Lucid Dreams.

[theepilougewascrap]

For those of you who don't know what a lucid dream is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream

 

Now, Have any of you ever had one?

 

It's apparently uncommon, which is new to me because almost every dream I have is a lucid dream. In regular dreams, I can control them or atleast I know it is a dream. In nightmares, I know it is a dream, but I get sleep paralysis. Anyone experience anything similar?

[Chip, A Former Ningmaster]

I very rarely lucid dream. When I do, I usually have some need to close my eyes, but I know once I close them, I'll open them in real life. I hate that. It's really frustrating to have a bright light in your face and you know the second you close your eyes, you're doomed. Only once or twice have I actually lucid dreamed and stayed asleep, but I couldn't control it. I suspect some part of me is like "Just because this is a dream doesn't mean the laws of physics are!" No flying for me :(

[theepilougewascrap]

That's quite strange. think I wake up when I've learned what I need to from the dream, like a "Sailor Says".

[Seeker of Truth]

I have had a lucid dream before, it was dream initiated as well. Within the context of the dream I recognized that an event of the dream could not possibly happen in reality, leading to my awareness that I was dreaming.

[Vicky Rose]

I'm almost the same as you, I nearly always have lucid dreams and can control what happens. I'm not sure what makes me wake up from a lucid dream, sometimes it's whenever something is resolved but mostly it's in a (seemingly) random place. I don't think I've ever had a lucid nightmare though, they seem completely real and I have no control of anything, I generally jump awake at some particularly awful/high tension part. (Embarassingly enough, the trailer for The Human Centipede gave me nightmares recently, despite the awful acting. It's just the idea of it - errrgghh.)

[Tova C.E]

I used to have a lot of lucid dreams when I was younger. If I had a nightmare I could jump into the next dream, or just wake up. I wish I had those kind of dreams now...

[Captain Jacqui Sparrow]

I've had one or two. I personally like the spontaneity of not being able to control my dreams. In all of my non-lucid dreams, my mind-character can travel between past and present dreams, though. But it's always her choice, not mine. She has good taste, I must say.

[theepilougewascrap]

you present a good point. :)

[Lori S.]

I've had a few. I'll often have a moment where I recognize that I'm having a dream, but I can't control it.

This is true: In college I took a senior colloquium on women's spiritualities with a professor who was, in hindsight, completely insane, and we'd get homework assignments like, "Dream of an animal." Seriously. That would be my homework. I did learn from that class that if you really, really focus on trying to dream about something, a lot of times you actually can.

Carlos Casteneda has lots of writing about dreams, and how to control your dreams, and how to like unlock your potential through controlling your dreams. Personally I think it's kind of b.s., but who knows?

[theepilougewascrap]

Well, I think enough focus could potentially direct you to that certain thought, but ultimately, your subconscious has control.

[Andrei]

I rarely remember my dreams, when I do remember they have always been lucid, and the content always unmentionable in a 13+ forum.

[Kathleen Konno]

It always annoyed me how when I was a child, adults would say, "If you have a nightmare, just change the dream into something else!" Now I can see it's quite difficult for the average person to be able to do that (parents just tried to make something up, I suspect).
That being said, I have had one lucid dream in the past few months, and it's rather humorous what I decided to do with it. It was about my physics class. My teacher gives out Quiznos to anyone who gets a good score on the Regents (standarized test in NY state). In my dream, I got a sandwich (which didn't happen in real life) and I just said to my teacher, "Well, this is cool and all, but you do know this is a dream, right?" And he just stared at me like I was crazy and then I ate my sandwich. So, that's the closest thing to a lucid dream I've ever had, and I didn't even want get to do anything cool. But I'm waiting for an Inception-related dream ("waiting for a dream that will take me far away", in other words!). That is going to be my favorite dream (once I have it, that is).

[Captain Jacqui Sparrow]

That's lulzy. Makes me sad that my dreams are all silent, because I wish I could make comments like that in my dreams.

I want to have an inception-based dream, but I'm afraid to leave my little thought-bubble city. I have had Dr. Who-related dreams, so that's good enough for me. I even had a dream at a dream-world type of Hogwarts once!