Have you ever had a "Lucid Dream"?

[Kalidasa]

I'm not into hocus-pocus, but lucid dreaming is a real thing. And I'm going to give you the easy way- the short cut to doing it...as I've done it many times when I was in lucid dreaming "mode"...because you have to be in that mode.
The easiest, surest way to lucid dream, is to look at your palms (of the hands) IN YOUR DREAM. it's impossible to NOT wake up within your dream if you look at the palms of your hands for some reason.
So instead of sayin"I will wake up in my dream" before bed...which is vague and ineffectual, tell yourself you will look at your palms in your dreams. It has to be said every night...and preferably throughout the day. Reminders are a big help. The moment you remember, and turn your palms up (in your dream) you awaken instantly, and the dream goes from being a shadowy thing where you are the unwilling participant, to a fully conscious experiment. The colors and sensations explode.
It is impossible to look at your "dream palms" without awakening.
It was taught to me, and it works better and faster than any technique.

 

[RavensGryf]

I'm not into hocus-pocus, but lucid dreaming is a real thing. And I'm going to give you the easy way- the short cut to doing it...as I've done it many times when I was in lucid dreaming "mode"...because you have to be in that mode.
The easiest, surest way to lucid dream, is to look at your palms (of the hands) IN YOUR DREAM. it's impossible to NOT wake up within your dream if you look at the palms of your hands for some reason.
So instead of sayin"I will wake up in my dream" before bed...which is vague and ineffectual, tell yourself you will look at your palms in your dreams. It has to be said every night...and preferably throughout the day. Reminders are a big help. The moment you remember, and turn your palms up (in your dream) you awaken instantly, and the dream goes from being a shadowy thing where you are the unwilling participant, to a fully conscious experiment. The colors and sensations explode.
It is impossible to look at your "dream palms" without awakening.
It was taught to me, and it works better and faster than any technique.

Chris, that's really interesting! I've heard about looking at your palms in a dream as proof that you're dreaming, since "they say" your hands never look 'normal' like they do in waking life. I've personally never been able to tell myself to look at my hands in a dream, because I'm not lucid, and therefore I don't even "think" about doing it while dreaming.

 

[Kalidasa]

You just have to go into "lucid dreaming mode" (lol), which is telling yourself to look at your palms before going to sleep..and looking at them throughout the day, as a reminder. It helps to use your phone to give your reminders throughout the day to look at your palms. It's like training really. And it's much simpler and eAsier than to tell yourself to wake up within a dream..which is vague. In no time at all, you will dream that you look at your palms, and then you wake within the dream

 

[Sterling1113]

Chris, another thing other than looking at your palms, is looking at a clock. Any clock, analog, digital, phone, whatever. Then a few seconds later look at it again. Time is really wonky in dreams, and very rarely is it ever accurately passing, so once you realize "Hey, 5 seconds ago it was 2:30, and now its 5:55?" etc etc.. then you'll "snap". I have a hard time controlling my body in my dreams so once I find a clock I glance at it a few times and then things get easier for me to control.

I don't like lucid dreaming. It's scary, and I wake up feeling like I just ran a marathon. I've been lucid dreaming since I was about 5 months pregnant, and I'm almost 4 weeks postpartum now. It was worse in the hospital, I would have night terrors for an hour or two at a time(I couldn't sleep, I only caught glimpses due to exhaustion) and I would jerk, shake, grind my teeth, and when I woke up I was in awful pain due to the contorting in my sleep.

I actually had one last night. I could control what happened, mostly. I could control my movements, I remember helping my little sister with something, and I remember getting lost.. I couldn't find my way out. And I couldn't find anyone familiar, and I couldn't wake up. Having a panic attack when you're asleep isn't any nicer than having one while you're awake.

It's just something I live with, really. To all those who want to try lucid dreaming for yourself, just make sure you know what you're getting into. I slept until 3 PM this afternoon. Granted, I have other conditions that are interfering with my sleep schedule, but it's not much worse than it was before I was pregnant.

(Also, to clarify, I would occasionally lucid dream in the past. However it's just been almost nightly for the past few months.)

 

[RavensGryf]

You just have to go into "lucid dreaming mode" (lol), which is telling yourself to look at your palms before going to sleep..and looking at them throughout the day, as a reminder. It helps to use your phone to give your reminders throughout the day to look at your palms. It's like training really. And it's much simpler and eAsier than to tell yourself to wake up within a dream..which is vague. In no time at all, you will dream that you look at your palms, and then you wake within the dream

That really sounds like a much easier way to do it than the other ways I've read. It freaks me out though. I'm scared to try it lol. I'd be afraid that if I'm already scared of it, it would put me into a nightmare!

 

[Kalidasa]

Chris, another thing other than looking at your palms, is looking at a clock. Any clock, analog, digital, phone, whatever. Then a few seconds later look at it again. Time is really wonky in dreams, and very rarely is it ever accurately passing, so once you realize "Hey, 5 seconds ago it was 2:30, and now its 5:55?" etc etc.. then you'll "snap". I have a hard time controlling my body in my dreams so once I find a clock I glance at it a few times and then things get easier for me to control.

I don't like lucid dreaming. It's scary, and I wake up feeling like I just ran a marathon. I've been lucid dreaming since I was about 5 months pregnant, and I'm almost 4 weeks postpartum now. It was worse in the hospital, I would have night terrors for an hour or two at a time(I couldn't sleep, I only caught glimpses due to exhaustion) and I would jerk, shake, grind my teeth, and when I woke up I was in awful pain due to the contorting in my sleep.

I actually had one last night. I could control what happened, mostly. I could control my movements, I remember helping my little sister with something, and I remember getting lost.. I couldn't find my way out. And I couldn't find anyone familiar, and I couldn't wake up. Having a panic attack when you're asleep isn't any nicer than having one while you're awake.

It's just something I live with, really. To all those who want to try lucid dreaming for yourself, just make sure you know what you're getting into. I slept until 3 PM this afternoon. Granted, I have other conditions that are interfering with my sleep schedule, but it's not much worse than it was before I was pregnant.

(Also, to clarify, I would occasionally lucid dream in the past. However it's just been almost nightly for the past few months.)

Wow, I'm wondering if it's your hormones or something that's making you have disturbing dreams?' Because if you're not in control, then it's not technically a lucid dream...maybe partially lucid or something. But you should be able to control what happens in the dream. It sounds like you're having very vivid dreams however.
The last lucid dream I had (and we remember them all, don't we?) was I looked at my palms, and heard a strong buzzing/humming sound which got louder every second until that's all I was aware if. Then, out of my hands, wrists, and forearms, holes opened up, and bees in huge swarms came pouring out of the holes. But it was not scary or unpleasant, but rather VERY pleasurable after that, I stopped the bees, and flew. The main theme in my lucid dreams is flight...I can't get beyond the exhilaration of that to do much else.
Thanks for the reminder of the clock thing...I forgot about that entirely. Maybe I'll try that next when I get into the lucid dreaming mode....which can't be kept up indefinitely. It seems one needs breaks in between.

 

[Sterling1113]

Well, it's like it IS a lucid dream, and then it (literally) spirals out of control. Sometimes it's pleasant for a little while, like last night I have happy memories of helping my sister with something, talking to an old friend, things of the like. And then as time goes on I lose control and I can control myself, but I can't control what's happening anymore, and I can't wake up. I wish I knew how to explain it.

It probably is/was my hormones causing the night terrors, but things are mostly back to normal now, beyond the insanely vivid dreams. I usually have nightmares from time to time but the night terrors were new.

I also used to have this repetitive dream, that I was watching myself from a 3rd person view, like I was in the upper level of a theatre or something. And I would walk straight(away from the point of view, so I was looking at my back) into a field, it was pretty, flowers, etc.. then clouds would roll in, and it would start to storm, and these ridiculous dog-like-demon things would jump out at all directions and maul me. I always tried to change it, but I never could. I had that dream several times a night(I would wake up each time) for several weeks and then it just suddenly stopped. The human brain is a weird, creepy thing.

 

[Kalidasa]

Well, it's like it IS a lucid dream, and then it (literally) spirals out of control. Sometimes it's pleasant for a little while, like last night I have happy memories of helping my sister with something, talking to an old friend, things of the like. And then as time goes on I lose control and I can control myself, but I can't control what's happening anymore, and I can't wake up. I wish I knew how to explain it.

It probably is/was my hormones causing the night terrors, but things are mostly back to normal now, beyond the insanely vivid dreams. I usually have nightmares from time to time but the night terrors were new.

I also used to have this repetitive dream, that I was watching myself from a 3rd person view, like I was in the upper level of a theatre or something. And I would walk straight(away from the point of view, so I was looking at my back) into a field, it was pretty, flowers, etc.. then clouds would roll in, and it would start to storm, and these ridiculous dog-like-demon things would jump out at all directions and maul me. I always tried to change it, but I never could. I had that dream several times a night(I would wake up each time) for several weeks and then it just suddenly stopped. The human brain is a weird, creepy thing.

I would definately go into lucid dreaming to figure out, and transcend, the dreams you're having. One thing it does provide is clarity with recurring/disturbing dreams. The dark clouds and "dog-things" represent your fears, and you need to figure out what they are...address them, and move on.
Hormones and high-potency vitamins can definately make your dreams more intense and disturbing.

 

[Sterling1113]

I haven't had the repetitive dream in a long long time, I just remember it.

I actually haven't been taking my vitamins.. (shame on me.) haha. Maybe one day I'll really look into it, though. I just don't care to *try* and lucid dream anymore haha.

 

[witchbaby]

Yes! I've been lucid dreaming for years. You have to learn how to recognize when you're dreaming. The best way to start out is to try to remember your dreams, write them down, replay them in your head and go over the details of what happened while you're still in the process of waking up. Just become more aware of your dreams in general.

For me, it was the way I move in a dream that eventually gave it away. It just feels different, like the air is thicker and it takes more effort to get around. Also, taking lots and lots of naps helped. I've noticed I dream more vivdly during a nap and it's easier to remember a dream after waking up from one.

The way I produce a lucid dream intentionally is very similar to meditation. It's like there are multiple layers of consciousness -- awake, asleep, and the level in between where you're halfway there. That's where you want to go. You have to relax, breathe, and hold onto an awareness as you fall asleep. You want your body to fall asleep, but your mind to be focused. Hopefully that makes sense. I know there are a few different methods, but that's the one that was easiest for me. It takes some practice, but it's so worth it.

 

[witchbaby]

You just have to go into "lucid dreaming mode" (lol), which is telling yourself to look at your palms before going to sleep..and looking at them throughout the day, as a reminder. It helps to use your phone to give your reminders throughout the day to look at your palms. It's like training really. And it's much simpler and eAsier than to tell yourself to wake up within a dream..which is vague. In no time at all, you will dream that you look at your palms, and then you wake within the dream

Another trick is to draw an "A" on the palm of your hand and get into the habit of looking down at it and asking "am I awake or dreaming?" Eventually you'll dream the "A" on your hand, ask yourself the same question, and there ya go...