meeting them. I said "So, have you ever been here?" and a blond woman said "No, it's weird, isnt it?" I suppose I was not at a very high level of lucidity because I felt too self conscious to ask her or others around me anything pertaining to the fact that this was a dream. Throughout the dream my senses of vision, smell, and touch were extremely vivid, as usual. But, my hands and face felt unusually dirty and gritty, as though I had been unable to wash. Much like the feeling we all get after hiking all day in the woods. That's all I remember.

Happy Travelling Tracy

Hi, Niko. Thanks for your encouraging comments! I saw a card today that had a quote about everyone needing a special place to sing, dance and dream that reminded me of LD'ing. And you're right that it's important that I move to the rythms of the earth in whatever way seems right to me. The mention of a bonfire reminds me of a piece of Celtic music that moves me. But I think my apartment managers would prefer that I not set one. Maybe the next time I go camping... Hi, Tracy. The level of details in my dream postings has come up a lot. I don't notice a difference, myself. Do I seem to dream in more detail than average to you, or just report in more detail? Your dream was very vivid and interesting. The part about the menu was evocative for me - I was reminded of how so many things in dreams have some special aspect to them never found in real life, like that writing. The searching for a special place is very familiar, too. Does Sy Sabanian really mean anything to you? Because I looked up the word on the internet and Sybania turns out to be a place in a fantasy series and also in stories of an Eastern European culture. So I was curious. Also, have you been to Cairo? Sweet LD's to all, Kate

Kate- interesting. I have not been to Cairo. The closest I have been to that area of the world was a one day walk around Tangier during a trip to Spain 2 years ago. I have never seen any words like the ones on the menu, although that could just be from what I remember. Maybe I did read about a similar word or place some time ago and forgot. Thanks for looking it up, though, I hadn't thought of doing that. I never did get to the dream restaurant unfortunately! And the writing was extremely elegant and delicate and graceful and gorgeous and royal blue with gold. Funny how we are surprised at the beautiful images our minds can produced. Although not lucid, last night I was awestruck by the blue-whale sized polar bears that were swimming in front of me while I was surfing. I had "underwater vision". Talk about beautiful!! Wishing all of you surfing dreams Tracy

Hi, Tracy. What strikes me is why my dreaming mind can produce such things while my waking mind doesn't. After all, it is the same mind. I'd like to know what causes the difference. As to reaching the restaurant, I assumed you didn't, because it seems as if we never do get to those places in our dreams. I also wonder what that's about... If anyone has any insight to offer on these matters, scientific or otherwise, I'd be interested. Continued awesome dreams, Kate

Kate Hi there...I think that one reason I was unable to reach the restaurant is that I was unable to think critically about the decisions I was making. Despite the fact that I was lucid, my subconcious mind had other plans? I assume that only practice, practice, practice will yield those types of results. Forgive me if I have already written about this, but a few years ago a professor of mine gave me a videotape of "Thinking Allowed" with Stephen LaBerge as the person being interviewed. He reflecting on a lucid dream he had where he was driving down the street, and saw a beautiful woman. I guess his instinct was to consider stopping for her, but instead his lucid mind reminded him, "been there, done that", and he was able to make the decision to float above the car and into the sky, where he saw many religious symbols from a myriad of cultures above the clouds. When I become lucid, I often cant help but to stop the car and go after that man or woman (as gender is usually not an issue in my LD's)with the same ferver that I do when I discover I can fly or float or surf or whatever. In other words, I have great difficulty pursuing other scenarious than the one that is offered to me in my LD. I may be able to go through walls in the house, but I can't seem to leave the house! Is this because I am held up by my mind's perception of worldly constraints? But if this is so, than why can I walk through walls? This is not to say profound events don't happen spontaneously, as I have had some eye-opening spiritual adventures in my LD's. They just happen arbitralily, so it seems. oops...seems ive gotten off topic. Tracy

Hi, Tracy. I think that in LD's, it's often a case of dreamers doing what they believe they can do. And no, I never heard about that interview with Dr LaBerge before. It sounds like an inspirational thing to remember when LD'ing. That dream character you spoke to in the office sounds like your mind's attempt to help you learn to float above the car. Would you like to share any of the spiritual adventures? It seems to be like a fine subject for a new topic. Soaring LD's, kate

Hi!

Quite a while since I wrote anything here. And the fun thing is that I don't know why. I guess it's a combination of lack of time and nothing special to tell. I haven't had any big success in changing the scenery yet, even if I try it every now and then. All too often I'm bound to the landscape I begin in, which most often are just outside my house. But today I atleast had some change. Believe it or not, but for once my dream companion actually seemed to be on my side, not working against me.

(caution, very long part)

The whole night had been great, and weird, even more then usually. Over and over again "lucid element" (or whatever to call it) were present, but by some insane reason I seemed to keep ignoring them.

In one dream I was trying to make a friend understand that she was dreaming. I told her to check her watch, to do different reality tests and such. It never occurred to me that it might be me who was dreaming. And how it actually would have worked, with me being in her dream, I didn't reflected upon.

And later I directed a dream. It took place in a large and old industrial area, sort of science-fiction looking. I don't know how I could control everything without understanding it was a dream. I have some faint memory about me making a tv series. Maybe that's why I didn't react.

It continued like this all morning. At last I dreamt I had an argue with a teacher from school. I said that I had just been all around the world, and that it was indeed reality. I knew I lied, but I didn't know why I did, and I still don't know. Somehow I thought it was funny. I said I had been in Moscow, then I had flew down to Istanbul visiting Sofia Hagia and after that I had taken a concord to San Francisco. Then my teacher said: "If you're so sure you're speaking the truth, and that this isn't a dream, then do one of these reality tests you've spoken about." I was convinced it would fail. It didn't. I was rather surprised. I became lucid, and suddenly I was back home on my yard.

I pondered about why it had been so hard to convince me. The whole night it had been like if my subconscious tried to make me lucid, while my conscious mind had been fighting against it. Usually it's the exact opposite.

Anyway, I begun walking down the street. I was really lucid and aware. I looked around watching the neighbourhood. The twilight had set in and I noticed it was somewhat chilly. I bent down and picked up some sand which I rubbed between my hands. (I usually do that nowadays, pick up something to carry with me.) I didn't see any people. I looked around again to see if there might be someone behind me, but there wasn't. When I looked back there were two girls approaching down the street. Another women just parked her scooter in a carport nearby. I called her to me and asked if we couldn't play something.

(As I mentioned, and as some of you might know, I find it hard to change the scenery and similar stuff. But I've noticed that it's much more probably to have my will if I use a dream companion. It's like a link between the awaken me and my subconscious. I've also learned that it's more probably to make something happened if you don't do a direct request but give the subconscious somewhat choice. Therefore I asked if we could play something. Because if someone would ask me that when I was awake I would have associated to computer games. And it was exactly that affect I wanted to get, but without being to obvious.)

The women just looked my up and down and said: "You sensitive ****, don't you have any emotions?" I smiled and told her that see might want to change the word "sensitive" to "insensitive" next time, then it would make more sense. She sniffed at me and turned around. The other two had reached me now. One of them, a girl in the same age as I, beckoned to me and said: "I can help you." She was dressed in a long jeans skirt and a tight waist. She had long light brown hair and was really cute. Now there was a lot of sounds all around. A power saw far away, a distant scream, faint noise from big machines. "You mean you want to play with me?" I asked. She just smiled. We shook hands and she begun walking down the street. I followed. The noises were increasing. Now I heard gunfire from the other side of the neighbourhood. Exhilarated I took her by the shoulder and asked if we couldn't "play war". She gave me a cunning smile and I guess she thought I was childish. But just moments later three fighters passed right over us. The sound still makes me shiver. It was intense, to say the least. She leered towards me and smiled. I understood it was she who had done it.

We kept on walking. Now there were firing all over and distant explosions and screams and... Well we were in the middle of a war. I was really elated. Everything seemed so real. The atmosphere was really intense. I asked if she couldn't make a helicopter come pick us up, but she didn't answer. We came to the end of the street where a big slope lay. From there I had a great view out over the landscape. Big pillar of smoke rose from everywhere. I saw planes and firing, scorched houses and tanks forcing their ways through dragon's teeth. I was like in ecstasy, it was a unbelievable sight. I could have stood there for hours just watching. Then I heard a helicopter approaching, but at the same time my companion slipped and tumbled down the slope and she took me with her. We rose and brushed the dust off. I asked if she was okay and she nodded. The sound from the helicopter was gone. She begun walking. I asked if she had something I could hold in my hand, like a little statue or something. She smiled and said she understood exactly what I meant, then she gave me what looked as a little whistle. It was made of aluminium, plastic and something green, quite alike jelly. It looked futuristic. We came out on another street. She told me to wait where I was and then she walked over to a few people further of. Now I recognised where I was. I was almost where the dream had started. I wondered where to go. If I walked right I would come back to where I've already been, and to my left the street ended in a thick brushwood. I noticed a small path leading into the wood. But I knew that if I entered it would probably get too dark and the dream would end. Now my companion came back. She had a little savage terrier with her. She pointed at the path and said that it lead to a guerrilla training camp. The dog would lead the way. She smiled and asked if it wouldn't be cool visiting it. I gave her a big smile and gently stroke her cheek. I thanked her for helping me. Then we walked into the thick brushwood.

I had walked pretty far when I heard her shout from back behind that she couldn't continue with her long skirt. She said she would head back and that I was on my own. I continued a few metres but the brushwood was just getting thicker and thicker. Then the dog disappeared. I got caught in some thorny bush and the dream suddenly ended. I had a false awakening and then woke up for real...

I wish more dream friends could be like her...

By the way, I've put together some statistics about my lucid dreams. If you want to see it visit:

http://w1.248.telia.com/~u24802504/

Take care you all!

Fun dream, Linus, and well done! I really enjoy reading your dreams. Well-written, and so different from mine: I can't imagine entering a war scene intentionally! - but can definitely appreciate feeling elated at succeeding to enter a scene of my choosing.

Your ideas about asserting your will indirectly through a companion are most intriguing.

Joy

P.S. Long as I'm here, think Ill post this morning's dream - something fun and different:

S and R, two visiting real-world houseguests, discovered another high hall closet in my childhood home and brought down a Dr. Seuss book. My sister and I looked at it: it was trapezoid-shaped; I thought I saw it change shape, but when it was broader at the base my sister said that was because it was for girls. The story was about stars and stuff. I said, "Hey, the writing changes! I must be dreaming! ' unless you think it's supposed to change.' But my sister agreed that this was a dream. I wondered if she was dreaming it too. I said, "We could go flying!' but she demurred, so I took off on my own, with her kids below clamoring: "We can fly too! We can fly to the stars!'

I flew straight up, considered the ceiling and decided to cause it to elevate and gradually dissolve into the night sky. It was very dark, as if cloudy; I saw no stars. Then I was seized by the sudden inspiration to create a swing. I held my hands as if holding the bar of a trapeze ' I didn't feel it, but trusted it to materialize ' and began to swing from it, in great arcs, forward" back" It felt wonderful! I noticed that the bar never did develop a solid feel in my hands, but the sensation of swinging was absolutely vivid and realistic ' the exhilarating, uplifting changes in g-force through the arc. Wow! It was very, very nearly orgasmic ' an effect I encouraged, as I swung huge sweeping arcs through dark infinity until I woke.

Hello-

Every night I have the same dream during the first 15 minutes of sleep. I wake up remembering that I had dreamed the same dream, but I can't remember what happened or where it was.

Well, two nights ago this happened again and I decided that there was something I was not confronting, and it was causing me to repeatedly forget this important dream.

I fell back asleep, determined to wake up inside it, and I found myself in the waiting room of a doctors office. There was a group meeting in the room, and I was a newcomer to the group. After a few minutes, I realized that I had been dosed with some sort of hallucinogen, and started to panic. The more experienced members of the group convinced me to relax--that there was nothing I could do about being dosed, and that I might as well enjoy it and learn from it. As I relaxed, I slowly became lucid.

I asked the most pressing question I could think of: "What exactly is evil and who is the devil?" The woman next to me asked me to look at her face. It slowly began to morph into a very frightening face, I mean, it REALLY scared me!!! So, I grabbed her by the shoulders and said "I'm not ready for this--please stop." She then grabbed me by the shoulders and said "You ARE ready--look at me." I had no choice but to look at her distorted face, and my fear became so intense that I let go completely and stretched out with the most violent feelings I've ever had. I dove into her face, kicking and screaming, and entered a long tunnel. It seemed to stretch into infinity, and the echoes of my voice screaming "I HATE YOU" got louder as the tunnel stretched.

Suddenly, I stopped fighting it and instead of saying "I hate you" I said "I am AFRAID of you." I reappeared in the meeting room in front of the same woman, but her face was back to normal. I found myself holding the body of an old shrunken woman--she was motionless in my arms. Confused, I looked around the room and most of the people were either in tears, or almost in tears, but I could sense that they were tears of joy and wonder. I realized that by looking at the distorted face, I had confronted my fear and NEUTRALIZED it, and that the body of the old lady WAS my neutralized fear lying silently in my arms.

When I come to these boards, I get that same feeling of asking you all, "What in the world is going on here!!??" This is all so strange and new. Has anyone seen the movie "Waking Life" by Richard Linklater?

Thanks, Kevin

Kevin

Your LD and your approach to confronting what might happen in the time you don't remember is impressive.

Stephen has once said something intruiguing on this subject. I'll recall it from my memory: It doesn't matter sometimes, if you know, what you integrate. Just do it. Just embrace your shadow in unconditional love. It works. It works, too.

Of course it might be interesting to know, what facet of yourself is symbolised by that woman. You have to find that out by yourself or discuss it in a dream - interpreting forum.

I still have to see this film by Linklater.

Yesterday I saw: "Being John Malkowitch". Very interesting for lucid dreamers, I think. Not very cosy, I must say.

Thanks for sharing dream and thoughts

Yours Ralf

Kevin:

Awesome dream! I sure am glad we don't do interpretations on this site!

Next time you're lucid, you might consider asking the opposite question, like, "What exactly is good, and who is god?." Since you got such a graphic response to one side of the coin, maybe you'll get the same for the other. It might be worth the effort.

Just a thought...

Peter

Howdy from Dallas, folks!

I am new to the forum; I just put all my profile stuff in, so I won't re-type it all here. Please feel free to email if you have questions or anything. I'm glad to be here!

My most recent lucid dream, from the day before yesterday:

2002 10 12: Summer Camp Clothes and the LD Necklace I'm in a room with a bunch of people who are going away to summer camp. They are talking about the fact that the outfits they wear for the trip are always useless for the camp itself - they are dressed up nicely, like for business. It seems like most of the people are middle-aged women; I don't recall any men in the group. One red-headed sort of Jewish looking woman stands out in my memory; she is wearing a tawny orange silky looking blouse, untucked so that the tails hang out. Someone says that the trip clothes always take up space in their bags, and someone else mentions that she always wears hers for the trip back as well.

I realize that I'm dreaming. I don't know what triggered it, it is just sort of a realization. I decide to spin for a new scene, because the room where I'm standing is kind of dull and gray. The women seem to have gone into an adjacent room, or else just faded once I stopped paying attention to them.

When my spinning stops, I find myself in a bright open house. The walls are all painted white, and the flooring is a pale color, like ash or blond oak. It has a golden sheen to it. It seems like the house is in the process of being painted; the furniture is pulled away from most of the walls toward the center of each room, and the walls are completely bare. It appears that I'm on the second floor, although I don't see any stairs leading down. I just feel like I'm upstairs.

I walk into a room that appears to be a bedroom. It's kind of hard to tell, with the walls all bare and the furniture all gone. It seems like the furniture for this room must have been pulled out into the hallway, or into another room entirely; it's entirely vacant. It seems like there's nothing really interesting going on here, so I decide to try to heighten my lucidity by saying "Heighten lucidity, heighten lucidity..." it's like a little chant, and I sort of dance as I say it. It seems to work; my sensations are much more intense, and I have the same wonderful body buzz that I get when I fly. I look around, and decide that it's a little dim in here, and I want to turn on the lights. I look up, and there are two fixtures like what we have in the Soap Room, but they're not lit. Since I know this is a dream, I think I can turn them on by just telling them to turn on; I aim my fingers at them in a sort of gunslinger pose, leaning my elbows on my sides as if I've just pulled guns from hip holsters. I point at the lights and say, "turn on, lights!" but they don't. I try it again, chagrined, and then I remember that lights are difficult. I go over to the wall and flip the switch, and the lights come on, but don't seem to change the overall lighting of the room. It's not dark in here, there appears to be light coming from windows, but it's just not bright. Each light fixture has a little dim pool of light around it shining on the ceiling, as if they were very low-wattage bulbs. I realize that this is kind of pointless, and decide to look around some more.

I turn and walk to the end of the room at my left. About halfway there, I turn back, and there is now a steel rack in the center of the room. It appeared when I turned my back. It looks like one of those rolling garment racks like we have in the closet for Chris's clothes, but it's double (two bars, connected across with little beams) and seems very sturdy. It's made of stainless steel with a brushed finish; it looks kind of industrial. Hanging from it are all these little odd-shaped hangers; they don't look like anything that would support clothes. They have fairly normal-seeming tops, but the bottom part of each hanger just drops downward like an upside-down tuning fork. They are kind of plump-shaped about 1/2" in diameter, and made of what appears to be white plastic. They are all the same, and there is nothing hanging from any of them. There are probably a hundred or so hangers all together. I look at them a moment, trying to imagine what they're used for. There are little points hanging down from the tips of the bottom part, and I think perhaps they would hold a picture or something. I shrug, and decide I won't be able to easily figure out what this is, and walk back toward the end of the room where I was heading.

When I get there, I realize that the doorway leads into a bathroom. I go into the bathroom, and straight ahead under the window is a huge garden tub with a few ancient pothos ivy plants around it, and a bunch of small statues in the tub. They are all similar sizes, a little less than a foot tall, but they range from superhero looking figures to very old native deity figures. They seem like their being in the tub has to do with the painting of the house. I look at them a little, especially one that seems like a Native American warrior spirit figure dancing, and then go out of the bathroom.

I walk out of the bedroom and into the main upstairs hallway, and there is a bunch of furniture piled here. It seems like the bed and dressers from the bedroom. I have decided that I want to find my lucid dreaming necklace. There is a woman here with curly dark hair; she looks like a Gypsy or someone from the Middle East. She has fair skin but exotic features. She has marks on her face that look like ashes or ink; I can't tell if they're some sort of blemish or if she's been working with something and smudged it on her face. I ask her if she's seen my lucid dreaming necklace; it's a silver pendant with a red stone. I have a vivid image of it, it is about an inch across, with a large reddish stone in the center that looks like a garnet. She shakes her head to tell me that she hasn't seen it; she looks at me like she not only hasn't seen it, but doesn't know who I am. She walks away, or just fades.

I go into another bedroom, and this one appears to have all its furniture in place. I have an impression of diamonds on the bed; I think it's a quilt. I am talking to someone here, but don't remember who; this part of the dream seems to have gotten fuzzy. I keep hearing a hissing air noise that repeats in short bursts; I look around and find that it is a white machine situated behind the dresser; it has tubing coming out of it, and reminds me of the air pump for a large aquarium. [note: I think this may have been one of the dogs in real life, perhaps Taco coughing.] Once I realize what the noise is coming from, it stops. As I'm leaned over looking at the pump, the Nova Dreamer lights flash in my eyes, and I am momentarily blinded by them. It seems like my dreamscape is fading. I decide to spin to retain my dream state, and so I spin vigorously, telling myself out loud as I'm doing so, "I'm going to be in a completely different place; I'm going to stay dreaming, but in a different place."

When I stop spinning, I find myself in a building which is also entirely devoid of furniture or wall decoration. This one is much larger in scale, though; it seems more like a church or school than a house. The doors are about 12 feet tall and the ceilings are much higher. The carpet is an industrial type, and a sort of olive gray. The place kind of seems creepy, although it may just be because it is unoccupied. I run from the corner where I find myself to the door in the opposite wall; it seems like my actions are accelerated, like I'm moving faster than I really can. It has an almost jittery feel to it. I become conscious of the bedroom, and wake. end

Always, Michael

Another one, just for grins...

20020912, Lizard Boy in a Fantasy World

I haven't been able to quite work my way back through the dream to the point where I became lucid. I know that I simply recognized the flashing lights and became lucid. It didn't manifest as a dream occurrence.

I have decided that for this experience, I wanted to explore a fantasy world. I had seen something about a Piers Anthony novel earlier this afternoon, and that stuck in my head - I decided to go into one of his worlds. I didn't quite end up there, but having somewhere to aim seemed to help the experience significantly.

I remember that somehow another guy managed to get inside the experience before I did. I remember standing next to Chris on the sidewalk, and pointing to a painted arrow that was on the sidewalk, and explaining that the poor guy had gotten inside the experience without managing to take along the map. He didn't know where he was going, or what to do. I know that the arrow on the concrete is him. I know that he can't see us, and we can't see him in his proper shape, because of the difference of the dimensions. I tell Chris that I can probably make myself known to the guy, if I project a little... and as I say this, I'm projecting an image toward the other dimension. When I do so, I can see the other guy sitting on the sidewalk, but he's been turned into a green lizard. I reach down and try to grab him, but he scampers off. I guess I must look like a huge monster to him.

I have to get the novel, to take along with me to use the map inside the front cover. I am in a train car, and I know that there is a library in one of the cars. I go to the right car, and open the door to the library. A young woman follows me in, and I get up and start to shut the door, but she shuts it first. I say, "Thanks, I was just about to do that." I start looking for the book, and Chris and I walk down the aisle of the library cart. I am shining a flashlight into the seats, and I tell Chris that there might be something scary - I'm expecting to see something from the dinosaur world, and I think I see dinosaur eggs on one of the seats, but when I shine the flashlight on them, they are actually somebody's bunny slippers, and I give Chris a sheepish look. Then I see the lizard on the floor. I realize that he's here, and we're in the same place, and I reach down and grab him. He looks like a green anole, but smaller. I start explaining to him that we're inside a fantasy world, and he will be okay, as long as we can find our way back out in time. He doesn't seem to get it. He is struggling. He gets loose, and I have to catch him again.

I'm carrying the lizard as we disembark the train. We're walking along under a covered walkway, and I see the lights flashing again. I'm ecstatic, because I know this means I've managed to maintain the lucid state through the four minute refractory period of the ND device. A later check of the ND indicates that it only gave me 2 cues between setting and waking - which means that I caught both of them in one dream! The lizard-guy struggles in my hand as I'm walking along, and I explain to him that the lights are just a signal for me, and that they won't hurt us, but I need to move along to where they won't bother him. I'm briefly conscious of my body, and I do a spin to regain consciousness of the dream experience. I am thinking to myself that it's cool that I'm not actually moving my real-world body, because the sensation is so real.

For some reason, we need to get into a different place now. I am with a couple of people; the only one that I can recognize is Amy Martin. We are going to cut through a break in the hedges where there is a way into the underground water system. It is like a little gateway into a sewer, and we have to part the bushes and wiggle our way in. We work our way into the water, and swim downward, then find ourselves under a LOT of deep clear water. We rise up from the great depth, and we pop up in a swimming pool where there are a bunch of people apparently just finishing a class in something like water aerobics. I think to myself that it's convenient that they were just finishing, or they would have noticed us popping up from the bottom. I tell Amy that next time, we ought to see if we can work our way to the shallow end, so it's not quite such a long way to the surface - it seems to have made my lungs a little worn out. As we're walking around the end of the pool, I make a note to myself, "Increase sensations," and things seem sharper and brighter. I know the pool was intensely blue as we were coming up.

We leave the pool area and go onward. I realize that I have left the lizard behind. We go back and talk to a lifeguard type guy, although he's a little older and not very fit - maybe he's a coach. He says something about a little lizard in such a big pool would be impossible to find. I go back and start looking at the pool, and I see the lizard, clinging to a sheet of paper or card stock. I reach down and grab him, just as he is sinking under the water. I start blowing into his mouth and shaking him. He comes back to consciousness, and he is very angry with us for leaving him. I start to ask him, "Who saved your life and breathed into you? Who thinks you are a very special little lizard guy? Me!" and he seems to be brightening a little and becoming less hostile toward me. I am almost singing this to him, and it makes me sound like a kids' TV show. I think that the area that we're walking through is Mom and Dad's garage. The lizard seems to have shrunk to the point of being very tiny, like maybe an inch or two long. He is sitting on my thumb, and I've got the tip of one finger on his back legs to keep him from squirming off. He also seems to have gotten more brown, and has a texture on his skin like coral, with the little pores. He has pressed the tip of the index finger of my opposite hand between his teeth and upper lip, and is making this huge smile, like he's finally realized that I'm going to stick with him and take care of him. He seems to be all mouth now; his body is totally hidden behind the huge mouth. I notice that the pressure feels warm and very firm - and I have a brief thought that this kind of pressure could almost be sexual - it's like somebody sucking my finger. I am conscious of my body again, and decide to wake this time rather than try to dive back into the dream again. end

Michael

Dear Michael!

Welcome to our forum!!!

Excuse the delay, some people are very busy these days. I did begin to read your profile and posts, but was always interrupted. So now I sit here with coffee and cake, taking time to not just hurry through, but to enjoy your dreams. And that is what I did. Thank you very much for posting your experiences. You display quite good control of yourself and the dream. I admire your language, too. Very vivid, detailed, poetic (like the photo in your profile). The way you write lets me be there in your dream. Only few dreamers here are able to "take me there" in this way. It has been long, that I needed to look up so many words. Michael, please excuse my sometimes weak English, it is not my mother language. Would you please explain:

"ancient pothos ivy plants": what does pothos mean? Didn't find it anywhere.

And I don't speak Italian (had some Latin at school). Would you mind translating:

"Poi s'ascose nel foco che gli affina."

Is that from Dante's "Inferno"?

So, the NovaDreamer did work very well for you. Did you do the course, available at LI? How did you learn to see the cues and get lucid?

How did you come to LDing at all?

Thanks for going into detail about some things like: Increase lucidity, sensations; turning on lights, use of prolonging techniques, dealing with dream characters.

When is your best time to get lucid? Do you have personal, special tricks?

Do you have a waking physical reality LD - necklace?

Am I asking too much?

Thanks for being here!

Yours Ralf