Thread: i know why spinning works

well, it seems as if nobody really knows why spinning in a dream works to increase vividness. It has seemed kind of obvious to me, though. When you spin, objects blur, and somewhat fade. When the spinning stops, your brain is forced to recreate the scene, and it often makes it more clear. Also, when you think of the place you want to go when you spin, as many people do, the brain creates the situation that it is thinking of.... it's really that simple, why did no one seem to know that?

That sounds pretty solid, for some reason I just don't think that's the only reason it works... Don't ask me what the other one is It;ll pop up.

Actually, that was almost exactly my theory. As you spin and the scene blurs, if you project focused thoughts, when you stop spinning you can cause the images you desire to become your new surroundings.

I don't think there was ever a "mystery" about it.

well, in one of your tutorials, you said "i really don't know why spinning works"

I haven't used the method with any success myself but it sounds like a sensible theory.

Originally posted by CowMan339
well, in one of your tutorials, *you said \"i really don't know why spinning works\"

I never mentioned spinning in any of MY tutorials, if you mean all of the tutorials, then you're lying, because no tutorial says they don't know how spinning works.

well, you DID mention it, in the "increasing dream realism" tutorial, and you said that you don't know why, but that you do know that it works. sorry, you may have just forgotten what you wrote.

Originally posted by CowMan339
well, you DID mention it, in the *\"increasing dream realism\" tutorial, and you *said that you don't know why, but that you do know that it works. sorry, you may have just forgotten what you wrote.

I offered reasons. There's no "definite" reason.

The main ones are

1. placebo
2. stimulates senses
3. blurring

ah, but you DID mention spinning, so next time, check before calling me a liar

Originally posted by CowMan339
ah, but you DID mention spinning, so next time, check before calling me a liar

I checked but I searched for spinning not spin

okay, sorry, we're even then.... so... tell other people to check out this post, and tell us their opinion on spinning

I think that you're only partially correct. Mostly I'd classify it as a placebo effect.

Might just be so =)

it makes your body feel the turning effect which is a physical stimulus, thus increasing realism

i thgought this was a well known fact (it was in laberges books)

Seems quite obvious to me. Yep.
The same reason why stepping through a mirror would put you somewhere new - the mirror doesn't show you what is behind it so it forces a new scene from scratch.
Spinning causes the scene to become indistinct, and able to transition into a new one.

If it's the 'physical stimulus' part that makes it work, you could try dancing in your next dreams.

*turn on music*

I've also always thought the same about why spinning works...

Ive read lots of things in books that weren't true

LaBerge and many others seem to agree that spinning probably works as it stimulates the senses (feeling the rush of air, the movement, seeing everything spin) and therefore forces your brain to pay more attention to the stimuli in the dream world, rather than the stimuli in the real world that are waking you up. Similar methods that were found to work before spinning was discovered included falling to the ground, or focusing intently on something, both of which support the senses being stimulated.

Your idea is possible though, and it could easily be part of the reason; it's all about forcing your brain to focus on the dream world.

Originally posted by Awhislyle
Ive read lots of things in books that weren't true

I agree, but I don't think you realize WHICH book this is. Now, it is only a hypothesis, there's no real way to test it to be sure whether it's right or wrong, but realize that LaBerge is the leading expert on Lucid Dreaming in the entire world. If it isn't true, it's because of a mistake on his part, not because he was purposely being misleading. And while I acknowledge that he CAN make mistakes, I don't think he did in this case.

Originally posted by Tsen


I agree, but I don't think you realize WHICH book this is. Now, it is only a hypothesis, there's no real way to test it to be sure whether it's right or wrong, but realize that LaBerge is the leading expert on Lucid Dreaming in the entire world. If it isn't true, it's because of a mistake on his part, not because he was purposely being misleading. And while I acknowledge that he CAN make mistakes, I don't think he did in this case.

Even Stephen Hawking has recanted much of his information that he believed about blackholes.


edit* But I do agree with LaBerge's assesment, I just like to play Devil's Advocate

Seems quite obvious to me. Yep.
The same reason why stepping through a mirror would put you somewhere new - the mirror doesn't show you what is behind it so it forces a new scene from scratch.
Spinning causes the scene to become indistinct, and able to transition into a new one. [/b]

Isn't that strange though? Wouldn't you think you would come out of the mirror the sameplace you were, just facing the other way?

Yes, but Stephen wasn't intentionally leading people astray, either. Still, I see your point.

Anyway, I guess for some people, stepping through a mirror would put them in the same place, facing the other way, but not for everybody. Depends on what you want/predict/fear will happen when you walk through the mirror. If you really, really want to be in Japan, when you walk through the mirror you'll be in Japan. If you're very, very sure that you'll just wind up in the room again, you'll wind up in the room again. And if you're deathly afraid of winding up in a cave full of bats, that's probably where you'll wind up. It just depends on which of those three is dominant.

This is pretty far out but......

It's the theory of relativity.

If the rate of acceleration of an object increases and then mantains a higher speed relative to the surrounding objects then [ the really fast object increases in density ]

Maybe density increase realism in a dream and makes the dream more stable. The substance that makes up all material is also the stuff that makes up thoughts. Thoughts (and dreams) have substance that is subject to the reality of relativity.

Faster objects = more density.

Truely spinning in this sense would be making dreams more real with movement.

Originally posted by Raylin
LaBerge and many others seem to agree that spinning probably works as it stimulates the senses (feeling the rush of air, the movement, seeing everything spin) and therefore forces your brain to pay more attention to the stimuli in the dream world, rather than the stimuli in the real world that are waking you up. Similar methods that were found to work before spinning was discovered included falling to the ground, or focusing intently on something, both of which support the senses being stimulated.

Your idea is possible though, and it could easily be part of the reason; it's all about forcing your brain to focus on the dream world.

i agree . i use it also when im on edge of real world to kinda put my mind out of it and stimulate it to remain in dream world.