Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Lucid Dreaming



"A lucid dream is a dream in which the person is aware that they are dreaming while the dream is in progress, also known as a conscious dream. When the dreamer is lucid, they can actively participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can be extremely real and vivid depending on a person's level of self-awareness during the lucid dream." - wikipedia

Its been quite a few years since I first heard of lucid dreaming. I immediately was fascinated with this idea. I could control my dreams. But how? How do you become aware that you are dreaming? I hadn't read anything on the matter but decided to give it a try. I was going to take control of my dream. Eventually I was successful. How did I do it? How did I become aware that I was indeed experiencing a dream? Logic. In real life I'm a very logical person and somehow, sometimes, I am able to transfer that same logic into the dream world. If you have ever had the though, "Am I dreaming?" then you probably were. If I'm awake, I am 100% sure that I'm awake. If that thought occurs to me, or I realize that things make absolutely no sense, then I know that I must be in a dream. There is a fine line between consciousness and dreaming. I have had the tendency to accidentally wake myself up while experiencing a conscious dream. I can remember the dream version of myself trying to concentrate on keeping the real me asleep so that my adventures could continue. Its still very rare that I am able to lucid dream, but every once in a while I join Nemo in slumberland. Have any of you ever tried taking control of your dreams?

4 comments:

darthmom said...

Dan -- I think you were dreaming when you wrote this blog...or stoned. It's the kind of discussion one has with oneself when one is stoned.

Michael Joseph Sharp said...

In my experience, we can't choose to dream lucidly. But it happens. And when it happens, ... when you find yourself in a dream with the knowledge that it is a dream, ... it can be an incredibly free-ing experience.

I've had a few of these but have never done, ... in that moment, what I wish I'd done after waking up and thinking about if for a while. In other words, even when I know it's a dream, ... it has never run wild, ... I have never attempted to live out my deepest desires. Rather, I've found myself constrained by something.

Later, I regret this.

Perhaps this says something about our self-imposed oppression and lack of living free.

I'm biased, but Jesus urges us to LIVE LUCIDLY, no?

Dan, this was your point wasn't it.

You are slick!

Eric said...

Have you ever been half awake/sleep while watching a movie or tv, and then by just hearing the audio your mind creates the dream based on that? This happens to me all the time, the worst is when Jerry Springer is on!

Michael Joseph Sharp said...

Eric, I am imagining what kinds of dreams you are having when Jerry Springer is on.

Yikes!