Hi. This isnt really about a dream interpretation. Last night I had about 4 dreams where I knew I was dreaming and could actually think in my dream and control what I did? Is this a lucid dream? When I was awake I would close my eyes and a second later I was dreaming. They would only go for about 30 seconds or so but I would automatically wake up, and then I would go into another dream.

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Nathan,
This is from Lucidity.com may help you with your questions about lucid dreaming.

Two observations led LaBerge in the late 1970s to develop morning napping as a method of lucid dream induction. First, he noticed that lucidity seemed to come easier in afternoon naps. The second suggestion same from several lucid dreamers who noted that certain activities during the night appeared to induce lucid dreaming. The diverse qualities of these interruptions: sex, vomiting, and pure meditation, piqued LaBerge's curiosity regarding what feature each might possess conducive to lucidity. The answer proved to be quite simple: wakefulness interjected during sleep increases the likelihood of lucidity. In fact, the nap technique, refined through several NightLight experiments, is an extremely powerful method of stimulating lucid dreams. The technique requires you to awaken one hour earlier than usual, stay awake for 30 to 60 minutes, then go back to sleep. One study showed a 15 to 20 times increased likelihood of lucid dreaming for those practicing the nap technique over no technique. During the wakeful period, read about lucid dreaming, practice reality checks and then do MILD as you are falling asleep. The Lucidity Institute's training programs include this technique as an essential part of the schedule, one of the reasons why most participants have lucid dreams during the session.

Although lucid dreaming can be fun to work with I am not a fan of such techniques. Dreams are a tool to help balance the life by sorting through the stresses and aspects that need conscious attention. Lucid dreaming takes away from that process. But it is still an unexplored area of dreams so perhaps there can be ways to enhance the compensation aspects that dreams provide.

Gerard

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Thanks Gerard for the reply. I used the website that you gave me and I found it quite useful. Thanks.

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I'd like to offer some thoughts about lucid dreaming, although I'm not certain about them at all. But lately I've dreamt lucidly with greater frequency, so I've tried to consider what may be the value of lucid dreaming.

And it seems to me that when a person begins the process of individuation, the first step is the confrontation with the shadow. And I don't know if people can will themselves to this stage or not. In my own experience, the confrontation with shadow seemed to be driven mostly by the unconscious, though I suppose I was ready for it on some level also. And the confrontation was not entirely pleasant. I had disturbing dreams to assess, behaviors to reevaluate, and new ways of thinking and looking at life to consider, but it was also a very fascinating time.

But when I began to honor neurotic symptoms as reflective of the voice of my soul, the relationship between my conscious mind and the unconscious began to change. No longer did the unconscious have to slap me in the ego to get my attention, because now I was actively seeking input from the unconscious; in a word, the relationship became COLLABORATIVE.

And I think this may be the key to effective Lucid Dreaming. When I realize I'm dreaming, it seems to me now as if the unconscious is saying, "I know you're seeking me out; what are you seeking?"

A lucid dream may well be a wide-open communcation channel between our conscious minds and the unconscious. If that's the case, then I'd think it would be a great time to ASK QUESTIONS. I read somewhere on this forum that dreams help us to discover deeper truths about ourselves, and I agree.

So I think that experimenting with flying, and trying to control the dream in other ways, is a completely incorrect approach to take. But what should we ask? That seems like a vast question to me, although the answer may be simple. I think we should consider that when asking a question during a lucid dream, we are performing an experiment, and the results will reveal something real about ourselves.

How would it be if we were to ask the dream to show us our deeper selves in some way? What if we asked the dream to show us the heart of all life, or the meaning of a symbol in the dream? The list still seems endless.

I'd be very interested to know the thoughts of others on this topic.

And good luck with your lucid dreams,
Jim/Pryzm

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