Thread: Lucid dreams vs. psychedelic trips

what is a psychedelic trip?

A psychedelic trip is when you get high on a psychoactive drug, like LSD or magic mushrooms.

Not psychoactive, psychadelic. There's a HUGE difference.

For definition I'd say a psychadelic experience, an experience brought on by the use of a psychadelic drug, such as psilocybin, LSD, Salvia Divinorum, LSA, or DMT.

I've never tried any psychedelic drug IRL, but while dreaming I've taken mushrooms and LSD. (Check out my thread below this one for some interesting thoughts about dream drugs).

I remember one experience (non-lucid), where I took some LSD and then sat at my computer and waited for it to kick in. Then suddenly out of the blue a buzzing, vibrating state of mind kicked me hard in the face everything started moving and becoming more vivid in colour. The experience was so overwhealming that I woke up shortly there after.

I wonder what actually happens in the brain when you take a drug in a dream. Somehow the brain is stimulated even though there is no chemical involved. Weird...

It's probably mainly expectations, since they play such a large part in such things with the dreaming mind.

Yeah expectations obviously shape your experience. But that doesn't really explain the core of the experience. What's really going on? There is no physical change in your brain, thus normal emotions are excluded (since when you wake up, the effects are completely gone, not even a sign of them, nor the feelings associated with the experience). So it's like ghost-emotions. The come and go real quickly. But from where do they stem?

Originally Posted by Supernova

Not psychoactive, psychadelic. There's a HUGE difference.

For definition I'd say a psychadelic experience, an experience brought on by the use of a psychadelic drug, such as psilocybin, LSD, Salvia Divinorum, LSA, or DMT.

Not a huge difference. Definition of psychoactive from Merriam Websters Dictionary: affecting the mind or behavior (psychoactive drugs). Do psychedelics not affect the mind or behavior?

Originally Posted by Reverie Phantom

Which one do you think is more exciting, a lucid dream or a psychedelic trip, and why? Can be any kind of drug trip, ex: magic mushroom, LSD, DMT, salvia, peyote, etc...

I personally enjoy lucid dreams more than any drug because a lucid state is so much more real than most drug hallucinations/ trances. You can delve into your own mind.

I've done my fair share of psychedelics and had many lucid dreams. To be completely fair...I'd have to compare my most exciting drug trip with my most exciting lucid dream.

I'd have to say lucid dream wins.

If you think about it...it's like comparing really trippy intense Hynogagic Hallucinations and Lucid Dreaming. Which is more exciting?

Originally Posted by Reverie Phantom

Not a huge difference. Definition of psychoactive from Merriam Websters Dictionary: affecting the mind or behavior (psychoactive drugs). Do psychedelics not affect the mind or behavior?

Psychoactive includes a much, much broader range of drugs. You have the small group that is psychadelics, whereas psychoactive would encompass most everything on erowid's big list, everything from things milderineffect than caffeine, to say. DMT...clearly quite a large difference. It's like the thig with squares and rectangles. Psychadelics certainly are psychoactives, but most psychoactives are not psychadelics.

Originally Posted by Aquanina

I've done my fair share of psychedelics and had many lucid dreams. To be completely fair...I'd have to compare my most exciting drug trip with my most exciting lucid dream.

I'd have to say lucid dream wins.

If you think about it...it's like comparing really trippy intense Hynogagic Hallucinations and Lucid Dreaming. Which is more exciting?

I agree. What could possibly be trippier than being in your own reality where you can change anything? All my lucid dreams trump my most intense psychedelic journeys.

Originally Posted by Supernova

Psychoactive includes a much, much broader range of drugs. You have the small group that is psychadelics, whereas psychoactive would encompass most everything on erowid's big list, everything from things milderineffect than caffeine, to say. DMT...clearly quite a large difference. It's like the thig with squares and rectangles. Psychadelics certainly are psychoactives, but most psychoactives are not psychadelics.

Ok, I stand corrected. I guess I pretty much meant to include anything that can trip you out. So psychedelics, psychoactives, whatever. All hallucinogenic drugs.

I quite enjoy entheogenic (lit. devine-producing) substances like mescalin, dmt (dimethyltryptamine), lsd, cubensis and corticeps fungi.

I would have to say that while these substances are incredibly intriguing and worthy of study; even my most intense psychedelic journeys only come close to topping my most lucid dream experiences.

Can you actually fly on acid? Chances are, no.

In a lucid dream? Just watch.

lucid dreams are far better than any drug. i mean come on, your in a world with no boundaries and you can do absolutely anything you can imagine.

now dont get me wrong, i do enjoy a good dose of psilocybin mushrooms from time to time

Are psychadelics legal?

Most are not. LSD, Psylocybe mushrooms, DMT and many other incredible substances are illegal. For some reason the government has grouped most psychedelics in with other harmful drugs. They don't understand how these chemicals can change a persons life for the better.

There are a couple psychedelics that are legal, such as salvia (in some countries).

I'm from the United States, so I speak of US laws against drugs. I don't know where other countries stand on it.

Most are pretty similar unfortunately. Although I get the impression US laws are particularly harsh, is that true?

It sure seems like it! Almost everything with potential for abuse is highly controlled. And psychedelics that are completely harmless, like shrooms, are outlawed and have high penalties for offense.

However, in California, Cannabis is quickly becoming legalized. It is soon to be completely legal to recreationally use marijuana in the state of California, and to cultivate your own plants. Many other states are legalizing cannabis for medicinal use.

Hmmm...well, I'll have to go against the grain here and say that I've had much more compelling, memorable and moving experiences on a variety of psychedelic trips than in any lucid dream, and neither can compare to waking visions experienced with no aids other than nature, poetry, and/or sustained meditation practice. I've also had some pretty intense experiences with nothing but cannabis, booze and dancing. Of all these, lucid dreams may be the least amazing, but they're also the one I'd want to / could stand to do the most often. I won't be taking psychedelics or even dancing 2-3 times per week, but I'm a happy boy when my lucids are coming that frequently.

I appreciate your differentiating view. I have definitely had some incredible and intense experiences with psychedelics and cannabis. Plus one thing that I enjoy about taking psychedelics more than lucid dreams is that you can share your experience with other people. I have felt true connections with some of my closest friends while tripping mushrooms, almost like our souls were connected or something.

Originally Posted by Taosaur

Hmmm...well, I'll have to go against the grain here and say that I've had much more compelling, memorable and moving experiences on a variety of psychedelic trips than in any lucid dream

But he didn't ask what was more compelling, memorable, or moving. He asked what was more exciting. So I'm assuming that is how you define exciting? I'm just wondering, because how the initial question was phrased definitely affected my answer.

Originally Posted by Aquanina

But he didn't ask what was more compelling, memorable, or moving. He asked what was more exciting. So I'm assuming that is how you define exciting? I'm just wondering, because how the initial question was phrased definitely affected my answer.

I guess I read the question as something like, "What elicits the highest state of arousal?" and for me more depth to an experience does translate to a higher state of arousal--I was seeing it as a quantitative, not a qualitative difference, though on reflection I suppose some of those experiences I would say were deep, but not fun, whereas others were both deep and fun. Still, even in terms of pure fun/stimulation, the ranking holds:

1. Samadhi
2. Dancing (psychedelic or otherwise)
3. Psychedelic trip (dancing or otherwise)
4. Lucid dreaming

Off topic posts moved here: http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ad.php?t=92668

Originally Posted by Reverie Phantom

It sure seems like it! Almost everything with potential for abuse is highly controlled. And psychedelics that are completely harmless, like shrooms, are outlawed and have high penalties for offense.

However, in California, Cannabis is quickly becoming legalized. It is soon to be completely legal to recreationally use marijuana in the state of California, and to cultivate your own plants. Many other states are legalizing cannabis for medicinal use.

Are you serious? Recreational use huh? We need to go on a road trip there


But anyways, I can't really compare lucid dreaming to a drug induced trip. They are completely different. Both extremely exciting, but one you can control and one you can't.

I'd have to say psychedelic trips hold more meaning and excitement to me if I had to choose. Trips give me more "knowledge" of myself and "reality". And lucid dreams is just one big amusement park. Although, I have had lucid dreams where I didn't know what was would happen next. Kind of like a dream, but with lucid consciousness.

I just can't decide haha.

Originally Posted by Taosaur

Hmmm...well, I'll have to go against the grain here and say that I've had much more compelling, memorable and moving experiences on a variety of psychedelic trips than in any lucid dream, and neither can compare to waking visions experienced with no aids other than nature, poetry, and/or sustained meditation practice. I've also had some pretty intense experiences with nothing but cannabis, booze and dancing. Of all these, lucid dreams may be the least amazing, but they're also the one I'd want to / could stand to do the most often. I won't be taking psychedelics or even dancing 2-3 times per week, but I'm a happy boy when my lucids are coming that frequently.

This is exactly what I was thinking.