Lucid Dreaming Reality Checks Don't Work

[dimreepr]

5 minutes ago, Carl Fredrik Ahl said:

I really want useful tips.

maybe, dont try so hard.

[Carl Fredrik Ahl]

Just now, dimreepr said:

maybe, dont try so hard.

What do you mean?

[dimreepr]

just let go and see what happens. I think that I shall never see

[Carl Fredrik Ahl]

2 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

just let go and see what happens. I think that I shall never see

You mean to try one day to not do anything related to lucid dreaming and see if that will give results?

[dimreepr]

I mean dont chase the dream... 

[nevim]

You could search ‘lucid dreaming music’ on YouTube. There’s loads there. Might help you have some more. Best to wear earbuds although I find it doesn’t matter.

[Prometheus]

55 minutes ago, Carl Fredrik Ahl said:

 I really want useful tips.

You could try setting an alarm clock to coincide with the REM part of your sleep cycle (there are apps that can roughly track the sleep cycle, not sure how accurate they are, otherwise just estimate and use trial and error). You don't want it so intrusive that it wakes you up, but you need to be able to hear it in dream: perhaps a favourite piece of music that invokes the kind of experience you are seeking. Avoid listening to it in the day: you want the sound to be a trigger let you know you're dreaming.

[Carl Fredrik Ahl]

17 hours ago, nevim said:

You could search ‘lucid dreaming music’ on YouTube. There’s loads there. Might help you have some more. Best to wear earbuds although I find it doesn’t matter.

That's a good idea. I have never tried that before. Thx for the answer.

16 hours ago, Prometheus said:

You could try setting an alarm clock to coincide with the REM part of your sleep cycle (there are apps that can roughly track the sleep cycle, not sure how accurate they are, otherwise just estimate and use trial and error). You don't want it so intrusive that it wakes you up, but you need to be able to hear it in dream: perhaps a favourite piece of music that invokes the kind of experience you are seeking. Avoid listening to it in the day: you want the sound to be a trigger let you know you're dreaming.

That's a good idea. I have a watch that can track my sleep. I might try that. Thx for the answer.

[nevim]

11 minutes ago, Carl Fredrik Ahl said:

 

That's a good idea. I have a watch that can track my sleep. I might try that. Thx for the answer.

Lots of the lucid dreaming tracks have these ‘check prompts’ within them every now and again, usually as a sort of ping.

 

[Carl Fredrik Ahl]

4 hours ago, nevim said:

Lots of the lucid dreaming tracks have these ‘check prompts’ within them every now and again, usually as a sort of ping.

 

That's good, but where do you find these. If there are on YouTube I need to have my screen on while listening.

[dimreepr]

32 minutes ago, Carl Fredrik Ahl said:

That's good, but where do you find these. If there are on YouTube I need to have my screen on while listening.

Turn the screen off.

[Carl Fredrik Ahl]

7 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

Turn the screen off.

Well then the music will stop, cause I don't have YouTube Premium and I haven't rooted my phone.

[dimreepr]

then point it away.

Edited January 31, 2020 by dimreepr

[iNow]

Turn it over face down beside you

[nevim]

1 hour ago, Carl Fredrik Ahl said:

That's good, but where do you find these. If there are on YouTube I need to have my screen on while listening.

Here’s one

https://youtu.be/jHC1VW_0CpI

 

Just type ‘lucid dreaming music’ in the search bar.

[dimreepr]

I’m not convinced by this, it don’t work for me.

[Carl Fredrik Ahl]

5 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

I’m not convinced by this, it don’t work for me.

How many nights have you tried?

[dimreepr]

It’s like understanding, there are no shortcuts.

5 minutes ago, Carl Fredrik Ahl said:

How many nights have you tried?

would it work for a child?

[DrmDoc]

On 1/29/2020 at 8:52 AM, Carl Fredrik Ahl said:

Hi,

I started lucid dreaming a few months ago. I got my first 3 lucid dreams on 1 night without using reality checks, but then I started to do it. The first time I tried it I tried to push my finger through my palm in my dream, which DIDN'T work, right after that I pinched my nose and tried to breathe, which DID work so I became lucid. 

This month I have done 5 reality checks in total in my dreams and it didn't work anytime :(. 

When I'm awake and do my reality checks I do it in this order: Looking around and see if I can see anything unusual. Looking at the time 3 times and see if it changes. Try to do telekinesis. Pinch my nose and try to breathe 3 times. I always expect that I'm going to be able to breathe.  Then I think about what I have done today, what I'm doing right now and what I will do later. In my dreams, the only thing I will do is pinch my nose and try to breathe which don't work now for some reason. I don't do the other things and I don't know why.

What could I do to make my reality checks work? Should I do my reality checks in another way, or do something additional? Am I doing anything wrong?

 

In my opinion, if I'm not too late to this discussion, most of what we think we understand about the nature of lucid dreaming--and dreaming generally--is based on misinterpretation of the research.  Most notably, the implications of Stephen Laberge's research I believe have been profoundly misunderstood.  Specifically, continual reality checks may lead to psychosis involving profound doubt in the nature of your true reality and experience.  A person cannot truly navigate reality and enjoy life without trust in the reality of their experiences.

All of what is misunderstood about the nature of dreaming in research is based on a void of understanding on how our dreaming brain evolved, which really isn't very difficult to track if one has a mind to study.  Nevertheless, all levels of unconscious brain activity, including lucid dreaming, are responses to stimuli our brain has received either prior to, during, or as our brain cycles from unconsciousness to conscious arousal. Dreams are how our sleeping brain interpret the stimuli it believes it has experienced amid its cycles of unconsciousness.  Lucid dreaming is a response to real stimuli and primarily occurs as a result of stress.  Lucid dreaming interprets the true nature of an experience that has or will have a significant mental impact.  Although easily accessible, lucid dreaming is not an inconsequential playground and I do not recommend its pursuit as such because of its deep association with mental stress.

[Huckleberry of Yore]

When I'm awake, I know it.  When I become aware that I am dreaming, I will be waking quite soon, so I have not much time for flying or whatever fun I might like.  The exception is the occasional "night terrors" where I'm aware I'm dreaming but can't move and have difficulty wakening.  These events are thankfully rare as they are typically quite horrific.

[Endy0816]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry of Yore said:

When I'm awake, I know it.  When I become aware that I am dreaming, I will be waking quite soon, so I have not much time for flying or whatever fun I might like.  The exception is the occasional "night terrors" where I'm aware I'm dreaming but can't move and have difficulty wakening.  These events are thankfully rare as they are typically quite horrific.

That is you protecting yourself from sleep walking and the like. Should be able to move the tips of your fingers still and calm yourself down that way.

[Huckleberry of Yore]

35 minutes ago, Endy0816 said:

That is you protecting yourself from sleep walking and the like.

I understand that.  The brain turns circuits off so we don't physically react to dream scenes.  The usual scenario though is that I'm trying to wake up but my dream state convinces me there is a threat in my room (intruder) and I can't turn the circuits back on, so panic sets in.  And I have definitely experienced dreaming that I woke up only to realize that I was still dreaming.  My dad had the same experiences, I don't think it's uncommon.

[Endy0816]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry of Yore said:

I understand that.  The brain turns circuits off so we don't physically react to dream scenes.  The usual scenario though is that I'm trying to wake up but my dream state convinces me there is a threat in my room (intruder) and I can't turn the circuits back on, so panic sets in.  And I have definitely experienced dreaming that I woke up only to realize that I was still dreaming.  My dad had the same experiences, I don't think it's uncommon.

Not totally off. No guarantees, but if you can focus on wiggling your fingertips, toes and deliberately moving your eyes; you may regain your sense of control.

Last time I found the sleep paralysis to be oddly peaceful once I knew what was happening.

It isn't definitely isn't uncommon. Wiki has a good page on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

Edited February 2, 2020 by Endy0816

[Carl Fredrik Ahl]

On 2/2/2020 at 4:00 AM, Huckleberry of Yore said:

I understand that.  The brain turns circuits off so we don't physically react to dream scenes.  The usual scenario though is that I'm trying to wake up but my dream state convinces me there is a threat in my room (intruder) and I can't turn the circuits back on, so panic sets in.  And I have definitely experienced dreaming that I woke up only to realize that I was still dreaming.  My dad had the same experiences, I don't think it's uncommon.

How do you get those sleep paralysis? Do you just go to sleep normaly and that happens sometimes by itself?

On 2/2/2020 at 5:23 AM, Endy0816 said:

Not totally off. No guarantees, but if you can focus on wiggling your fingertips, toes and deliberately moving your eyes; you may regain your sense of control.

Last time I found the sleep paralysis to be oddly peaceful once I knew what was happening.

It isn't definitely isn't uncommon. Wiki has a good page on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

How did you get sleep paralysis last time? Did you try or did it happen by itself?

[nevim]

7 minutes ago, Carl Fredrik Ahl said:

How do you get those sleep paralysis? Do you just go to sleep normaly and that happens sometimes by itself?

How did you get sleep paralysis last time? Did you try or did it happen by itself?

Nobody in their right mind ‘tries’ to get sleep paralysis- it’s hideous. I’ve had it since childhood although never at night - it always happens during siestas. 

But lucid dreams are/can be great.