What are Lucid Dreams?

[Diphenhydramine]

I've always been really interested in dreams, and what they are. This led me to be interested in lucid dreaming.



Now, as far I can know, lucid dreaming is when you become aware that you are dreaming.



I'm having a hard time comprehending this. Can someone help me explain it in easier terms?

[Sitbcknchill]

I have lucid dreams quite often actually and it can be very fun...I have learned over time to recognize them easier...in other words its kinda like if you see something out of wack and you ask yourself "Am I dreaming?" and you do something (at least I do) to tell if your really dreaming...like pinching yourself or trying to feel pain, looking at a clock twice and it gives you two different times...things like that...then you realize your dreaming but you don't wake up and you can basically do whatever you want or your mind lets you do until you wake up...it's great..I only wish that I could control how often that it happens but then I would probley never wake up...kinda like the movie vanilla sky...anyway enough of my ramble I'm sure someone else will go into better detail but I gots work to do... later

[Solidly-here]

Lucid Dreams . . . Wow! I must be dreaming.


Well, sitbcknchill spelled it out pretty good. I have had many Lucid Dreams over the years. I become aware that I am dreaming, usually because things are SO out-of-whack that it couldn't possibly be real (too scary, too embarassing, too dangerous).


Lucid Dreams are a lot like Day Dreams. You can be sitting there, and suddenly you are zooming through very Real thoughts and sights. Practicing Day-dreaming helps prepare for Lucid Dreaming.


Being aware is the beginning of Lucid Dreaming. Then, with that knowledge (oh, I'm just dreaming), I have the hope of entering my Dream with thoughts of my own (which will change the dream). That is the Next Step.


First, knowing that I cannot die (or be harmed in any way) helps me relax. Second, if the dream is interesting, I would want to be able to control it.


Controlling a Lucid Dream is a matter of hit-and-miss. I have tried to do this 100 or so times; I was successful a few times (maybe 10). Start small. Think of something Fun (she comes over and kisses me ... he trips and falls flat on his face ... that dog chases him off). Relax. Believe that it can happen. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.


I know a woman who has Lucid Dreams each week. Barbara is very good at entering them, and making them Fun and Exciting. She has written several scenarios for Lucid Dreaming. She reads one before she goes to sleep. Those Magic nights, she is in a regular Dream; she discovers she is dreaming; she changes it into another Dream. One of her favorite Dreams is flying. So, wherever the Dream is, she finishes up that segment, and flies off (to an adventure).


Life is made up of Dreams. I have what I have, but I dream of having different things, knowing different people, getting a different job, going to a Special place, buying a Fun car . . . Lucid Dreams are another source of Magic (and life is full of Magic).

[ventrue]

i can never remember my dreams, so i kind of (probably wrongly) assume that i dont dream. maybe once a month something will happen during the day, someone will say something or i'll see something that will remind me of a dream. other than that, i can never remember it, i've tried the whole writing when u wake up thing and everything. sigh

[Trippopotamus]

I highly suggest the movie "waking life". Its full of philosophy on
dreaming among other things and how the mind works. Very deep stuff,
makes you think, a lot.



If you have trouble remembering your dreams you should set your alarm
or have someone wake you up during REM sleep. I just set my alarm for
around 11:30 and then a dream is interupted and i remember it.



You might want to have a notepad or something close by to write it down
in case you totally forget that you even remembered it 5 minutes later.



Because whats the point in dreaming lucidly if you dont remember doing
it. Some people may even do it quite frequently but have no knowledge
of it because they dont remember. Remembering is the first step.

[ventrue]

my sleep schedule is so sporadic that probably has something to do with it, can you perhaps give me a timeline i.e.


Sleep


+30 min - conscious sleep


+1 hour


+2 hour lucid dreaming





etc etc i dunno if i'm making sense but hopefully somebody understands my random crap

[Sitbcknchill]

Originally Posted by ventrue

my sleep schedule is so sporadic that probably has something to do with it, can you perhaps give me a timeline i.e.


Sleep


+30 min - conscious sleep


+1 hour


+2 hour lucid dreaming





etc etc i dunno if i'm making sense but hopefully somebody understands my random crap

Google REM sleep to better answer your question...here is some more ifo on it:

REM Sleep

The discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a mentally active period during which dreaming occurs, provided a biological explanation for this phenomenon. It also inspired interest in sleep research by giving scientists a marker for changes in the brain during sleep. From this knowledge, they have begun to understand and develop treatments for major sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea.

Everyone sleeps. This fundamental activity consumes one-third of our lifetimes and can overpower all other needs. But what does sleep do for us? What happens when you are sleep deprived? What are sleep disorders?
Much of what is known about sleep stems from the groundbreaking 1953 discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This is an active period of sleep marked in humans by intense activity in the brain and rapid bursts of eye movements. At the same time, scientists discovered that REM sleep is when dreaming occurs.
Before the 1950s, most scientists thought of sleep as an unchanging, dormant period of little interest. Hardly anything was known about sleep or dreaming.
The earliest hints that sleep was a changing state came with studies showing that blood pressure, heart rate, and other body functions in humans rise and fall in a pattern during sleep. Because researchers had observed some eye movement during sleep, they recorded these movements by placing electrodes behind the eyes. They also recorded muscle activity and brain waves. They found regular periods of very rapid eye movement and rapidly changing brain waves that alternated with periods of deep, quiet, sleep marked by large, slow brain waves. Later, scientists found that the body is paralyzed during REM sleep.

The REM sleep discovery:

* Suggested that sleep is a complex activity, fundamentally different from waking, but just as active.
* Provided a biological marker for dreaming so that immediate dream reports could be collected.
* Compelled scientists to examine the physiology of sleep.

When researchers woke people up during REM sleep and asked them about their dreams, they found that almost all who awakened during REM sleep could remember their dreams. They realized that people who claim they do not dream really do not remember their dreams the next morning. Also, scientists found that, rather than being fleeting events, dreams vary in length according to the length of REM period.
In later studies, scientists divided non-REM sleep into four stages, accounting for about 75 percent of total sleep. In each stage, brain waves become progressively larger and slower, and sleep becomes deeper. After reaching stage 4, the deepest period, the pattern reverses, and sleep becomes progressively lighter until REM sleep, the most active period, occurs. This cycle typically occurs about once every 90 minutes in humans.
Scientists found that brain activity during REM sleep begins in the pons, a structure in the brainstem, and neighboring midbrain regions. The pons sends signals to the thalamus and to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for most thought processes. It also sends signals to turn off motor neurons in the spinal cord, causing a temporary paralysis that prevents movement.
Research on normal sleep led scientists to recognize and study sleep disorders, which afflict up to 70 million Americans. These disorders include insomnia, or difficulty in falling asleep, and sleep apnea, which causes breathing to stop for extended periods during sleep. These can cause behavior problems and accidents related to fatigue.
Once sleep disorders became recognized, scientists began to find treatments for them.
Almost everything known about the physiology of sleep has been learned by studying experimental animals. For example, scientists found that sleep phases are closely related to the activity of certain groups of nerve cells releasing brain chemicals that relay information from one neuron to another. Research on these specialized cell groups is helping scientists to devise specific drug treatments for sleep disorders.
Yet much remains to be uncovered. Exactly what sleep does for humans is unknown. Researchers are just beginning to unravel the mechanisms explaining why and how people nod off and wake up.

When people sleep, they experience periods of Rapid Eye Movement. During this stage, which is associated with dreaming, the brain becomes very active. REM sleep and dreaming are triggered by the pons and neighboring structures in the brainstem. The pons sends signals to the thalamus and the cerebral cortex -- which is responsible for most cognitive activities. The pons also sends signals to shut off the neurons in the spinal cord.

Edited by: sitbcknchill

[Diphenhydramine]

I'm convinced I have sleep apnea. I had my adnoids removed, but
still snore. I can sleep forever, but wake up and still feel
tired. I get sleepy by mid-afternoon. Etc, etc.

[urbanwarrior]

i have a history of insomnia. i have been through a lot of clinics and
to a lot of doctors over it. The thing that was most consistant through
all of it was that humans sleep in periods of 3 hour intervals.



first hour is slipping into a deep sleep (REM)



the second hour is your deep sleep (REM)



the third is lifting out of the deep sleep (REM)



now it is simple but it works for me. 9 hours of sleep is the perfect way to start a day.

[icecrew]

heres alil tip for getting the most out of ur dreaming experience, when
u go to sleep and close your eyes try to picture something that you
know exactly how it looks like and concentrate on it until u geta
perfect picture of it in ur head once that happeneds u can actually see
it move and become a part of something else just like in a movie or
whatever...now dont loose it keep following it, it will take u to
places u never seen or imagined or maybe u have but its great! now here
comes the hard part when u actually do fall into REM sleep its possible
to understand that ur in that stage and keep following the same picture
or actions that u have been and THATS how u have dreams and u can
control and interact ..touch things n WOW its crazy takes practice but
try it..theres a book i forgot what its called its on some guy thats
learning from a shaman to explore dreams and stuff anyways i cant
really explain deeper than that, thanks guys have a good night

[OneDiaDem]

Great topic. Anyone into out of body experiences, or astral projecting? Still trying to accomplish this. Anyone had any luck?</font>

[Diphenhydramine]

What's astral projecting?



And you've never had an OBE? Not even time
changes/swirls/feedbacks/distortions/gaps? Man, that sucks.
I get time feedback and gaps sometimes just from the herb, not even
real drugs.



Try mixing ambien with another drug (such as herb or dxm usually works)
if you're really interested in experiencing this. Usually it'll
just result in a bit of memory lapse, but a lot of times, WHILE you are
experiencing it, you will experience OBE's, like watching yourself in a
movie, or seeing yourself do something 5 minutes from now, or going
backwards in time, etc. The trouble is if you get the memory
lapse, you won't remember any of it the next day.



Good luck dia.

[polloloco001]

i have been trying to learn how to have lucid dreams. like you try to
recognize the characteristics of a dream and always think that you
could possibly be dreaming and questioning reality. the other night i
had a dream where i got in a fight and i couldnt feel the punches so i
was like "shit am i dreaming? yes! i am dreaming haha! i can do
anything i want!" but then i forgot a minute later and the dream just
took its course and i didnt remember i was dreaming so i didnt do
anything cool. but i think im getting there.

[.rar]

I've had a weird experienceonce. Have you ever woken up after you thoughtyou were already awake?

[Solidly-here]

Polloloco got to First Base . . . Next time, a Home Run.


Wow! Welcome to the Club. Most skills we learn are for while we are awake. Lucid Dreaming is a funny thing. The only way to do it is to be asleep. This is the problem; you "woke" up for a few seconds, and then went back to sleep: " 'i am dreaming haha! i can do anything i want!' but then i forgot a minute later and the dream just took its course."


Practice, practice, practice. One of these nights, instead of drifting back off, you will hold on and change your dream. As I said before, pick a small thing to happen . . . When it happens, you can stretch yourself out into a real deal.


One thing: If you pick something TOO Big to do, you may wake up (I did this once myself). This makes sense. There's something Great happening, and you want to see it. Anyway, life lasts a good long time. You've got many more nights to Hit the Jackpot.

[one4thedoc]

.theres a book i forgot what its called its on some guy thats
learning from a shaman to explore dreams and stuff anyways i cant
really explain deeper than that, thanks guys have a good night[/QUOTE]

"Back to the Void" by Zoe Seven
www.zoe7.com
I'm awaiting this book at my doorstep, take a read of the extensive exerpts. His experiences with dissociatives + technology are very interesting towards the exploration of conciousness.

I will try your picture technique, but real images are so hard to hold until you reach REM. After viewing "Waking Life" and reading the excerpts I have an insatiable need to reach a lucid dream.

"Back to the Void" by Zoe Seven
www.zoe7.com
I'm awaiting this book at my doorstep, take a read of the extensive exerpts. His experiences with dissociatives + technology are very interesting towards the exploration of conciousness.

[triptonaut]

Originally Posted by OneDiaDem

Great topic. Anyone into out of body experiences, or astral projecting? Still trying to accomplish this. Anyone had any luck?</font>

I WAS into oobe. But after half a year of practising intensly, but not coming closer to oobe then vibrations, maybe once almost oobe, I stopped. It isn't worth it, I thought. I am a lucid dreamer, though. It's so much fun sometimes.

[raven3davis]

SWIM has had a few lucid dreams. Xanax seems to increase the chances of having one. Once SWIM was just high and he went to sleep. He was at a friends house. In the dream, he was on the street hiding by a fence and he felt very scared, lonley and out of place. SWIMs world was frimiliar but completely different. SWIM just started to walk around in this dream. The feeling was alien but also frimiliar seemed a bit like salvia/dmt. SWIM realized he was dreaming and got excited because before that he was a bit scared/anxious. SWIM got so excited that he was in a lucid dream that he jumped in the air and did a front flip. While upside down in the air, SWIM woke up and was paralized. He saw his friends brother standing over him with a cell phone and it really scared him.

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and seeing some kid hovered over you. SWIM was scared. He called out his friends name to ask what the fuck was going on but all that came out was a loud grunt. His friend woke up and about 5 seconds later he was able to tell him friend what had happened. He asked what the hell his brother was doing standing over him and he suddenly realized that the cellphone was actually a small red light from a smoke alarm and SWIM had just invisioned a human presence. Slowly he realized that he had just woken up and the brother was never even in the room. It was really wierd for SWIM and one of his lucid dreams.

SWIM has had dreams that were of him dying before too. He was falling off of a huge water tower and SWIM really thought he was falling to his death. It was like having a lucid dream of drying. So real. As he was falling a huge energy went through him and he went into a void. A short burst of energy awoke him immedietly. It was like dying and being reborn.

Dreams are strange. SWIM had a crazy dream about some girl last night too. It was nuts she was so pissed off at SWIM. She was throwing crap at him!! It felt so real! SWIM was like HEY@!! why the hell is she throwing coffee cups at me what did SWIM do? WOW he could feel her anger and it made him worried. SWIM seems to recall a few more lucid dreams where he just walked around and such, nothing very dramatic.

[hazeinmybong2]

SWIM knows a guy with waking life in xvid. PM for details.

I lucid dream on occasion, it is hard for me to maintain sleep once I realize I am dreaming. I came across some new tips but always forget them. If you feel like you are waking up, spin in circles really fast. I guess the theory is your eyes start moving from the sense of spinning, so you induce REM. Audogenics work best for me. I just tell myself, hey buddy, you better keep dreaming or you wont get to have your way with that chick on your bed.

[Richard_smoker]

Hi all, this topic of Lucid Dreaming is excellent. In fact, it is my firm belief that anyone who is truly interested and captivated by psychedelic exploration would benefit tremendously from dream-work. After all, it is the dream world that many of us are chasing through the meditative and spiritual experience.

The difference from lucid dreaming and psychedelia is amazing, actually...

The main difference is the fact that within your world of dreams, YOU are the master and commander of literally everything... most of us probably realized the beauty of this power as a child, and as most childhood fascinations, the sparkle of dreaming has been removed and replaced with everyday "real" problems as well as the honest-to-God LACK of dreams as well as dream-amnesia. Other difference is obviously your health, lack of side effects, and overall good feeling from NOT injesting hallucinogens...

I had planned on starting a new thread or two on the subjects of dreaming, lucid dreaming, dream control, medical approaches to sleep--BTW it's NOT what you think--there's so much bullshit and pseudoscience on the internet about so-called 'alpha-states' and 'theta' and rem sleep, etc. that I thought some truth might be appreciated. By the way, this 'pseudoscience' is not to be totally ignored, as basically all of it is a product of the 1970's--a time when self-exploration of the psyche, spirituality, guided relaxation, out-of-body experience, NLP, and hypnosis was bourgeoning in the western world and capitalism was exploiting the HELL out of it by merging science and Eastern philosophy. This was just a way of validating the hypnosis and guided experiences to a sceptical U.S. consumer. But it amazes me at the impact still today on the understanding of brainwaves and brain-states as this bullshit has been accepted as fact by many people (who didn't know they were wrong--they trusted the 'scientists' giving them their information), and you will be very misled and misinformed if you simply google search rem-sleep and dreaming.

I know most people on this board want a quick, to the point, useable guide of sorts (like a how-to-do-it-RIGHT-NOW-manual) and for this reason, I'm going to first open a new thread on medications that affect dreaming and REM sleep, as this is obviously highly misunderstood in these parts. If anyone's interested, I will move on to the other info--like using machines to train yourself (and my personal experience with these), some relevant info on Tibetan Dream monks, and some great techniques to induce the sleep-state for a Lucid Experience. Some further information that some might find useful is my experience with 20-30 different 'brands' of hypnotic sleep/dream-state inducers, and the only 2 or 3 that are even worth a damn.

[Richard_smoker]

Borrowed from another site--as well as links--but when I found this, I realized that I wouldn't have to type it all out word for word. These techniques are a prerequisite for any dream explorer.

Dream Recall The most important prerequisite for learning lucid dreaming is excellent dream recall. There are two likely reasons for this. First, when you remember your dreams well, you can become familiar with their features and patterns. This helps you to recognize them as dreams while they are still happening. Second, it is possible that with poor dream recall, you may actually have lucid dreams that you do not remember!

The procedure for improving your dream recall is fully detailed in EWLD and A Course in Lucid Dreaming in addition to many other books on dreams. A brief discussion of the methods involved is available on the Lucidity Institute web site. The core exercise is writing down everything you recall about your dreams in a dream journal immediately after waking from the dream, no matter how fragmentary your recall. Record what you recall immediately upon waking from the dream; if you wait until morning you are likely to forget most, if not all, of the dream. In A Course in Lucid Dreaming we advise that people build their dream recall to at least one dream recalled per night before proceeding with lucid dream induction techniques.

Reality Testing
This is a good technique for beginners. Assign yourself several times a day to perform the following exercise. Also do it anytime you think of it, especially when something odd occurs or when you are reminded of dreams. It helps to choose specific occasions like: when you see your face in the mirror, look at your watch, arrive at work or home, pick up your NovaDreamer, etc. The more frequently and thoroughly you practice this technique, the better it will work.

1. Do a reality test.
   Carry some text with you or wear a digital watch throughout the day. To do a reality test, read the words or the numbers on the watch. Then, look away and look back, observing the letters or numbers to see if they change. Try to make them change while watching them. Research shows that text changes 75% of the time it is re-read once and changes 95% it is re-read twice. If the characters do change, or are not normal, or do not make sense, then you are most probably dreaming. Enjoy! If the characters are normal, stable, and sensible, then you probably aren't dreaming. Go on to step 2.
   
2. Imagine that your surroundings are a dream.
   If you are fairly certain you are awake (you can never be 100% sure!), then say to yourself, "I may not be dreaming now, but if I were, what would it be like?" Visualize as vividly as possible that you are dreaming. Intently imagine that what you are seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling is all a dream. Imagine instabilities in your environment, words changing, scenes transforming, perhaps you floating off the ground. Create in yourself the feeling that you are in a dream. Holding that feeling, go on to step 3.
   
3. Visualize yourself enjoying a dream activity.
   Decide on something you would like to do in your next lucid dream, perhaps flying, talking to particular dream characters, or just exploring the dream world. Continue to imagine that you are dreaming now, and visualize yourself enjoying your chosen activity.

Dreamsigns
Another dream-recall related exercise introduced in EWLD and further developed in A Course in Lucid Dreaming is identifying "dreamsigns." This term, coined by LaBerge, refers to elements of dreams that indicate that you are dreaming. (Examples: miraculous flight, purple cats, malfunctioning devices, and meeting deceased people.) By studying your dreams you can become familiar with your own personal dreamsigns and set your mind to recognize them and become lucid in future dreams. The Course also provides exercises for noticing dreamsigns while you are awake, so that the skill carries over into your dreams. This exercise also applies to lucid dream induction devices, which give sensory cues--special, artificially-produced dreamsigns--while you are dreaming. To succeed at recognizing these cues in dreams, you need to practice looking for them and recognizing them while you are awake.

Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
The MILD technique employs prospective memory, remembering to do something (notice you're dreaming) in the future. Dr. LaBerge developed this technique for his doctoral dissertation and used it to achieve lucid dreaming at will. The proper time to practice MILD is after awakening from a dream, before returning to sleep. (Modified from EWLD, p. 78)

1. Setup dream recall.
   Set your mind to awaken from dreams and recall them. When you awaken from a dream, recall it as completely as you can.
   
2. Focus your intent.
   While returning to sleep, concentrate single-mindedly on your intention to remember to recognize that you're dreaming. Tell yourself: "Next time I'm dreaming, I will remember I'm dreaming," repeatedly, like a mantra. Put real meaning into the words and focus on this idea alone. If you find yourself thinking about anything else, let it go and bring your mind back to your intention.
   
3. See yourself becoming lucid.
   As you continue to focus on your intention to remember when you're dreaming, imagine that you are back in the dream from which you just awakened (or another one you have had recently if you didn't remember a dream on awakening). Imagine that this time you recognize that you are dreaming. Look for a dreamsign--something in the dream that demonstrates plainly that it is a dream. When you see it say to yourself: "I'm dreaming!" and continue your fantasy. Imagine yourself carrying out your plans for your next lucid dream. For example, if you want to fly in your lucid dream, imagine yourself flying after you come to the point in your fantasy when you become lucid.
   
4. Repeat until your intention is set.
   Repeat steps 2 and 3 until either you fall asleep or are sure that your intention is set. If, while falling asleep, you find yourself thinking of anything else, repeat the procedure so that the last thing in your mind before falling asleep is your intention to remember to recognize the next time you are dreaming.

[Richard_smoker]

I am posting this because I actually OWN a novadreamer mask, and it has been pretty effective in helping me to achieve lucid dreaming--but only when used REGULARLY and when you actually put some waking work into achieving the lucid state. At first, I was VERY embarrassed to have spent ?$200? on a possible piece of junk, and most of my initial 'lucid' dreams were dreams that someone discovered that I spent so much money on the mask, and I had to explain to them what the mask was for. Funny because in my dreams, the mask was always distorted. For example, it was huge, and metal, covered with wires and computer displays once.

I have owned the device for about 3 years now, and AFAIK it still works. I have not tested its ability to detect REM in several weeks, but I have no reason to believe that it isn't working. My biggest problems have been
1. the mask coming off my head in my sleep
2. waking up quickly after becoming lucid (out of excitement?)I tried lucid dreaming for years before finally purchasing this product. Prior to this purchase, I used beepers, phone alarms, etc. to remind me to think "Am I Dreaming?" Unfortunately, the phone alarms just got to be plain ANNOYING! I amost never actually used the alarms to do a reality test after about 2 weeks.

The only products which ever worked for me--aside from the Novadreamer--was an audio loop for lucid dreaming from the Monroe Institute and I custom-made a 90 minute looping audio using Brainwave Generator where I used a recording of my own voice saying, "Am I dreaming? Is this a dream?" I varied the volume of my question so that it wouldn't be annoying, but alas it too was often extremely annoying.

Funny thing is one time I could hear myself asking "Is this a dream? Am I dreaming?" while I was in deep sleep and in my dream, I thought that I was on the set of Rocky and Sylvester Stallone had this sick mustache and everytime I looked away from him or at something on the set, he would put his sick mustache up against my ear and say "Ammm aye Dreeeaamasing??" It was very annoying and for some reason, it never registered what the actual words were!

PLEASE NOTICE: I am NOT endorsing this product! I recommend doing a google search for "Lucid Dream machine mask." Also, you might be able to get a deal on a used device from someone who wasn't willing to put in the effort needed to reach lucidity.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST LUCID DREAMING TRAINING?
The Lucidity Institute offers electronic devices that help people have lucid dreams. They were developed through laboratory research at Stanford University by LaBerge, Levitan, and others. The basic principle behind these devices is as follows: the primary task confronting someone who wishes to have a lucid dream is to remember that intention while in a dream. One of the best ways to increase a person's chances of having a lucid dream is to give a reminder to the person during REM sleep. In the lab, we found that flashing light cues worked well in that they tended to incorporate into ongoing dreams without causing awakening. You may have noticed that occasional bits of sensory information are filtered into your dreams in disguised form, like a clock radio as supermarket music or a chain saw as the sound of a thunderstorm. This is the same principle used by our lucid dream induction devices: the lights or sounds from the device filter into the user's dreams. In cases of very deep sleepers, we found that it was sometimes necessary to use sound as well as light to get the cues into dreams. The dreamer's task is to notice the flashing lights in the dream and remember that they are cues to become lucid. Because we could not possibly accommodate everyone who wants to come into the sleep lab for a lucid dream induction session and most people would rather sleep at home anyway, we worked for several years to develop a comfortable, portable device that would detect REM sleep and deliver a cue tailored to the individual user's needs.

The NovaDreamer
The NovaDreamer lucid dream induction device works by giving flashing light or sound cues when the user is dreaming. Users modify the device settings to find a cue with the right intensity and length to enter their dreams without causing awakening. In addition, device users practice mental exercises while awake to enhance their ability to recognize the light cues when they appear in dreams. The NovaDreamer includes a soft, comfortable sleep mask, which contains the flashing lights, a speaker, and an eye movement detection apparatus. The NovaDreamer's electronics are all inside the sleep mask. The NovaDreamer uses REM detection to time the delivery of lucidity cue and provides feedback on the number of cues given. It includes the "Dream Alarm" feature to boost dream recall. Users have a choice of a wide selection of cues and receive feedback on the number of cues they receive during a sleep period.
The lucidity cues of the NovaDreamer are intended to enter into ongoing dreams. This can occur in several ways. Cues can be superimposed over the dream scene, like a light flashing in one's face, or they can briefly interrupt the dream scene. The most common (and most difficult to identify) incorporation of cues is into dream stories. Little brother flashing the room lights, flash bulbs, lightning, traffic signals, police car lights: all are real examples of incorporations of NovaDreamer cues. The trickiness of cue appearances underscores the need to thoroughly prepare one's mind to recognize cues via waking practice.
The NovaDreamer offers a second method of lucid dream stimulation. This method arose out of the discovery that while sleeping with the NovaDreamer, people frequently dreamed that they awakened wearing the device, and pressed the button on the front of the mask to start the "delay," a feature that disables cues while you are drifting off to sleep. Ordinarily, a button press would cause a beep to tell you that you had successfully pressed it. However, people were reporting that the button was not working in the middle of the night. Actually, they were dreaming that they were awakening and pressing the button, and the button did not work because it was a dream version of the NovaDreamer. Dream versions of devices are notorious for not working normally. Once people were advised that failure of the button in the middle of the night was a sign that they were probably dreaming, they were able to use this "dreamsign" reliably to become lucid during "false awakenings" with the NovaDreamer. Research suggests that about half of the lucid dreams stimulated by the devices result from using the button for reality tests. Available from the LI. For details, see the NovaDreamer manual (in html format), or in Acrobat PDF format.

HOW WELL DO LUCID DREAM INDUCTION DEVICES WORK?
The Lucidity Institute's lucid dream induction devices are designed to help people achieve lucidity by giving them cues while they are dreaming and also by providing a reliable means of testing one's state of consciousness. They do not make people have lucid dreams any more than exercise machines make people develop strong muscles. In both cases the goal, strength or lucid dreams, results from practice. The machines accelerate the process. Several factors enter into success with one of these devices. One is how accurately the cues are coordinated with the user's REM sleep. The devices' REM detection systems are adjustable to individual variables. Another success factor is how well the cues enter into the dream without awakening the sleeper. A third factor is how prepared the user is for recognizing cues in dreams and becoming lucid. Finally, the user's commitment to performing a reality test on each awakening with the device influences success. All four of these factors are, to some extent, controllable by the device user: adjustment of eye movement sensitivity to catch REM sleep, selecting a cue that enters dreams without causing awakenings, mental preparation to recognize cues in dreams, and resolution to do reality tests. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain a truly accurate measurement of the effectiveness of the devices. Nonetheless, research with various versions of the DreamLight (previous lucid dream induction device that is no longer in production) have shown that it definitely helps people have more frequent lucid dreams.
Because expectation makes lucid dreaming more likely, one might wonder whether the DreamLight is any more effective than a placebo. A study recently published in Dreaming proved that it is. In brief, fourteen experienced DreamLight users were exposed to two conditions: light cues or no light cues. Subjects thought they were testing two different light cues and did not know their nightly condition (making motivation and expectations constant). Thus, the study examined how much the DreamLight's light cues specifically contributed to the achievement of lucid dreams. More people had lucid dreams on nights when they received light cues (73% versus 27%). Lucid dream frequency was three times greater on nights with cues (one lucid dream every three nights versus one in eleven nights without cues).
An earlier study with a different version of the DreamLight showed a five-fold increase in lucid dreaming frequency when people used the Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreaming (MILD) mental technique in conjunction with the device, compared with using no device and no mental technique. Using the device without mental techniques worked about as well as just using the mental technique; both cases were an improvement over using nothing.
In summary, at this stage the lucid dream induction devices can definitely help people to have lucid dreams, or to have more of them. Important factors contributing to success are good dream recall (the DreamLight and NovaDreamer also can be used to boost dream recall with the "Dream Alarm feature"), diligent mental preparation, and careful adjustment of the device to meet individual needs for cueing and REM detection. No device yet exists that will make a person have a lucid dream.

ARE THERE ANY DRUGS OR NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS THAT STIMULATE LUCID DREAMS?
A number of substances have been suggested to enhance the likelihood of lucid dreaming, from vitamins to prescription drugs. There are few good scientific studies to test such claims. Lucid dreaming is highly subject to the placebo effect; the belief that something will stimulate a lucid dream is very effective! This is not to say that there are not substances that do, in fact, promote lucid dreaming. We are interested in discovering such and welcome observations from fellow dreamers. At this time, however, we do not endorse any substances for inducing lucid dreams. Many prescription drugs as well as marijuana and alcohol alter the sleep cycle, usually by suppressing REM sleep. This leads to a phenomenon called "REM rebound," in which a person experiences intense, long REM periods after the drug has worn off. This can manifest as nightmares or, possibly, as lucid dreaming, since the brain is highly active. Drugs in the LSD family, including psilocybin and tryptamines actually stimulate REM sleep (in doses small enough to allow sleep), leading to longer REM periods. We do not recommend the use of drugs without proper guidance nor do we urge the breaking of laws.

HOW CAN I PREVENT WAKING UP AS SOON AS I BECOME LUCID?
Beginning lucid dreamers often have the problem of waking up right after becoming lucid. This obstacle may prevent some people from realizing the value of lucid dreaming. Fortunately there are ways to overcome this problem.
The first is to remain calm in the dream. Becoming lucid is exciting, but expressing the excitement can awaken you. It is possible to enjoy the thrill that accompanies the dawning of lucidity without allowing the activation to overwhelm you. Be like a poker player with an ideal hand. Relax and engage with the dream rather than withdrawing into your inner joy of accomplishment.
Then, if the dream shows signs of ending, such as a loss of detail, vividness, and apparent reality of the imagery, the technique of "spinning" can often restore the dream. You spin your dream body around like a child trying to get dizzy. LaBerge developed this technique after experimenting with the idea that relaxing completely might help prevent awakening from a dream. When in a lucid dream that was fading, he stopped and dropped backwards to the floor, and had a false awakening in bed! After a few trials he determined that the essential element was the sensation of motion, not relaxation. The best way to create a feeling of movement, especially in the dream scene has vanished, leaving nowhere to move to, is to create angular momentum (or the sensation of it), by spinning around your axis. You are not really doing it, but your brain is well familiar with the experience of spinning and duplicates the experience quite well. In the process the vestibular and kinesthetic senses are engaged. Presumably, this sensory engagement with the dream discourages the brain from changing state from dreaming to waking. Note that dream spinning does not usually lead to dizziness. Be aware that the expectation of possible awakening sometimes leads to a "false awakening" in which you dream of waking. The vividness of the spinning sensation may cause you to feel your spinning arm hit the bed. You think, "Oops, I'm awake in bed now." Think now--your physical body wasn't really spinning, it was your dream body--therefore, the arm is a dream arm hitting a dream bed! To avoid being deceived, recite, "The next scene will be a dream," until a scene appears. If you are in doubt about your status, perform a thorough reality test.
Research at the Lucidity Institute has proven the effectiveness of spinning: the odds in favor of continuing the lucid dream were about 22 to 1 after spinning, 13 to 1 after hand rubbing (another technique designed to prevent awakening), and 1 to 2 after "going with the flow" (a "control" task). That makes the relative odds favoring spinning over going with the flow 48 to 1, and for rubbing over going with the flow, 27 to 1.

[sometimesx345]

SWIM has been practicing lucid dreaming for quite awhile, even before she started actively using drugs. She got rather good at it, to the point where she'd usually realize she was dreaming at least once a night. When she started regularly using DXM she would often fall asleep on it, where she would dream but would be high in her dreams. She didn't remember these dreams often, but had become very skilled at remembering her dreams so it did happen sometimes.

SWIM has also found that she's more lucid in her dreams when she falls asleep while high on pot. She doesn't know why this is true. Also, she recently fell asleep high on hydrocodone, it was a good high, but she had very vivid, rather paranoid dreams (horribly failing exams and the like). She also didn't know she was dreaming, which made it worse!

[lojzarb]

I learned to lucid dream after reading some of Carlos Castaneda's books.

The technique is pretty simple, but requires a lot of practice. Look at your hands and think about them a lot for a couple minutes before bed, and think about them as you fall asleep. Then, in your sleep, try to find your hands. You will then begin to realize that you are dreaming, and can control it to an extent. It takes a lot of practice to be able to control larger aspects of the dream; setting, time, etc.

This technique has worked for me pretty well, but since I've learned to realise when I am dreaming, I don't use the technique anymore, I simply notice that I am dreaming one or two nights every week.

Usually when my dreams become lucid I attempt to leap or fly. I can never get myself to fly, but I can usually leap pretty damn far, which is a lot of fun.

If the hand technique doesn't work that well, try putting a large dot on the palm of each hand with a marker, that way in your dream you may notice your hands and think "wait, didn't I write those dots on my hands?" and the dream will become lucid.

Sorry for the long post; I hope this helped.

[radiometer]

I've been interested in the concept of lucid dreaming ever since I frist heard of it. Back then, I spent many fruitless nights attempting to follow Castaneda's technique of visualizing the hand, and I think way back in high school I might have tried to duplicate what I read about in Richard Bach's books (cringe!).

About a month or so ago, I was blessed unexpectedly with such an ocurrance! Around mid-morning (an hour or two before I usually wake up) I was dreaming one of my assorted (but personally typical) scenarios, when out of nowhere, I suddenly realized I was dreaming! It was not unllike when one is caught in a strange and inexplicable thought train on a psychedelic, and one suddenly realizes they are tripping.

I was not able to change my scenario. But I knew without doubt that I was dreaming and therefore my behavior was not bound by any "normal" constraints. I jumped up on a table around which some people were seated, and yelled at some demi-human looking guy, who was somehow persecuting me before I realized I was dreaming. I shouted at him "You look wierd" and woke up around that moment. I had perhaps 5-10 seconds of volition of action.

I was stunned when I came to and realized what had happened, but it hasn't happened since. Does anyone have any suggestions for pursuing and encouraging lucid dreaming?