Thread: Beer is the mind killer??

In the last few weeks my recall has expanded by leaps and bounds. For the first few days of intention I would recall 3 to 4 dreams a night (the gumption to record is another story!). After this initial honeymoon it leveled off to 1 and then 2 a night with extra clarity and then added to that the will to actually record them. Now the last 2 days I've had a beer with supper (that's dinner for you non Minnesotans) and my recall has plummeted so far I am only left with the vague impression of having dreamt at all. Not groggy just blank. Can this be the beer or just the ebb and flow of experience. I guess time will answer that, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

I've had mixed experiences with alcohol and dreams. Occasionally, being moderately drunk when falling asleep yields to much higher vividness of my dreams, with similar recall. However, a seemingly equal number of times I experience what you describe, virtually zero recall. I do want to note that mild alcohol consumption, 1-3 beers/drinks during an evening, do not affect my dreams nor recall any noticeable amount.

Alcohol is typically related to significantly decreased sleep quality, which includes amount of REM sleep (less REM tends towards lower quality). Less REM means less dreams to recall/get lucid in, so it's been shown that alcohol should decrease dream recall. Example. Another example.

I type this with a beer in my hand

I do want to note that mild alcohol consumption, 1-3 beers/drinks during an evening, do not affect my dreams nor recall any noticeable amount.

No doubt that has to do with a persons own tolerance. I only drink with a meal on occasion, so I suppose that it would affect my system more easily, and since I can't stand weak beer it's either 9% and up or a glass of wine. tonight I did the same, however, this time I know without doubt I dreamt. Freaky, involved dreams again fading quickly. I woke up several times in the morning hours. At the last I experienced intense hypn(a/a?)pompic images that reminded me of shroomery. There were a series of evil toothy faces pulsating continually at me with a very real feeling of a dark threat as if they were saying, "keep the hell out!" I've experienced sp terrors before and this wasn't it. Well, at least I recalled something!
So, when you first started out lding did the alc affect your progress?

I started actively practicing lucid dreaming about 6 years ago and was underage at the time, so I didn't really notice any effects until a couple years ago. I'm not a heavy drinker whatsoever, so I rarely notice any of these effects.

Thanks for the input Burke! Guess I'll be forgetting about alcohol for a while. Becoming proficient at lucidity is infinitely more important to me. My sleep schedule is kaotic enough as it is. (next thing to work on)

I have the same issue. Beer kills my recall entirely. I have some foggy shards here and there, but nothing concrete.

Past couple of days have been beerless, and bam, recall is back. Can remember 1 to 2 Dreams per night now.

Now to get used to a regular sleep cycle...

Sadly, I can attest to this. During a chaotic work week with exhausting 12-13 hour days and only 6 or so hours sleep, I can recall 1 to 2 dreams. During a weekend, having some beers over the course of an evening and getting 8 hours sleep, nothing. I need to lay off the brew so I guess its for the best lol

I've done some testing on this since, and I've found that it isn't how much I drink, but how long before sleep I stop drinking.

Yeah, mind killer! With drinking, I would have a few dreams, after a hangover but, they were just too painful to want to remember them.

Couldn't resist!

I must not beer.
Beer is the mind killer.
Beer is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my beer.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the beer has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Thank you FryingMan! Finally! Someone caught the reference. I loved Dune, the books anyway. Funny, as I see it written out, it really could be sound advise for the discerning dreamer.

I get mixed experiences. some nights I will have just 1 or 2 and end up having really vivid dreams. some nights I will drink a lot and usually recall nothing, but in some instances I have had great recal after a fair amount of drinking.

Alcohol supresses REM so you get much crappier dreams when under the influence. However, alcohol wears off. If you have just 1 or 2 beers it will wear off after only 4 or 5 hours and you will have REM rebound for the rest of the night. This actually makes your dreams more vivid. As long as you aren't drinking a ton you should be fine.