I had an awesome lucid dream the other night. It started off as a recurring dream I've been having recently, about being unable operate my phone to make calls (IRL, my phone is pretty much the single most frustrating thing I own; its cantankerousness can drive me into a violent rage in seconds). In the dream, I recognized this 'uncooperative phone' theme for what it was: the content of a dream. In other words, I realized I must be dreaming. Now, this wasn't one of those 'hovering on the edge of consciousness' lucid dreams; I was in full-on Stage 3 REM sleep, oblivious to the real world. Anyway, I decided to test my theory by slapping myself in the face. I couldn't feel a thing. I slapped myself as hard as I could manage on both cheeks. Didn't feel a thing. OK, theory proven. I knew that I could alter this dream - make it go away by waking myself up. I know something that wakes me up. If I roll on my side in my sleep, I some times encounter my wife next to me, that tends to wake me up. (side note: wife was actually out of town that night, so ultimately I didn't actually clobber her - but I didn't know that in my dream.) So I put my laptop down on the wet grass (being sure to put my raincoat underneath it - just in case this wasn't a dream, and I didn't want to ruin my laptop.) and lay down in the wet grass. I lay on my back, and rolled over, deliberately holding my arm and leg way out, so as to encounter her. And - poof! I woke up! I slapped myself in the face, and felt it sting. But I know sometimes you just dream that you feel a sting. So I slapped myself a few times to confirm that I was, indeed, awake. That was so cool!
Was that just a one off spontaneous event or have you tried encouraging lucid dreams at all? I used to do that a long time ago and while I grew tired of the energy involved I did find it quite effective. Aside from that I have had dreams where I tried to wake up from a dream and realized that I could not make myself do it. That caused a panic as I struggled to awaken -until I awoke gasping for air.Very unpleasant.
I had a lucid dream with sleep paralysis and a grim reaper running at me to kill me. I was passive at the last possible second, before he used his touch of death on me, and I woke up and I could move around. It was very scary.
I read an article many years ago in scientific american about how to induce lucid dreams… an it worked.!!! The thang i did on a daily basis was… when wide awake durin the day… read somptin… just a word or two was enuff… then look away… then look back at what i had been readin… an when i saw that it was exactly the same… make a pont to realize its exactly the same because im awake… an if i ever looked back at what i had just read an it wasnt exactly the same… that means im actualy in a lucid dream.!!! I love doin that test while in a dream an it makes me chuckle whether it says the same thang or not Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I woud always dose off wit the intention of havin a lucid dream an did so almost ever night.!!! One day while standin in a long line at a store to pay for my merchandise i was thankin about a lucid dream state… an then for a few seconds i coudnt tell if i was in a lucid dream or not… an then after i was sure i was actualy in a line at a store… the thout crossed my mind… what if i get stuck in not knowin awake from asleep… an it was so scary… that was the last day i ever practiced havin lucid dreams.!!! I still had ‘em on a regular bases but wit-out the practice they came less often.!!! But i still like dreams whether “good” ones or not... or lucid or not.!!! A couple of nights ago i woke myself up laffin at somptin that was so funny while asleep but not so much when awake Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I discovered some time ago - in my twenties - that certain recurring dreams could be altered at will. It happened during one of those nightmares when I was chased by that same villain from my past. I wished I had an ally, such as the gorilla I had been reading about as I fell asleep... and right away, Ishmael appeared. We didn't have to do anything, just stand there and wait for the villain. He arrived, took one look at my friend and ran like a scalded cat. Never bothered me again. Now I know that, as soon as I recognize a 'threatening' dream, I can change the story. It doesn't work on anxiety dreams: I still can't rescue all of the children or stop the water rising or find Room 302.... but at least, when confronted with an algebra test, I remember that I'm not in school anymore. Would you believe, 55 years later, still school??
When II was at college one of my psychologist friends would gather us around and individually hypnotize us (didn't work with me) and invite us to go wherever we wanted -- sort of dreaming a la carte. I can't remember if we remembered the sessions but I would imagine we (the others) did.
On a cruise once, I was one of a handful of people invited on stage to get hipmotized. Did nothing for me. *cluck cluck*
Not for years now but i still had school dreams at 55.!!! Cant find my locker… cant find my class room… cant find my books.!!! Anymore while dreamin i normally dont thank about whether or not my dream is lucid... i often reset the dream scenario an let it play agan... sometimes over an over.!!! [Real life school story]::: On the first day of 8th grade english a teecher that me an a buddy didnt like barked at us to never come to class wit-out a pencil… paper an our book.!!! We agreed wit each other to NEVER brang those thangs to class… an we didnt for the whole year an the teecher never knew Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
It shows. Figures, too, ironically. I was the best in my Gr 9 class at grammar and spelling, so decided not to bother doing the Mickey Mouse exercises we had for homework. Got caught the very first time and sent to the vice principal's office. This ex Phys Ed teacher, looked like a side of beef and made 18-year-old football players shake in their boots, spent half an hour telling me how disappointed he was. Never figured Fitzy for a psychologist. Yes, it's the elusive classroom keeps coming around longest. Late, lost, unprepared. It never actually happened, so where does that anxiety come from?
Mayb the anxiety came from the pressure of keepin up those high standards.!!! Me… i wasnt late… but i did get a bit lost at the big new school a time or 2… an i was never properly prepared for classes… did just enuff to get C’s.!!! I had 1 meetin wit my principal when a teecher sent me to him but it only lasted long enuff for him to hit me 3 times wit a paddle... but he wasnt a nut an it didnt hurt much.!!! More good luck at school… the english teecher gave us a few weeks to read a book... said she woud tell us after we read it the details of the kind of book report she wanted.!!! I knew that she loved The Ugly American so i found a condensed version of it to read… but it was still long at 26 pages.!!! It turned out that the book report she wanted... was for us to write it while in class that day… an the guy in front of me asked me which book i read an he said he read the same book… an showed it to me an it was thick… an we talked a bit about the book… an he told me that i only knew the first part of the story… that a lot more stuff happened.!!! Later on i found out that the condensed version i read was only part 1 of 3 :-( A few days later we got our graded book reports back… the guy that read the whole book got a C… an i got an A Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Huh. Up until fairly recently, school was one of my recurring dreams. I always have four courses: English, Math, Science and Geography, it's always the first day of school and I always don't know which classes are in which rooms, or what the order of my classes are over the day.
We must have obsessed over this - a lot! - when our brains were still retentive. It's such a great feeling, when I have this dream, to suddenly realize : I'm grown up. I don't have to be here. It's almost worth having the dream for the relief at the end. In real life, I quite enjoyed school and rarely got into trouble.
I had fun at school but the lure of a pay-check caused me to quit an go to work pickin pickles... i was kinda my own boss in that the more i picked the more i made.!!! Hmmm... no recall of pickle pickin... roofin... lumber-mill... janitor... or mowin city parks dreams... but lots of dreams about when i worked at a bakery.!!!
In my dream the other night I was on the flat ice somewhere like the Arctic. A small white dot was making its way towards me. I knew it was a polar bear and remember the logic of my thinking in that dream. I'm for sure going to get eaten alive and that will hurt, so, I must make him kill me quick. I threw a punch at his snout. I punched the wall by the side of my bed and bruised under my nails (don't ask). It must have been a slap punch?? The thing is I didn't know I slept with my arms outside the duvet. I blame David Attenborough and HD tv.
Your muscles don't respond when you're in deep sleep - otherwise, we would be injured every night. As you start to awaken, you regain control over the long muscles of arms and legs first (That's why you can roll over without waking up. ) You probably dreamed that you clenched a fist, but your hand didn't get the memo in time.
