View Full Version : Taking drugs to stimulate dreams
altnipper
31-03-2008, 01:46
Swim was just wondering if anyone takes substances to enhance their dreams, swim knows that lots of drugs have an effect on dreams but does anyone take them specifically to make them more vivid, if so which ones.
Paracelsus
31-03-2008, 02:37
Look up Calea zacatechichi.
SWIM has heard of nutmeg being used to induce lucid dreaming. The theory is that it works because the psychoactive effects of the nutmeg kick in while you are experiencing REM sleep.
SWIM has heard of nutmeg being used to induce lucid dreaming. The theory is that it works because the psychoactive effects of the nutmeg kick in while you are experiencing REM sleep.
SWIM was silly and sprinkled a bunch of nutmeg on their blueberry hash. If it increased dream lucidness, SWIM was too blazed for too long to have any recollection of a boost in their REM sleep cycle, and what have SWIY.
Might've mentioned this in another thread, but smoking A. Muscaria closer to bedtime with 3-6mgs of melatonin really improves both dream lucidness and dream recall! Perhaps synergistically, at that, if SWIM knew their synaptic pathways, heh :)
Melatonin + alcohol are almost guaranteed to give you some of the weirdest dreams ever. SWIM has had several with this combination, involving sliding pennies apart to fly, being chased by a playground climbing frame with fangs, and having limbs turned into vines, amongst many other strange and weird things. Dreams may also be experienced as being much longer, although there is unlikely to be any significant objective difference in duration.
It may also be worth browsing through Mitton's Practical Modern Herbal, which has some herbs of interest such as Deer's Tongue (Liatris Odoratissima).
After some browsing I found it hard to find out much about Deer's Tongue on the internet so here's the entry from my 1976 edition of Mitton's Practical Modern Herbal:
Deer's Tongue (Liatris Odoratissima)
Also known as American Wild Vanilla
Found Wild United States
Appearance A strong growing climbing plant with obovate-lanceolate leaves. The leaves are used.
Theraputic, or culinary use A powerful stimulant, highly regarded by the North American Indians as an aphrodisiac, and said to induce erotic dreams. Also a most effective diuretic.
I'll have to check a couple of my sources when I have time later, but I remember a dose of B6 being used in combination with melatonin and calea z to induce lucid dreaming.
cannagirl
01-04-2008, 04:55
2 words. Nicotine Patch.
I don't smoke but used one one day, I was super duper bored. I forgot to take it off when I went to bed and had only had it on for one hours. craziest dreams ever.
Nucking Futs
01-04-2008, 05:10
2 words. Nicotine Patch.
I don't smoke but used one one day, I was super duper bored. I forgot to take it off when I went to bed and had only had it on for one hours. craziest dreams ever.
Ya man I will second that!! Also I find that if I eat chillies before I sleep then I Have lucid dreams !! Tis all good.
~lostgurl~
01-04-2008, 08:17
Champix can certainly induce lucid and vivid dreams, but unless you are trying to give up smoking, the side effects wouldn't really be worth it.
chinpokomaster
01-04-2008, 11:34
Is there something in cheese that gives people nightmares, or is that an old wives' tale?
On a side note, SWIM finds that the day after using LSD, some crazy dreams incur and SWIM can see lifelike perfect images in full colour in his dreams, rather than the usual hazy visions he gets when totally sober.
LookingForHer
05-04-2008, 20:55
being chased by a playground climbing frame with fangs
Coolest thing I heard all day.
I give you a cool award :)
RaverHippie
05-04-2008, 20:59
Is there something in cheese that gives people nightmares, or is that an old wives' tale?
On a side note, SWIM finds that the day after using LSD, some crazy dreams incur and SWIM can see lifelike perfect images in full colour in his dreams, rather than the usual hazy visions he gets when totally sober.
FNORD posted this interesting link recently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilton_(cheese)#Bizarre_dreams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilton_%28cheese%29#Bizarre_dreams)
purifymymind
13-04-2008, 01:39
I have a friend who has taken several melatonin pills (about 5-10) before going to bed to enhance their dreams.
fonogoodreason
20-04-2008, 10:40
the days after mdma use (especially with post 5htp supplementation) i am able to have very vivid dreams and easily become lucid if i try (or don't sometimes)
fonogoodreason added 31 Minutes and 46 Seconds later...
oh and thinking about it, since swim has been taking piracetam regularly his dreams have become more vivid, lucid and memorable. two nights ago swim had 5 separate dreams, becoming lucid in 4.
also i forgot to mention in the post before when swim take mdma and 5htp, they are able to carry a dream on, even if they wake up in between. it often is quite different, but it links in a way which is fesable.
FrankenChrist
20-04-2008, 14:21
Passion flower has had this effect on me.
I have also had this from those bodybuilding milkshakes, because they contain loads of tryptamine and B-vitamins.
chinpokomaster
20-04-2008, 14:25
I read the bit about the stilton. Do we know what chemical in the stilton causes this phenomenon?
FrankenChrist
20-04-2008, 21:50
I read the bit about the stilton. Do we know what chemical in the stilton causes this phenomenon?
Interesting.
All I know is that cheese is a dairy product and every dairy product has tryptamines in it, but I wonder why " a glass of warm milk will help you sleep" while "cheese will give you nightmares"
Panthers007
21-04-2008, 03:31
I concur with the passionflower (Passiflora Incarnata) being capable of stimulating dreams. This plant, brewed as a pleasant tea, contains beta-carbolines - including harmine and tetrahydroharmine. These being known for inducing visual imagery and being present in the form of 10-methoxy-harmalan in the brain. Friends of Bongo's swear by this brew and have been using same for years without any notable ill effect.
seeingred
23-04-2008, 01:12
well, stattera
Swim was browsing wikipedia and found this:
Several drugs have been shown to improve the probability of a lucid dream occurring and/or increase the length of such a dream:
Galantamine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galantamine) is a nootropic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic) that can substantially increase the odds of success when used along with a lucid dream or out-of-body experience (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out-of-body_experience) induction technique.[34] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-Yuschak2006-33)[35] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-Yuschak2007-34)[36] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-LaBerge2004-35) Choline bitartrate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choline_bitartrate) or Alpha-GPC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-GPC) can be used with Galantamine to increase its effectiveness.[37] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-36)
An amino acid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acid) blend made up of 2000mg L-aspartic acid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartic_acid), 4000mg L-glutamine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-glutamine), and 300mg L-theanine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-theanine) can greatly increase the odds of having a lucid dream.[38] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-37)
5-HTP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-HTP) can increase the chances of success of having a lucid dream by taking advantage of the REM rebound effect.[39] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-38)
Melatonin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin) has been shown clinically to increase the time spent in REM sleep in the morning hours (as the dose is wearing off). It is theorized that this phenomenon is due to a REM rebound effect.[40] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-39)
Vitamin B6 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B6) can increase dream vividness when taken with tryptophan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan). This is due to the role this vitamin plays in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin).[41] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-40)
Damiana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damiana), a medicial herb used in a variety of treatments, has is known to have the ability to potentiate vivid and often lucid dreams.[42] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream#cite_note-41)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream
FrankenChrist
03-05-2008, 21:23
I read the bit about the stilton. Do we know what chemical in the stilton causes this phenomenon?
Interesting.
All I know is that cheese is a dairy product and every dairy product has tryptamines in it, but I wonder why " a glass of warm milk will help you sleep" while "cheese will give you nightmares"
And meanwhile, I stumbled upon this article: 7 common foods that can actually get you high (http://www.cracked.com/article_16178_7-common-foods-that-can-actually-get-you-high.html) page 2, #4 is Stilton!
The Enlightened One
25-05-2008, 07:47
SWIM finds that smoking marijuana for an extended period of time daily, and then abstaining, can make dreams EXTREMELY vivid and lucid.
The first and second week of SWIY's abstinance from ganja should be filled with very vidid dreams. Swim has trouble, upon awakening and throughout the day, trying to sort out the dream from what actually happened.
Sleeping while high alone osent really offer anything in terms of dreams for swim. This may be due to cannabis's tendency to fuck up REM sleep (where the most vivid dreams occur). When abstaining, the body overcompensates for the REM sleep, thereby propelling you into very realistic dreams that are easily accsessible to memory.
Friends have also reported this strange phenomenon.
I have also had some sucess with combining a very strong extact of calea zaleachechi (sp?) with a very strong extract of blue lotus before bed.
Hope that was helpful :)
The Enlightened One added 2 Minutes and 51 Seconds later...
Oh and to clarify, the above herbs do not really constitute drugs...they are not illegal in any country in the world, including the US, where I reside.
I actually bought them at my local herbal store.
I just wanted to clear that up, thanks :)
TripsBalls
07-07-2008, 11:21
I am not sure where to post this, I am just trying to put together a list of all the drugs that can potentiate dreams or effect dreams in any way.. Or any experiences people have had with chemicals that can effect the dreaming state..
The Dreamer
07-07-2008, 14:29
SWIY has posted in the appropriate section I believe. Dream Herb, Xhosa, and African Dream Nut are all reported to increase vividness (colorful, realistic dreams), recall (ability to remember in the morning) and lucidity (knowing that you're dreaming and being in control).
My cat has actually tried dream herb and it was very mild and VERY bitter. He noticed a pronounced increase in vividness and a moderate increase in recall but didn't seem to be any more lucid. He only tried it for about a week and then his supply ran out. Overall he would try it again but is thinking about growing his own and perhaps extracting it to avoid the taste. SWIY may want to try Xhosa first as it is supposed to be the most effective and my cat has not heard that it's taste is a problem.
Salvia, while not directly effective in dream stimulation does appear to increase vividness and recall when done consistently. My cat smokes raw foliage (1x) often and found that occasionally he has a very stimulating and quite enjoyable dream that he's on some sort of adventure. Before salvia he hadn't had a single dream that he remembered since childhood. He's heard whispers around the forum that other peoples cats experienced this as well.
In addition, good sleep produces more dreams so any mild sedative (not a strong one as these tend to knock you out entirely) should improve your chances of dreaming. Kava, Dagga or a little alcohol do the trick for my cat. If you're looking for a more lucid slay-the-dragon type experience try some hallucinogens (shrooms, Flys, or LSA containing herbs) in slightly lower doses right before bed; allowing yourself to fall asleep before the effects take hold. My cat has heard that these will cause very vivid and very lucid dreams and is in the process of acquiring them.
Ideally a good dreamer monitors his diet, exercise and mood during the day. Strength training is especially effective as this forces your body to sleep off the damage you've done to muscle tissue. Good Dreamers are healthy happy and they medicate their depression (but not to the point of feeling like a zombie as this will produce even less dreams) if they have even a mild case; they try to stay active but clam and stress-free. These are the things that have helped my cat the most in the past few months. But this last paragraph is a bit off-topic as it is not a drug as you had asked for. If SWIY is interested look up articles about insomnia and most of the info will apply to a normal person's sleep.
Please post SWIY's experiences if he goes on to procure any rewarding plants as they are of great interest to my cat.
Swim's had remarkably vivid dreams on Syrian rue on several occasions. He was testing the rue on its own before using it in combination with DMT containing plants and found that he had enhanced, highly involved dreams. The images felt nearly real. He could pull a bow across the strings of a violin in his mind and play songs he knew from the waking-world in the dream.
The body load of Syrian rue is such that swim would not use it for recreation but still thinks the experience might be worth a once or twice over in the event that it is even more magical for some.
Orchid_Suspiria
08-07-2008, 07:30
This is absolutely one thing swim looks for when he picks his drugs of choice.A first on his list would be opiates but if one is looking for just simply heightened dreams and not being completely out of it and a risk of addiction this is not the way to go.Swim would have to say chamomile,skullcap,carisoprodol,cannabis to some extent,swim has been reading on dream herb but is yet to experience it.
My monkey finds that consistent cannabis use reduces the frequency and quality of his dreams. He doesn't tend to dream much when he doesn't smoke either, but then again, he has been a very frequent smoker for so long now and the breaks haven't been for more than a month or so at a time usually, so he isn't sure if it takes time for the dreaming to come back. He remembers having more dreams when he was younger before he started smoking.
The number one substance for generating dreams in my monkey's sleep is melatonin. The chance of him having a dream skyrocket when he takes a melatonin supplement, though if he takes more than his usual phase-advancing dose (.5mg) the dreams can become very bizarre (but also vivid) and freaky, though less realistic so often less scary, just very confusing.
I have written about reports from various lab animals on mexican dream herb in the Calea Zacatechichi Effects thread. Take a look if you are interested in this substance. It isn't the most consistent dream aide, but it has produced interesting results at times for my lab animals.
Tried some other oneirogens with varying success, and noticed that dreams could be affected by some other substances (salvia being a very notable one), but nothing else I think I could mention atm in this thread due to lack of conviction concerning their utility. Maybe will discuss them at a later time.
Orchid_Suspiria
08-07-2008, 23:47
The problem swim finds with melatonin is that while it does create vivid dreams they tend to be of the nightmare variety.The same goes for trazodone.
Lowering the dose may help, as my panda find that his dreams tend to get increasingly insane as he ups the amount of melatonin, particularly if he goes over 3mg. Maybe combining with a bit of Kava beforehand could help. Kava doesn't help enhance my panda's dreams but he has found them to be more pleasant and relaxing sometimes when he has drank kava earlier in the evening and takes melatonin close to that time to help shift up his bedtime.
enquirewithin
09-07-2008, 15:04
My cat dreams vividly every night, always has done, but it's interesting that some animals find that melatonin gives them nightmares. Maybe that's the cause of some his weirder dreams? He often takes melatonin, because it seems to make him get to sleep more quickly, in doses of 3 to 6 mg (with 25 to 50 mg of theanine, which came with the pills).
He thinks that Valerian root may make his dreams more chaotic as well.
The Dreamer
10-07-2008, 01:10
My cat has found that a low does of weed will help to alleviate mild fear or paranoia brought on by other substances. Too much seems to have the opposite effect. Then again he is talking about waking fear and paranoia which may be different altogether from sleeping fear and paranoia. He has never taken the drugs the last few posters are mentioning. Perhaps this isn't pertinent.
lostmente
15-07-2008, 22:42
a friend couldn't dream since he was a child when he would get night terrors. Not long ago he started taking picamilon (sp?) and began to have intensely visually stimulating dreams.
Raw-Beets
15-07-2008, 23:06
Of variety of substance use that SWIM has engaged in he has found, as have other SWIMers, that cessation from regular cannabis use has led to very vivid dreaming. This is not a substance, but simply writing everything SWIM can remember about a dream upon waking and reading over those notes every night before going to sleep has led to the most vivid and memorable dreams he has ever had. In fact he doesn't do this anymore because he just wants to go to sleep, not some wild adventure that he spends all his waking hours trying to understand.
tryptamaster
15-07-2008, 23:19
taking 200mg of 5-htp can really help make your dreams vivid and easy recall.
highganja99
16-07-2008, 00:36
SWIM found Zolpidem (Ambien) Increased the likelyhood of a dream while sleeping and the intensity of a dream (how vivid a dream was).
Spare Chaynge
16-07-2008, 01:30
swims most vivid dreams come when swim hasnt used anything for a month or two
Melatonin killed Swims dreams!! Also prevented any sleep paralysis.
Sleep less.
Lower levels of melatonin can cause regular sleep. Very high levels of melatonin can provoke vivid dreaming. But of courese different people are different.
Testosterone is well known for giving persons vivd dreams
lostmente
18-07-2008, 02:53
blue stilton cheese is awesome for dreaming (roughly 20g swim thinks), but in a pinch a good strong blue cheese..not too oily.
Another one to try is mcdonalds cheese slices...swim heard its the dairy opiods that enable them awesome dreams. swim wouldn't put it past Mc'Donalds to fortify their cheese to tweak their burgers satient properties
Testosterone is well known for giving persons vivd dreams
Yes and taking aggressive action on those dreams afterwards. :)
Look up Calea zacatechichi.
Have you used this herb? My Haggis is thinking about trying it soon.
Paracelsus
13-08-2008, 22:14
No, that was just the first thing that came to mind. But actually, a foaf is expecting some. You might want to look at threads devoted to Calea specifically.
Richard_smoker
13-08-2008, 22:43
blue stilton cheese is awesome for dreaming (roughly 20g swim thinks), but in a pinch a good strong blue cheese..not too oily.
Another one to try is mcdonalds cheese slices...swim heard its the dairy opiods that enable them awesome dreams. swim wouldn't put it past Mc'Donalds to fortify their cheese to tweak their burgers satient properties
lol, as on the film, "Supersize Me", where McDonalds' food is accused of being like an addictive drug! :)
-DICK
The Dreamer
13-08-2008, 23:54
Calea zacatechichi was nice for my cat. It tasted aweful but made is dreams slightly more vivid and a bit more recallable though they were not at all lucid.
Richard_smoker
14-08-2008, 00:47
Calea zacatechichi was nice for my cat. It tasted aweful but made is dreams slightly more vivid and a bit more recallable though they were not at all lucid.
i agree completely...except MY DREAMS WERE LUCID!
admittedly, this only happened one night...and due to the lethargy experienced the next day, i couldn't keep exploring calea, because i would be tired at work for the entire next day...but i did get several good opportunities to try out this entheogenic plant for its dream-inducing properties.
I will say this to all interested in lucidity during dreams...lucid dreaming takes lots of practice. plain and simple. if you're curious, then do a quick search and you'll find plenty of useful info...if you blindly take calea, then you'll have enhanced memory of dreams, maybe even more dreams than usual...but you probably won't have "lucid" dreams. For that, you will need to read up on activities that have been demonstrated to increase awareness of the dream state.
If one were to COMBINE calea WITH an increased awareness of the awake / dream state, then the chances of lucid dreaming will go up! that's what I did...and it worked for me! -DICK
I say 15mg of melatonin and a third of a bottle of tequila.
drug-bot
14-08-2008, 01:36
swim notices after he trips on dxm, he has lucid dreams (only when he trips in the evening.
Swim was browsing wikipedia and found this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_Dream
:laugh:
Swim must try this! Swim's sure it would not only taste good with wine, but the lucid dreaming effects would be enhanced.
Ahh lucid dreaming must come quite natural for me, I'm almost always aware of dreaming when I'm falling asleep. I thought this was just sleep paralysis. I need to learn to control it now.
The other night I could feel my dream body (spirit?) being pulled out of my sleeping body if that makes sense lol. I didn't really like it so I pulled my ghost arm back down to the pillow, I need to get over this fear and experiment more.
I've had this all my life but never looked into it.
The Dreamer
14-08-2008, 12:32
Yes some people must have the perfect brain chemistry for it. I get it very rarely but it feels like I'm falling or drowning or something so I always wake up. I generally get it when I fall asleep somewhere out of the ordinary. But definitely oggy if you can do it on your own I would be reading everything I can about it and then practicing nightly. Is there a post somewhere about lucid dreaming? I'd like to hear more about it.
Tony Williams
12-09-2008, 22:47
High levels of alcohol and vitamin b complex (not so much) gave me a lucid dream and another the day after. I could remember them in order and it was so werid.
Richard_smoker
12-09-2008, 22:53
alcohol is usually bad for lucidity.
Dreamer, i posted something yesterday about how i used to have lucid dreams at least 1 or 2 times a week...search for "novadreamer"
-DICK
Spare Chaynge
12-09-2008, 22:55
Swim tried the "anti energy drink" called Drank in the southern united states. It produced very vivid dreams. The active ingredient is melatonin and Valerian root. He consumed around 75ml of the drink.
drug-bot
12-09-2008, 23:14
swim notices after he trips on dxm, he has lucid dreams (only when he trips in the evening).
heres some info on drugs that induce lucid dreaming-
2.7. Can Drugs and Herbs induce lucidity?
Yes. For more information about this check out my Dreaming FAQ. You
will find most herbs, vitamins, amino acids, minerals and drugs that
help you dream more and recall your dreams better. They might even
cause you to have a Lucid Dream. To summarize; herbs like Valerian,
Mugwort, Mullein, Kava Kava, Dittany of Crete, St. Johns Wort, Calea
Zacatechichi, Salvia Divinorum, Scutellaria Indica, Licorice Root,
Vervain, Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Datura, Bee Pollen, Catnip, Hops,
Scullcap, Mimosa, Lavender, Damiana, Withania Somnifera,
Passionflower, Chamomile, Cardamom, Gotu Kola, Ginkgo Biloba,
Ibogaine, Verbena, Rose, Cinnamon, Marigold, Nutmeg, Peppermint,
Holly, Yarrow and Anise may help you dream more, recall more or even
have a Lucid Dream. Make sure you know more about these herbs before
you use them: some are to be used in pillows, some are to be smoked,
some are to be used in tea, etc. Many B-vitamins may help you have
more vivid dreams and even Lucid Dreams. Sedative drugs like Melatonin
may help, and drugs like caffeine may help you with WILD and also make
it easier to recall dreams. And finally, we have psychedelic drugs
like DXM that may induce Lucid Dreams. Some of the drugs and herbs can
be addictive, and be poisonous if taken in too large doses. For a more
detailed explanation you should check out my Dreaming FAQ.
(bold words were done by swim)
http://stason.org/TULARC/mind/lucid-dreaming/2-7-Can-Drugs-and-Herbs-induce-lucidity.html
Richard_smoker
12-09-2008, 23:30
Swim tried the "anti energy drink" called Drank in the southern united states. It produced very vivid dreams. The active ingredient is melatonin and Valerian root. He consumed around 75ml of the drink.
now that you mention it...there's a product that I found in a chain drug-store recently, that has proven VERY effective in helping with sleep and possibly dreaming. only problem is that it also is a drink, and thus very expensive. Can't recall exactly how much it cost, but one box only contains four shots (4 doses). kinda like those 5-hour energy drinks. it's called SleepEz Shot.
contains: B6 (pyridoxine) and blend: valerian root extract 0.8%, Suntheanine (L-Theanine), L-Glycine, Melatonin.
Works WAY better than any dose melatonin or valerian I've ever tried. Might be worth checking into. -DICK
I<3Salvia
12-09-2008, 23:43
Just after swim finished his tea from a bag of half an ounce of Amanitas he laid down on the bed to find himself immediately pass out. The result was a pretty vivid dream that once interpreted was found to be a valid window into the near future for him. Hope this helps. :)
My friend writes in a Dream Journal every morning and records his dreams of the night. His ability to recall dreams is very good. One night he tried smoking Dream Herb (calea) and said it gave him pretty vivid, intense dreams.
Richard_smoker
13-09-2008, 02:08
Just after swim finished his tea from a bag of half an ounce of Amanitas he laid down on the bed to find himself immediately pass out. The result was a pretty vivid dream that once interpreted was found to be a valid window into the near future for him. Hope this helps. :)
hey--any other experiences with Amanitas?? I have never felt very good about the information collected here on this mushroom...this one intrigues me, but i hate the frequent mention of an "evil-side"...like taking it could be a total nightmare-hellish experience.
Junket, dream journal is a must for any dream explorer, and anyone who wants lucid dreams keep a journal...this activity is MUCH more effective than--but similar to--athletic training for a physical sport. I believe it causes a real, physiologic shift in the activity of neurons.
Benefits of Keeping A Dream Journal:
this will "boost the signal of dreaming, so you actually start remembering the SETTING/DETAILS much later in the day...and several days later.
planning to record dreams makes you better at grasping dream-content prior to full-awakening.
writing down dreams will give you great data for later browsing & even some heavy analysis.
Sometimes, when I read about an old dream, I cannot recall the actual experience...
^^^this causes an imbalanced mind-state that seeks clarity & frequently, this will fuel repeat dreams & even auto-lucid dreams, because i'll recall during the REPEAT dream, that I'd already read about this in my dream journal, and BOOM! LUCIDITY ACHIEVED!
condition your mind to engage the dream-state better, cuz you'll be writing it down when you awaken.
If you keep a journal long enough, you'll find you're remembering WAY too much info to actually write....do NOT let this discourage you! Jesus, this is what you WANT to happen!
when this happens^^^, stop writingsentences. Write key-words to describe setting, characters, make a list of nouns for everything you remember seeing, and a quickie 2-3 sentences to describe the plot. Read about mind-mapping when you get to this point.
have fun. this list of benefits is far from complete. i'll add more as they come to me.
also, Junket, you mention calea. this plant kicks ass...swim hasn't had any for a long time, but it's really a great addition to the journal. i recommend getting into the journal for at least a week before trying calea. and try it on a friday (if you don't have work/school on Saturday). next day after calea can be very sleepy!
happy dreams, -DICK
Pretty much everythin you mentioned was what was done. :) Wrote in the journal two weeks prior to smoking calea. Then when calea was in my system, my brain was like ready to dream and remember it.
I've successfully had two lucid dreams ever. It's exhilirating right when you are first like "holy shit, I'm dreaming right now".
However, theres been a couple times where I will be in a dream and one of the characters is like "I found a dream sign!!" and I don't think anything of it, then when I wake up in the morning I'm like GOD DAMNIT! haha
Richard_smoker
13-09-2008, 20:14
haha.. yeah, that would happen with the novadreamer as well. even though it starts blasting red lights right into your eyes when it picks up REM...you never actually SEE red LEDs flashing. instead, it will show up in the dream as not being able to look away from some headlights or whatever i was looking at would just start twinkling...
i almost had to incorporate the audio "BEEP BEEP BEEP" option in order to become lucid regularly. Even then, i can't tell you how many times i've been in the middle of doing homework, or building a giant tower to heaven on a deserted island, or driving my space ship to the sun, or shrunk down to the size of a quarter and helping a family of ants carry some bread crumbs, or whatever, and thought to myself... "what the hell is that incessant BEEPING!?? JESUS! SOMEBODY TURN IT OFF!!!"
-DICK
Haha I know what you mean. I've done alot of Lucid research and try to encoporate "reality checks" into my daily life. Like holding your nose and if you can't breathe through it, hey, its reality.
Theres been a couple times where in my dream I will subconsiously do this and not only be able to breathe through it, but i'll see my hand has 6 fingers and not think anything of it. Dreams are crazy
Richard_smoker
13-09-2008, 23:18
yeah, reality checks are probably the most consistent way to do it! i had forgotten about how much i used those. never heard of breathing thru your nose like that, but that's a GREAT idea!
when i had the novadreamer, I would push the "FLASH" button on the front of the mask. awake, it would flash red light. asleep & dreaming, it didn't do shit! TADA! I'm dreaming!
-DICK
When swim was into lucid dreaming and got the basics of the concept. He experimented with pfpp to induce more dreams. The experience report is somewhere on the site (he is searching for it at the moment).
Synesthesiac
28-09-2008, 02:34
Swim was just wondering if anyone takes substances to enhance their dreams, swim knows that lots of drugs have an effect on dreams but does anyone take them specifically to make them more vivid, if so which ones.
Try melatonin and lots of strong stilton cheese. swim stopped taking melatonin on a regular basis because my dreams started to feel so vivid and real swim was beginning to prefer them to my normal reality! they felt very real.
Note: swim takes 5-HTP aswell before he goes to bed, so this may play a role too. And SWIM has noticed that the really vivid dreams usually occur a few days after MDMA use, which is the now the only time that SWIM takes melatonin pills to ease the comedown.
Wormwood. Swim says correct doses of wormwood will give you lucid dreams. The most useful tool for dreaming swim has found to date. Calea, Mugwort, melatonin really don't even come close to wormwood.
Synesthesiac
30-09-2008, 18:18
Wormwood. Swim says correct doses of wormwood will give you lucid dreams. The most useful tool for dreaming swim has found to date. Calea, Mugwort, melatonin really don't even come close to wormwood.
SWIM was gonna get some wormwood the other day, but his mate told him it does nothing as is a waste of money. But apparently its good when combined with other drugs, can enhance visuals apparently.
Another thing I remember, when SWIM stopped smoking weed after five years or so of daily use he had a week of the weirdest dreams ever. And when he was on the stuff he never had any (or rather could never remember them), it was as if swims brain was making up for all that missed dream time. A lot of swims friends have reported this too. I suppose it depends if you think its worth spending five years in a stoned stupour to get a weeks worth of vivid and weird dreams. Maybe a month of intense use would produce similar effects when you stop.
Richard_smoker
30-09-2008, 21:54
what do you do with the wormwood? swallow it in a capsule?
Synesthesiac
30-09-2008, 22:12
what do you do with the wormwood? swallow it in a capsule?
I dunno about swallowing, but my mates were smoking some the other day (the same ones that said it was a waste of mony) and you will definately need a nose plug! It smells like my nans armpit.
SWIM was gonna get some wormwood the other day, but his mate told him it does nothing as is a waste of money. But apparently its good when combined with other drugs, can enhance visuals apparently.
People apparently believe there will be some odd psychoactive affects when you consume wormwood during the day. Swim has found close to value of wormwood use during the day, but taken an hour before sleep, lucid dreams are almost too easy for swim.
For swiRichard, swim makes a tea out of it. A bitter, morbid, terrifying tea, but it works none the less.
salviablue
01-10-2008, 17:02
SWIM found large amounts of Kava late in the afternoon seriously enhanced vivid dreaming, made some quite alarming as to subject matter. Usually gave dark and/or twisted vivacity to the dreams, but not always, sometimes quite ecstatic/sexually gratifying.
Try melatonin and lots of strong stilton cheese. I stopped taking melatonin on a regular basis because my dreams started to feel so vivid and real I was beginning to prefer them to my normal reality! they felt very real.
Note: I take 5-HTP aswell before I go to bed, so this may play a role too. And SWIM has noticed that the really vivid dreams usually occur a few days after MDMA use, which is the now the only time that SWIM takes melatonin pills to ease the comedown.
Swim has a herbal sleeping pills with melatonin, lupus extract and passionflower extract. It seems to enhance swims dreams.
randomorwhat
02-10-2008, 18:32
Calea zacatechichi with melatonin always works well.
In fact, SWIM made one quite nasty discovery, and that is, for him personally, when SWIM has been using benzos constantly for a long-ish period of time, and then ceases to take them, his dreams are both colourful, lurid and quite disturbing in nature.
Random
Synesthesiac
04-10-2008, 18:35
swim just brought some Hemia Salicifolia, a plant that is supposed to be really good at creating dreams. Its been studied in depth, and has shown to be very sucessful. I would link to the site I got it from, but I cant really do that. just google it. Erowind has some info: http://www.erowid.org/plants/sinicuichi/sinicuichi.shtml
Richard_smoker
04-10-2008, 18:44
swim just brought some Hemia Salicifolia, a plant that is supposed to be really good at creating dreams. Its been studied in depth, and has shown to be very sucessful. I would link to the site I got it from, but I cant really do that. just google it. Erowind has some info: http://www.erowid.org/plants/sinicuichi/sinicuichi.shtml
interesting...don't know why i never really heard of this one. sounds like a rather typical anti-cholinergic / ?anti-histamine type trip-inducer.
from some of swim's recent bouts with the benadryl, just trying to get some sleep off the shit, he thinks there might be something to all this mumbo-jumbo. -DICK
swim just brought some Hemia Salicifolia, a plant that is supposed to be really good at creating dreams. Its been studied in depth, and has shown to be very sucessful. I would link to the site I got it from, but I cant really do that. just google it. Erowind has some info: http://www.erowid.org/plants/sinicuichi/sinicuichi.shtml
swim finds that getting a good Sinicuichi strand online is close to impossible; be sure swiy reports back, swim is curious.
Lou1024 added 2 Minutes and 19 Seconds later...
And by the way; Sinicuichi gave swim some INTENSE pain; after reading some reports swim sees that this is sometimes common.
oxycodone..even tho swim takes it more than just before bed. but swim finds that a good line b4 calling it a night gives him vivid dreams. swim used to be very interested in lucid dreaming and has gotten a lot better since those days. the best way to do it for swim is to keep focus (consciousness) while relaxing the body and he sometimes slips by the backdoor into dream land.
theres a list out there full of foods to eat before sleep to induce lucid dreaming..like Palin.."i'll get back to you on that"
Spare Chaynge
05-10-2008, 16:25
Ok after experimenting with dosages of 1.5, 3 and 7.5 mg of melatonin on separate nights the "drank" anti energy drink available in the south produces way more vivid dreams. Possibly due to the combination of many sleep inducing things..
A side NOTE. Swim clock was totally screwed up staying up untill 6 every morning for no reason(swim does not use any recreational or prescription drugs). Well swim took 7.5mg of melatonin and laid in bed not really getting much sleep but did get some.. His clock is totally reset and it is now 10 in the morn and he is wide awake feeling energized... Unlike the last two previous days where he stayed in bed untill 2.
Synesthesiac
05-10-2008, 22:18
I would be warned if swiy is going to get that plant I linkd to above. Not much at all is known about it yet as its a relatively new plant with little research done on it, and I've read some pretty bad trip reports on it too; http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=32998
Doesn't seem like a plant you would want to mess around with. swim will report back here with his results when he gets the plant. The auditory hallucination part sounds cool too.
Richard_smoker
05-10-2008, 23:42
sounds like i gotta get me hands on some of this 'drank.'
What kinda stores sell it?
randomorwhat
05-10-2008, 23:59
swim just brought some Hemia Salicifolia, a plant that is supposed to be really good at creating dreams. Its been studied in depth, and has shown to be very sucessful. I would link to the site I got it from, but I cant really do that. just google it. Erowind has some info: http://www.erowid.org/plants/sinicuichi/sinicuichi.shtml
The Sun Opener? SWIM has smoked that in conjunction with Salvia, and found it a fairly unpleasant smoke with quite nice visual coloured elements. He has also brewed it in a tea, which led to quite strong nausea. No stronger dreams though; generally SWIM found the effects to be quite short lived.
Richard_smoker
06-10-2008, 01:26
interesting...this swim is definitely of the current persuasion that getting OFF drugs might present one of the most spiritual of experiences with dreaming.
with swim's current project--getting off buprenorphine--he has found great solice in keeping a dream journal. he has found it quite fascinating to see his mind unraveling in an amazing blend of unconscious and religious-type imagery. profound themes that are quite heavy, in fact, frequently describing swim's entire life...from the cradle to the now...although some of these 'unraveled truths' are upsetting, most of them are so profoundly revealing, that swim is currently thinking that perhaps he isn't even angry with himself for ever dabbling in the addictive opiates...for it was taken (most likely) as a means of escaping the realization of some elements of his life--and now, as those thoughts are explored, he feels somewhat more ready to accept them and move on with his life.
In regard to the heavy/spiritual experiences while sleeping, I think there was perhaps more than simply sobriety (or detoxification) at play here...as i've stated before, my swim has been requiring fairly heavy doses of benadryl (diphenhydramine) to sleep. if a single dose of 100mg is ineffective, then frequently he has taken spread out doses of about 75mg...usually 2 hours apart.
for whatever it's worth... -DICK
Pope Albacore
15-10-2008, 14:03
SWIM found Zolpidem (Ambien) Increased the likelyhood of a dream while sleeping and the intensity of a dream (how vivid a dream was).
Funny, SWIM mentioned that Quetiapine(Seroquel) had a similar effect. SWIM mentioned lucid, vivid dreaming with the ability to pick up the dream where one left off after returning to sleep if roused from slumber. SWIM did mention though, a certain "grogginess" upon waking, as if SWIM had not slept much at all but SWIM attributed this to the effects of said chemical.
-Pope Albacore
Richard_smoker
16-10-2008, 22:50
interesting...it seems that some of the strongest SLEEP-inducers are also effective at packing a DREAM-punch.
However, I wouldn't suggest using either alcohol or benzo's (valium, xanax, klonopin, etc). These are both used to INHIBIT dreams. honestly. Valium is given to kids to stop night terrors and other dream disorders. it is very effective at stamping out dreams.
On the other hand, it seems quite possible that drowsiness-inducing antipsychotics (like seroquel), and antihistamines/anti-cholinergics (benadryl/diphenhydramine, dramamine, etc) may actually INCREASE DREAMING.
same goes with the herbal concoctions... many of the herbals that have been dicussed here seem to have a heavy anti-cholinergic/deleriant activity.
have fun, happy dreams. don't forget the dream journal. -DICK
same goes with the herbal concoctions... many of the herbals that have been dicussed here seem to have a heavy anti-cholinergic/deleriant activity.
Which herbs are swiy talking of? Swim didn't see any deleriant types mentioned.
Richard_smoker
18-10-2008, 03:59
Which herbs are swiy talking of? Swim didn't see any deleriant types mentioned.
Hemia Salicifolia--the herb that was last mentioned.
-DICK
from Erowid Vault:
Vertine (cryogenine) is generally regarded as the primary psychoactive component and is also generally the most abundant constituent of alkaloidal extracts. Clinically demonstrated effects include anticholinergic, antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, hyperglycemic, hypotensive, sedative, tranquilizer, and vasodilator activity. There is another chemical called cryogenine which should not be confused with vertine.
Lythrine (the third most abundant alkaloid) has been found to have diuretic activity (it encourages urination).
Heimidine (a minor alkaloid) has been found to have antiinflammatory activity.
Sinicuichine has been found to act as a tranquilizer.
Other alkaloids include lyfoline (the second most abundant alkaloid) and lythridine (a minor alkaloid).
SWIM recommends a product called ZMA. All it is is Zinc. magnesium, and vitamin B6 not. It is meant for body building produces a better sleep and made for some crazy dreams. Relatively cheap to buy you can just take Zinc Magnesium and b6 separate but I belive the mix of each is at a certain ratio andmay be cheaper just to buy the ZMA over 3 bottles of diffrent vitimans.
Richard_smoker
02-12-2008, 12:47
This may sound a little crazy, but swim sometimes listens to that "brainwave" music in the alpha/theta zone and this has produced some very interesting effects. It is said to help increase the ability to lucid-dream and visualize and it certainly gave swim some "weird" feelings. Part of this could be "expectation" but since swim is usually a skeptic about such things, she'd say that, combined with some of the things she mentioned taking, the effects would probably get noticed. Brainwave samples can be found online.
yes. it does SOUND crazy... but interestingly enough, i turned a chronic insomnia into at LEAST 2 solid years of being able to fall asleep practically on-command.
this was while working night shifts and getting off as the sun comes up...not really something the body can do naturally. HOWEVER, skeptics be skeptics--and truth be told--contrary to what the CD insert says, there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO scientific or experimental backing to these claims. Many have 'soothing' backgrounds or melodies--and even more rely on a hidden agenda of full-scale hypnosis. but there's really no evidence to support 'brain wave entrainment' as even being something that exists...
And yet they 'work.'
sometimes we just need to accept a mystery as a mystery.
Perhaps 'expectation' plays a good role (as you said betsym), but if there is ANY talking, then you can be sure that you're falling deep into a traditional hypnotic state...and yes, i realize that literally NONE of these products call themselves hypnosis.
it's simply: MARKETING...
-DICK
SWIM knows definetly and literary proofed that B 6 induces dreams when taken for about two weeks .
They write " Take it untill you can remember your dreams"
SWIM took about 100mg , and yes he dreamed.