Welcome to Dr. LaBerge's Spring 2004 class! Please jump right in here and introduce yourself. That can mean anything from one sentence (letting us know your new account works) to an entire dissertation on your interests and experience with lucid dreaming.

We like to keep to a single long streaming discussion here, so as a general rule please don't start a new conversation topic. Just post a reply in this existing topic, in the box below "Add a Message" at the bottom of this page.

To start us off, here's my introduction:

I'm Laura Stewart, the TA (Teaching Assistant) for this class. I've never been a TA before, so I'm completely open to defining the job in any way that can help you enjoy the class and the experience of lucid dreaming. Please come talk with me before or after class, or email me a TA@lucidity.com . I'm here for you!

(I'm also here for Stephen, so if there's anything you feel he should be doing to make the class work better for you, let me know and I'll "get on his case" about it! ;-))

Now, a little background on myself: I'm one of those "natural" lucid dreamers who have been doing it off and on since childhood, never realizing it was anything unusual. Several years ago I started journalling my dreams systematically, but not for any reason to do with lucid dreams. What I found was that as a side effect, I had far more lucid dreams. (Take me aside sometime and I'll tell you how really weird and self-referential my dreams became during that period--it got downright funny!) Since then I have found journalling to be just as effective FOR ME as any other lucid dream induction technique.

My favorite things to do in lucid dreams are the same as many other peoples': flying, riding roller coasters and jumping out of airplanes, talking with dream characters about the nature of their existence or lack thereof. A personal favorite is observing the intricate details of my surroundings, in awe that some part of me is capable of such creativity. I'm fascinated by what the brain can do. My broader interests include anything to do with the brain -- I just got back from a fascinating academic conference in Tucson entitled "Towards a Science of Consciousness."

3 years ago I took the same course you're taking now. I also went to the week-long camp/retreat/conference in Maui. It was the best week of my life! You can see my review of that experience here .

And finally, a quick tip for searching the forum. It's great to just browse and see what lots of people have to say. We have really smart, interesting people on the forum! But if you want to zero in on a specific person's postings, you can click on "Keyword Search" on the left side of the screen, then enter their first or last name and change "Look in Subject lines" to "Look in Names of authors". Try it right now searching for "LaBerge" (or if I may immodestly suggest, "Laura") to see what I mean.

Hi: My name is Henry(Ed) Karrer. I have never had an LD but I will try hard. I am recording my dreams nightly and so far can only capture a short paragraph per dream. My recall of dreams seems to be triggered by calls to the lav. Anyone else have this issue? I am taking this course because I have been studying the topic of consciousness in order to understand myself better.

Welcome Ed!

Ah yes, the patented Dominick Attisani "water torture" method of dream recall induction! You can read more details here.

Hey everybody,

my name is Christina, I'm from Germany and I've attended the class for the first time yesterday. Like Laura; I'm a frequent lucid dreamer since childhood but it wasn't until I started studying psychology at the university of Saarbruecken, that I found out, there was actually a label for my dream adventures. The reason, why I came to this class is not so much learning how to have lucid dreams (since I can already succeed in that) but to attend one of Stephens classes, to learn more, of course, to get inspired, for I want to write my thesis on lucid dreaming and I'm collecting ideas.

hope to see you all next week

Christina

I almost forgot something very important: I need a ride to get to Stanford, so if there's anybody of you comimg from San Francisco or any other place I could reach via BART, I'd be very very happy (especially for the way back). I'm living in Piedmont/Oakland. If anyone should answer to this, which I hope, I'll be gone for the weekend (on a hike to Yosemite) and I'll read your answer and get in touch with you either sunday evening or monday.

Thank you!

Christina

I almost forgot to report another thing: I had a short lucid dream last night. I was in a dark room and I felt threatened by some negative and frightening energy. I tried to figure out how I got into that situation and became aware that I didn't know. So this must have been a dream or not? I didn't find anything readable so I couldn't make the reading test. Instead I trusted my instincts and faced this dark energy, which now took the shape of my boyfriend and stepped out of the shadows towards me. I knew the creature not to be my boyfriend, it looked like him but I could still feel the threat coming from it. I walked toward him, took him in my arms and became pure energy. I didn't feel the bodyly shapes anymore, it felt more like two energy fields, a dark one and mine, which I tried to make very bright and warm and lovingly. The two melted into each other and what remained was the positive, nice and pure side. I felt powerful. I had faced the dark side (my dark side?) and made it part of me.

Christina

Hi folks,

I'm James Kempf and I've been following Stephen's work for some time, it is certainly a privledge to be able to take a course with him. I don't know how successful I'll be since I'm extremely busy and stressed out with work but I will try.

My most memorable dream was when I was 5 years old, and dreamed that there was an antique toy fire engine there, it was so real. When I reached out to get it, I woke up and could still feel it in my hand. An early lesson in the difference between dream and reality.

I've been having lucid dreams for years, first time was when I was a teenager. The frequencey is sporadic, there are times when I have them often and others when I almost never have them (right now, its more on the "almost never" side). They're particularly frequent when I'm doing a meditation retreat. I'm a practicing Buddhist and try to do at least one 7-10 day meditation retreat a year. I wouldn't recommend that as a way to do lucid dream induction, though, unless you are interested in the meditation part as well, since a long meditation retreat can be both physically and mentally challenging unless you build up to it gradually.

Looking forward to working with you all on dreamland memories.

jak

Hi, I'm Maureen. This is probably the worst possible time for me to try to remember and record dreams. We have a new puppy who is waking me at 5 a.m., just about the time when I seem to have the dreams I recall. After having staggered out in the dark so the puppy can pee, I can't remember much of anything. But I'd like to become more lucid in dreaming and waking, and I know from Ken Wilber's work that Stephen is the man in this field.

Hi, I'm Renate. I usually don't remember my dreams and I'm working on just that right now. I'm fairly fortunate, my dreams are often pleasant or at least neutral (last night I was repotting plants, which I like to do).

I need a lot of sleep (8+ hours) so the idea of lucid dreaming seems very attractive. At least I could have a good time!

For now, though, I'll just work on remembering...

Hi folks, some of you have asked where you can get the light-pens that Stephen mentioned in class (one person asked whether he dreamed it, since they couldn't find them anywhere!) So far I've found them at Walgreens ($6) and Fry's ($5), mixed in with the regular pens in both cases. The brand name is Quasar.

Unfortunately, the majority in stock at both places are the kind that constantly change color (and perhaps brightness), functional but toy-like. However, each place had a few that stayed one color constantly.

Also, for those of you who go to trade shows, you might be able to score one as a give-away. I have a lovely one from Google. (Well, my husband had it until this discussion started and he showed it to me. Now it's mine!)

P.S. A while ago the Discovery Channel stores had some at half price. They weren't Quasar brand. They stayed one color, but sometimes broke. Haven't been back there lately, so don't know whether they still have them nor what they're charging.

Christina, what a great introduction to the "lucid way" to handle nightmares and turn them into a great experience. Stephen will be discussing this, I don't know which week, but the rest of you can get a preview from Chapter 5 of LDCG or, for those of you who already have the paperback ETWOLD, from chapter 10.

Hi James! I've noticed many people report one or more very memorable dreams, lucid or not, from when they were about 5 years old. I know the emotional power of some of those dreams can be quite amazing. One of my memories from about that age: I had already discovered/invented a way to escape from any dream I didn't like. I just closed my eyes, and I always woke up safe and sound. It got to be a habit whenever I noticed I was dreaming--I guess I was having mostly scary or unhappy dreams, or was just glad to be out of that strange dream-place. But once I was having a wonderful dream and as soon as I realized I was dreaming, out of habit I closed my eyes and woke myself up! Before I was even fully awake I realized my mistake and tried desperately to "cancel" the waking up, but it was too late. The sense of grief was overpowering. I've never been able to go "back into" dreams the way many people report, so that dream was lost to me forever, and I felt that grief for my lost chance for years.

Hi Maureen. A new puppy--how fun! Worth a few missed dreams, temporarily, right? But maybe all is not lost. First, can you write down a few words before you set out to relieve your new buddy's bladder? Just to capture a bit of image from the dream?

OK, maybe not. But the good news is, you are already being forced into a schedule that is known to work well for inducing lucid dreams (assuming you are going back to sleep after your walk). You can read the whole study here or just learn the basics at -- hmmm, that's strange, I can't find the instructions in either book, nor anywhere on lucidity.com. Am I dreaming? Anyway, waking up earlier in the morning, becoming fully awake, and then going back to sleep while practicing MILD or the like, is an effective way of increasing lucid dream frequency.

Hi Renate! I'm also a "long" sleeper. 9+ hours even when I'm in good health, and more like 12-14 lately. So yes, part of my attraction to lucid dreaming is that it's something to do with all that time.

And while dream recall comes more naturally for some than others, it will come, I promise. The key seems to be to write down the tiniest thing you remember. If you don't remember anything for sure, write down "maybe's", intuitions, moods, anything you might sorta recall about the general experience of the dream you just woke up from.

There's a great book by Jill Mellick, The Art of Dreaming: A Creativity Toolbox for Dreamwork (not to be confused with other books named The Art of Dreaming by Carlos Castenada or Veronica Tonay). It's about other ways to journal one's dreams besides just writing them down, and I find it a lot of fun, although not necessarily a help to lucid dreaming. The reason I mention it here is because of one simple tip she gives that has saved me so much time and allowed me to focus so much better on writing down the gist of my dreams. Paraphrasing, she suggests never to waste time writing "the woman might have been [Aunt Sally]" or "I'm not sure now whether [I was driving a car or riding a bicycle] or "it was sort of like [whatever] but not really." Instead, just write a "~" symbol to indicate your uncertainty, and get on with it. What a timesaver!

Hi Laura and Students of Stephen,

Just dropping in for a moment to add a bit about light-pens. Those interested might have a dekko for the classic "DreamSign Light Pen". Having used one on several occasions, I can assure you that for dedicated dream journalists who make a habit of recording mid-night, this writing tool can be a virtual beacon in the dark! They are exceptionally easy to locate (usually right where expectation would lead one to look -- i.e., next to one's very own dream journal). The only problems are that the light itself is rather difficult to activate and they have a well-deserved reputation for morphing unpredictably. The good news is they're absolutely free, impossible to lose, and can become a reliable lucidity cue. Available exclusively in the Land of Odd. Keep your eyes open! There's a midnight sale on them beginning tonight and students of Dr. LaBerge are eligible for a discount.

Wishing you all the fun and wonder of exploring lucidity (also wishing I could be in attendance with you!) Keelin

Pardon the late response.

Hi, my name is Ali. I have had lucid dreams but they are pretty rare and always just before I wake up in the morning. I want to learn how to have them more frequently and how to do more in each dream. Even when I have a lucid dream I can't seem to break out of the flow of the dream and do whatever I want.

Here is my long overdue intro:

My name is Michael. I've never had a lucid dream. In fact, I hadn't even heard of lucid dreaming before finding this course listed in the catalog. But I have become intrigued with the whole idea since learning about it.

I have been interested in dreams, though, for a long time. I remember reading "Man & His Symbols" by Carl Jung back in high school and have been interested in dreams, mythology and Jungian psychology ever since.

I've been keeping a dream journal for over a year now. I was at the point of remembering close to one dream a night on average, but in the past week all I've been able to remember is a snippet of a single dream. I think maybe I'm trying too hard.

My goal is to have at least one lucid dream before the course is over. I believe that once I have one, it will be much easier to have others because I'll know it's possible.

I am so frustrated because I was so close to being lucid in my dream this morning. It was a long adventure leading almost from one story to another, and ended up being a nightmare. I can remember looking at my watch many times in the dream, but not close together enough in time that it would remind me I was in a dream. I remember looking at my watch and then looking back a bit later into the dream and being surprised at how much time had passed. I should have noticed that sign. And then there was a part where I was in an airport that suddenly became closed because of terrorists and I came face to face with the men with the guns and they just let me walk by and left me alone while hundreds of people around me were hiding and running from fear and panic. That was another moment where i should have known to ask the "bad guys" what they are doing and engage conversation. I will try tonight. I did however wake up very disturbed and upset, and the details of the dream and images have been so clear all day. Hopefully I will have more luck with becoming completely lucid soon. So far I have had very little luck with remembering to touch door frames...that is really so difficult!

Hello all,

Sorry about the really overdue intro...

My name is Jamie. I have had a few lucid dreams in the past and had always wanted to learn more about them. I've always had extremely vivid dreams, and have kept dream journals for quite a while. I became more interested in dream phenomena a couple of years ago when I started having episodes of sleep paralysis pretty much every night. After testing at the sleep lab I was diagnosed with narcolepsy, and one of my symptoms is sleep-onset REM states. I'm not sure what (if any) effect this could have on lucid dreaming, but I am really enjoying learning more about the process. The lucid dreaming state seems to have so much potential for learning, not to mention having fun...

My overdue debut as well ...

Hello, I am DeAnn and I have been very interested in the neuropsychology of dreaming for several years. I experienced a few lucid dreams as a pre-teenager and those instances made a marked impression on me. I have tried to lucid dream on my own since them but have never put enough time or effort into the process until now.

My dream recall has greatly improved since I started a dream journal about three weeks ago. I also noticed that I remembered more dreams while I was ill this weekend, something about being feverish and waking up in pain during the night sure helps dream recall! Interesting.

However, I have not yet been able to experience a lucid dream. I'll keep trying. The closest I've had is quite amusing, actually: I recall in one dream checking my to-do list for the day (I make one every day and carry it with me) and one of the items on the list in my dream was clearly "Do reality test." But I failed in it! I thought it was funny, anyway...

Cheers!

Request for Dr. LaBerge: Could you give us a suggested reading list for other books besides yours? I especially would like to find some more recent books about the latest scientific research about dreams, especially the neurophysiology of dreaming. This request was stimulated by the fact that right now I'm reading J. Allan Hobson's The Dreaming Brain: How the Brain Creates Both the Sense and the Nonsense of Dreams. He covers so much of the science, and I'm realizing how much I don't know. But that book, though apparently still in print (and folks, I recommend it highly!) is 16 years old. I'd really like to find the latest information, and I'm sure some of the class members would too, so how about some pointers?

P.S. to the whole class: I won't be here next week (May 5). If you want to see where I'm going check here. See you in 2 weeks!

-Laura

Hi Laura, I have a concert (I'm a pianist) this wed and will be traveling the following wed, but have finished Stephen's book and I'm impressed by how lucidly (and succinctly) it is written. Some of his sources of inspiration, Sufi's, Buddhists, mystics, are mine as well, so I'm very appreciative of his reality model. Mine is similar in my book, The Nature of Music: Beauty, Sound, and Healing (2001, Riverhead/Penguin Putnam). The book comes w/ two companion CDs of music, same title as book, btw. I use music in my work much as Stephen uses lucid dreaming: as a way of self-knowledge and transformation (a la Beethoven). My road to Rome. My own altered states, some very dreamlike, often occur, through intense musical experiences like the one described in his book. Although once, on a long music-deprived backpacking trip, I heard the entire Debussy Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun, note by note, in an almost-lucid dream. Enjoy sci-fi in Arizona!