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witchdoctor · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 31 Location: USA

Lucid Dreaming

Much is made of dreaming, its meaning, its function, its cause and effect. The fact that our imagination puts us into a world where anything can happen, clearly explains why people are fascinated by it. When we consider that a subconscious issue that goes with them also supposedly constructs dreams, we get to a realm where imagination and reality cross over. Dreams are a place where we can see what we want to and, inversely, what we are supposed to.

To attempt to categorise what is dream and what isn’t, is difficult. People will often comment that the difference between a dream and real life is simple – in dreams you can do what you want, in real life you can’t. But what’s stopping you? What exactly dictates what you can and can’t do within each realm of consciousness? Consequence seems to be one of the main ideas, with dream worlds allowing you to do things without real world consequences. But this is ignorant of the fact that a very disturbing dream CAN have real world consequences, causing the dreamer to act in a way that is generally dissimilar to their normal behaviour. Alternatively, we also have to consider the phenomenon of “Night Terrors”, which can often (reputedly) cross over when a person is awake.

We are, of course, also leaving out the issue of perception. If what we view in real life is only a “perception” (take “The Matrix” as an example), are the rules dictated to us by our own internal inhibitions? Also, would it be acceptable to consider that a dream life is where you “really” live, considering the fact that it’s what you apparently “really” want?

Obviously, such abstract definitions need further exploration in order to be considered definitive. When it’s made impossible to discount responsibility and consequence, along with differences in perspective, we have to come up with a different definition between the dream world and the real world.

If we consider it a question of consciousness, however, it seems to be the last line of linear explanation. When in a dream, it seems more like watching a movie than living a life. You have no real choices to make, you only make the choices that seem predestined to you; this is a symptom of the psychological imprint that is placed on the dream at its inception. To summarise this point, I could muse:

Real life is when you are conscious, and can make conscious decisions. The dream world is, however, where you are unconscious and make unconscious (or, perhaps, subconscious) decisions.

However, it must be noted that it’s possible to inverse each half of the equation. Humans do, indeed, make unconscious decisions while conscious. If that’s the case, can we reasonably assume that we can make a conscious decision while we’re unconscious? Can we live in a dream world, capable of making decisions on our own and not bound by the physicality of our conscious realities? Can we, in effect, make what is generally accepted as impossible, possible?

Yes. The practice itself is called “Lucid Dreaming”.

This inversion of consciousness is a practice that has been looked into for a number of years now, a practice that holds an obvious appeal. From the very beginning of life, man has been fascinated by what happens in dreams, certainly to the extent of wonder and excitement. Dreaming is the one thing that is not hindered or stunted by the physical limitations of the physical realm which humanity generally has to live with. Because of this, it has become a logical evolution to try and work out if we, as conscious people, can control what is otherwise unconscious.

With the general definition out of the way, along with my own personal musings to set the tone, it’s now time to ask a question. Has any member of this board tried lucid dreaming and, if so, what have been your experiences so far?