Lucid dreaming

Stilettoprefer · #1 11-30-2011, 12:40 PM

My high school AP psychology teacher taught us how to have lucid dreams. There's a few different methods, but she told us to picture an item that we can picture perfectly and tell yourself that you're going to dream about it 10-15 times before going to bed. After a few nights you should see the item and (EDIT: realize that you're dreaming and) be able to control your dreams.

I'm gonna start trying this!

Have any of you guys been able to have lucid dreams?? I just can't imagine how much fun it could be to control ones dreams!

MatticusMania · #2 11-30-2011, 12:45 PM

I vaugely remember being told something like that before. My opinion - I doubt it'll work.

I dont see how picturing an item can give you control of your dreams. The method listed sounds like a possible way to maybe get an item (the one youre picturing) into a dream, but how does that give one control over it? Dreams come from the subconscious, and the above listed method seems like a way to put an object into your subconscious, but I dont see how control over any of it comes into play.

MJ5150 · #3 11-30-2011, 01:06 PM

I tried this over and over and over as a youngster with Loni Anderson, Erin Gray, Formula 1 racing cars, and machine guns. It never worked.

-Mike

elgecko · #4 11-30-2011, 01:10 PM

I'm tired of following my dreams. I'm gonna ask where they're headed and hook up with them later!"

-Mitch Hedberg, RIP -

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

I tried this over and over and over as a youngster with Loni Anderson, Erin Gray, Formula 1 racing cars, and machine guns. It never worked.

-Mike

Are we talking Silver Spoons Erin Gray or Battlestar Galactica Erin Gray? I'm guessing Battlestar Galactica!

handofseven · #5 11-30-2011, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgecko

Are we talking Silver Spoons Erin Gray or Battlestar Galactica Erin Gray? I'm guessing Battlestar Galactica!

Methinks you meant Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, yeah? Her costume was so tight, she had to be sewn into it!

bobba66 · #6 11-30-2011, 01:21 PM

Stick on a couple of nicotine patches and you'll have all the wild dreams you can stand.

MJ5150 · #7 11-30-2011, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgecko

Are we talking Silver Spoons Erin Gray or Battlestar Galactica Erin Gray? I'm guessing Battlestar Galactica!

Silver Spoons. That Erin Gray was also in Buck Rogers.

-Mike

lucas vigor · #8 11-30-2011, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobba66

Stick on a couple of nicotine patches and you'll have all the wild dreams you can stand.

Guaranteed!

Some other techniques: Caffiene before you go to sleep. Set your alarm 1/2 hour before you really want to get up and then "snooze" for 30 minutes. All in all, I have had "thoughts" merge into "dreams" before, but it usually was because I drank coke or had chocolate to late in the day, and then my sleep was not deep enough. I felt I was awake the whole night, but fully aware that I was asleep.

James Hart · #9 11-30-2011, 02:23 PM

I'm a firm believer in the lack of meaning within dreams (the sleeping kind, not the life plan types

)

I remember seeing this on pbs back in the day... not sure is science has learned more, but it seems pretty sound to me.

SAF - Whats in a Dream.m4v - YouTube

oh and I preferred Jan Smithers to Loni Anderson... but yeah, Erin Gray filled a few too many of my childhood fantasies

elgecko · #10 11-30-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handofseven

Methinks you meant Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, yeah? Her costume was so tight, she had to be sewn into it!

Ah! It was Buck Rogers...with that stupid robot!

I'd still go Buck Rogers over Silver Spoons!

carlos840 · #11 11-30-2011, 02:55 PM

I dont dream! Havent for years!

I used to when i was a kid, then i smoked weed heavily for 10 years and that killed my dreams...

I have now stopped smoking almost 3 years ago and my dreams never came back! I wish i could dream, miss it!

MatticusMania · #12 11-30-2011, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlos840

I dont dream! Havent for years!

I used to when i was a kid, then i smoked weed heavily for 10 years and that killed my dreams...

I have now stopped smoking almost 3 years ago and my dreams never came back! I wish i could dream, miss it!

You do, every night. Its not that you dont dream, its that you dont remember them when you wake up.

carlos840 · #13 11-30-2011, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

You do, every night. Its not that you dont dream, its that you dont remember them when you wake up.

I know, if you dont dream your dead!

What i mean is that i havent in years woken up thinking "mmm that was a nice dream"

I just wake up like im coming out of black hole... No memories whatsoever of anything dream like!

That really started when i was smoking and got worst and worst as time went... In the beginning i would remember my dreams if i quit for a few days, after a few years they never came back!

Wonder if other smokers/ ex smokers have the same thing?

How does it affect your dreams?

Corporate Boy · #14 11-30-2011, 03:13 PM

Mike Gordon (bass player from Phish) is really into Lucid dreaming. He keeps a dream journal. I'm sure if you google Mike Gordon and lucid dreaming you will find some interviews where talks about his experience.

MatticusMania · #15 11-30-2011, 03:14 PM

Im an almost daily pot smoker. I couldnt tell you how it effects my dreams, as I seem to respond the same whether Im on or off the pot. I often wake up still remembering dreams from the night before.

**line6man** · #16 11-30-2011, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Hart

I'm a firm believer in the lack of meaning within dreams

I'm inclined to agree, on a personal level, however, that is not to say that there is not meaning to other peoples' dreams.

I took a psychology class in college. One of my assignments was to keep a journal of my dreams and then psychoanalyze them, based on what Sigmund Freud said about dreams. I thought the activity was highly unscientific, which irritated me. It was more of a "use your imagination" assignment than anything else.

There are any number of different ways you can interpret a dream, and there really is no way to prove anything with scientific evidence. Furthermore, all that talk of outlandish symbolism in dreams really did not make much sense to me. I am not a creative person, so I doubt my mind would create wild symbolism that was of any significance to anything. On the other hand, I know many people have very active imaginations. I'm sure that some people have some pretty wild dreams that could have deep meaning. Again, it's too difficult to determine, with the lack of scientific evidence. You can't well look into anyone's mind but your own.

Relic · #17 11-30-2011, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgecko

Ah! It was Buck Rogers...with that stupid robot!

I'd still go Buck Rogers over Silver Spoons!

Beedeebeedeebeedee, she's got a nice rack, Buck.

HaMMerHeD · #18 11-30-2011, 04:10 PM

I think controlling dreams is a pipe-dream.

Also, any meaning in a dream is assigned to it, not intrinsic in the dream itself. (IMO, of course)

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlos840

I know, if you dont dream your dead!

What i mean is that i havent in years woken up thinking "mmm that was a nice dream"

I just wake up like im coming out of black hole... No memories whatsoever of anything dream like!

That really started when i was smoking and got worst and worst as time went... In the beginning i would remember my dreams if i quit for a few days, after a few years they never came back!

Wonder if other smokers/ ex smokers have the same thing?

How does it affect your dreams?

marijuana affects the memory - YouTube

steamthief · #19 11-30-2011, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobba66

Stick on a couple of nicotine patches and you'll have all the wild dreams you can stand.

So does Chantix, makes dreams vivid Technicolor!

Bloodhammer · #20 11-30-2011, 04:26 PM

I've lucid dreamt a few times just by accident. Somehow I became aware that I was dreaming and was able to take some degree of control. If I actually tried, I'm sure it wouldn't work.

Too good of a dream really sucks, anyway. You wake up feeling cheated out of life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by line6man

There are any number of different ways you can interpret a dream, and there really is no way to prove anything with scientific evidence. Furthermore, all that talk of outlandish symbolism in dreams really did not make much sense to me. I am not a creative person, so I doubt my mind would create wild symbolism that was of any significance to anything. On the other hand, I know many people have very active imaginations. I'm sure that some people have some pretty wild dreams that could have deep meaning. Again, it's too difficult to determine, with the lack of scientific evidence. You can't well look into anyone's mind but your own.

I never describe my dreams to people, unless they're good friends and/or known skeptics. People will attribute all kinds of wacky psychological and emotional baggage to you and then go "confide" to other people what you're "issues" are based purely on halfcocked new-age pseudoscience.