I’m a Lucid Dreamer, and I teach people how to control their dreams every night. AMA!

Why does writing your dreams down after you wake up help with lucid dreaming ?

It increases your dream recall, making your dreams more real and vivid and also providing you with information on your dreams.

Can verbally sharing what happens in your dreams have the same effect as writing them down?

As long as you’re thinking about your dreams and going over them, yes. I would recommend listening to it later in the day and visualizing what it looked like to further improve that skill.

how does it affect mental health?

Lucid dreaming is great for your mental health because you interact directly with your subconscious, making you more connected with your inner-self. It’s an amazing feeling physically and mentally to be able to do whatever you want, whether that’s flying, fighting crime, doing parkour... knowing that there’s no limits gives you a sense of freedom like no other.

People have also used lucid dreaming to face their fears and overcome them. That’s how I overcame my fear of heights and public speaking!

How long can you typically make your lucid dreams last? Seems like I can't get mine to last more than a minute or two

You can get them to last the full period of your REM sleep, which can be anywhere from 15-60 minutes. I’d recommend practicing dream stabilization–I made a video on it last week if you wanna check it out.

I usually wake up right after I realize I'm dreaming and attempt to do something cool.

Make sure you take the time to ground yourself in the dream before jumping into anything. Look at your surroundings. Feel things. Rub your hands together. Do this before trying to control anything.

Are you only controlling the dream you’re already in or can you switch dreams?

You can control your environment, so you could wipe everything away and build something from scratch. You can also create a portal in your dream if you want to be somewhere else, which I’ve done a few times.

does it get depressing that real life is not as good and you have to wake up?

Not really. When I wake up I feel satisfied and refreshed, and am glad that I had my experience however I don’t wish I could be in the dream forever. That being said, some people can have problems with this and lucid dreaming can become sort of an addiction so it’s important to know your limits.

I would be careful with this topic. You really can't speak for everyone when it comes to this. I've been lucid dreaming naturally since I was 13 and I am 41 now. I also have a mental illness with severe, even suicidal depressions. For many years, my dreams were a huge part of what kept me going. I did wish I could be in the dream forever and would get severely depressed when I woke up. So, yes, a person can easily get addicted and for someone with depression and suicidal ideation, it can make living your real life even harder. If you want to talk about this topic, people should know this.

Yes I did mention lucid dreaming can become addictive. The only reason I said it’s not a common issue is because most people can’t even lucid dream frequently enough. Telling someone who is still figuring out how to achieve their first lucid dream that they can easily become addicted is misleading and would only turn people away from it. It’s a potential problem down the road, but if someone’s that advanced I’m sure they will have already researched that.

How is sex during lucid dreams? Being able to set up your wildest fantasies and live them out in the dream world. Do you actually get to feel everything or at least most things?

That’s one of the most popular topics when it comes to lucid dreaming... and it brings a lot of people to practice it. Why? Because it feels extremely real and everything said about it is true. However, to pull it off you need to set it up properly. Your brain is hardwired for connection and you need to build a relationship with that dream entity beforehand, or else it’ll morph into something else or you’ll wake up from the excitement.

Would you actually be able to lucid dream about sex if you never had sex?

It’s still possible–your brain will fill in the gaps with what it thinks the experience feels like.

Excitement (whether from attempting to fly or have sex) was always the thing I had the most trouble overcoming when I was trying to lucid dream. I found spinning in a circle or rubbing my hands together would sort of keep me connected to the dream and feel grounded. Are there any other ways you know of to stop that feeling of slipping out of the dream?

Yes. Don’t attempt things like flying until you’re completely grounded in your dream. Observe your surroundings and take time to connect with the dream using your senses by feeling things and stuff. Then start by doing small things like running and jumping. Don’t rush straight into the exciting things–I know it’s hard but your dream will be way longer and it’ll pay off in the end.

how to control their dreams every night.

Easy tips to do this?

Keep a dream journal, do reality checks, practice meditation before you go to bed, repeat to yourself as you’re falling asleep that you will lucid dream. There’s lots of things you can do but those are the most important. If you’re looking to get into lucid dreaming methods, I have a few videos on them if you want to watch.

reality checks

As in whoa, I'm awake rn multiple times during the day?

More like asking am I dreaming right now? while counting your fingers to see if you have five.

When I was experimenting with it, my favourite reality check was to pinch my nose and try to inhale through it. If I was able to breathe through it, I could be sure I was dreaming.

Of course, the first time I managed to inhale through my blocked nostrils, I was so shocked/excited that I immediately woke up.

Your first few lucid dreams will be like that, but over time they’ll get longer until you can finally start using methods to stay in the dream :)

This reminds me of the time I listened to Inception while having my lucid dream. It was amazing, but damn near terrifying.

Yeah... just know that lucid dreams are nothing like that. Movies need to dramaticize things to make them interesting ;)

When I was a kid I did this all the time and thought it was just how people dreamed. I didn’t know it wasn’t normal. I used to ask myself if I remembered waking up in the morning. If I was dreaming I would never remember waking up that morning and that is how I would know.

Unfortunately, now in my 30’s, I don’t seem to dream as vividly anymore and most of the time don’t remember my dreams when I wake up.

If you start getting back into writing your dreams down when you wake up, even if it’s not much, you will experience vivid dreams once again :)

see if you have five.

Hmm this is interesting.. What is the alternative, like in dreams? I'll have either more or less?

In a dream, something will be off. You will probably have six or five fingers (usually six) but sometimes your hand is a completely different color or shape. When doing the reality check, keep a mindset of “if anything looks different, I am dreaming”.

can i do this while getting stoned each night?

serious question

Unfortunately not.

I thought I remember hearing smoking marijuana and the ability to lucid dream don't mix. Truth to this?

Yes, marijuana is known to block lucid dreaming.

What happens when you get hurt/die while dreaming? Do you wake up start over?

You will almost always wake up.

Does lucid dreaming affect the amount of sleep you get? Isn't the point of dreaming to turn your mind off and let it recover. So if you are staying lucid, your body is not doing it's full recovery correct?

It can–but the best time to lucid dream is in the morning, when your mind has already had several hours to rest. It differs for everyone, but for me, when I wake up from a lucid dream in the morning I feel refreshed and ready to start the day. I still limit myself to 6 lucid dreams a week, though.

That's still almost nightly. Growing up I had frequent nightmares, so my mom taught me how to manipulate my dreams. I noticed on the nights that I was able to manipulate my dreams I felt more tired. But I think this is different than lucid dreaming, where you are aware that you are going to be manipulating your dreams. Mine I would just do whenever I felt myself get into a scary situation. Thanks for answering honestly.

No problem–everyone’s mind is different so lucid dreaming affects people in different ways. There are steps you can take to reduce fatigue if you’re experiencing it but it’s still good to limit yourself. Thanks for sharing!

What do you recommend for someone that can't remember their dreams at all?

Start small. Fall asleep telling yourself that you WILL remember your dreams, and when you wake up don’t move. Close your eyes and try to pull anything you can from your dream memory, and then write it down. Once you have something on paper it’ll only get easier!

How often do you lose control? I had a lucid dream, once, and it quickly spiraled out of control. Kind of like if someone was granting you wishes but changing them in ways beyond your control.

I ended up wondering if I'd ever wake up and then woke myself up out of fright :-(

When I first started it happened all the time, and sometimes when I’m distracted it still does. It’s completely normal but can be prevented by more practice. Also, when you are in a lucid dream always remember that you are in control and can wake up when you choose :)

is it true that lucid dreaming is the main cause of sleep paralysis? if so, how do you cope with it?

Yes. When using methods like WILD, you enter sleep paralysis and then directly into a fully-blown lucid dream. If you know what to do, sleep paralysis is the best possible thing that could happen to you because you can instantly turn it into a vivid lucid dream. However, if you’re afraid during SP your mind will create scary things. A lot of people misinterpret sleep paralysis and it scares them away from lucid dreaming, but the truth is, if you know the right techniques and what to do then you can use it as a powerful tool to lucid dream at will.

The best way to avoid sleep paralysis if you really don’t want to have it is to use methods that don’t involve it, like MILD and WBTB. You can also exit sleep paralysis fairly easily by breathing irregularly as it will trigger your mind to wake your body up.

Do you have any material on wild? I started having horrible sleep paralysis when I was lucid dreaming, I didn't realize there were ways to come back to dreaming from it.

Yes–the first video on my channel is actually about the WILD technique. Go watch it and if you still have any questions let me know :)

I’ve had a few marathons with attempting to lucid dream, I’ve kept dream journals and done practices found in the book Explore the World of Lucid Dreaming. I smoke marijuana for back pain, and the back pain prohibits my lying flat on my back, which seems to be the position of choice for lucid dreaming. In addition, I’m a night shift worker. I’ve heard marijuana heavily dampens the ability for dream recall / lucid dreaming. I’ve also heard that it’s almost impossible to lucid dream on a night shift schedule. With all these factors (marijuana, backpain and schedule), am I doomed to never lucid dream?

The biggest problem is the marijuana–people are correct when they say it can block your ability to lucid dream. If you have a night shift schedule, try establishing a sleep cycle even if it’s during the day because as long as you have one you know when to wake up to attempt methods. However, if you perform reality checks and write your dreams down often enough you should be able to experience lucid dreams even without using techniques.

As for your back pain, is it still possible for you to sleep on your side? Lucid dreaming is 100% possible like that and you just need to get used to a new position. I understand that you’re in a tough situation but know that as long as you dream, lucid dreaming is never impossible!

Thanks for sharing and let me know if you have any more questions :)

Thanks for the quick and detailed reply! I barely remember my dreams. I’d say I remember maybe 1-2 dreams a month, at most. If I stick diligently to a dream journal, do you think that will boost my dream recall? I remember my dreams so infrequently that I gave up on the journal because I never really filled it.

Yes, it’ll increase your recall tremendously after staying dedicated for a week and writing down every single dream. I made a tutorial video on dream journaling that shows techniques you can use to remember your dreams when you wake up so you can write them down ;)

I remember when I was younger before I had kids, I used to be able to control my dreams. I remember I used to use my wrist watch as a reality check trigger. It was usually after that I could take control of the dream. I remember once I felt like I was waking up so I tried my hardest to keep myself in the dream. This eventually didn’t work and I woke up with a headache that was probably unrelated. I could also wake myself up from a bad dream. I was wondering if you have been able to keep yourself asleep longer at all when it feels like your body is trying to wake up?

Yes, dream stabilization is one of the most important things to learn because it allows you to extend your dreams to 45min+. I uploaded a video on it last week but in short there’s a few things you can do:

1. Rub your hands together/spin in a circle
2. Take in your surroundings and relax before jumping into anything
3. If you feel like you’re slipping out of the dream, imagine yourself on a high-speed train heading into the next dream

And the list continues :)

I have a lot of trouble flying in my dreams. I feel like I have a 20% success rate, most of the time it only lasts for a few seconds. Is there some way to improve mental blocks like this?

You need to believe in yourself. If you know you can fly, you will fly. Practice makes perfect, and the more you’re put in that situation the faster you’ll figure it out!

Hey OP. How do you react do you react when people tell you your job is baseless and fake?

I show them the studies done on lucid dreaming, and usually that’s enough. However everyone believes different things even after seeing the evidence and if they don’t seem to care I don’t bother them about it. I don’t get too offended, though :)

It's there anything productive you can do while lucid dreaming?

Yes. You can practice existing skills and conquer fears in your dream, as well as communicate directly with your subconscious mind.

Most beginner's recommendations start with keeping a dream journal. Is there any way to get to lucid dreaming if you don't remember your dreams at all?

Yes, there’s techniques you can use to remember your dreams like repeating to yourself that you will do it as you fall asleep. Everyone can remember their dreams and get to the point where they experience vivid dreams every night. I made a video dedicated to dream journaling that includes all those methods :)

Is it true that you can oversleep by **hours** while lucid dreaming?

No, your lucid dream only lasts as long as your REM period of sleep which can go up to around 60 minutes.

I've lucid dreamed multiple times for maybe 30 sec, but always wake up shortly after. How do I keep it going?

Take time to examine your surroundings before controlling anything. Feel surfaces, rub your hands together, and observe whatever you can. When you feel grounded in the dream, you can start doing cool things.

does this actually work?

Lucid dreaming does work, yes. There are many methods and techniques you can try but everyone’s mind is different so what works for one person might not for another. If you keep trying you’ll find the one that works for you!

Over the last few months, in all of my dreams I realized I was dreaming. They were usually nightmares. So I forced myself to wake up from them and I did. But now my brain found a way to trick me. So when I try to wake up from the dream, I dream that I am waking up and it all becomes so realistic. The first time I dreamt that I couldn’t see with one eye, I was desperate to wake up, so I dreamt that I woke up in my house, saw everything as it was, only to find out when I looked in the mirror that I still couldn’t see. The second time I woke up IN THE DREAM and I told a friend what I had dreamed and she told me that I was talking in my sleep. Yeah, inception. Do you have any idea why this happens?

It seems like you’re having lots of false awakenings. Whenever you wake up, do a reality check. This will make it easy for you to spot when you have another one of these. Also, your lucid dreams are controlled by your thoughts so think positive thoughts and your dreams will be amazing :)

Is it easy to have lucid dreams if I don't dream much at all?

Everyone dreams multiple times per night, it’s just that you don’t remember them. Write down your dreams as soon as you wake up to work on your dream recall.

What if I don't remember anything when I wake up?

Fall asleep with the intention to remember your dreams. Repeat to yourself “I will remember my dreams when I wake up” and you’ll be surprised how effective it is. Also, when you wake up don’t move. Close your eyes and try to pull as many memories from your dream as possible. Think about whatever comes to your mind and it’ll likely trigger dream memories.

I have successfully achieved a lucid dream state multiple times, but over time my ability to manipulate the landscape is getting worse. I used to have free control, albeit short lived but now it's almost like I'm 'battling' with my dream and the direction it takes. Any advice?

You need to believe you can do it, and not doubt yourself. If you believe in your heart that you can fly, you will fly. Start with controlling small things, like the weather, and work your way up to the bigger things.

Is there a quick and dirty method, or does it always require consistent long-term effort to do it reliably?

If you’re just a beginner, you can lucid dream simply by thinking about it a lot. I made a video covering the fastest method for complete beginners. Methods that involve you waking up in the middle of the night are very effective but they can mess with your sleep. If you truly want to do it reliably/whenever you want, you need to practice and slowly improve over time.

I recently had my first lucid dream by pure chance when I was taking a quick nap, I realized it was a dream and was freaked out by it and forced myself awake. How common is this in novice dreamers? Are there techniques to prevent this from happening?

This happens all the time, don’t worry! There are many techniques on dream stabilization... I actually posted a video on them last week if you want to check it out. One of the best things you can do is take in your surroundings and not trying to control things right away.

Follow up question, do you like the song lucid dreams by juice wrld

Yes!

Are the possibilities in a lucid dream truly limitless? If so, what's the craziest/coolest thing you have done in a lucid dream?

You can do pretty much anything you’ve done in real life. If it’s unknown your brain will fill in the gaps. I’ve created an entire city from scratch and fought crime in it which was really fun. I also like to fly a lot and enter movies like Jurassic Park :)

How do I stop lucid dreaming every night? I find it exhausting and I just want to sleep.

If you become lucid, just don’t think about anything and you should lose awareness. Also stop writing down your dreams (if you are) and don’t think about your dreams at all. Distract yourself.

If you lucid dream near the end of the night you should have less fatigue. When are you having these?

My normal dreams can get crazy vivid and elaborate. But my day to day self isn't that creative by a long shot.

Do you feel like you can still turn on that autopilot again after you've started lucid dreaming? Like say you build the scene you want to dream about, but then get to go back along for the ride like any other dream? Save for it now being the scenario you want.

Yes, you can lose focus while in a lucid dream and turn it back into a normal dream that’s super vivid and one that you’ll remember. You forget the vast majority of your dreams 10 minutes after you wake up, so writing it down helps a lot!

Sounds great! Have you seen the 'Inception' movie? Is it somehow comparable?

Inception is a really cool movie however it doesn’t always accurately portray lucid dreaming. For example, lucid dreaming layers lasting for years and dying in a dream resulting in real life death are not possible. I really like the café scene though... I think it shows what lucid dreaming can accomplish and is very inspiring :)

What reality checks do you recommend, and how many should we perform to be sure we are in a dream state?

I recommend at least two because there’s a chance of one failing while in a dream. Count your fingers and examine your hand to check for anything different. Pinch your nose and see if you can still breathe. Those are among the best checks but there’s several others!

how? how do you control your dreams

There are so many techniques and it’s hard to recommend one to someone, but here are the basics:

Keep a dream journal, do reality checks, and establish a good sleep cycle. Once you have that down you can get into more advanced methods to lucid dream more often :)

are you more on the science side of lucid dreaming or the spiritual side?

I’d say I’m on the science side for lucid dreaming. I was skeptical and wanted proof at first but then I had my first lucid dream. When I knew for a fact that it was real I focused more on techniques, and read the science behind each one. I definitely think there’s a spiritual element to it though, but it hasn’t really helped me achieve lucid dreams.

In what colors do you normally dream?

Every color that I see in the real world–they are bright and vibrant.

Can lucid dreaming help me for my exams?

As for studying in a lucid dream, no. I wouldn’t rely on information too much because it could be altered, but lucid dreaming can put you in a positive and clear mindset when you wake up!

Is there a possibility or any known occurrence of someone losing their distinction between reality and dreaming due to the realistic nature and lucidity?

It’s possible for dream memories to become mixed with real life ones and it being hard to tell the two apart. I haven’t heard of anyone completely losing their distinction but I also haven’t looked into it too much. You’d have to lucid dream a LOT for this to be a concern. Take your time and know when to stop if it becomes confusing, and over time you will learn to distinguish between dream memories and real life ones.

When I was young I used to naturally to lucid dreaming someting. Now that I am older I no longer do any lucid dreaming.

Is this a normal situation ? If yes, is there any explaination about that ?

This is normal because when you get older you get distracted with real life and it causes you to lose the ability. If you were to practice it again, you’d have an advantage since you seem to have natural talent!

Why is this different than the AMA you posted a week ago that was removed?

Also:

I’m not claiming to be an expert

You literally claimed to be an expert last week.

The mods gave me permission to repost, and in this new post I’ve decided not to call myself an ‘expert’ because I haven’t written any books or anything and it just doesn’t sound right. I don’t want to sound like “I’m the best at lucid dreaming and everyone should listen to me” because everyone has things to learn.

Hope this answers your question.

Do you feel like you have spent more time "alive" than other people since people spend about 1/3rd of their time asleep and rarely remember their thoughts (dreams) while sleeping?

Yes, actually. Dreams account for 11% of your known reality and being able to be aware during some of that time certainly makes it feel like you’ve been more conscious in your life than others.

Sometimes I realize I’m in a dream, but unfortunately that only leads to some sort of disappointment and waking up because of that. I don’t want that, I’d love to stay in the dream, but somehow I’m not able to. Have you ever faced such a problem and if yes, what are your tips on solving that?

I actually made a video last week about dream stabilization if you’d like to check it out. Basically, you need to take the time to ground yourself in the dream before doing anything and if you feel like you’re slipping out, imagine yourself on a train heading into the next dream.

If in my dream I got to sleep with like a playboy bunny or celebrity would my mind just imagine how their privates looked?

Yes, your brain will fill in the gaps.

Hey, glad to see a LD expert here!

About me: I usually barely remember my dreams. I go to bed and wake up in the morning without any idea what I dreamed of. I discovered Lucid Dreaming about 3 years ago and started a dream diary as well as trying DiLD and WiLD techniques. I basically had 1 stable Lucid Dream with control ability which felt like 3 minutes. Wild gave me small successes with touching the "dreams border" but then slipping out again and laying awake lol.

My Questions to you personally:

1) How often do you manage to dream lucid? 2) How long do your lucid dreams last? (How long did they feel) 3) which technique do you prefer? 4) Do you have any tips for WiLD?

Greetz

Thanks for sharing! Here’s the answers to your questions:

1. I can do it at will but I choose to lucid dream around six days a week
2. Since I lucid dream near the end of the night, they last anywhere from 20-40 minutes. Sometimes a full hour.
3. I prefer FILD and WILD.
4. Try meditating before attempting, it’ll put you in a focused mindset and always helps. Also don’t try “too hard” because you might frustrate yourself and prevent it from working. Let it come naturally.

Alright, thanks a lot for your quick and detailed answer! Appreciate it.

About the WILD technique: My main problem was, as soon as i try to glide into the dream, my heart starts beating like crazy, even if i wouldnt say im mentally nervous. The dream builds up and my mind starts working so much that i tend to be fully awake within 10 seconds.

Are you familiar with that kind of problems?

I used to experience this, and honestly it just went away the more I attempted it. I feel like your body needs to get used to it, and once it is, you can have as many WILD lucid dreams as you want. And try not to think too much about the technique, just let it come as naturally as possible without accidentally falling asleep.

Thanks for the AMA really neat! My question is when lucid dreaming can you interact with other people in your dreams? For example if I wanted me and my friend to go to Vegas, could that happen?

Yes–I’ve had some very insightful conversations with people in dreams, and talking with someone in a lucid dream definitely something you should add to the list of things to do. Just know that everyone in your dream world is an extension of yourself!

Bet! Can you explain the last part a bit more though? What do you mean an extension of yourself?

Everything that happens inside a lucid dream is created by your subconscious mind. So, when you talk to ‘people’ in your lucid dream, you’re really talking to yourself (your subconscious). It still feels like you’re talking to a real person and is really cool to do.

how long can you keep this up? can you do it all throughout the night? doesn't tire your brain? does it prevent the brain from resting and recovering? what is your success rate? what are some limitations?

1. Lucid dreams can last up to 60 minutes
2. REM stages are short but get longer throughout the night, and while it is possible to lucid dream in every stage (have multiple lucid dreams per night) it’s not recommended 3/4: If you do it in the morning your brain should be rested from the beginning of the night and you shouldn’t get tired, but everyone is different 5: I can lucid dream at will (whenever I want) but I limit myself to six every week 6: If you don’t have a proper sleep cycle or take certain medications it could prevent your ability to lucid dream frequently, but almost every limitation can be worked around if you practice hard enough and really want to do it

Great questions! :)

What is the first error someone makes in lucid dreaming?

Probably trying to rush straight into things without taking the proper time to ‘ground’ themselves in the dream. When people become lucid they often try and fly or spawn in objects right away. It can become too overwhelming and they will most likely wake up from excitement.

Does trying to lucid dream increase the likelihood of experiencing sleep paralysis?

Yes. But if you know how, you can use sleep paralysis to enter a lucid dream directly.

are there any food/supplements out there to increase the chances of having a lucid dream?

Yes. I’ve heard good things about DreamLeaf and there’s many other substances that will help. Personally I like to have my lucid dreams naturally so I don’t use supplements, but if it works for you then go for it! Eating turkey or fish helps sleep quality but make sure you don’t eat close to bed time.

What about the scary stuff? The ear roaring hum that sometime comes with it or mystical evil things? I get deep full neck and upper body chills right before I know I will have been lucid. I wake myself out of it before I see something frightening. I’ve heard other people experience this too.. do you know anything about it or a way around it?

Know that lucid dreams are 100 percent influenced by your thoughts. If you think of scary things, they WILL appear in your dream. So, with that in mind, the best way to avoid this is by going into a lucid dream with a positive mindset. Try meditating for 10 minutes before you fall asleep or doing something that makes you happy :)

What’s the best method that works for you?

I use FILD, or Finger Induced Lucid Dreaming. It’s when you wake up during REM sleep and use your fingers to maintain awareness while you slip directly into a dream.

Wait, isn't this just dreaming? How is this different then normal dreaming?

It’s a dream where you’re aware. Normally in dreams, the part responsible for consciousness is turned off. In a lucid dream, it’s on. In a lucid dream you can feel just as “awake” as you do in the real world.

Could lucid dreaming be used to integrate old trauma and accessing suppressed emotions and memories in the subconscious mind? Like, doing psychotherapy on yourself?

Yes, lucid dreaming allows you to communicate directly to your subconscious so things like that would be possible, although it would take practice.

I had a dream last night that I was eating a banana. But I’ve never eaten a banana before. If you lucid dream have there been any weird things you’ve only experienced in a dream? Did you then try that later? How did it compare?

When you haven’t experienced it in real life, your brain fills in the gaps. An example for me would be traveling to New York in my dream. It seemed realistic but then I went there irl and it was completely different! A lot of the details in my dream (buildings, street names, etc) were pulled from my memory and placed in the city.

Cool. I’ve wanted to do lucid dreaming. Bought and book and stuff. But never really been able to control when I am lucid.

It’s helpful to start with small things, and then work your way up. Don’t try to fly and teleport right away, but rather try to change the letters on a street sign or change the weather. If you start too big you will probably fail because your mind doesn’t believe you can control things yet.

Does it help with your imagination? Do you come up with cool ideas or anything or is it not like that?

100 percent. I’ve found that lucid dreaming has made me a more creative person and I’ve heard stories of people creating music and stuff in their dreams.

what if u get stuck in ur dream?

You cannot. It’s really easy to wake yourself up if you think about it.

When you’re lucid dreaming, how do you experience time?

Time in a dream has been known to move slower than the real world, and I think that’s because there’s so much going on and your body is asleep. It’s not that much different though... I’d say 1 second irl is 1.5 seconds in the dream but it changes per person.

oh. this is gold :) my question; "how come that the 1st time i figured my dream was a dream it turned out into a nightmare?"

Your dreams are completely influenced by your thoughts, so chances are you thought of something negative and that was reflected in your dream.

I have had a few lucid dreams in the past (not on purpose). Last one was years ago though.

What I have more often are something that I think is called sleep paralysis. I will wake up and be completely paralysed. Sometimes I have to fight extremely hard to shake that off. It was absolutely terrifying the first few times but not anymore. Still very unpleasant.

I would really like to explore lucid dreaming a bit more but Im worried this is going to increase my sleep paralysis episodes too.

Do you know if both are linked and if people in my situation have experienced an increase in their paralysis episodes? From what I have read sleep paralysis happens when your mind wakes up but your body is still "sedated" through melatonin. Not the same as lucid dreaming but you can see the similarities...

Yes, lucid dreaming is a cause however there’s methods out there that don’t use sleep paralysis to induce a lucid dream. The best thing you can do is go into it with a positive mindset and know the steps you can take to turn sleep paralysis into a lucid dream, or at least get out of it.

Lmao let me guess, you think that "reality can be whatever I want" ? XD

In a lucid dream it is!

Sorry if this has been asked before here:

Are you fully rested in the morning? It seems like being an active participant in these dreams might reduce the rest you receive from the sleep.

It’s been asked before but no worries! Pasting my answer here:

Lucid dreaming can make you tired–but the best time to lucid dream is in the morning, when your mind has already had several hours to rest. It differs for everyone, but for me, when I wake up from a lucid dream in the morning I feel refreshed and ready to start the day. I still limit myself to 6 lucid dreams a week, though.

I discovered astral projection as a teenager, and learned techniques to help induce them. One thing I noticed is that if I fell asleep without an OOBE, I'd frequently have lucid dreams, or at least very vivid ones.

I'd like to get back into it again but I'm older now and generally just fall asleep lol. Any advice?

Start with the basics and establish a strong foundation. Practice meditating before bed because that will improve your mental focus so you can keep your mind awake.

I think I have experienced lucid dreaming a couple of times. Not 100% sure though that indeed it is lucid dreaming. And I realised that under the very same circumstance each time. It is always during the day.

So what happens is that when I wake up in the morning, usually after a night of poor sleep or not enough sleep, I'll have lots of strong coffee. Just enough to keep me awake but my body will still be tired. After finishing my errands I'll go back and take a quick nap at around noon. And that's when it happens.

Dreams that are so real but yet I'm aware that its a dream.

Thing is I have a hard time waking myslef up.

What do you think? Does that sound like lucid dreaming?

Yes that sounds like lucid dreaming for sure. There’s different levels of lucidity, which means that you can be somewhat aware in the dream but not fully. Also it’s very common for people to experience lucid dreams in the morning–it’s actually the best time to use methods (5am ish) because you’re waking up from REM sleep.

but whats the point? when you wake up you realize its not real anyways.

It may not be real but it feels just as real as the waking world... and when you wake up you feel amazing :)

yeah but if you want that kind of experence just try VR lol

True, although VR cannot engage all your senses like a dream can. You can feel, taste, smell... it’s extremely vivid and real.