Thread: JD's Balls-to-the-Wall Awesome Dream Journal

Hey, leo No, in fact, I happened to be dreaming about work again. And at this particular place, one of the washrooms is located right across from the electrical room. So in my dream, I was checking the electrical room... I turned around and saw myself in the full length mirror from the washroom and I looked absolutely normal... and for no reason at all, I thought about dreaming, became lucid, and woke up

Just got a few fragments from last night, not really worth a DJ entry.

Part 1: Was at a crazy-awesome party on a roof terrace. Got really wasted. I think I woke up a bit and went for a DEILD- or maybe just tried to stabilise, because I remember spinning on the spot really fast. I stuck my arms out and went even faster. Then I started floating around the party.

Part 2: Woke up the next morning at the party (false awakening ofc). Semi-lucid. Found myself wrapped up in blankets beside a naked Holly Valance. Freakin' jackpot! Good times were had.

Part 3: I was doing some kind of important assignment and a dude behind me was annoying me. I very uncharacteristically turned round and yelled at him, and he stabbed me in the eye with a pencil! I couldn't believe it, the pencil was actually embedded several inches in my eye! There was no pain. I slowly pulled it out which made a squelching noise. Niiice.

Part 3: I was doing some kind of important assignment and a dude behind me was annoying me. I very uncharacteristically turned round and yelled at him, and he stabbed me in the eye with a pencil! I couldn't believe it, the pencil was actually embedded several inches in my eye! There was no pain. I slowly pulled it out which made a squelching noise. Niiice.

And I just made an "ewwgh" kind of noise

There I was staring back at me. It was a complete copy of myself. He had longer hair and was smiling slightly. It was pretty unnerving, to say the least. I was having some trouble getting out of bed, so I held out my arm to my doppelganger to see if he would help me up. He took my hand and pulled. It was strange- his hand felt slightly wispy, not altogether solid. It did the job anyway, and I made it out of bed to stand, wobbling by the window.

Talk about an OBE. I'm glad you are recording non-lucids (as you know).

This one reminds me of the experience of one of my friends Dad... He had started using mediation at work on his break in a storage room. He had done it no more than a week, when out of the darkness a face began to emerge. It was his own face starring back at him and moving closer. It came into startlingly detailed resolution and pressed against his face. -He said he was fully awake and not been meditating long when it happened. This man is not the emotional type, but, he refused to practice meditation after that.

Part 1: Was at a crazy-awesome party on a roof terrace. Got really wasted. I think I woke up a bit and went for a DEILD- or maybe just tried to stabilize, because I remember spinning on the spot really fast. I stuck my arms out and went even faster. Then I started floating around the party.

I had a dream a few nights ago about a crazy-weird party. I wish I could remember more of it. It seemed to be filled with reoccurring dream characters(!) Late in the dream, I was laying on the floor when someone held out a large fish near my face and proceeded to make the lower jaw move - as if to speak to me.

This one reminds me of the experience of one of my friends Dad... He had started using mediation at work on his break in a storage room. He had done it no more than a week, when out of the darkness a face began to emerge. It was his own face starring back at him and moving closer. It came into startlingly detailed resolution and pressed against his face. -He said he was fully awake and not been meditating long when it happened. This man is not the emotional type, but, he refused to practice meditation after that.

Whoa that would be weird! Seeing yourself like that is pretty bizarre, I can empathise! Although if it happened to me it would make me want to meditate even more.

Hmm that's the second time two of our dreams have lined up....

Yeah huh? I was thinking about that too. I mean it's like he entered a dream like state while fully awake. That is basically the ultimate lucidity. And, I think your party sounds much better. I was so annoyed at the ridiculous fish puppetry that I woke up.

29.05.2010

Superlucid Musical (WBTB)

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

I was woken up and went back to sleep three or four times this morning, so lots of mini WBTB's. My memory of them has really gone down the shitter though, due to other dreams and the time between then and now.



I remember already being lucid in a kind of mall. It was extremely bright. The walls and roof were made of glass with a steel frame. The roof was pretty damn high above me, and there were lots of little white columns and platforms on top of most of the shops. My friend Hugh was beside me. I turned to him and said,
"Dreaming aye?"
"Yep," he replied. I told him I wanted to do the task of the month, even though there was only like a day left. (Jump off a skyscraper) I reckoned that if I could fly up to the top of the highest columns, I could maybe get out onto the roof and see if there were any skyscrapers nearby. Hugh and I flew gently up in the air towards one of the taller columns. I didn't quite make it to the top, but I grabbed onto some rungs on the side. I surprised myself with the clarity of my thoughts here. I knew I had been completely lucid for a decent while, and had no difficulty remembering details from waking life. Then Jess shifted beside me, and the dream crumbled. I percieved that I was back in bed, but desperately clung to a feeling of disassociation to try to DEILD. I "moved" around and grabbed the rungs of the ladder as much as I could, focusing not on my real body, but the dream body. Not to blow my own trumpet or anything, but it took quite a lot of concentration! Pulled it off, I was back in. I drummed on the column with my fists in jubilation. The realism astounded me again- this was kind of like going back to my first few lucid dreams, wonderment-wise. Just a few seconds ago I had been lying in bed, but now here I was, seemingly physically somewhere completely different, banging my fists on a surreal column-platform thing, which appeared for all intents and purposes, completely real.

Those moments of super-lucidity really are great. When you are 100% you, not some quasi-self, slightly warped by the dream world. I was me in the Matrix. Unbeatable realism.

I think I gave up on climing to the roof, it got a little difficult and I was having trouble flying. (Lack of control sometimes seems to go hand in hand with hyper-realism for me) I ended up back on the ground, looking down the other end of the mall. A set of very tall doors looked to open up into a type of ballroom. I decided to investigate, and started running towards the doors. As I did, music started playing. It was a brass band or something. The floor was shiny through the doors, so I dropped to my knees and slid through, arms open wide. In mid-slide, someone tossed me a microphone, and I caught it, jumping to my feet. I was on stage in an auditorium. There were two galleries full of people near the roof at the other end of the room, and on the floor between them was a massive fountain. Behind me was the band. I instinctively started singing. The band backed me up. I was literally just singing whatever came into my head, but for some reason I was hyper-creative and the song just seemed to flow. It became a continuous medley of songs from the 80's. I remember YMCA was definitely in there. As for the rest, I wish I could remember more of the song, it was brilliant. It was a proper musical performance. The audience loved it, and cheered wildly.



When I finished the song I bowed, and reminded myself that I was still asleep. I thought,
"No doubt Jess will wake up soon, she's an early riser." It was strange. I visualised the sight of her lying in bed- as in, just imagined it. But the act of doing so made it real. I wasn't just thinking about it, it became part of the dream and caused a false awakening. I got out of bed and started typing this up.

Makes me wonder. Can we have a visual imagination in a dream? Surely that ability is already maxed out with the creation of the dream itself. Is it possible to imagine something in there and not have it become real in some form? Puzzling.

Those moments of super-lucidity really are great. When you are 100% you, not some quasi-self, slightly warped by the dream world. I was me in the Matrix. Unbeatable realism.

I love this! It's one of the reasons to why I still love lucid dreaming!

In my experience it's very well possible to imagine things without having them happening. I don't know how it works, but I've been there several times.

Can we have a visual imagination in a dream?

We can, I have, and I want that to be common. It was in a moment of intense visual memory that I became briefly aware of vast number of dreams, and, the differences between relationships with people in my dreams vs. real life. Congratulations on getting back in the dream - while in bed with someone. That is hardcore right there.

I'm sure it works, but I've always had a bit of trouble visualising something while still in the dream, and having the existing scenery stay vivid. It's like, if I'm thinking about how something looks (which isn't in my field of vision), I tend to lose focus on what is in the field of vision. I'll be working on it for defs.

31.05.2010

Thoughts on Sleep Paralysis and "visitations" (Note)

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

I can't remember my dreams from last night in any great detail (apart from one part where I fell in the lake and soaked mah phone!), but I felt like rambling out some thoughts anyway. Maybe I need a blog.

I was watching "Derren Brown Investigates" earlier, a show where famous illusion/hypnosis/trickster-guy Derren Brown investigates different paranormal phenomena. Each week he goes in with an open mind, but nothing has yet shown itself to be anything more than bullshit. Anyway, this week it was the turn of ghosts/demons, and he spent some time with a "ghost hunter". The woman whom he was supposed to be helping with her demonic infestation described how she had woken up in bed at night unable to move, and had malevolent figures standing over her. She also said one time she was screaming, but no-one was hearing her, and the bed was shaking. All the time she was explaining this, I was thinking, "Surely, someone here has heard of sleep paralysis. This is textbook!" In the context it was presented by her (as a ghostly visitation, told to a ghost hunter), it seemed almost plausible that it was a ghost. But a rudimentary grasp of sleep paralysis would tell you otherwise. I found it really strange to hear it from the perspective of someone who believes in ghosts, and it made me think. I wonder how many (otherwise rational) people believe in the supernatural purely based on experiences like these. Same goes for alien abductions. Personally, I don't rule out the possibility of the existence of aliens, but I no longer give any credence to the paralysed, float out of bed, classic alien abduction stories.

The ghost hunter himself seemed to believe in what he was doing though. But from what I saw, everything he based his belief on was a combination of wishful thinking, poor-quality gadgets, and his own sleep paralysis experiences as a kid. At the end, Derren adressed this, and talked about sleep paralysis as a medical condition. The way he described it made it sound like quite a serious subject- a medical condition, I mean. I did a little bit of wider reading on sleep paralysis and found more of the same. Accounts of terrifying sights and monsters invading bedrooms while the victim is unable to move. Is it weird that we intentionally induce this state? I say yeah! But what lucid dreamers have done is proved that sleep paralysis can effectively be harnessed, directed and used as a platform for lucid dreams, which are awesome.

Me? I love sleep paralysis. It's a great ride. The realism of the sensations I've experienced have opened my eyes to the power of the nearly-sleeping brain, and have shown me a way to access greater levels of creativity. Some examples: levitation, sliding around the bed (as if being thrown around by a poltergeist), spinning like on the head of a giant drill, loomed over by a witch-monster, and thrown onto the floor. All stuff which could potentially have made me a believer in ghosts (and think I was haunted) in another day and age. Thank god for the internet! Thanks to the internet (and Dreamviews in particular), I've been able to recognise these occurences for what they are, and go into them with a positive attitude, even seek them out. It's given me some great times too. Listening to and manipulating my own personal soundtrack- without earphones, OBEs and of course, lucid dreams.

Anyway I think I've rambled enough for one night, I'm getting sleepy. Here's hoping for some demonic visitations tonight!

If you have anything to add, thoughts, or you watched the show as well, feel free to share!

As far as I know, I have not yet experienced sleep paralysis. I have never been awake, and unable to move, in my life. I can't be placed into a trance, I have a high tolerance to drugs, and I use to sleep walk a lot... Not sure if this explains why not.

For you JD, gaining control of sleep paralysis is an awesome tool for heightened lucidity. For most people, being paralyzed whips up fear, paranoia, and night terrors. Still, I imagine two kinds of sleep paralysis: 1) one arising internally - by normal systems working unusually and 2) one agitated externally - by outside stimuli. (insert link to long debate thread here)

05.06.2010

Ninjas Comin for me! (Non-lucid)

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

My recall has gone to shit since I started a new job on Wednesday. I don't think I've had any lucid moments since then- at least, none I can remember! Had a mini lie-in since it's Saturday, but all I've got are fragments.

I was part of an enormous army of leather-clad ninja dudes. They all looked a lot like Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, except instead of the yellow parts on his armour, they had were all black. Some had purple. Maybe they were the captains or something. We were all on our way to attack some settlement in the desert, which was over a hill and through a guarded archway. When the army passed through the arch, I could see the settlement in the valley below. The army, which had been so neatle organised up until now, broke ranks and started charging. Everyone was equipped with a kind of staff with a blade on either end. I ran alongside someone who turned out to be Loaf from Dreamviews! He had a grenade in his hand. I twirled the dual-bladed staff around like I could never have done while awake, and smashed up a car with Loaf's help.

I vaugely remember retreating back through the arch again when the battle was finished. I tripped and went rolling down a sand dune.

Another unrelated fragment I remember, I was playing Red Dead Redemption. I was shooting guys who kept appearing at the end of a tunnel. I lined up the shots and pulled off headshots on nearly every guy. I earned an achievement. (lol) I exited the tunnel and got out a crossbow, which I used to shoot down several ugly, bat-like creatures. I felt skillful.

I have never been awake, and unable to move, in my life.

I'm slightly curious about how to categorise sleep paralysis. It's not like being asleep, but I wouldn't call it awake either... :S

06.06.2010

Late Night Rainy Football (WILD)

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

I've always found WILDing easier with a slight hangover. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the repression of REM sleep during the night leading to the REM-rebound, plus tiredness.



Anyway, I was lying with my arm around my girlfriend, with my mind doing its own thing. I noticed that the random images which had been floating through my head had become much more solid and cohesive. It felt more like "seeing" than imagining. I saw my street. It was a dark, rainy night. I tried to focus on putting myself into the scene, and started walking uphill. (It didn't become a dream just "like that", it was gradual) There was a moment, when I was thinking about sleep paralysis, when the feeling of movement became much more real. It felt like I was moving my actual muscles now. If I paused, I could kind of feel my girlfriend beside me at the same time. I knew I was playing a risky game, thinking about my real body, but I kept myself integrated in the dream by running and jumping. The rain was cold on my skin. I looked up at the sky to find it completely black. It was a lonely-seeming night. I had no purpose for this dream in mind, so I spontaneously took a right, and climbed through a hole in the hedge. Instead of the housing development that should have been there, I saw a football field beside a large warehouse.

I wandered over, and realised that I was wearing a backpack for some reason. There was a kid standing in the middle of the pitch waving at me. I was about to go over and ask him what his purpose was in my dream, but I had a better idea. I took off the backpack and looked inside. There was an old football. I drop-kicked it over to the kid, who took it on the chest and kicked it back.
"On the head!" he shouted, running over. He got to the side of the pitch and stood on a grassy bank. The rain was quite heavy still, and was making the bank muddy and slippery. I picked up the ball and kicked it to him again. This time, he slipped forward when he went for the header, and faceplanted in the mud. It was hilarious. I laughed pretty hard. I had a moment of introspection, where I remarked on the strangeness of being "in here, laughing away", while at the same time lying basically lifeless in bed.

Then Jess woke me up.

Another unrelated fragment I remember, I was playing Red Dead Redemption. I was shooting guys who kept appearing at the end of a tunnel. I lined up the shots and pulled off headshots on nearly every guy. I earned an achievement. (lol)

Oh my dude.. I have been dreaming about Red Dead Redemption every single night. I posted that Western Border States map next to my bed and I seem to be visiting it - even when I don't play the game. I have actually been in the "Red Dead 1910" environment. I tried to stop an on land oil spill there in my dreams... And most recently found the video game like "power" to call up a gun-slinging "partner" to help in tough situations.

Also, Alan Wake is like a flipping dream factory. I had a vivid action-nightmare the first time I played, in the first REM cycle. Sadly I woke up, sat up slightly, and forgot the entire thing. Something about bullet time slow motion effects, and special lightening effects really simulates vivid dreaming.

I was about to go over and ask him what his purpose was in my dream, but I had a better idea. I took off the backpack and looked inside.

I have probably spent almost as much time searching through drawers and homes in lucid dreams as I have flying.

I admire that you're able to WILD with having someone beside you.

It's quite possible that because my BF is so damned cuddly (as in, he cuddles me), that I'll probably never be able to WILD unless I move to the couch (which I'm totally unwilling to do, lol).

Yeah well... I hate to throw this out there but, long term relationships derailed my lucid dreaming endeavors for years. Lucid dreaming is a difficult pursuit to maintain. Just about everything else is a sincere distraction.

Fooooock I've been away a while... This new job is an absolute timekiller. My recall isn't what it used to be, but I've still been having quite a few lucid dreams in the mornings. The hours I'm working don't really leave me much time to get on dreamviews at all, it's absolutely terrible.

Having the girlfriend beside me isn't the lucid dreaming distraction I suspected. I mean, she's only there one or two nights a week anyway, and when she is, I seem to LD more. :S I think it's because I wake up and fall back to sleep a whole lot more when she's there moving about, which basically means a ton of WBTB's.

I have probably spent almost as much time searching through drawers and homes in lucid dreams as I have flying.

I remembered you said this and did some random examination of my room the other day in a LD. My mind cooked up a bunch of strange old items which I was convinced (at the time) were from my past. Upon waking though, I realised I had never seen them before!

What's everybody's opinion on this new dream journal system? I've begun moving the start of my journal over because it seems like we don't have a choice, but I'm not sure I like the new setup...

I remembered you said this and did some random examination of my room the other day in a LD. My mind cooked up a bunch of strange old items which I was convinced (at the time) were from my past. Upon waking though, I realized I had never seen them before!

Do you happen to remember any of the items now? -Anything or as many items as you can remember.

My compulsion was to search strangers houses, usually who lived near by... Eventually I started having home invasion encounters, which seemed to end the saga. Inside the drawers I would typically find nick-knacks and trinkets. Cheap, drab looking (placeholder like) stuff, that nevertheless fascinated. -More so that my brain could generate this junk on the fly. I don't remember finding any clothing, or linen, either.

I don't recall ever searching through my own stuff... I almost never get lucid in my dream home.

What's everybody's opinion on this new dream journal system? I've begun moving the start of my journal over because it seems like we don't have a choice, but I'm not sure I like the new setup...

I couldn't help but notice it's almost exactly how my blog is setup (since April). So, I actually really like it! It makes more sense to comment on a dream-by-dream basis. I wish there were more tags though. Some dreams require dozens of tags.

Do you happen to remember any of the items now?

I believe it was mostly old things I had made in art class in primary school. Like things made of papier maché, and there was a printed-out poster for some boxing event. I tried reading it but the words didn't make any sense. None of it seemed familiar at all when I woke up, so it was probably just a dreamy mind-trick.

I think I'm just too used to the current DJ setup here, I'll probably warm to the new one in time. It just seems like a pain in the ass to have to move all your posts over individually.

I believe it was mostly old things I had made in art class in primary school. Like things made of papier maché, and there was a printed-out poster for some boxing event. I tried reading it but the words didn't make any sense. None of it seemed familiar at all when I woke up, so it was probably just a dreamy mind-trick.

I remember plenty of gray objects... Paper weights were one. Gray plastic marbles. A disc, something like a washer but larger and more fragil. - We seem to be dreaming about abstract belonging, then our emotions fill in the blanks? Interesting thought... I think lets search expecting to find something super awesome like the Staff of the Magi! Edited for dream use: A wooden staff, shod in iron and inscribed with sigils and runes of all types. A potent artifact contains many spell powers and other functions:

* Enlarge/Shrink Person
* Group Fly
* Open Portal
* Light
* Fireball
* Ice Storm
* Invisibility
* Shapeshift (Self/Other)
* Lightning Bolt
* Passwall
* Pyrotechnics
* Wall of Fire
* Web
* Summon Monster/Person
* Plane Shift/Time/World Shift
* Telekinesis
* Holographic Map (World/Area)

I think I'm just too used to the current DJ setup here, I'll probably warm to the new one in time. It just seems like a pain in the ass to have to move all your posts over individually.

Yeah... Not sure why a "copy all" function didn't make it. I didn't realize that these threads would be completely locked and archived in 3-4 weeks... That seems rather abrupt.

Ok, that staff is on my to do list now for sure! Gonna have a look for it the next time I'm rummaging through stuff. You're right about the abstract belongings with emotions attached. I was looking at them at the time thinking, "Aww yes I remember that, haven't seen it in years!" Like a little nostalgia trip!

I'm going to get straight back to moving my posts over. After that I'll be putting up more new dreams!