Why do we seek Lucid Dreams?

I just finished a research paper on dream psychology and I did a segment on Lucid Dreaming. I'd be interested to know what motivates everyone to try and have lucid dreams.

For example:
I'm motivated to have Lucid dreams because I believe dreams do have an important purpose. While they may not exactly preserve and strengthen our neural pathways, I do believe dreaming is healthy for at least the brain if not the entire body. I feel like dreams are another dimension and I figure, if I have the opportunity to live two lives and experience vivid and incredible experiences in the dream state, why not?

Any and all responses would be much appreciated.

Personally I wanted to lucid dream so that I can do whatever I want without the repercussions of what would happen in the real world. For example I once jumped off a huge cliff just because I knew that it wouldn't hurt and i wouldn't break anything. Now that I've had sex with all the girls I wanted I now lucid to explore my inner consciousness. I just had a lucid this past Saturday and I was trying to find the source behind the consciousness of my brain. I wanted to meet who was really in the drivers seat. Not sure if I'm explaining it well. ..how about; My brain tells my arm to move, but what tells my brain? I opened many doors expecting to see something, but saw nothing. Then I gave up and tried to fly again.

One of my big reasons is fulfilling all my desires if you will, so I no longer 'cling' to unfinished business, also the feeling of liberation is great. Also I want to do some Buddhist stuff in it like sit in the lotus pose, say some mantras, visit tibet and meet and talk to a Buddha and what bsurfer2d3 sorta sums it up- find out who I truly am, who the dreamer behind the waking life is.

it's a kick-ass subject to write a school paper on, huh?

for me, the main reason I like to lucid dream is....

....for fun! But of course, I have other applications of it, and the self-discovery aspects of it is nothing to underestimate; I've realized that you can find out so much more about yourself than you thought you knew when you're in a dream state. It's as if the walls of the dam that holds your subconscious breaks, and everything lets loose, and it's just mind boggling to see how much information your brain actually holds (excluding all spiritual aspects, of course)

and after having a very thorough lucid dream, I wake up with that feeling of completion, like I didn't just sleep through the night, I had an adventure.

To get the hell away from the mindnumbing tedium of reality.

I'm not having much luck so far, mind...:roll:

Experiment real life things and have fun at the same time, never learning was so funny in my life lol

For me lucid dreaming is the ultimate video game, its like virtual reality. As a game designer myself, this presents itself as the ultimate 3d engine, my own personal sandbox to play God in. If I could stay lucid I would never bother waking up.

Simple. Because it is better than not lucid dreaming when you go to sleep.

Thank all of you very much for your responses. So far it seems to me like people generally want to lucid dream to accomplish desires they feel they are unable to (due either to inconvenience or legality) do in real life.

For those of you still willing to help me in my research, do you feel like experiencing these things in a lucid dream is as fulfilling and satisfying as doing it in real life? Is there a sense of emptiness? Are you able to experience with all five sense in your lucid dreams?

Thanks very much,

O-Suchin

I would say overall that experiencing something in an LD isn't as good as experiencing it in real life. But then again, most people try to do things in LDs that they simply can't do in real life, like flying for example.

You can get all five senses working in an LD, but I've found that at least for me it takes a constant vigilance to maintain them. If I get distracted by a conversation, or some other element of the dream plot, I will stop being able to smell or feel things. That's why I try to punctuate my goals with moments of true lucidity where I just focus intently on the details of a nearby object and try to consciously activate all 5 senses. Usually I only remember to do this in the beginning of an LD though, so senses get lost along the way.

>>do you feel like experiencing these things in a lucid dream is as fulfilling and satisfying as doing it in real life

More satisfying, as I dictate the result (regardless if the outcome is how it would work in the real world) rather than trying something and seeing what happens. (real world)

>>Is there a sense of emptiness?

The opposite, everything can be more vibrant in lucid dreams compared to the real world.

>> Are you able to experience with all five sense in your lucid dreams?

And more... though this is problematic. e.g: Most people can time travel when lucid without any effort. Taking it a step further I have dreamt colours and smells that don't exsist in the real world. I have practiced hard to create and navigate 4 spacial dimension dreams.

Does this mean these things are reasonable facsimiles of the true experience if one's senese were so capable? e.g: I have a 4 dimensional eyeball and 4 dimensional light source to see in 4D? There is no way to know without experiencing these things "for real".

The point of this is that the mind is much more capable then the sensory hardware it is currently attached too, so there is room to augment.

e.g.: I loathe that the amount of conscious bandwidth I get from my brain is so miniscule compared to its total processing power... one day I hope we can increase this severe limitation.

For me it is freedom from the "real" world, an escape, a place to do whatever I want and live out my dreams (no pun intended) :)

Not to mention it is absolutely amazing and so exhilarating! Insightful too.

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Originally Posted by bsurfer2d3

I wanted to meet who was really in the drivers seat...I opened many doors expecting to see something, but saw nothing.

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That's very Zen!

I share the same reasons as bsurfer2d3 and yuriythebest...total freedom and spiritual/consciousness exploration. I feel that learning to master and maintain consciousness while in the deepest of sleep states can only help me to experience a similar state of consciousness during the waking state as well.

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Originally Posted by Captain Sleepalot

I feel that learning to master and maintain consciousness while in the deepest of sleep states can only help me to experience a similar state of consciousness during the waking state as well.

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What a poignant way of putting it.

I feel the same.

I also feel like I can channel my own imagination in an LD, in ways that I'm not effecient enough at in my waking life. To let your mind determine a chain of events, it excercises your creativity and teaches you important lessons at the same time.

TO ME, LIKE, dreams aren't dimensions, against alotta what you people would say. I think dreams are a glimpse of much of the brain's limit. Though, it doesn't seem to be it's peak, or else it would be apparent on machines. I mean, dreams are incredible. Able to replicate life and physics, making it nearly impossible to tell the difference between the two, (without experience).

just fun

I seek LDs because they are so enjoyable. So much so, that I would pay a substantial sum of money in exchange for guaranteed LDs every night.

What I love is that being in a LD feels as real as real life only anything I wish for can happen, for example, I can fly and I can spend time with loved ones who have passed away and whom I miss terribly. I can talk to them and hug them and it feels as real as real life. Another reason is the dreamscape is so mysterious and beautiful and full of interesting surprises. It is so intriguing to see what my brain can do. I love throwing out challenges during a LD to see what my brain generates. Even just walking through a door to see what my brain decides will be on the other side is kind of exciting. I can't wait to see how my brain deals with me walking into a mirror. It's also nice knowing I am totally safe from any kind of harm.

LDing is pure fun. Just as sex is an unquestioningly nice physical experience, LDing is unquestioningly nice for the brain. Even if it involves nasty characters, the liberation that I feel when I turn the tables on them is exhilarating.

And as someone suggested above... it's not like I've got better things I could be doing while I'm asleep!

I lucid dream and want to continue lucid dreaming for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost, to expand my mind and go beyond the restrictions of the physical world. With lucid dreaming my consciousness is free to run wild. I can reflect, visualize, and action upon ideas without guilt, fear, or anger. I'm free to just be and do.

I can prepare myself for upcoming moments in life. While lucid I can practice a speech, study with a dream character, or go bungee jumping. I can experience the death of a loved one, sex, the end of the world, or my own death. My mind, of course, will not be able to produce the real thing if I've never experienced it, but it can get damn close.

I'm able to exercise and reflect upon my 'spiritual' side, for lack of a better term, and explore areas of consciousness inaccessible to me during waking life. Lucid dreaming and dreaming in general is an amazing thing. Amazing and beautiful. We can give it whatever purpose we wish and just relish in our minds, soak in its infinite possibilities.

Happy dreaming everyone,
Moose

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

First and foremost, to expand my mind and go beyond the restrictions of the physical world. With lucid dreaming my consciousness is free to run wild...I'm free to just be and do....

...We can give it whatever purpose we wish and just relish in our minds, soak in its infinite possibilities.

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How concisely and elegantly stated.
I like the line about letting our imagination run wild too, although its a figure of speech, it makes me think of a majestic animal (perhaps a moose in this case), following his heart about an unspoiled wilderness.

If you look up the definition of lucid, there are a variety of meanings because the morpheme shows up in words from different languages. They call seem to point to things like "light", "clarity", "calmness", "understandable" or "expressive". To be lucid in waking- or dream-life helps one to more clearly and appreciate see the beauty and wisdom in the world around us.

And in learning about it, one sharpen's their ability to express it in a way that is just as beautiful, like moose did.

:bliss: :sunflower: :fly: :meditate:

For me, it is because I've always had an active imagination, and being able to interact with my imagination is too good to pass up.

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Originally Posted by acatalephobic

How concisely and elegantly stated.
I like the line about letting our imagination run wild too, although its a figure of speech, it makes me think of a majestic animal (perhaps a moose in this case), following his heart about an unspoiled wilderness.

If you look up the definition of lucid, there are a variety of meanings because the morpheme shows up in words from different languages. They call seem to point to things like "light", "clarity", "calmness", "understandable" or "expressive". To be lucid in waking- or dream-life helps one to more clearly and appreciate see the beauty and wisdom in the world around us.

And in learning about it, one sharpen's their ability to express it in a way that is just as beautiful, like moose did.

:bliss: :sunflower: :fly: :meditate:

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... oh my. I'm flattered. :) :hug:

I have to agree with everything else you just stated.
The word lucid makes me feel calm and collected. It brings about thoughts of transcending my consciousness and being.

I try my best to be 'lucid' in waking life, to notice details and analyze things that others would usually brush off. I listen to what people say closely and try to pick it apart carefully. Paying attention to your surroundings as much as possible is a real treat and offers some insights that you wouldn't expect.

This might sound stupid but
my motivation on lucid dreaming is anime
A 2-3D dimension world of colors XD